Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

4 Motion Picture Daily Friday, October 9, 1959 j MPA Ad Unit (Continued from page 1) ups with beer and wine, and so sought the presidents' guidance. A similar result followed consideration of the subject by the committee several months ago. Advocates of the beer and wine tie-ups point out that Oklahoma recently voted "wet," leaving Mississippi the only state in which the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited. They also argue that in many states beer and wine are sold in grocery stores and similar shops, giving them almost a "grocery status," and that some independent producers favor such tie-ups and can effect them regardless of organized industry attitude. Some Fear Consequences Those opposed profess to see potentially serious public relations consequences and feel that the industry stands to lose more by such tie-ups than can be gained. The committee heard a report on the status of industry sponsorship of next year's telecast of the Academy Awards by Charles Simonelli, chairman. There has been no change in the situation, with Univeral remaining adamant against participating. The committee feels that the proposal that exhibitors share in the $840,000 cost, to take up the slack, should be explored on the highest levels. Eric Johnston, MPAA president, told a press conference in Hollywood early this week that he would discuss the subject with American Congress of Exhibitors leaders, possibly next week. Benefits for All Seen The advertising-publicity directors committee feels that exhibitors benefit as much from the Academy Awards publicity and promotion as do producers-distributors and, if they became contributors to its cost, they would also have a voice in whatever arrangements were made for next year's telecast and broadcast. The committee unqualifiedly feels that industry sponsorship should be continued and the Awards program should not be thrown open to outside commercial sponsorship. If the latter were the case, the committee reminded, stars making an appearance on the program would have to be paid, and therefore far fewer could participate and still permit the sponsor to hold his budget within reasonable limits. Treats All Media The committee went over the final form of the questionnaire which it hopes to send to .£2,000 to 13,000 exhibitors by Oct. 15. It is designed to supply the advertising publicity directors with specific information calculated to help them produce the most wanted as well as the most effective film advertising for newpapers, publications, radio, TV, press books, promotion aids and other forms of film merchandising. The questionnaire is a project of the MPAA ad-publicity committee and the ACE committee on advertising. The Last Angry Man Miss Dee No. 1] CONTINUED FROM PAGE I most happily and almost inevitably , he persuaded Paul Muni to essay the starring role as the doctor. Here then is Muni in his first screen role in 12 years, and that in itself must be a reason for rejoicing, for Muni must rank in the very forefront of great performers of his period. That Muni makes of Dr. Sam Abelman a living, vibrant personality who will walk off the screen into the hearts and minds of all who see him, is a fact to be emphasized in the selling of the film. Kohlmar took his cameras, his crew and his players into the heart of the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, where the good doctor actually lived, practiced and suffered, and that down-at-heel, shabby, crowded, slumlike area becomes the teemingly authentic and bitingly effective backdrop for the story of Dr. Abelman. Green himself wrote the screenplay from his novel and did the job with the authority of a man who knew precisely what he was doing. Richard Murphy did the adaptation. Daniel Mann, who is among the best in this genre of motion picture, brings to the direction warmth and honesty and a high degree of skill. Supporting Muni are David Wayne, as the TV producer who seeks to save his career with a television show based on the daily life of the doctor, and learns much of human values from his contact with Muni. Luther Adler is a fine and entertaining Dr. Vogel, Muni's best friend, and Betsy Palmer, Joby Baker, Joanna Moore, Nancy Pollock and Billv Dee Williams all contribute excellently. Just recently the National Legion of Decency took almost unprecedented action in releasing a specific comment on "The Last Angry Man," in connection with its rating of A-l on the film. The Legion recommended it as "an inspiration to people of all races and creeds, and noted that "the self-sacrifice and dedication to humanity which characterize the life of the protagonist are intellectually rewarding as well as heartwarming." The exhibitor may well make use of that unusual tribute. The story from the opening moment is deeply appealing, as it delineates the doctor's angry pursuit of his faith in his profession, his sacrifice for his patients, inclusive of the hoodlums of the area whom he calls "galoots," but of whose physical and mental health he considers himself the guardian. He first resents Wayne's attempt to make him the "hero" of the TV show, but finally agrees. Yet in the final moments, the call of a patient, a young Negro tough who had undergone a brain tumor operation, proves too much for an aging heart, and the doctor dies despite the frantic, heart-broken efforts of Adler to save him. Wayne loses his show, and his job, but emerges from the experience with a new strength, a newly reinvigorated approach to the future, the better for having known tbe doctor. Heavy sentimentality weights the conclusion unduly, perhaps, but audiences generally do not find this an objection. Here is a fine, moving, warm and utterly human portrayal, by a great actor. Its values are powerful and its acceptance should be in equivalent terms. Running time, 100 minutes. General classification. Release, in November. Charles S. Aaronson Lewis, Sybert Added to Md. Convention List Special to THE DAILY BALTIMORE, Oct. 8.-C. Ferdinand Sybert, Attorney General for the State of Maryland, will be among the speakers at first fall conference of the Maryland Theatre Owners Association, at the Emerson Hotel here next Wednesday, John G. Broumas, Association president, announced. Particular interest will be evinced in Sybert's remarks, Broumas said, because Maryland was one of the states whose legislature this year passed a modified censorship bill and debated additional operating license fees for theatres. Another additional speaker will be Roger H. Lewis, vice-president in charge of advertising, publicity and exploitation for United Artists. Lewis will speak on showmanship, and take part in the ticket-selling forum. MPA Sales Heads, Ad Men to Hear Marcus The Motion Picture Association's sales managers and advertising publicity directors committees are scheduled to consider the area businessbuilding plan developed by Ben Marcus throughout Wisconsin, with a view to cooperating with exhibitors in other regions who wish to put the plan into operation in their territories. Marcus described workings of the plan in Wisconsin to a Compo meeting here several months ago, at which time it was proposed that he take it up with the sales managers committee in order to obtain backing for it in other territories. James Velde of United Artists, chairman of the sales managers committee, agreed to a meeting of his committee with Marcus on Oct. 21. The latter will be in New (Continued from page 1) the biggest impression at their box offices, named, along with Miss Dee ,j Ricky Nelson, James Garner, Curt Jurgens, Lee Remick, John Saxon,1 Sidney Poitier, Ernie Kovacs, Kathryn Grant, and Carolyn Jones. Out of the 10 winners six— Miss j Dee, Nelson, Garner, Miss Remick,' Kovacs, and Miss Jones— made their acting marks in television first, suggesting that the TV studio has nowi become the most fertile testing ground for new talent for the theatre, screen. Nelson and Garner have in-! deed been major attractions on Ti for years and have taken time out! for only an occasional theatrical film. Two of the ten winners— Saxon andj Miss Grant— were directly discovered, and developed by the motion picture! studios. Poitier, of course, hails fromi the Broadway stage. Jurgens is already an established) star in Europe, and U.S. exhibitors' think so highly of him they feel he! will soon occupy an equally prominent position among the moviegoers oven here. As in all the polls in recent years the exhibitors made exceptional acting talent a prime requisite in their se-j lections. They also laid great stress on appeal to the teen-age audience. Filmack Brochure on Merchant Holiday Tie-in Filmack Trailers has released a 12-j page holiday business brochure called "A Merchants' Holiday Money-Makinj Sales Manual." The booklet contain; ideas for increasing a theatre's holiday! income and is so designed that it carl be taken directly to a community's merchant for perusal of its many adJ vertising features. All of its promotion-! al ideas are prepared so that both th^ theatre and merchant will benefit frorr them. The brochure contains a merchant's! holiday greeting plan, details of a sponsored Kiddie's Show, Thanksgiv-, ing and Christmas giveaways, three different types of holiday merchants ads, a holiday fire-prevention film t<! be sponsored by an insurance company and many other ideas. The promotion manual, incorporated ii Filmack's November Inspiration, i: available free to all theatre managers iTammtg6> Grosses Big "Tamango," a Hal Roach release grossed a big $22,000 in its first weel at the Roosevelt, Chicago; $12,500 a the Denver in Denver; and $8,200 a the Paramount in New Haven, thi company reported. York from Milwaukee then to attenc; the annual meeting of Compo, oj which he is a triumvir, representing Allied States. Velde asked the MPA ad-publicib directors committee to attend th^i meeting also for consultation on thi Marcus plan and the proposal fo making it available elsewhere abou the country.