Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1959)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1959 TEN CENTS ~ison Says x Planning tanges in Id Set-Up ter 'Autonomy' for ch Managers Slated WARREN G. HARRIS niplete reorganization of 20th Fox's distribution facilities, is imperative for the future of the company," is now being Alex Harrison, general sales told a trade press conference terday. son said that one of the major of the present Fox distriet-up has been that branch rs "don't have enough local au" Following two years of study problem, the company is workplan whereby "all supervision ■Id will be eliminated." Dn as is practical, each branch {Continued on page 5) Caffs for Fight worship Bills j 1 for the motion picture ini generally, and exhibitors in •ar to "vigorously protest and ; infringements on their Conal rights" contained in the lip bills now pending in at .en states was voiced yesterTheatre Owners of America. ;e G. Kerasotes, president, yes' Continued on page 4) Exhibitors Pledge Cooperation In 1959 Red Cross Campaign (Picture on page 5) Pledges of theatre cooperation in the 1959 industry campaign for the American Red Cross were made by leading circuit executives at a luncheon at the Metropolitan Club here yesterday inaugurating the campaign. Spyros P. Skouras, 20th CenturyFox president, who is industry chairman of the campaign, was host at the luncheon and acted as master of ceremonies. His expressed hope for theatre cooperation was responded to affirmatively by Si H. Fabian, president ( Continued on page 5 ) 'Tempest' Campaign to Concentrate on TV Plans for a large all-media promotional effort for "Tempest," with concentration on television, were announced yesterday by Paramount Pictures. The film is due to open in some 400 theatres at Easter. Describing the over-all publicity campaign as one of the largest undertaken on behalf of a Paramount picture in recent years, the company said it will include countrywide billboard advertising, substantial radio promotion, major magazine and newspaper attention, star tours, tieups and a number of special events. The campaign is under the supervision of Jerry Pick( Continued on page 6 ) Israel Unit Names amin. Skouras •t S. Benjamin, chairman of ;d of United Artists, was elect•president, and Spyros P. Skou.sident of 20th Century-Fox, ted a member of the board of |: of the American-Israel Cul nmdation, a non-sectarian oron devoted to the promotion )jral exchange between the ■i tares and Israel. fS/ON TODAY— page 6 UA Sues Post Office Over 'Nla\a' Ad Mailing From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, March 10-United Artists brought suit here to require the Post Office Department to accept for mailing publications containing advertisements reproducing Goya's "Nude Duchess" painting United Artists said it had been forced to withdraw such an ad from ( Continued on page 3 ) Johnston to Report to MPE4 Board on Friday A meeting of the board of directors of Motion Picture Export Ass'n. has been called for Friday to hear a report from Eric Johnston, president, on his recent trip to the Far East. Date for the next meeting of the Motion Picture Ass'n. board has not been set yet but may be before Johnston returns to Washington. Wometco Will Offer One-Third of Stock From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON. March 10-Onethird of the stock in what is now Wometco Television and Theatre Co. will be sold publicly, the Federal Communications Commission has been told. A request for Securities and Ex(Continued on page 3) N. Y. Censorship Measures Shelved; Ad, 'Classification1 Bills Amended Special to THE DAILY ALBANY, N. Y., March 10.— Bills for licensing motion picture theatres and extending the present Education Law definitions of "immoral" and "would tend to corrupt morals" to film advertising were shelved today by the Joint Legislative Committee on Offensive and Obscene Material. At the same time it introduced an amended version of the film classifications measure. This change eliminates the authority of the State Education Department's motion picture division to require that certain films be advertised as "unsuitable for children subject to the compulsory education law of the state." The committee likewise amended (Continued on page 4) Assembly Unit Rejects N. Y. Film-Fee Bill Special to THE DAILY ALBANY, N. Y., March 10. The Assembly Public Education Committee today defeated a bill by Anthony P. Savarese, Jr., Queens Republican, which would have increased the fee charged by the State Education De(Continued on page 4) New Company Picker Named President of Loew's Circuit Friedman Now Chairman Murphy Exec. Vice-Pres. With the separation of Loew's Theatres from Loew's Inc. which becomes formally effective tomorrow, Leopold Friedman has been elevated to | senior officer and Jf*~~"~%\ chairman of the ^J. board of Loew'v fP|<S/ Theatres, with Eugene Picker Jiibr~^nfcfc. becoming president and chief ^^Bi executive offi I day. In a further „. , realignment of Eugene Picker 8 top manage ment personnel. John F. Murphy, vice president, was ( Continued on page 3 ) Roach Wins Victory In Court Battles An important court victory was won by Hal Roach, Jr., in his battle to restore die F. L. Jacobs Co., parent of the Scranton Go. and Hal Roach Studios, to normal business operations following the Securities and Exchange (Continued on page 5) Columbus Grosses Good Despite Strike Special to THE DAILV COLUMBUS, O., March lO.-Theatre business here has been steady despite a strike of web pressmen which had idled three Columbus dailies and the weekly tabloid "Star" since Feb. 27. Theatres upped budgets for radio and television time and expanded coverage in neighborhood newspapers and other publications. Twice-daily broadcasts plugging all local theatres were given over radio station WMNI.