Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

VOL. 86, NO. 123 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1959 TEN CENTS Harrison Says: :20th to Mark 45th Year with Sales Meeting Costliest Product Line-up, Merchandising Plan Ready Twentieth Century-Fox will begin a 45th anniversary celebration with a three-day sales convention at the home office, January 6, 7 and 8, it is announced by general sales manager, Alex Harrison. "This convention", Harrison said, "will be the most important in 20th Spyros Skouras Alex Harrison Century-Fox history on many counts. In the first place it will disclose the costliest and most ambitious product output scheduled by any company in the history of the industry. Secondly, it will provide news that I am confident will convince exhibitors (Continued on page 5) Yule Business Is Tops At New York Theatres By SAUL OSTROVE Christmas weekend business at Times Square area theatres in some cases broke existing holiday records and others are certain to approach high marks by the time full seven-day returns are in later this week. Major attractions, diverse in theme (Continued on page 4) Western Mass. Theatres Circuit Is Returned To Sam Goldstein Following Leasing By I & D Special to THE DAILY BOSTON, Dec. 27— Western Massachusetts Theatres circuit, which was leased to the L&D Theatres of Boston on Oct. 1, 1958, has been returned to the owner, Sam Goldstein of Springfield, Mass. The 14 regular theatres (no drive-ins) involved in the deal will be booked by Affiliated Theatres Corp. of Boston starting Jan. 1. John Glazier, vice-president of Affiliated, was with Western Massachusetts for 24 years as head buyer and booker before joining Affiliated a year ago. L&D Theatres will retain the operation of six drive-ins with Daytz Theatres handling the buying and booking. Three are in Pittsfield, one in Turners Falls, one in Hadley and one in Boxboro, all in Massachusetts. Al Lourie, a partner in L&D Theatres will also continue to operate his three drive-ins in Maine and two regular theatres in suburban Boston. Al Daytz, the other partner, will also retain his interest in several drive-ins in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. 'Life' Survey on Theatre Attendance Points Up Difficulties of Film-Making By MARTIN QUIGLEY, JR. Although the motion picture industry depends more than any other for success on intangible factors affecting the public's mood, it still knows little about why some of its products are successful and others meet with a disappointing reception. Since there has been so little research in the film industry particular attention is attached to any documentation of long-held opinions or hunches. This week Life magazine has released a study called "Factors Motivating Movie Attendance" prepared for it by Marketing, Merchandising and Research, Inc. of Flushing, N.Y. While none of the conclusions in ( Continued on page 4 ) Ottens Resigns 'Daily' Post; Kahns Succeed Alan and Jane Otten, the husband and wife newspaper team who have represented Motion Picture Daily and Quigley Publications in Washington for the past 12 years, have (Continued on page 5) REVIEW: The Story on Page One 20th-Fox — CinemaScope There is something about courtroom melodramas that appeals to audiences of all types and ages, and producer Jerry Wald and writer-director Clifford Odets have shrewdly capitalized on the elements that go to make up that appeal in their "The Story on Page One." The well-tested and still exploitable formula goes something like this: Take a juicy killing, preferably with a sex angle, and be sure to show the scene in which it occurs. Then take the case to court; make the de(Continued on page 5) Commerce Dept. View Gov't Sees '60 Exceeding '59 For Industry Better Films, Advertising Credited for the Upsurge From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Dec. 27. The government predicted the box-office upsurge that started in 1959 will continue into 1960 and that the new year will be a good one for the motion picture industry. Foreign business will also continue at a high level, it said. The prediction came in a year-end survey by the Commerce Department's film division, headed by Nathan D. Golden. He said box-office receipts this year totalled about $1,200,000,000, up some seven per cent from last year's $1,168,000,000, and that the rising trend will continue. Higher receipts are due, he declared, to the rising attendance for the first time in many years, resulting from (Continued on page 2) SEC Sets Dec. 30 for Skiatron Stock Hearing From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Dec. 27. The Securities and Exchange Commission has scheduled a hearing on December 30 to consider whether it should suspend a stock registration statement filed by Skiatron Electronics and (Continued on page 5) McLeiulon TV, Radio Spots for Para. Reissues Special to THE DAILY DALLAS, Dec. 27.-Paramourit Pictures has made a deal, unique of its kind, for a theatre company here to prepare the radio and tv promotional part of its campaign on behalf of the (Continued on page 2) 'M J Mr / Cost • Specializing in 35mm Color yl 1 AROD ATflDIFQ IKjr Developing • Dailies • 16mm Color ^^^H^MrimWCd^inU Prints • Predslon Opttcals • "rTrT^ [