Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1959)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY SO. 81 NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 1959 TEN CENTS Out Policy Paramount Sets 'Summer Festival' Names 1st To Unveil 3 Films in 30 Cities a j a ) ■ Paramount will hold a "Summer Boxoffice Festival" to celebrate the un ^ j/VCl" _L Ul3 veiling of three major mid-summer releases in 30 cities throughout May, George Weltner, vice-president in charge of world sales, announced yesterday. The Paramount "Festival" will take the 'lAtlfll Hf'^lllGl — form of a special series of triple film : -l ■ showings in the 30 cities for exhibi tors, film buyers, representatives of press, radio and television, and opinion-makers. Weltner personally will launch "Paramount's Summer Boxoffice Festival" in five cities beginning with Boston on May 3. He described the three pictures on the "Festival" program as "potentially the biggest (Continued on page 2) Over $100,000 rew Appointments; ire Reassigned acements of 20th Centuryregional advertising-public^er system through the Unijs, consistent with the "local policy recently announced ent Spyros P. Skouras, were terday. st two newly-appointed manEd Hale, who will work out lcksonville branch, and Pete 0 will function at the Denverb City office. The plan will y provide an advertising aidefor each 20th branch man eth's original staff will be ited in single branches, rather ?r wide areas, permitting cov, greater depth than heretofore, inted out. ing are the assignments of Continued on page 2) Lis Named UMP0 ;al Sales Manager Samuels has been appointed ales manager of United Mo?ure Organization Inc., distriompany specializing in for 1 imports, it was announced ird Davis, president, ltment of the former presiBuena Vista to the sales exZontinued on page 2) Expect Action by MPAA Next Week on 'Oscar' TV The Motion Picture Association board at its next meeting May 6 is expected to give consideration to the question of sponsorship of next year's Academy Awards telecast. Academy officials are expected here for consultation next week. Observers believe opposition to sponsorship on the same basis as heretofore is certain to be expressed at the board meeting but that some provisions can be agreed upon to keep the program within the industry for another year. 'Hill' Celebrates 'Intrepid' Americans By WARREN G. HARRIS Gregory Peck and Sy Bartlett made the forthcoming United Artists release, "Pork Chop Hill," because "we think it's a good time to advise our friends . . . and enemies . . . that we Americans make a pretty intrepid breed." So said Bartlett at a trade press interview at the Hampshire House here yesterday. Bartlett added he is proud of his picture's "unrelenting and uncompromising" treatment of men under stress and he feels its boxoffice potential is "excellent." The producer was enthusiastic (Continued on page 4) Horror Films Require New Approach: Cohen Horror pictures, while by no means reaching a saturation point, now require a somewhat different sales approach than they did at the beginning of the cycle, Herman Cohen, producer of "Horrors of the Black Museum," and other shock tales, said at a trade press conference in the Hampshire House here yesterday. Cohen pointed out, for example, (Continued on page 6) 'Night,' 'Compulsion,' 'Anne' Set for Cannes The Cannes Film Festival Committee yesterday advised G. Griffith Johnson, MPEAA vice-president for Europe, of the titles of the American films which will be shown daring the Cannes Film Festival, Mav 1-15. Previously announced as the official U.S. (Continued on page 4) pi, Bryna Deal ilm 'Day of Gun' rom THE DAILY Bureau .YWOOD, April 28.-Acquii a new story property to be ooperatively by Universal-Inial and Bryna Productions ounced jointly today by Eduhl, U-I production vice-presContinued on page 4) REVIEW: The Young Philadelphians Warner Bros. ill Refund Exhibitors' B-B Donations Decide May 7 If Materials Can Be Used Locally ISION TODAY— page 5 The cubrently excitingly distinguished Paul Newman is the star of "The Young Philadelphians" and therein lies one of the basic selling elements in the exhibition of this interesting and intriguing motion picture. The novel, "The Philadelphian" bv Richard Powell, enjoyed a considerable success when it was published, and that fact, too, may be turned to good advantage by the alert showman. Most particularly important in this instance is the fact that Warners is getting behind the picture promotionally in a fashon to stir consider( Continued on page 4) With the executive committee of the ill-fated all-industry business building campaign approving, refunds of exhibitor contributions to the campaign will begin soon. Exhibitors contributed about $132,000 in cash and another $35,000 in pledges, which are not collectible now. Administrative expenses of the campaign amounted to about $28,000, which reduces the amount available for refunds to a little over $100,000. It was reported yesterday that distributors will not share the campaign expenses with exhibitors, presumably (Continued on page 4) New UPA Policy on Shorts Is Scored Short subjects distributors here are expressing concern over the recently announced "unlimited play agreement," under which UPA Pictures plans to sell 12 "Mister Magoo" cartoons a year to exhibitors, who may retain possession of the prints for 12 (Continued on page 4) Hearing May 6 on Minn. DST Dispute Special to THE DAILY MINNEAPOLIS, April 28. The Minnesota Supreme Court today set the date of the hearing on the daylight time problem up from May 18 to May 6. Chief Justice Rodger Dell said that the high court "would not be stampeded into action by mass hysteria on the part of the metropolitan counties." The state supreme court on Saturday granted an injunction to the Minnesota Amusement Co., IATSE, and others to halt the start of daylight time in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, originally set for Sunday. Subsequently three counties defied the court and began daylight time as scheduled.