Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

Motion Picture Daily Thursday, November 19 l£ PERSONAL ME1VTI0IV MP A A Drive Ask 5% of SAG Salaries Briskin Pledg For Retirement Fund ^ "D AOUL LEVY, French producer, AV will arrive in New York from Paris today for a two-week stay. George Roscoe, special representative of Theatre Owners of America, was in Atlanta on his way back to' .*Jew York. • Barbara Louise Cohen, daughter of Barney Cohen, veteran Philadelphia theatre manager now at the Arcadia there, will be married on Dec. 5 to Charles M. Milber. Charles Jordan, Southern district manager for Howco Films, Atlanta, has left there for Jacksonville. Mrs. Joseph Beldo has given birth here to twin girls, Gina and Eugena. Father is on the New York staff of United Artists. John Harrell, official of Martin Theatres, Atlanta, has returned there from Jacksonville. Wilcox in London (Continued from page 1) were inconclusive, Wilcox said, and he will return to New York in about two weeks. Wilcox has already lined up Rex Harrison for a lead in his film, based on a story about the Charge of the Light Brigade, and plans to cast Americans and other top British stars in important roles. Budget for the film is set at £.1,500,000. The picture will be made in a wide-screen process and distributed on a road show policv. Loew's Stock ( Continued from page 1 ) of 'Leopold Friedman, director of Loew's Theatres, in depositing his Loew's Inc. stock with the Empire Trust Co. and that of George Killion, director of Loew's Inc., in placing his Loew's Theatres stock with the American Trust Co. of California. Trustees holding stock are given a free hand to vote it "in the best interests of the company." ( Continued from page 1 MPA advertising and publicity directors committee. A meeting of the advertising coordinating group of the committee set for yesterday was postponed and instead the entire ad-pub groups will get together today for further development of the details of the program. Originally consideration was being given to adopting a trademark or slogan for the drive, similar to "Movies Are Better Than Ever," used in a previous campaign. It was reported, however, that the ad-pub committee will shy away from this tactic, concentrating on publicity for the individual films. There is no thought of making this an institutional program but an all-out publicity campaign, it was explained. The MPA is asking support from Compo, ACE, and the national exhibitor organizations in focusing public attention on the strong line-up of product from Hollywood next year. Canadian Circuit Makes 'Pass' Problem Study Special to THE DAILY TORONTO, Nov. 18. 20th Century Theatres, circuit affiliated with Famous Players Canadian Corp. is clamping down on distribution of passes. Managers have reported a great deal of abuse of the passbook privilege with the books often found being used by persons other than those to whom they were extended. The issue was discussed at length at a recent circuit meeting here. While some managers defended the use of passes on the grounds that they help "politically," most reported they were doing away with them. The suggestion was made that occasional individual passes will do the most good. Another problem taken up by the managers was that of people seeking access to the theatre on the grounds that they want to look for a friend and will "return in just a minute." Often the doorman doesn't see them again until the performance is over. No positive action was taken on this matter. From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 18. The Screen Actors Guild will seek five per cent of all gross salaries and participations paid to actors from producers to support its proposed retirement, health and welfare fund as one of its major new contract demands, when it meets with production companies on expiration of the present agreement in January. With SAG salaries estimated at $65,000,000 annually, producers will be asked to contribute approximately $3,250,000 to the union's fund, it was disclosed today in a report on Monday night's SAG membership meeting in the Beverly Hilton Ballroom, where the Guild's national executive secretary John L. Dales set forth a number of demands that will be made, including a formula for a percentage of income from post '48 films released to television. Three Principal Demands Highlighting the list of demands are: elimination of term contracts for actors involving both television and features, to avoid "cross-use" of talent for low television minimums; unauthorized use of film clips where top starring or featured film players appear; compensation for weekends on personal appearance tours. Highlighting the demands on television issues: higher minimums for television than theatrical rate; higher residuals or higher re-run percentages; stricter rules governing series and pilot options; elimination of all prepayments of residuals. Dales also reported SAG board's placement before membership for ratification a by-law amendment eliminating the classification difference between SAG and the Screen Extras Guild. Javits to Speak ( Continued from page 1 ) ute reservations expected to substantially increase the overall total. Invocation at the affair will be delivered by Dr. Max Nussbaum, rabbi of the Temple Israel of Hollywood, and top entertainers will donate their services to the affair. Three New Films for Major Productions Acquisition of three pictures for release in the United States and other English-speaking countries by Major Productions, Inc., was announced yesterday by Samuel Schneider, head of that company. Schneider has just returned here from a trip to Europe. The films are "Herod the Great," a Biblical spectacle; "The Unfaithfuls," a Ponti-de Laurentiis production^ and "Caltiki, the Immortal Monster." Fox Earnings ( Continued from page 1 ) with $2.87 per share on 2,293,186 in 1958 for that period. A quarterly cash dividend of 40c per share on the common stock was declared payable Dec. 26 to stockholders of record at the close of business on Dec. 11. 'Sheba' Study Guide United Artists is distributing a special "Solomon and Sheba" study guide and information kit to more than 100,000 schools and colleges, and 32,000 libraries and 5,000 women's club's throughout the country as part of its promotion campaign for the Edward Small film. The campaign is designed to generate word-of-mouth attention for the film with selective audience segments and opinion-making groups and organizations. (Continued from page 1) behalf of the company's current cajj paign to acquaint exhibition with I plans for 1960. "We at the Hollywood studio Jj proud of our contributions to the i ternational entertainment progra which finds our pictures being film],", all over the world, as well as at ffl studio," Briskin said. In effect, til studio has become the hub of the trjl mendous production activity now glj ing on and planned to continue in till four corners of the world. It is reason able to assume that 85 per cent of on product is being made directly undii the influence of the studio. During §M past year, after announcing our blui print for the future, we have beeT working hard lining up suitable prop erties and top-notch casts to appear | the films, both for ourselves and oiii independent producers." The efforts of the past 12 month were disclosed by Briskin, who prejii sented Columbia's release schedule d;l 40 major films for the 13-month perio* starting Jan. 1, 1960. Briskin said Co[ lumbia fully recognizes the responsil bility to the exhibitor and with thii thought in mind "the company ha<, pursued this top-level program, real.; izing that without making available top product in ever-increasing supply, we would be letting the exhibito;,! down." San Francisco Next Briskin will leave here tomorrow foi San Francisco where he will address exhibitors from Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. The meetn ing will be held at the Fairmont Hotel; Briskin will be accompanied by John,, Flinn, studio director of publicity and advertising. Art, Costume 'Oscars' Again Are Separated From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 18. The" board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has ' voted to again recognize separately achievements in a black-and-white production and in a color picture when bestowing "Oscars" for art direction and costume designing next ?. April 4, it has been announced by' B. B. Kahane, Academy president. 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