Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

|VOL. 86, NO. 106 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1959 TEN CENTS p 10 Per Cent UA 9-Month Earnings Hit $2,886,000 World Wide Gross Income $72,060,000 for Period Confident Columbia Building Future Manpower In All Operation Phases: Montague More Releases In Sight for '60, Hyman Says Net earnings of United Artists for the first nine months of 1959 reached $2,886,000 compared with $2,623,000 for the comparable period of the previous year, it was announced yesterday by Robert S. Benjamin, chairman of the board. The increase for the 1959 period was 10 per cent, he said. At the same time it was reported that the board of directors has declared a regular quarterly dividend of 40 cents per common share, payable Dec. 29 to stockholders of record Dec. 11. United Artists achieved world-wide gross income for the first nine months of 1959 of $72,060,000 as compared with $61,600,000 for the 1958 period. The nine months net repre(Continued on page 7) Pre-Fife New Bill on licensing TV Programs Special to THE DAILY ALBANY, Dec. 1.— Assemblyman A. Bruce Manley, Republican of Chautaqua County, has pre-filed a bill, similar to the one he introduced at the 1959 session of the Legislature, for licensing by the Board of Regents of all television programs originating in New York State, with the exception of those "portraying sports, current events, pictorial news of the day (Continued on page 6) Edward Schreiber Is Assistant to Bush Edward Schreiber, former advertising-publicity director for the motion picture industry's War Activities Committee, has been named assistant to I Rodney Bush, 20th Century-Fox exploitation director, it has been anI nounced. Schreiber will fill the job vacated (Continued on page 2) TELEVISION TODAY— page 6 Special to THE DAILY CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 1.— Building manpower for the future in all phases of operations is a basic part of Columbia Pictures' blueprinting program which has reshaped the company in the past two years. A. Montague, executive vicepresident told a meeting of leading exhibitors in this territory today. Columbia, he said, is placing heavy emphasis on bringing young talent into the organization to insure a continuation of its ambitious d i s t r i b ution plans. A. Montague M o n tague's appearance before this area's leading exhibitors was another in a series of visits by top Columbia executives to every section of the country to outline (Continued on page 6) Sana, Brylawski Named To Minimum Wage Unit E. LaMar Sarra, vice-president of Florida State Theatres, has been appointed as the representative of Theatre Owners of America on the national minimum wage campaign committee to be named by Compo, Albert M. Pickus, TO A president, announced yesterday. At the same time Pickus reported that A. Julian Brylawski, chairman (Continued on page 2) Business Editors Get MP A Product Report Financial editors are told that the motion picture industry "is looking forward to 1960 with the greatest optimism ever," in a press story sent to them yesterday by the Motion Picture Association. The release marked the official start of the joint publicity campaign of MPA members to pro(Continued on page 8) Johnston Code Defense For House Unit Feb. 2 From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Dec. l.-Feb. 2 has been set as the date on which Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, will testify before a House Post Office subcom( Continued on page 8) Industry Pension Plan Medical Benefits Slated From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Dec. l.-Approval of a precedental plan to provide hospitalization and medical benefits for film workers retired under the terms of the Motion Picture Industry Pen(Continued on page 8) Plans Tiro Drives Annually To Lick 'Orphan' Periods There will be more pictures released in 1960 and more quality pictures than this year, Edward L. Hyman, American Broadcasting Paramount Theatres vicepresident, predicted yesterday on the basis of a just completed survey of releases of nine companies for the first six months of 1960, and as far into the second half of the year as presently reliable data is available. Hyman told a trade press luncheon at the AB-PT home office that while exact figures on 1960 releases are not available, present indications are that the total will run close to 300 pictures, ( Continued on page 7 ) Edward L. Hyman REVIEW: On the Beach Stanley Kramer — United Artists Produced and directed with the single-mindedness that makes a great motion picture, this extraordinary cinema document is loaded with plus values for the box office. Bevond the cast names, including Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Anthony Perkins and an unusual stroke of perceptive casting which gives Fred Astaire an opportunity of showing outstanding if not great talent as an actor, there is the provocative and challenging nature of the story which is bound to generate debate, a sure road to eager attendance. The story is of the end of the human race and of the actions and reactions of a diverse group of people who know the time and place and (Continued on page 8) Hyman Replies to '0.0.' Remark of Youngstein's Edward L. Hyman, commenting on remarks about "orderly distribution" of quality product made by Max E. Youngstein, United Artists vice-president, at the recent annual convention of Theatre Owners of America in Chicago, pointed out that he has constantly urged in his o.d. campaign that exhibitors "go all out to promote (Continued on page 7) Rackmil, Aboaf Deparl For Global Conferences Milton H. Rackmil, president of Universal Pictures, and Americo Aboaf, vice-president and foreign general manager, will leave here tomorrow for Rome lor a sales meeting there, the first ol a scries diey will (Continued on page 8)