Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1959)

6 Motion Picture Daily Thursday, December 31, 1959 Rembusch and Dollinger Get Allied Posts Two-Page Color Ad Plugs 'Sheba' in Boston Special to THE DAILY BOSTON, Dec. 30.-"Solomon and Sheba," Edward Small film for United Artists release, was promoted here in the "Boston American" with a twopage, center-spread advertisement marking the first time in local theatre history that color was used for such an ad. BVay Grosses ( Continued from page 1 ) Hall munched on snacks brought from home or from vendors. Fifteen extra policemen were required to direct the flow of the Music Hall line which, at its lengthiest, numbered 3,000. On Tuesday, from 7:30 A.M. until almost midnight thousands waited patiently in rain and snow for a chance to enter the showcase. The Music Hall reported a gross of $224,000 for the week ended yesterday, only $3,000 short of the total for the same week last year. The theatre is presenting "Operation Petticoat" and its annual Nativity stage show. Columbia Has Five Around midtown, Columbia Pictures' five entries running in six theatres were doing extremely well. "Suddenly, Last Summer," at the Criterion, drew a whopping $72,100 for the week, largest weekly total at the theatre since July, 1956. In its Sutton engagement, the same film grossed $20,415 through yesterday, an outstanding week. At the Forum, "The Gene Krupa Story" concluded its first six days yesterday with $23,300, highly successful. In its tenth week at the Trans-Lux 52nd Street, "The Last Angry Man" did a first-rate $12,400. "The Mouse That Roared," completed its tenth week at the smaller Guild with an astonishing $17,126, close to the figure for the opening week. "Porgy and Bess," in its seventh month at the Warner, grossed a sparkling $41,000 for 13 performances. "Porgy"' will have two performances a day for the rest of the week. 'Ben-Hur' Sold Out There is not a seat to be had for "Ben-Hur," at Loew's State, until Jan. 4. Patrons standing on long lines at the theatre yesterday were waiting to buy tickets for performances far in advance. "Ben-Hur," with holiday prices and extra matinees, produced a high-water $62,000 for the week. At the Capitol, "Solomon and Sheba" is enjoying a fabulous holiday period. In its first six days the film grossed more than $100,000, making it the biggest hit at the Capitol in many year-end holiday weeks. "Journey to the Center of the Earth," continued to do blockbuster business at the Paramount, where its gross for the week approached $100,000. "On the Beach," at the Astor, set a new high for a second week at the ( Continued from page 1 ) prise. Dollinger had held the post previously and because of his New York location, convenient to home office sales executives, with whom much of the emergency defense committee's activities are concerned, it was thought he would be re-named. Dollinger had resigned from both posts at the recent Miami Beach meeting of the Allied board of directors which developed a breach in the or Salt Lake City Code {Continued from page 1) ments which states, implies or is suggestive of conduct which by normal standards is considered to be morally and/ or socially unacceptable. Warren R. Bunting, general manager of Utah Drive-In Theatre Corp., complains that "we can't exploit pictures to their fullest extent." Bunting's chain operates four theatres in the Salt Lake area and one at Orem, Utah. "I think the newspapers are right to a certain extent," he said, "but I don't think film advertising has the effect of lowering people's morals that they think it has." Chet Price, city manager of Intermountain Theatres, Inc., and John O. Denman, supervisor of Fox National Theatres, both said they thought the improvement effort was something the industry had been trying to do itself. "We are trying to work with the newspapers," said Price. "I don't think it has hurt business one bit. I think the industry as a whole has been trying to clean up their ads." Denman, whose chain operates six theatres in the city and three in other locations of the state, said his group had tried to follow such a policy as the newspapers prescribe all along. 'Talk' Sub-Runs Are Big "Pillow Talk" is expected to roll up a "sensational" $2,000,000 theatre gross in the greater New York area sub-runs by the time it completes its engagements here in January, Universal said yesterday. The figure does not include the first-run engagements at the RKO Palace and Murray Hill and RKO Albee. The picture is also setting records in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and other cities, the company added. 'Goliath* Growing AIP reported yesterday that "Goliath and the Barbarians" is heading toward a $40,000 week at the Palm Theatre in Detroit. In Minneapolis, "Goliath" broke a five-day record at the Pan Theatre with a gross of $14,750. theatre, with $60,000. "Happy Anniversary," in its eighth week at the Victoria, turned in a resounding $17,000. "Behind the Great Wall" in AromaRama, at the DeMille soared to $33,600 for the week. At the Roxy, "Li'l Abner" wound up the week with a stunning $125,000. ganization's ranks over the unexpected election of Myrick to the presidency by the strategy of the so-called Allied "militant" element. In making known his resignations of the posts, Dollinger, a leader of the opposing "moderate" group, had said he wished to give the new president an opportunity to make his own appointments. Rembusch, one of the leaders of the "militant" faction, is an executive Schary Heard ( Continued from page 1 ) movie history . . . the emergence of the powerful male figure as an idol is evident, and it is true in other walks of American life." Schary wondered, too, "how long we can hold the movies in bounds against the on-rushing flood of sex detail, bosoms and bordellos that have inundated our books and magazines." The current and upcoming crop of motion pictures, Schary asserted, "promise the most provocative and unfettered comments on the world about us in its history." Audiences, he said, "demand" this now, because in these areas "America has grown up and is able at last to take a grownup look at itself and its character." Stresses 'Democratic Values' Future successful motion pictures, Schary told Motion Picture Daily, will have to be "a little bit more than a punch in the nose." They will have to display "devotion and deep, deep exploitation of democratic values." He added that he does not believe that the screen has come of age simply "because we can now say 'hell' and 'damn'." Commenting on the future of motion pictures, Schary stated that "after the long string of blockbusters we're getting, someone is going to make a little film" that will stress human values and be a great success. He cited "The Defiant Ones," "Executive Suite" and "The Last Angry Man" as films with the approach he had in mind. Schary said he has no motion picture plans beyond the filming of his hit play, "Sunrise at Campobello." Continent Enthusiastic Over 4U' Films: Aboaf Record business being established by Universal's "Pillow Talk" and "Operation "Petticoat" on the Continent during the holiday period has brought enthusiastic reaction from exhibitors there and boosted the morale of U-I's sales organization, Americo Aboaf, vice-president and foreign general manager of Universal International Films, said here yesterday. He has just returned from Europe where he attended a series of sales conferences. Aboaf predicted a banner year for Universal throughout the world in 1960. of Syndicate Theatres, Franklin, Ind. Dollinger is national representative of Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey, which has offices in New York City. | Just how the "moderate" Allied ; units will react to the Rembusch ap i pointment remains to be seen. New Jersey Allied has a membership meet | ing scheduled for Jan. 5 and therefore will be the first to make its views 1 known. The organization has indicated already that it would like to see a meeting of the national board called for around Feb. 1 to iron out the internal national Allied differences. The moderate group includes the Allied units with the largest member I ships and best financial condition, among them Western Pennsylvania, New England, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, New Jersey and perhaps others. Subject to Confirmation The announcement of Dollinger's reappointment to the ACE post noted that it is an elective office and there \ fore subject to confirmation by the ! Allied board, which will be done by ! mail, with confirmation expected to | follow promptly. It added that Dollinger's "acceptance of this assignment ' insures that continuity of thought, experience and acquaintance essential to the smooth functioning of this important cooperative effort." The announcement also noted that the Rembusch post is not an elective office. The emergency defense committee was formed by Allied in 1954 "to inquire into, report on and take appropriate action in regard to sell ' ing methods and trade practices which are deemed to be unfair or unduly oppressive to the Allied mem | bers." Rembusch is a past president of Allied and of Allied T.O. of Indiana, and, the announcement adds, "is widely known and highly regarded among the smaller theatre men as a ' champion of exhibitor rights." Attacked 70mm. Policy Rembusch launched a vigorous attack at the recent Allied Miami Beach convention on 70mm releases and the sales policies governing them, which he charged unfairly delay availability of such product to the average theatre. It was stated that Myrick is now working on a slate of regional vice j presidents for Allied and hopes to announce his appointments early in January. Wis. "Moderates' Defer Action MILWAUKEE, Dec. 30.-No action one way or another on the internal complications in national Allied is contemplated at this time by Allied Theatre Owners of Wisconsin, which regards itself as one of the so-called "moderate" units, according to Edward Johnson, Wisconsin president. The unit has scheduled no emersency meetings or other action as yet. It will follow a watchful waiting course for the time being in the hope that the existing differences will be straightened out.