Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1959)

iursday, September 10, 1959 Motion Picture Daily 7 Blue Laws' ( Continued from page 1 ) over Sunday movies until the State ipreme Court has had a chance to kcide whether the 200-year-old "blue ivs" are applicable to motion pic'res, attorney-general Dan McLeod mounced today that his office would eek to help the theatre people get a lieedy decision on the issue." By Several Routes n McLeod pointed out that the decijin could come by one of several utes: by a decision in Spartanbiurg )unty Court on a case pending there [f many months, and a quick appeal i the Supreme Court from that deciin; by the Supreme Court's being lling to take the issue by way of iginal jurisdiction as it has the power ' do under its present rules; or by ititution of a new test case and apaling of the lower court's decision to 3 Supreme Court. Conceivably, a conviction in a "blue v" trial such as those coming up in /.artanburg and Rock Hill this week, uld be the vehicle for taking the conliversy to the U.S. Supreme Court, ^jking a ruling on a similar issue Dught in some other state. Never Ruled Definitely Chester Ward, a member of the •artanburg County Legislative Deletion and counsel for some of the area featres, told the three-court tribunal isterday that one reason for the aprent unwillingness of juries to hand wn convictions in Sunday movie ises may be the fact that the state preme Court never has ruled defi;ely that the laws forbid them. Choose 'Best' As Hudson Celebration Attraction Mayor Robert F. Wagner yesterday announced that "The Best of Everything," 20th Century-Fox drama filmed on location in New York, would be the official motion picture presentation of the New York City Hudson Celebration. The Hudson Celebration will sponsor the world premiere showing of the Jerry Wald production Oct. 8 at the Paramount Theatre Fox Me e t s Dana Po s t irikaans Exhibitors ( Continued from page 1 ) 0 by du Plessis and his partners in 3 operation of several drive-ins in uth Africa in order to increase the w of independent product. He and ) fellow directors have been in LonIn, where they bought several picres, and are on their way to Los Anles and Tokyo to make further prod,t deals. Serves 300 Members j The distribution cooperative, serving out 300 independent exhibitor ;mbers in South Africa, is actively mpaigning with the Union govern3nt to have the present import duty two pence a foot removed and to bstitute a straight admission tax lich, they contend, would bring >re revenue. In addition, du Plessis confident that the market in his untry will be freer as a result of a esent governmental inquiry into ide practices, including block booky and long term franchises under lich independent exhibitors must esently buy product. A native Afrikaander, proud of his ehind the sheep" background, due 3ssis got into the motion picture siness when he and three partners ilt a drive-in theatre, then new to 3 country, on a plot of land he 'ned in Pretoria. ( Continued from page 1 ) ton, and the Saxon and Fitchburg in Fitchburg. In his new post, Dana is taking some of the burden ofiF president Ben Sack and his general manager, Sam Richmond, so that Sack can devote more of his time to his copper smelting business. Dana will divide his time between New York and Boston but will make his Boston headquarters at the Saxon Theatre. "It is our intention to expand our list of theatres in the near future," he said in his office today. "We are considering strategic theatre spots all over the world," he added. All First-Run All the Sack Theatres will be first run with all but one equipped for roadshow engagements. The Beacon Hill, known as an intimate "art house" will not be devoted exclusively to art pictures but will show the best Hollywood and foreign films, according to Dana. Both the Saxon and the Gary have shown roadshow attractions and will continue to do so, while the Capri Theatre in the Back Bay will be closed around Thanksgiving time to have Todd-AO equipment installed for all attractions. Mike Todd Jr.'s "Scent-O-Vision" will play the Gary at Christmas, while "Ben-Hur" will be at the Saxon shortly after the New York opening. 'Local' Film Backed {Continued from page 1) color and wide screen, and will be based on the Southern 500 race which is held in Darlington every Labor Day, and draws most of the nation's leading race car drivers. Pledges to buy stock in the production and guarantee playing time were solicited from the exhibitors attending, Irvin said. The endeavor is considered a unique example of local exhibitors capitalizing on a localized production which promises to be a good local boxoffice attraction, and thus help them combat the general product shortage. Irvin emphasized, however, that while the film will have particular South Carolina appeal, it will be released nationally. "This is one example of something concrete being done to reHeve the product shortage," he said, "and it deserves all the support we in South Carolina can give it from the exhibition angle. {Continued from page 1) Blackstone Hotel. Attending will be more than 200 Midwest exhibitors who will be shown merchandising plans for 20th's product between now and the end of*1959. The meetings were decided upon after exhibitors had requested further detailing of plans on several of the 20th releases which were revealed in the merchandising session held in New York as part of the 20th sales meeting last week. Presiding at the initial meeting will be the branch managers of four of 20th's Mid-West offices: Robert J. Conn, Chicago; Jack Laurents, Milwaukee; Howard Kinser, Indianapolis; and W. C. Gehring, St. Louis. Many to Attend Among the many exhibitors expectto attend will be George Kerasotes, president of TO A; Jack Kirsch, president of Allied States; David B. Wallerstein, Balaban-Katz; Dale McFarland, 4th Avenue Amusement Corp.; James Coston; Duncan Kennedy, Great States; Al Frank, Fox Wisconsin; Alex Halperin, Stanley Warner; and Ben Marcus, Marcus Theatres. Among the merchandising representatives who will outfine plans for the Fox product are Jay Emmet, whose special promotion organization is tieing-in with "Journey to the Center of the Earth"; Ben Cuff, special promotions director, Allied Stores, which Detroit Without Papers; Theatres Take to Air special to THE DAILY DETROIT, Sept. 9. Detroit exhibitors again are resorting to local television and radio to reach prospective patrons with advertising messages as this city was without newspapers due to labor difficulties for the third time in less than four years. A wildcat strike of 12 "Detroit News" pressmen yesterday which was not settled last night as had been expected, shut down that paper. A single edition of the "Times" yesterday was its last as pressmen on that paper remained away from work in sympathy with the strikers. Wm. Hartman Dead; Veteran Film Booker Funeral services for Wilham Hartman, United Artists salesman of the New York exchange, were held yesterday at the Community Chapel, Brooklyn. Surviving Hartman, who died Monday at the age of 46, are his wife, Helen, and a daughter, Donna. are part of a tie-in for "The Best of Everything"; Chicago representatives of "Life" and "Look," who wiU discuss area cooperation on "The Blue Angel," and Robert Hirschberg, fashion advertising director for "Harper's Bazaar." IS THE BIG TALK OF THE INDUSTRY! "You couldn't hear some of the dialogue there was so much laughter!... Doris Day, who is one of the most expert comediennes in the movies is excellently cast and, of course, sings, but beautifully!" —LOUELLA PARSONS