Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1959)

Tuesday, September 29, 1959 Motion Picture Daily 3 , TEJIT TALK Variety Club News CLEVELAND-The ladies of the local Variety Club auxiliary on Wednesday will hold a farewell luncheon for Mrs. Norman Weitman at the Virginian, Shaker Heights. The Weitmans came to Cleveland just a year ago from Albany, N. Y., when Norman I AVeitman was appointed manager of the Cleveland Universal branch. They 'I now are moving to Philadelphia, folI lowing Weitman's resignation from I Universal and his appointment as dis' trict manager for Lopert Films in the il Quaker City. ' A " BALTIMORE-The Baltimore Advertising Club tomorrow will honor the Baltimore Variety Club by designating its weekly meeting as a "Big Kickoff Luncheon" at the Emerson |i Hotel. The event is planned to boost the Variety Bowl Football Game in /I Memorial Stadium on the night of ) Nov. 7, when Navy will play the UniI) versity of Maryland, with proceeds B going to Variety's Heart Fund. i Set Five Christmas 1) Openings for 'Porgy' " Samuel Goldwyn and executives of '' Columbia Pictures yesterday set five ' additional road show engagements of the producer's "Porgy and Bess" for ' Christmas premieres, making a total of 17 nation-wide openings of the ' film. Set were Yuletide openings in ' Indianapolis, Louisville, Salt Lake City, Miami and Denver. Scheduled for premieres in the coming weeks are • Cincinnati, Detroit, Philadelphia, I Washington, Baltimore and Cleveland. I "Porgy and Bess" is now in its 14th week at the Warner Theatre here, ' with seats on sale for the next 16 weeks. Samson,^ Macy Tie-In Cecil B. DeMille's "Samson and Delilah," which opens in more than 100 theatres in the New York-New Jersey area Wednesday, will be ^ backed by a cooperative effort on the part of Paramount Pictures and the R. H. Macy Company. Highlight of the promotion is a full-page Macy's ad titled "This story started in 1000 B.C.," which will run in every New York newspaper. Spotlighting Samson carrying out one of his fabled feats of strength, the ad will break in all afternoon papers today, and will follow in all morning papers the next day. NSS Birthday ( Continued from page 1 ) widespread use of trailers, the industry is inclined to take them for granted. Perhaps the very effectiveness of trailers, clearly demonstrated by such imposing polls as those conducted by Sindlinger, the Opinion Research Corp. of Princeton, and National Theatres' own survey, is the reason they are taken for granted. "The very thing that we are setting about to do in this tribute is to put in motion, activity that will make the industry take time out to reflect on the importance of trailers. That is our singular purpose— and one which we believe is of great importance," he said. Urges 'Pause for Inventory' Robbins emphasized that "it is very healthy once in a while to pause and take inventory and, if warranted, redevelop an appreciation for those important things we take for granted." It was disclosed that the theme for the "Once-In-A-Lifetime Tribute to Trailers" was suggested by an exhibition source and, coinciding with National Screen's 40th anniversary, was adopted as the celebration format. The company was not anxious, Robbins pointed out, to observe a milestone anniversary with either a sales drive, a glorification of executive personnel, a nostalgic reflection of four decades or a means of selfcongratulation to extol company services. In this connection, the N.S.S. president pointed instead to the Prize Baby's policy of selling the value of all trailers "whether distributed by National Screen or not," citing the company's recent ad on "Hercules," a Warner release and one for which National Screen did not distribute the trailer. Pledges from Top Circuits Many leading theatre circuits, it was indicated, have already given assurance that their theatres and personnel will participate in the best showmanship fashion in this "OnceIn-A-Lifetime Tribute to Trailers." One circuit operator has already suggested that it will salute trailers, a star box office performer, from its marquees; another that it will receive trailers at its theatres like royalty using the red carpet treatment; and still another exhibitor stated that he is going to have his trailers delivered by armored car in order to symbolize the value of trailers to the theatre box ofBce. "We are quite excited and if early indications lead to what we believe Herman Robbins and Louis Nizer at the NSS "21" Club luncheon yesterday. will come— with help from the trade press— we are going to implement our anniversary celebration with a contest tying in this tribute to trailers in which exhibitors and theatre managers may win substantial cash prizes," he concluded. In addition to Louis Nizer, general counsel for the company, members of the board of directors in attendance were Frank J. C. Weinberg, senior vice-president and son of one of the founders of the company; and his brotlier-in-law, Andrew Loebl; Burton E. Robbins, vice-president in charge of sales; Robert L. Gruen, vice-president and son of one of the founders; Jack G. Leo, a former executive vice-president and treasurer of Fox Film Corp., and Joseph A. Wolfe, treasurer. Six-Week Celebration Robbins indicated the anniversary celebration would continue for six weeks, its basic objective being the underscoring of the value of trailers to motion picture operations and particularly the part they play in theatre ticket sales. He made it clear the entire industry may take part in it if only by taking time out to reflect on the importance of trailers in day by day operations, instead of taking them for granted, as many do. Gran Moves Offices MILWAUKEE, Sept. 28. The L. F. Gran Management Co. of this city has moved to Washington Road. Harold Janecky will operate the Tower and Oriental theatres from the old Gran address at 2230 North Farewell. PEOPLE Samuel Pinanski, president of American Theatres Corp., Boston, has been reelected chairman of the board of Lowell Technological Institute, Lowell, Mass. He is an alumnus of the Institute. □ Kay Porter, owner of the Temple and Brooklyn theatres. Perry, Fla., has been elected mayor of that community. □ I. J. Schmertz, who has been living in Florida since his retirement two years ago as Cleveland branch manager for 20th Century-Fox and who is returning to the Ohio city to help out in the company's current sales drive, will be guest of honor at a "welcome back luncheon" to be held there Thursday in the Theatrical Grill. The welcoming committee consists of Nate Schultz oif Allied Artists, M. B. Horwitz of the Washington Circuit and Marshall Fine, substituting for his father, Meyer Fine, head of Associated Circuit, who is out of town. □ Robert Gates, manager of the RKO Grand Theatre, Columbus, . O., won the first prize of $.50 in a national concessions sales contest conducted by RKO Theatres, exclusive of the circuit's New York houses. Gates scored his victory during the run of "Hercules." □ Neocca Talbert has been added to the Atlanta booking department of Martin Theatres. □ Eve Siege! on Oct. 1 will move her New York public relations office to 35 West 53rd St. 'Gates' Big $10,165 "Five Gates to Hell," 20th Century-Fox release opened to a "big" $10,165 for tlie three-day weekend at the Center Theatre in Buffalo, according to a theatre announcement yesterday. Funeral Today for Maurice Safner, 65 Special to THE DAILY BOSTON, Sept. 28. Funeral services will be held tomorrow at Levine's Chapel, Brookline, for Maurice Safner, 65, of the Route 44 Drive-In, Smithfield, R. I. and the Lafayette Theatre, Central Falls, R. I. A pioneer exhibitor, he owned several theatres in the Woonsocket area at one time. He died suddenly at his Woonsocket home early this morning. Besides his widow, he is survived by a son, Mel Safner of Ruff Film Distributors, a daughter, Mrs. Lenore Stoneberg, and several grandchildren. 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