Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

[day, October 19, 1959 Motion Picture Daily 7 fheba' Bow AIP Progressing Overseas ( Continued from page 1 ) the Fox Wilshire Theatre for stmas Day opening of Edward H's Super Technirama 70 produc t a luncheon meeting with the s in Perino's to spearhead the jpaign on the Biblical spectacle, Jied by UA executives: Max E. hgstein, Roger Lewis, Robert jnofe and Maurice Segal, Leve anlced the film would play at a 0 top on a regular basis. (Boston ported as the only city which will the engagement on a hard-ticket jllowing the introduction of King >r, director of the film, which was ^luced by Ted Richmond, Lewis rezed the global plans for the openof the film as well as the pre inary advertising campaign to in 1 the public on the scope and proof Super Technirama 70. Lewis irted near completion a huge ted canvas, 42 feet wide by 12 high, which will tour the country \n exhibit and merchandise tie-in 1 major department stores. Outlines Exploitation oungstein adding information on is for the expenditure of $3,000,for world-wide exploitation of the . He also reported on the status JA, pointing to its present purpose Meeting a plan for a continuous ■ of product, and stating that he Currently working with Blumofe in Sloping a program for 1962, with million earmarked for production ad over the next three years, oungstein further disclosed negoons with Technicolor for the filmof a number of its major producs in the Super Technirama 70 pect 'Sunday' Ruling S. C. This Week Special to THE DAILY PARTANBURG, S. C, Oct. 18.istions concerning the validity of state "blue law" allegedly banning day movies are expected to be sidered by the South Carolina reme Court within the next few lis. Ittorney General Dan McLeod and rneys representing theatre intercooperated this week in asking the i tribunal to take the case without formality of a prior lower court is ion. m previously reported in Motion ture Daily, the summer-long re| against the so-called "blue laws" Jan in Spartanburg County and ijidly spread to other areas of the jmetto State. Darlington, Anderson, cenwood, Cherokee and Greenville [inties all became involved in what h legal and film circles described 'the real showdown on South Carol's 'blue laws'." . C. Todd, prominent attorney of tenville, representing theatre interin that area, appeared before the ( Continued a world tour for the export division, which is only a year old. While in Tokyo he concluded his company's first distribution deal in Japan with the Eihai Company, Ltd., for three pictures. Meanwhile, Remi Crasto, Far Eastern supervisor for AIP, is now touring the East arranging other deals. He has finalized releasing set-ups in Hong Kong with Edko Enterprises and China Cinema Enterprises in Hong Kong; in India with Ceylon Theatres, Ltd.; in the Philippines with Gruenberg Bros.; in Singapore with the Shaw Bros., and Radio & Cinema Service; and in Indonesia with Radio and Cinema Service. In certain other countries, including Australia, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, AIP plans to send its own representatives to set up subsidiary organizations. These men will work through national distributor who will handle the physical operations under the guidance of the AIP head there. Gains in South Africa "Headway is also being made now in South Africa," Reich pointed out. Block-booking, hitherto a hindrance, has been broken up by the government and independent producers are gaining more theatre playing time through Bob Perkins, managing director of International Distributors, Ltd. Stronger product now in preparation by AIP is expected to aid in the company's efforts to gain a firmer foothold in the foreign market, the executive observed. AIP's war pictures have been well received in Europe and particularly in Germany, Reich said. On the other hand, the films dealing with teenagers have had only a "mild recep from page 1 ) tion." One Iron Curtain Country distributor approached AIP for some of these latter pictures, but the company refused on the grounds they would make "bad propaganda for the U.S.," he noted. Reich feels there is a preference shown by the State Department to members of the Motion Picture Association to which AIP does not belong. Because of this, he said, the company has had difficulty with blocked funds from AIP product shown in France, Indochina, Spain and Turkey. Recently, Reich observed, blocked funds from pictures shown in 1955 in Turkey became available to AIP. In the other cases, there was not enough money involved to merit coproduction arrangements, he said, though AIP might use these blocked funds to acquire foreign pictures for U.S. bookings. Hard Hit by TV From his experiences in Australia, Reich observed that theatres there have had their box office receipts cut by two-thirds in the major cities from the impact of TV. In the outlying areas, the picture was brighter. Australia's key cities have 15 stations, and 22 more stations have been granted licenses. Reich also described the difficulties a non-MPAA member has in Japan, where the law allows only 50 global licenses outside the quota. AIP managed to acquire three of these licenses for its product in 1959. Reich will travel to Latin America to set up distribution arrangements after the first of the year. Within the next weeks, a supervisor for the Latin American operations will be appointed, and a European head will be chosen some time next year. EIA Appoints Lack WASHINGTON, Oct. 18.-Frederick R. Lack, former Electronic Industries Ass'n. vice-president and director and vice-president of Western ElectricCompany until his retirement in 1958, has been elected director of the EIA Engineering Department, president D. R. Hull announced today. Lack will fill the position occupied for 25 years by Dr. W. R. G. Baker, who will continue his advisory role to the Association as director emeritus of the EIA Engineering Department. Supreme Court this week and asserted that, "though many 'blue law' trials have been held, not a single conviction has been obtained because of this constitutional question." The attorney-general (Mr. McLeod) said he agreed that the Supreme Court should rule in this matter. However, he noted in a reminder to the justices that the high tribunal in the past "has consistently upheld the constitutionality of the Sunday laws and has, in fact, invoked the U. S. Constitutiton in their decisions." Harrison in New Post LONDON, Oct. 15 (By Air Mail). —Kay Harrison, managing director of Technicolor, Ltd., here since 1935, has relinquished that post to accept the position of deputy chairman of the organization. Albert Allan, F. George Gunn and Leslie W. Oliver, all of whom have been with the company over 20 years, have been appointed general managers. Pasternak to Be Honored CLEVELAND, Oct. 18. Joseph Pasternak, producer of MGM's "Please Don't Eat the Daisies," has been named the year's outstanding American of Hungarian descent by the American-Hungarian community of this city. The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer producer will be honored October 25. San ford Quits ToddAO HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 18.-Schuyler "Skippy" Sanford, general manager of Todd-AO for the past seven years, has resigned to re-enter the photographic field. New Dallas Theatre First in 12 Years Special to THE DAILY DALLAS, Oct. 18. Dallas' first motion picture theatre in more than 12 years will open its doors on Oct. 29, Bob Euler, head of theatre operations for the McLendon Corp., reported. The Preston Royal, which takes its name from the shopping center in which it is located, is owned by B. R. McLendon and his son, Gordon McLendon. Seat Installation in Progress In pushing for an Oct. 29 opening, Euler reports that installation of the 1,000 push back seats has already begun and that 70mm projection equipment is scheduled to be installed tomorrow. The new theatre is located in the northern section of Dallas, a population area that has had the greatest growth since World War II, and there is no theatre in that immediate neighborhood. Harold Rand Named ( Continued from page 1 ) vertising manager, completes the reorganization of key personnel of Paramount's domestic advertisingpublicity organization, Pickman said. "The appointments," he added, "are the major steps in a far-reaching reorganization program of the company's overall merchandising operation under the direction of Martin Davis, the company's national advertising, publicity and exploitation manager." Affiliated with Buena Vista for the jiast two years as publicity manager, Rand previously was with 20th Century-Fox for eight years, where he served in key promotional posts. Start 44-D Man' Tour Lee Merriwether, "Miss America of 1955," who is co-starred in "4-D Man," the new Fairview Production being released by Universal-Internattional, has started a Southern tour on behalf of the territorial saturation kickoff of the picture scheduled for Thursday at the Paramount Theatre in Atlanta. Jack H. Harris, producer of "4D Man," is making the tour with Miss Merriwether. The cities being covered include Atlanta, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Columbus, Macon, Savannah, Augusta, Nashville, Knoxville and Kingsport, Bristol and Johnson City, Tennessee. Gins Joins ho pert Joe Gins, veteran industry sales executive, has joined the Lopert Films organization as district sales representative in the Boston, New Haven, Albany and Buffalo exchange territories, effective immediately, it was announced by Ilya Lopert, president. Gins replaces Abe Weiner, who has resigned his post. Gins will make his headquarters in the United Artists exchange in Boston.