Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1959)

uesday, March 24, 1959 MOTION PlGTURE DAILY c nk 'Disappointed' in S. Venture: Davis From THE DAILY Bureau i LONDON, March (21) (By Air {[ail) — Commenting on the Rank Or j knisation's decision to cease distribing its own films in the United J jates from March 28, John Davis, anaging director of the Rank Or , anisation, said "we were not making ..-ogress and there was no justification Jjfi continuing to operate at a loss." I He added: "It will no doubt be Mnembered that we never under , timated the magnitude of the venire which we were undertaking. It nevertheless, a disappointment that « have not been able to make a Access of it." ?CC Approves Broidy Expects AA Operations in Black Soon (Continued from page 1) .rrent Congressional consideration \ the subject." Each toll-TV system will be limited testing in one market area, and ch market area will be limited to rting one toll-TV system. This is .proximately the proposal of House )mmerce Committee Chairman . arris (D., Ark.) and is far more ' : nited than the tests originally pro: Led by the FCC. ~'~ Any market area used must have least four top-quality TV stations, e FCC said. The commission didn't picate how fast it expected to pro. J*s applications or when tests might ■ irt. ] ! Harris confirmed that he had , irked out the agreement with the |C and said his committee would let W ednesday "to take concurrent tion" approving the limited tests. Asked whether FCC action did not ~rmit wire subscription television to ... ahead, Harris said the FCC statellpnt today did not effect wire and "'h committee' would decide Wed_jj|day what separate action it might le to take on wire toll-TV. Jj Harris may now drop plans for arings and action on his bill to bar 'M broadcast and wire toll-TV except ■ limited tests. The FCC action puts .. J limit on wired toll-TV programs. • The commission said that until a cision is reached on permanent auirization of toll-TV, the viewing iblic should not be required to buy jy special receiving equipment. This leans the station or system propoiint must pay for this. The public ssumably would still pay viewing larges for the individual programs. At least five systems have indited an interest in tests: Zenith dio Corp., Skiatron Electronics, Injuational Telemeter Corp., Bi-Tran, 'd Teleglobe. nop' Bows March 30 "Room at the Top," which has just en cited as the "best motion picture mi any source" by the British Film ■ademy, will have its American pre iere at the Fine Arts Theatre here ' Monday, March 30. (Continued from page 1) office experience to date with "House on Haunted Hill" and "Al Capone," both of which, he said, are outgrossing AA's biggest grossers of former years. Forthcoming product on which the company is banking heavily is the SI, 800,000 "The Big Circus," which will be ready in July; "Man of Montmartre" and "79 Park Avenue." These, with "Capone" and two to be announced soon, will top the company's schedule for the year. Roadshows Possible Sales policy and plans for "Circus" are being discussed at the current meetings here with Morey Goldstein, sales manager, and Sandy Abrahams, advertising-publicity director. There is a possibility the picture may be roadshown. AA plans to produce 16 features this year, of which at least six will be in its top quality category. Broidy said whether there will be more of both top quality and program productions depends on the reception the coming releases get from exhibitors. "It is our hope to be able not only to continue this policy of making top quality pictures but to increase their output. 'Bazz' Goldstein's crosscountry trip visiting exhibitors last fall was successful in winning their cooperation. I believe the exhibitors are serious in wanting to see us do this job. "We have to have an inventory 'roll-over'," Broidy said. "If the exhibitors do not support our regular releases, the result will be a lessening or delays of production of the top quality pictures, because that's where the money with which to make the latter has to come from. If they continue1 to support us, I'm sure we'll give them many a happy surprise with even our lower-budgeted films. Cites Four Films "For example, our 'Crime and Punishment, U.S.A.,' is a picture with fine potential, as are such pictures as 'Genny Angel,' 'I Passed for White' and 'The Bat.' If the proper effort is put behind pictures, they can go as high as the public will take them. No one knows for sure today just what will do big business. "If anyone thinks the industry can maintain itself solely on 'blockbusters' he is making a big mistake. We have to have pictures like 'Haunted Hill', made at a cost that permits them to return a profit. It can be tragic if you get one intended blockbuster that instead blocks and busts." Broidy said A-A has no precon ceived ideas about the diversification action its board of directors approved last Friday and appointed a committee of three non-company members to study and report on. "We have had diversification in mind for some time and have had projects presented to us now and then. If we can find something that fits into our type of operation we think it would be constructive for the company to entertain such a deal. Whatever improves our profit basis helps take care of our scheduled top quality production and helps us to continue or expand that production policy." Introduces Abrahams Broidy used the occasion to introduce Abrahams to the Eastern press representatives. The new A-A advertising-publicity head said he was "lucky" to be taking over his post with a picture like "Big Circus" ready. Goldstein said he felt his nationwide tour visiting exhibitors had succeeded in alerting them to the need for protecting their sources of product supply by cooperating with A-A. "Because of today's conditions," he said, "even a small company's output is important to the exhibitors." Broidy will return to Hollywood today. Abrahams leaves tomorrow or Thursday. Foreign Films (Continued from page 1) dissolved, is being formed "for the mutual benefit of its members and to take concerted action upon various problems that presently confront the independent importer distributor," it was stated. Whereas the old IMPO was formed primarily for the purpose of protecting independent distributors here from foreign infiltration, Brandt said, the new organization would concern itself with more current problems, such as censorship, import restrictions, advertising and physical problems resulting from shipping, small office operations, etc. Brandt said the principal failings of the old IMPO were its narrowness of purpose and its plan of organization, which because of "its very nature found various distributors and importers constantly fighting among themselves." The new IMPO would be a trade organization similar in setup and intent to the Motion Picture Export Association, he pointed out. Two committees have been formed by foreign importers and distributors to get the new organization rolling. One committee will formulate the fundamental program aims of the organization, and the other will concern itself with organizational details. Both committees will report their findings at a general meeting at the end of May, following the Cannes Film Festival, which is considered prime buying time for many of the companies participating. J. H. Stevens Dies ( Continued from page 1 ) Funeral Home, 6251 Dempster Street, Morton Grove, 111. Stevens, who last year was named Mid-Western division manager with headquarters in Chicago joined Paramount in 1923 as chief accountant in Boston. He was successively booker, booking manager and salesman in Boston before being name 1 branch manager in Portland, Me., in 1929. He later served as Paramount manager in Indianapolis, Boston and Chicago. Stevens is survived by his wife, Mrs. Margaret E. Stevens, and three children. The family has requested that no flowers be sent, and has suggested that in lieu thereof contributions be made to the American Cancer Society. Disney to Hold Meet (Continued from page 1) first time a world conference of all the many divisions of the Disney organization has been held outside the U.S. It will be at the Dorchester Hotel for a week from April 6 to 10. Nearly 150 top executives and delegates from more than 20 countries will be headed by president Roy Disney. Other leading Hollywood eveeutives who will attend include William If. Anderson, vice-president in charge of studio operations; Card Walker, vicepresident in charge of advertising and sales; Oliver B. Johnson, secretary of the company and in charge of music operations; Ned Clarke, foreign sales executive, and Mike Havas, European sales executive. Court Rejects (Continued from page 1) damages and an injunction. The district and circuit courts, however, said they could find no proof of an illegal conspiracy among the distributors and that they felt they had no power to substitute their own views on necessary clearance time for the business judgment of the individual distributors. Orbo appealed to the high court, but the justices today refused to entertain the appeal. They gave no reason for their decision, wdiich in effect ends the case. Orbo argued that the Paramount Case decision held that clearance was not justified where there was no substantial competition between die theatres involved, and that the courts do have authority to determine the amount of competition and therefore the reasonable clearance. The distributors replied that clearance was a necessary practice dictated bv the economics of the industry, and that the particular clearance time involved was a reasonable one. 'Embezzled Heaven" (Continued from page 1) film, "inspirational in tiieme, artistically produced, outstanding in entertainment value and judged praiseworthy by Cadiolic critics" is recommended to die patronage of Catholic people of all ages. "Embezzed Heaven" is die second film so recommended bv the Legion.