Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY VOL. 86, NO. 110 NEW YORK, U.S.A., TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1959 TEN CENTS Hundreds Attend O'Donnell Is Eulogized at Services Here Convention Opens SDG, RTDG Now 1; Capra Is President Myr'lCK, Iowa, Named President of Allied Eisenhower Sends Wire; Johnston Hails Showman By SAUL OSTROVE From Ankara, Turkey, President Eisenhower yesterday joined hundreds of film industry leaders gathered here to salute the late Robert J. ("Bob") O'Donnell, at a special memorial service held at the Lambs Club. Eric Johnston, Motion Picture Association president, read the following telegram received from the President: "I join the entire industry in profound prayer for Bob O'Donnell, a personal friend and a dedicated liu| manitarian in every sense of the word. I shall always remember him as a i solid citizen who, in war and peace, ( Continued on page 6 ) Redstone Tells fla. T.O. Enthusiasm Succeeds Special to THE DAILY JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 7.Enthusiasm and showmanship have brought success to many in exhibition and production even during the recent years of diminishing box office receipts, Sumner M. Redstone, Boston exhibitor and assistant to the (Continued on page 7) From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 7. Frank Capra, president of the Screen Directors Guild of America, and Michael J. Kane, national president of Radio and Television Directors Guild, today announced that their respective memberships have voted overwhelmingly in favor of merging the two groups. The new organization will be known as the Directors Guild of America, and will encompass present joint memberships of 2,068 directors, assistant directors, (Continued on page 6) Marcus' Keynote Urges Allied to Help Solve Problems Through Cooperation Special to THE DAILY MIAMI BEACH, Dec. 7.— There must be teamwork within the industry and contributions to the common good by all three branches— production, distribution and exhibition— if the industry is to win its fair share of the millions of new entertainment seekers who will attain theatre-going age in 1960, Ben Marcus told the Allied States convention in a keynote address here today. Voicing a strong plea for industry unity and cooperation, Marcus spelled out specific projects which each branch of the business could espouse, with the help of the others. And, he said, action on some fronts must be taken promptly if the remaining small, subsequent run theatres are to survive. The projections he advocated in(Continued on page 4) Board Renews ACE, COMPO Ties; Will Continue Pushing 'White Paper' By MARTIN QUIGLEY, Jr. (Picture on page 5) MIAMI BEACH, Dec. 7.-A1 Myrick, owner of the State theatre, Lake Park, Iowa, president of the Iowa-Nebraska Allied unit and an exhibitor in that area for many years, is the new president of national Allied States Association. An=^===^^^===^======^=== nouncement of his election by the national board of directors was made by Horace Adams, retiring national president, at the opening session of Allied's annual convention at the Eden Roc Hotel here this afternoon. The board of directors also reaffirmed Allied's support of the American Congress of Exhibitors and renewed national Allied's membership in ACE and COMPO for one year. A detailed statement on the orraniza o tion s position on ACE will be issued (Continued on page 5) Compo Fights Vs. Wage Law, Censorship Told Special to THE DAILY MIAMI BEACH, Dec. 7.-Proposed amendments to the Federal Wages and Hours law could, if enacted, cost theatres approximately $350,000,000 in the first four years after they became law, Charles E. McCarthy, executive secretary of Compo, will tell (Continued on page 5) Projectionists Picket REVIEW: In Ohio Theatre Dispute Special to THE DAILY COLUMBUS, O., Dec. 7.-Hunt's CineStage Theatre, operated by Herman Hunt, was picketed following a dispute over terms of employment of projectionists. Hunt called union pro( Continued on page 7 ) TELEVISION TODAY— page 6 Journey to the Center of the Earth Urge Ohio, Michigan B-B Campaign Coordination Special to THE DAILY TOLEDO, O., Dec. 7.-Institutional business-building campaigns in northern Ohio and lower Michigan theatres and drive-ins should be coordinated, Al Boudouris, of the Theatre Operating Co., said at a meeting of 50 theatremen and those with allied interests, at the Hillcrest Hotel here. Boudouris, whose firm operates six (Continued on page 2) 20th Century-Fox — CinemaScope "Journey to the Center of the Earth," Jules Verne's startling tale, has been recreated as a motion picture that is visually immense, high-spirited, often comically imaginative and pleasantly played by a talented cast. It has been produced by Charles Brackett and directed by Henry Levin so as to at once disarm the audience, and it certainly holds many thrillssome of them truly dramatic— for patrons of all ages and of most film (Continued on page 7) Compo Minimum Wage Group to Meet Friday The first meeting of the Compo minimum wage campaign committee will be held Friday in the Compo offices, it was announced yesterday by Charles E. McCarthy, Compo execu(Continued on page 5) 1 WELCOME DELEGATES!