Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

VOL. 86, NO. 77 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK U.S.A., TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1959 TEN CENTS Trade Rallies Forces Court Suggests 'Overseers' for AsCCip Urges Unity New Film Bill Distribution Plan; Hearing Continues D-_— , 1 # Although refusing to grant permission to individual groups of Ascap mem11 JH O J» Y V \ U bers to intervene in the action, Federal Judge Sylvester Ryan in U. S. District J court here yesterday agreed to devote two days to hearing opponents of the proposed amended consent decree U. K. Session Action on Tax, Sunday Act Also Studied by Trade By PETER BURNUP LONDON, Oct. 17 (By Air Mail). -With a Conservative administration firmly in the saddle again at Westminster, film trade leaders are urgently considering among themselves various forms of approach to Prime Minister Harold MacMillan. A new CinemaScope Films Bill must, perforce, be introduced in the Commons early in the forthcoming session; for the present quota legislation expires in September next. The views of all the trade associa(Continued on page 3) Services Today for McKay, Attorney, 64 Funeral services for Willard S. McKay, attorney, who was former vicepresident and general counsel of Universal Pictures, and former vice-president and general counsel for the Schine Circuit, Gloversville, N. Y., will be held at 10 A.M. this morning ( Continued on page 3 ) Hammer, Columbia Deal 15 Films in 3 Years (Picture on Page 6) Hammer Films will deliver five pictures per annum during 1959, 1960, and 1961 for U.S. and world-wide distribution by Columbia Pictures, James Carreras, Hammer's managing director, told the trade press here yesterday. "Yesterday's Enemy" is the first picture to be delivered under the new agreement, and General Sir Robert Mansergh, also present at the (Continued on page 6) Score Supreme Court's Censorship Rulings Special to THE DAILY NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 19.-Recent decisions, particularly that in the "Lady Chatterley's Lover" case, of the U.S. Supreme Court restricting the right of states to enforce motion picture censorship laws, were deplored by the Catholic Holy Name Society in its convention held here over the weekend. The convention also commended (Continued on page 3) worked out by Society officials with the Department of Justice. The hearing opened with more than 100 persons in Judge Ryan's court room and continued throughout the day. It will resume this morning, probably being concluded at the end of the day. At one point in the hearing, Judge Ryan remarked that a possible solution of the logging of musical performances and allocation of royalties to Ascap's publisher and song writer members might be found in the appointment of overseers who would examine the working of the Society's machinery every three months or so, and suggest changes when deemed ( Continued on page 3 ) Censorship on Agenda At Compo Meet Thurs. Censorship will be one of the major topics up for discussion Thursday at the annual meeting at the Astor Hotel of the COMPO membership, board of directors and executive committee. Charles E. McCarthy, COMPO information director, said yesterday. McCarthy and Tim Clagett of the ( Continued on page 3 ) Film Shortage No. 1 Problem: Kerasotes Plea Stems from Divorcement, U.S. Consent Decrees MGM-TV Developing 13 Properties for '60-61 MGM-TV is developing a minimum of thirteen new properties for the 1960-61 season, George T. Shupert, vice-president in charge of television for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, announced yesterday at a press conference in the home office. The majority of these properties have been developed by (Continued on page 6) TELEVISION TODAY— Page 6 Survey Finds Theatre Attendance Up As Result of Big Remodeling Programs Theatre operators throughout the country are bolstering attendance by pouring millions of dollars into refurbishing, remodeling and re-equipping their show places, Frank Singiser, Mutual Network business and financial news editor, said yesterday on his "Report struction. They have allocated $40,428,000 for 1960 operations, Singiser said. On the programs this week he is also interviewing leading theatre executives. His guest yesterday was Harry Brandt, president of Brandt Theatres, who said that 1959 attendance in his 136-theatre chain "is up some 17 per cent over 1958 so far this (Continued on page 6) (Picture on Page 2) Special to THE DAILY CHARLOTTE, Oct. 19. Unity within exhibition and the latter's cooperation with production and distribution are capable of solving theatre owners' problems, George G. Kerasotes, president of Theatre Owners of America, told the annual convention of Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina at the Hotel Charlotte here today. The primary problems of exhibition now, Kerasotes believes, are prod(Continued on page 2) Carolinians for Velde's Spaced-Release Plan Special to THE DAILY CHARLOTTE, Oct. 19.-A resolution criticizing the lack of an orderly release program was adopted by the Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina here today after a top distribution official had soundly scored film companies for failure to adopt such a program. James H. Velde, ( Continued on page 2 ) from Wall Street" weekday series over the network. Singiser has just completed a survey of 135 theatre circuits and is presenting results on his program all this week through Friday. The surveyed circuits, representing 5,700 of the indoor theatres and driveins in operation throughout the country, reported they are spending a total of $38,700,000 this year for refurbishing, re-equipping and recon 'Personar Promotion Of 20th-Fox Outlined Special to THE DAILY CHARLOTTE, N. C, Oct. 19.— 20th Century-Fox's policy of "personalized promotion" was outlined in detail today by Rodney Bush, the company's exploitation director, at the convention of Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina at the Hotel Charlotte here. Bush characterized 20th's newly ex (Continued on page 2) Redbook 66 HAL WALLIS' PRODUCTION • • DEAN MARTIN ANTHONY FRANCIOSA SHIRLEY MACLAINE CAROLYN JONES