Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1959)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY 85. NO. 79 NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, APRIL 27, 1959 TEN CENTS _5 t Exhibitor ^position to age Measure ski, Floersheimer, on to Carry Burden From THE DAILY Bureau SHINGTON, April 26.-Three Ses will carry the major burden 2 industry's case against the idy minimum wage bill when jenate Labor Committee opens gs on the bill starting May 5. Julian Brylawski, chairman of egislative committeee of the e Owners of America, and a vice-president, will appear, as U Floersheimer, executive di( Continued on page 2) ifh Pacific' Gross IK. Over $2 Million fel engagements in the United Dm, "South Pacific" has earned e-s of $2,000,000, Albert Leonoreign sales manager of Magna re Corp., reported at the weeklie figure was termed "an allox-office record" for the British Todd-AO musical opened at ( Continued on page 4 ) walberg to Install ton Lodge Officers Special to THE DAILY 5TON, April 26.-Alfred W. lberg will conduct the installa>f new officers of the Boston a Lodge of B'nai B'rith on May :he Sidney Hill Country Club, ■n, Mass. The function will be form of a dinner dance, with S Roberts as toastmaster. cers to be installed -are Carl ian, president; Emanuel Young, first vice-president; William is, second vice-president; EdW. Lider, third vice-president; Katz, treasurer; and Melvin secretary. VISION TODAY p. 18 TOA Puts Drive for Better Projection In Motion with Service Questionnaire Members of the Council for the Improvement of Theatres and Motion Picture Projection are being asked today to review the questionnaire which will be sent to all American Theatre owners in the initial move by the Coun cil to provide theatre men with techinspection and training service Colo. Legislature Ends; ^%ST££t* Dayliqht Time Bills Die The New York office of Theatre Special to THE DAILY O™ °f, America disclosed that it DENVER, April 26. The Colo had sent drafts of the questionnaire 7 c. \ t ■ i i j j u„ „ (Continued on page 3) rado State Legislature adjourned here r ° today without taking action on a proposal for daylight saving time. Bills proposing daylight saving time had been introduced in both houses with neither measure being able to get out of committee. 25% Increase French Film Industry Concerned Over Trends Special to THE DAILY PARIS, April 23 (By Air Mail).The film industry here is discouraged by recent statistics that show, while there was a three per cent general increase in 1958 in expenditures on culture and entertainment, that cinemaattendance dropped 10 per cent. Another alarming factor is that while French consumption in general increased by 12.5 per cent because of rising prices, the film industry's profits (Continued on page 4) Awards Telecast A Success, Lewis Says The recent Academy Awards telecast was a "huge success" as a "rallying point for the entire industry," Roger H. Lewis, United Artists' national director of advertising, publicity and exploitation, declared as a panelist in a discussion of the annual (Continued on page 4) RKO Theatres New York Managers Transferred A realignment of RKO Theatre managers was announced at the weekend. Affected by changes are: Nicola Constabile, transferred from the Alhambra to Royal, replacing the late Richard Reynolds; William Dug(Continued on page 4) Soviet to Pick New York Theatre This Week As Showcase for Its Cinerama-Type Film From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, April 26.— Soviet officials are expected to decide early this week on a theatre to house their Cinerama-type film, "Wide Is My World," for showing in New York City. The picture is part of the U.S.S.R. exhibit opening late in June at the Coliseum, which has no facilities for exhibiting the film. The State Department agreed to assist the Russians in finding a suitable New York house. A State Department official said over the weekend that the Soviet officials had looked at "six or eight" theatres in midtown Manhattan which might be suitable for their hour-and-a-half long, color film. He said he thought the group had narrowed the field and would announce a choice either tomorrow or early in the week. The Soviet government will pay the cost of converting the theatre so that Cinerama type equipment can be used. It will also pay to convert the theatre back to its original state after the run of the film, if the theatre owner wishes it. In addition the U.S.S.R. will pay rent to the theatre owner for the use of the house. The search for a suitable theatre has been conducted by N. M. Danilov, U.S.S.R. Deputy Minister of Culture. He has been assisted by motion picture expert Prof. E. M. Golldovskyy and E. A. Ivanyan, chief of the American section of the U.S.S.R.'s Ministry of Culture. AB-PT Net for First Quarter 2,300,000 Goldenson Says TV Makes Biggest Gain; Theatres Off American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres will report earnings in excess of $2,300,000 for the first quarter of the current year which represents a 25 per cent increase over the $1,854,000 earned in the corresponding 1958 quarter, Leonard Goldenson, president, disclosed at the weekend. Biggest factor in the improved earnings, Goldenson said, is the gains being made by ABC-TV. Gross time billing for the first quarted showed an 18 per cent improvement over the corresponding period last year. The rate of TV network sales for the new season is well ahead of preceding years. AB-PT's theatre operations for the (Continued on page 2) Says Censorship Backers Generally 'Uninformed' Special to THE DAILY BALTIMORE, April 26. Film censorship movements are generally "spearheaded by the uninformed and the uninquiring without coercion," Margaret G. Twyman, director of community relations of the Motion Picture Association of America, told the State Conference of the Maryland Library Association here Friday at a luncheon at the Sheraton-Belvedere Hotel. Her subject was "The Freedom of Inquiry." "Sadly enough, the motivations of ( Continued on page 3 ) Bachman Heads MGM's European Productions From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, April 26. Larry Bachman has been signed to a fiveyear contract by MGM as head of its European productions. Bachman, formerly head of Paramount production, London, a post which he took over following the (Continued on page 4)