Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1959)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY 'OL. 86, NO. 12 NEW YORK, U.S.A., FRIDAY, JULY 17, 1959 TEN CENTS Balaban Speaks Exhibitors Call for All-Out, Impartial ^ew Films Slated Sees Excellent Enforcement of Carolina 'Blue Laws' ltFoss Outlook For Paramount ives Optimistic Report to J.S.-Canadian Meet Here Excellent grossing prospects for aramount Pictures during the second ilf of 1959 were predicted by Barn e y Balaban, president, and other company executives yesterday at the opening session of a meeting here of Paramount U. S. and Canadian d i s t r i bution heads. The meeting, scheduled t o continue through today, IS the first of its kind to be held Ilowing the announcement that the uiagement services of Paramount Im Distributing would be utilized a greater extent than previously connection with the distribution ( Continued on page 2 ) 3aniey Balaban IGM's 'Thin Man' 0 TV Syndication 'The Thin Man" television series, irring Peter Lawford and Phyllis rk, which was presented for two irs over the NBC Network, will be ered for syndication by M-G-M?s own sales force. The announcesnt was made yesterday by George ' Shupert, vice-president in charge ■TV for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, coident with the wind-up of a two / sales meeting here. Shupert also named Richard A. rper as director of syndicated and ture sales. For the past three years, rper has been heading M-G-M{ Continued on page 7) ILEVISION TODAY-page 7 Special to THE DAILY SPARTANBURG, S. C, July 17.-In a prepared statement issued today, Spartanburg area theatre operators called for all-out enforcement of the "Blue laws," including a section barring most business activity here on the Sabbath. Action came on the heels of Tuesday's referendum in which the county voted against repeal of the "blue laws," which prohibit Sunday movies, other amusements and business activities. Counsel for the theatre operators here, Chester D. Ward, Jr., and Sam R. Watt, took the position that refer( Continued on page 7 ) Ask Repeal of Local Ban on Sunday Films Special to THE DAILY ANDERSON, S. C, July 16.-City Council here has delayed action for two weeks on a request by theatre owners inside the city limits that a city ordinance specifically banning Sunday movies be repealed. Attorney {Continued on page 7) Justin Named Assistant To Karp at Paramount From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, July 16. Sidney Justin, who has been with Paramount's legal department since 1930, yesterday was named executive assistant to Jack Karp, recently made ( Continued on page 7 ) Continue Screenings Of Soviet Pictures The Motion Picture Export Association committee appointed to supervise distribution arrangements in this country for the seven Soviet films purchased under the film exchange agreement with Russia should complete screenings of the pictures sometime next week, it was learned here yesterday. No more than five of the seven pictures were screened this week, according to a spokesman for the MPEA ( Continued on page 8 ) Rosenfield Leaves for European Conferences Jonas Rosenfield, Jr., Columbia Pictures executive in charge of advertising and publicity, leaves here for London today for conferences with several of Columbia's Europeanbased independent producers. He will coordinate promotion plans on five major releases currently in production abroad or recently-completed. In addition, he will meet with representatives of the special "Porgy and Bess" units to discuss ( Continued on page 2 ) Entertainment Is the First Law of Survival for Films, Says Montgomery Everyone engaged in the art of making and selling motion pictures must make a realistic appraisal of his efforts before he can meet the problems of attracting audiences, Robert Montgomery states in an interview published in this week's Motion Picture Herald out today. Montgomery, reactivating his interest in motion pictures with the formation of a producing company partnered with James Cagney, took time out from his completion of chores on "The Gallant Hours," the Cagney starring vehicle which he directed to express his views concerning the state of the industry. "The entire industry is affected by what each of us does to reach the public. A dishonest campaign on an important motion picture could in quire business generally for the next 15 or 20 films that come along. We can't treat the public like morons and try to change campaigns to fool them when the first one doesn't work; like changing ads to sell a drama as a comedy. "The public demands quality. It is no longer attracted to cheapness and sensationalism, and we mustn't try to sell quality where it doesn't exist. To over-sell or over-state your product is an affront not only to the pub( Continued on page 8 ) Univ. Policy Of Top Films Implemented Rackmil Tells Sales Meet Transition Period Is Over Milton Rackmil Special to THE DAILY CHICAGO, July 16. UniversalInternational is pleased with its new production policy of making high quality t o p budget films and plans to continue it during 1960, Milton R. Rackmil, president, said here today in an address at the conference o f company sales executives. "The transition period is behind us," he declared. "We have seen the positive results of our (Continued on page 2) 'Ben-Hur' Booked Into Boyd Theatre, Phila. Special to THE DAILY PHILADELPHIA, July 16. M-G-M's "Ben-Hur" has been booked into Stanley Warner's Boyd Theatre here to open around Thanksgiving Day, it was announced today. A run of more than two years was predicted by Frank J. Damis of Stanley Warner as he signed the contract and exchanged gold pens with William A. Madden, M-G-M's "Ben-Hur" sales representative. The film will play on a reserved seat basis. John Huston to Produce Kipling Classic for 'U' From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, July 16. Universal-International has concluded negotiations with John Huston to serve as producer-director of the Rudyard Kipling classic, "The Man Who (Continued on page 7)