Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1959)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY 'OL. 86, NO. 50 NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1959 TEN CENTS Releases Letter 5hor Reveals [lift with ACE Near Breaking Vo Faith in Conciliation; ieen Convention Topic Ruben Shor special to THE DAILY CINCINNATI, Sept. 9. "Resur jcting the concihation plan" as a leans of giving aid to small, dis •essed theatres [ider the Amer an Congress f Exhibitorslotion Picture s s o c i a tion rogram 'Vas |li e breaking oiiit" for Ru t'li Shor, local xhibitor and ■ Hied States of jcial. This is stated 11 correspond iice released to It press by Shor today, some of hich details grievances going back to St February when, as a member of le ACE committee on means of in(Continued on page 2) )ana to Sack Theatres Is Buyer and Booker special to THE DAILY BOSTON, Sept. 9.-Peter T. Dana, 11 28 years with Universal-Intemamvd and for 10 years Eastern divion sales manager, has been aplinted head buyer and booker of the (ck Theatres of Boston and Fitch-irg, it was announced today, f Theatres involved are the Saxon, ary. Beacon Hill and Capri in Bos{ Continued on page 7) leeks Fast Decision S. C. 'Blue Laws' special to THE DAILY SPARTANBURC, S. C, Sept. 9.oUowing a three-judge Federal ourt's decision to take a "hands-off" and on the South Carolina controveri ( Continued on page 7 ) ELEVISION TODAY-page 6 Picker Sees Rewarding Precedent in Re-Release of Classic Like 'Samson' Record Gross Paramount's "Samson and Delilah" campaign was viewed yesterday by Eugene Picker, l oew's Theatres president, as the instrument which could inspire distribution in general to re-r^lease big pictures of the past on grand scales to the tune of enormous profits. More than 100 theatres representing 20 circuits in the New York metropolitan area, including some 65 Loew's houses, will open "Samson and Delilah" on Sept. 30. Picker's comment on the implications of the "Samson and Delilah" campaign followed promotion presentations by Jerry Pickman, Paramount advertising-publicity vice-president, and Martin Davis, national advertising-publicity-exploitation manager, at a gathering of Loew's home office executives, theatre managers and promotion specialists. Davis described the "Samson" cam( Continued on page 6) Afrikaans Exhibitor Seeks Open Market The field for independent distribution of pictures in the Union of South Africa is broadening and will be helped by governmental measures now in process, according to Pieter J. du Plessis, managing director of Film Import Ko-Operatief Beperk. Du Plessis, with two other directors of Film Import, Cyril Murley and Kotie van Schalwyk, is in New York this week to study the American market and buy product for distribution to their exhibitor members in South Africa. Film Import was formed two years (Continued on page 7) 28 Circuits at Herald Merchandising Sessions Two weeks before the opening of the third series of merchandising conferences sponsored by Motion Picture Herald 80 acceptances from executives of 28 circuits have been received. The conferences will be held in New York Sept. 23, 24 and 25. As in the pre\'ious series last spring and last fail, the conferences will discuss specific campaigns on pictures to be screened by major distributors. The circuits to be represented include : Butterfield, Comerford Theatres, (Continued on page 2) loew's Overseas Co. Re-Named MGM Int'l. M-G-M's overseas distribution and theatre organization has changed its name from Loew's International Corp. to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer International, Inc., it was announced yesterday by president Morton A. Spring. With the change of name. Spring said, Dave Lewis and Seymour R. Mayer have been named vice-presidents, and Maurice R. Silverstein has been made first vice-president. In addition to his new duties In Ne^i' York, Mayer continues as regional director of South and Central America and the Middle, Near and Far East. Lewis, who makes his headquarters in Paris, continues as regional director of Continental Europe. So. Carolina Exhibitors Back 'Local' Film, Financially and with Playdates South Carolina exhibitors are supporting, both financially and through pledges of playing time, a movie about auto racing being made at South Carolina's famous Darlington Raceway, Sam L. Irvin, president of the Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina, a TOA affihate, disclosed yesterday. Irvin said the film, utilizing the $5,000,000 Darlington track as its locale, and 100,000 "extras" who were in the stands on Labor Day, will be produced and distributed by the Howco Exchange company, and will have its world premiere in South Carolina next February. All 100,000 "extras" he said, will be potential theatre customers. South Carolina members of the bistate TOA unit, met last Wednesday in Spartanburg to hear spokesmen for Howco and Darlington Films, Inc., outline plans for the film, which will star Rory Calhoun, be in Eastman ( Continued on page 7 ) U. A. Reports Record Net for First 6 Monttis Earnings of $1,597,000 Surpass 1958 First Half United Artists Corporation's net earnings for the first half of 1959 show a 21 per cent increase over the comparable period of 1958, it was announced yesterday by Robert S. Benjamin, chairman of the board. UA's gross world-wide income for the first half of 1959 totalled $44,844,000, against $37,517,000 for the same period in 1958. The record first-half net earnings for 1959 were $1,597,000, compared (Continued on page 2) 20th Sets Showmanship Meetings Around U. S. A series of area showmanship meetings across the United States will be held this month, as a result of the recently completed 20th Century-Fox national sales meeting, the company announced yesterday. The first gathering will be held Monday in Chicago at the Sheraton( Continued on page 7 ) Asks Amendments to Back State Censors From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Sept. 9. Senator Talmadge (D., Ga.) said the Supreme Court's decision permitting the showing of the film "Lady Chatterley's Lover" made necessary Constitutional amendments to strengthen state film censorship laws. In a statement submitted at hearings today of two Senate Judiciary Subcommittees, Talmadge characterized the decision as "shocking and unconscionable," and said that as a result Congressional action was "urgently needed." Talmadge is a co-sponsor of two pending amendments aimed at strengthening state laws.