Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

2 Motion Picture Daily Monday, December 28, 1959 matm PERSONAL MENTION AL LOWE, Latin American supervisor for Universal International Films, Inc., arrived here at the weekend from Rio de Janiero for business discussions with Americo Aboaf, foreign general manager, who returns here from Europe tomorrow. • Gerald Rowe, Paramount Pictures advertising manager, was married here yesterday to Joyce Alleyne Allan. The couple will honeymoon in Mexico. • Ray Stark, producer of Paramount's "The World of Suzie Wong," left Hollywood at the weekend for Hong Kong to begin production on the film. • E. Jonny Graff, NTA vice-president and general sales manager, and Bart McHugh, NTA director of network program sales, left Sunday for the West Coast for program conferences. • Frank Mantzke, president of Northwest Allied, Minneapolis, is spending the holidays in Van Nuys, Calif. • Abe Weiner, Boston independent film distributor, is a patient at the Massachusetts General Hospital for corrective surgery. • Bob Hosse, executive with the Crescent Amusement Co., Nashville, Term., has returned there from Atlanta. • John Q. Adams, executive vicepresident of Interstate Circuit, Inc., and Texas Consolidated Theatres, Inc., Dallas, has been named to the board of directors of United Cerebral Palsy. • William Reich, general manager of American International Export Corp., left here for the West Coast yesterday. national screen service Gov 9t Sees 9 60 Exceeding ' '59 ( Continued better films and increased advertising and exploitation; higher admission prices; and lower Federal admission taxes. Average theatre attendance in 1958, the Commerce Department reported, dropped to 42,000,000 a week compared to about 45,000,000 to 46,000,000 in the thre preceding years. Attendance rose only slightly in the first quarter of 1959 but increased markedly during the summer. He said this upsurge was generally attributed to a quantity of high quality films, good exploitation and a more favorable attitude on the part of the public. "Apparently both the producer and exhibitor have been doing a better selling job," he observed. Number of Features Declined Feature production continued to decline in 1959, totalling some 190 to 200 films compared with 240 in 1958, Golden said. He predicted more films would likely be available in 1960 though no large increase in produc from page 1 ) tion is expected. He pointed out that current films are of a more expensive and higher quality, resulting in higher charges and longer runs. TV a Threat Overseas Industry leaders are expressing optimism on the future, the Commerce report mentioned, and cited extensive theatre remodeling and higher advertising budgets as concrete evidence. Foreign earnings reached about $215,000,000 this year and will continue at about that high level in 1960, Commerce declared. It said international business should continue to be good, though it conceded that the expansion of television in Western Europe is becoming a matter of concern to theatres there. In another report, the Commerce Department predicted that production and sales of photographic equipment and supplies would total about $2,300,000,000 in the coming year, more than eight per cent above the 1959 levels. Social, Civic Leaders Attend 'Solomon' Bow More than 2,700 social and civic dignitaries, motion picture industry leaders and show business personalities attended the Christmas night premiere of "Solomon and Sheba," Edward Small's $6,000,000 Biblical spectacle in Super Technirama-70 at the refurbished Capitol Theatre here. Among the guests were Joey Adams, Tallulah Bankhead, Polly Bergen, Red Buttons, Joan Collins, Rave Garroway, Althea Gibson, Benny Goodman, Leonard Lyons, Billy Rose and Danton Walker. The Capitol has just been renovated at a cost of $1,000,000. Mirisch Names Biondi To Exploitation Position Guy Biondi, veteran film publicist and executive, at the weekend was named eastern advertising, publicity and exploitation representative for the Mirisch Company. The appointment is effective Jan. 4. Biondi set up and directed field operations for Michael Todd's "Around the World in 80 Days" from its first road show release. Before that he was assistant to Jeff Livingston, Universal Pictures eastern advertising manager. McLendon -TV Kramer to 30 Cities Stanley Kramer, producer and director of "On the Beach" for United Artists release, will make a coast-tocoast promotional tour of 30 major cities in connection with key regional playdates set for early 1960, it was announced here at the weekend. (Continued from page 1) re-issues of "Country Girl" and "Bridges of Toko-Ri." The exhibitor is the Gordon McLendon Co. of this city, which over the past several years has achieved notable success in promoting re-issues in its own theatres, primarily with radio and television merchandising "spots." Paramount will launch the combination package on a test basis here and in San Francisco and Philadelphia. Locally, it will open Jan. 28 at McLendon's Preston Royal and Casa Linda theatres, and also at the Texas and Circle theatres. The agreement calls for the Dallas theatre company to receive a $10,000 guarantee from Paramount, plus a percentage of the gross on a sliding scale. In addition to preparing for Paramount complete masters of radio "spots" and film negatives for tv use, McLendon will supervise time buying for the distributor. McLendon also has interests in radio and tv here. Worked on 'Never So Few' It was also revealed that McLendon prepared radio and tv promotion for the MGM release, "Never So Few," on a straight fee basis. The picture will open at the Majestic here Jan. 1. In addition, McLendon is talking a distribution deal with Paramount for a film, "Affair in Sweden," which he plans to film in Finland and Sweden next summer. Producers in the two countries will supply much of the financing, with McLendon furnishing the script and three U.S. actors. York, Pa. Grants 5% Cut in Admission Tax Special to THE DAILY YORK, PA., Dec. 27-City Council voted into law a newly reduced amusement tax bill. The revised tax measure cuts the amusement admis-; sions tax from ten to five per cent. See End to New England Drive-In 'Price War' Special to THE DAILY BOSTON, Dec. 27.-Acquisition by Rifkin Theatres of two drive-ins in New England should help in eliminating the "price war" that has been waged in the area for the past year; Julian Rifkin, president of the circuit, said at the weekend. Rifkin Theatres has taken a longterm lease on the Family Drive-in at Seekon, Mass., and the Ponta Delgada Drive-In at North Tiverton. R.I. Both are in the same general area with two other Rifkin drive-ins. the Shipyard in Providence and the Pike in Johnston, R.I. The "price war," engaged in by al^ drive-ins in that territory, begac when one theatre made a practice oi charging only $1 per car, regardles: of the number of patrons in it. Othei drive-ins soon followed suit until al had adopted the policy. Built by Lepes and Zalkind The two new drive-ins acquired b) Rifkin were built by Hyman Lepe: and Norman Zalkind, both of Fal River, Mass. The Ponta has 90( speakers and the Family 1500. Th< latter stays open all year round; th« former is now closed for the winter Rifkin has ten drive-ins with thes< additions. Zalkind said he intends to concen trate on operating his suburbai Strand Theatre in Fall River. Philadelphia Suburb Imposes Amusement To> Special to THE DAILY HORSHAM, PA., Dec. 27.-A | percent amusement tax will go infc effect in Horsham Township in sub urban Philadelphia on Jan. 1 as th result of official action taken by th< township supervisors. The amusemen tax was originally imposed last yea but an appeal from the tax was up held by the courts. Reinforced by Legislation Subsequent to the court ruling additional state legislation reinforcei the right of Second Class Township to administer the tax. It was with thi legislation in mind that the townshi] supervisors reinstituted the levy. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, ^^^^^^7^ Editorial D^t* f&H^man, IIS Syf Srn'SX: Hot Picture Daily is published daily ^cept Saturdays Sundays and hoi d ^ q ey Publishing Company Inc 1 270 Ss^hlivA^nuve;ceKp0rceseidenet and Treasurer; Raymond Gallaghe, §&SS3?; '^T^ady^eS^ Kg? ^^^J^^^^^^^J^^^ WSfiftLSt ^VlTfs sec'on fast rn^stt^ *6 * ^ ^ $12 C°PleS'.10C