Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1959 TEN CENTS Astor Today ull Agenda or Annual lompo Meeting pect Officers" Reelection, \.nual, Research Reports l full agenda faces Compo mem, s, directors and executive commit'| at their annual meeting at the Kel Astor here today. Topping the schedule are the elec!i of officers; reading of the annual ort covering Compo activities, fi,ices and suggestions for future projijs, a report by Ben Marcus on prog,g of his efforts to obtain industry pking for a promotion plan which i be utilized regionally throughout country, and a report on industry earch plans by Albert Pickus, chair'n of Compo's research committee. Expectations are that the present "mpo triumvirs will be re-designated another one-year term by the (Continued on page 4) ngapore Tax Could wee MPEA Transfer Possibility that American distribus may move their offices out of gapore in protest against impositi of a severe sales and gross tax signed to cut remittance of earnings ire to a minimum was seen follow; a meeting of the board of Motion ;ture Export Assn., at which the w tax was discussed. No positive action was taken but it s clear MPEA directors consider : new tax discriminatory and unfair, applies not only to revenues de(Continued on page 4) ahnston Says IMG Is ation's 'Best Bargain' Special to THE DAILY SANTA BARBARA, Cal., Oct. 21. The Informational Media Guaranty ogram, under which American 'us, books and periodicals are disbuted to dollar-short countries for :al currencies, was described by Eric hnston, Motion Picture Association esident, today as "the biggest bar(Continued on page 3) MPA, Independent Importers Plan Program Of Cooperation on Mutual Industry Problems The Motion Picture Association and the Independent Film Importers and Distributors of America have made plans to cooperate with each other for the benefit of their respective memberships, IFIDA announced yesterday. The announcement said that, following a meeting to discuss industry problems among heads of both groups, it had been decided they would get together "in many areas of mutual interest." What these areas are will be revealed as soon as details are worked out, IFIDA said. The joint meeting earlier this week, held at MPA headquarters, was attended by Sidney Schreiber, Kenneth Clark, and Manning Clagett, of MPA; and Richard Brandt, Daniel Frankel and Michael M. Mayer, of IFIDA. Former <t/' Official Peter T. Dana Named to Head Pa. Film Board Area Promotion Plan Drawing Good Reaction Sales managers and advertising men expressed enthusiasm yesterday for an area promotion plan outlined to them by Ben Marcus, Wisconsin circuit head, who is a member of the COMPO triumvirate. The two groups met in the United Artists board room, with James Velde, chairman of the MPAA sales managers committee, presiding. After Marcus had quoted boxoffice figures showing what the plan had accomplished at a number of theatres in two different tests in Wisconsin, it was agreed that the plan would be explored further. It was suggested (Continued on page 2) Showmen to Record 10 Product Talks for WA The taped voices of exhibitors from 10 different sections of the country discussing phases of product merchandising will be a novel feature of the "show of showmen" program on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the 12th annual convention of Theatre Owners of America, in Chicago, George G. Kerasotes, president, announced yesterday. The program, chaired by Robert W. Selig of Fox Inter-Mountain Theatres, will be moderated by M. B. Smith of Commonwealth Circuit of Kansas City, Mo. Richard Orear, president of Commonwealth, has been working (Continued on page 3) Lazarus Urges Film, Travel Industries Cooperate on Promotion Enterprises Special to THE DAILY HAVANA, Oct. 21.— The motion picture and travel industries should work together for their mutual benefit, Paul N. Lazarus, Jr., Columbia Pictures vicepresident, said today at the annual convention of the American Society of Travel Agents here. As films become more international and travel is conducted with greater ease and speed "new vistas" of cooperative projects are opening up, the film executive said. He pointed to the entire motion picture industry's emphasis on the Paul Lazarus, Jr. use of authentic location backgrounds and the great stress on world-wide promotion as two of the factors which make films an ideal medium to stimulate travel. Similarly, he said, the travel agents, tourist centers and transportation carriers were still an untapped source of promotional aids for the film companies. Addressing a gathering of more than 2,500 travel agents at the Havana Hilton here, Lazarus gave as an example the fact that Columbia, the only film company ever to become a full-fledged member of ASTA, is ( Continued on page 2 ) Could Ban Pictures Held 'Obscene or Unsuitable' Special to THE DAILY HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 21.-Peter T. Dana, Pittsburgh, former Eastern sales manager of Universal-International, today was designated by Gov. David Lawrence as chairman of the newly created State Board of Motion Picture Control. Governor Lawrence also appointed two others as members to serve four-year terms. They are: Mrs. Mae M. Bergin, Philadelphia, employed in Philadelphia as assistant to the regional director of the State Revenue Department, and Ira C. Sas( Continued on page 5 ) Ad Questionnaire Sent To 12,000 Exhibitors This week some 12,000 exhibitors throughout the U.S. will receive a copy of the MPAA-ACE questionnaire on advertising materials. The project is a joint exhibitor-distributor study conducted by the MPAA-ACE Advertising sub-commit( Continued on page 5 ) Trial Slated Jan. 4 In TV Block-Booking Suit From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Oct. 21.-A trial date of January 4 has been set in the government's television block-booking anti-trust suit against six film companies. The suit, brought in the spring of 1957, charges that the companies violated the anti-trust laws in the sale of television films to TV stations. Defendants are Loew's, C. and C. Super Corp., Screen Gems, Associated Artists, United Artists, and National Telefilm Associates. Trial will be held in New York before Judge Archie O. Dawson.