Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1960)

Motion Picture Daily Thursday, January 7, 196( Younglove Invites Industry's Views Special to THE DAILY ALBANY. X. V., Jan. 6.-Assemblyman Joseph R. Younglove, chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on Offensive and Obscene Material, who today introduced a bill amending Section 122 of the education law to provide that "when a film, though licensed, portrays nudity, horror, violence, brutality, sadism, juvenile delinquency, drug addiction or sexual conduct or relationships, to an extent believed by the division (of motion pictures) to be contrary to the proper mental, ethical or moral development of children subject to the compulsory education law of this state, the director, or when authorized by the regents, the officers of local office or bureau, shall upon review, classify such motion pictures as unsuitable for such children," said later "we are glad to hear the views of the motion picture industry, as well as of all others." Praises Film Leaders He added, "the motion picture leaders are intelligent men, and I hope diey will show their intelligence here." Younglove also commented that the film industry "might leam a lesson from what happened to television quiz programs." The public "will pass the final verdict," he continued. SBC Urges Changes (Continued from page 1) nomic growth by modernizing the Treasury's "outmoded tax depreciation policies." Because of capital limitations, small firms are particularly hard hit by depreciation policies now in use, the report indicates. The committee— which cannot directly recommend new laws— suggests the following areas for exploration: ( 1 ) shortening the period for depreciating property, ( 2 ) permitting greater depreciation in the years immediately after purchase of property, and (3) giving an extra depreciation allowance to reflect loss through inflation. One approach specifically suggested is adoption of a triple-declining-balance depreciation of equipment and machinery having a life of five years or more. The group also suggests replacement of the Treasury's "Bulletin F" with a class system for determining useful lives of property. It proposes elimination of capital gains tax on sales of other than real property used in business. It also urges consideration of pending bills that would make available to buyers of used equipment the variety of depreciation methods available to purchasers of new items, and to allow tax deductions for earnings plowed back into small business. 'Porgf Reaches 300 Samuel Goldwyn's "Porgy and Bess"— now in its 29th week— will play its 300th performance at the Warner Theatre here at the Saturday matinee this week. Albany Group Here Today (Continued Bar Building, 42 West 44th St., New York, tomorrow morning with the Committee of Religious Leaders of the City of New York. Founded in 1958, the latter comprises 104 religious leaders representing the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish faiths. Co-chairmen are: Rt. Rev. Msgr. Thomas A. Donnellan, Chancellor of the Archidocese of New York; Rev. Dr. D. M. Potter, executive director, Protestant Council of New York, and Rev. Dr. William F. Rosenbloom, Temple Israel, former president of the Synagogue Council of America. The purpose of tomorrow's meeting is to afford the committee of religious leaders an opportunity to present their views to the joint legislative committee, "relative to the impact of the mass media upon the moral and spiritual climate of our society." On June 17 last, the committee submitted an interim report to Mayor Robert F. Wagner, in which it analyzed and reported upon certain practices within the mass media believed to be having an adverse effect upon moral and spiritual values. "Radio" from page 1 ) and "television" were among the specific media considered, but "motion pictures" were apparently not included in the religious committee's booklet, on file here with the joint committee. Assemblyman Younglove commented, "our committee has read the initial report of the committee of religious leaders with great interest. We applaud and welcome the activity of this distinguished group and are most anxious to co-operate in every way. Our committee finds every reason to express continued and growing concern over practices within certain elements of the mass media which export, glorify, condone or excuse illicit sex, sadism, perversion and brutality or otherwise ridicule our accepted standards of conduct and morality. It is most encouraging to find the committee of religious leaders approaching the problem with unity and vigor." James A. Fitzpatrick, of Plattsburgh, counsel to the joint legislative committee and its one-time chairman, will attend the New York hearing. Smell-OVision ! Bows 'Summer' Second Weeks ( Continued from page 1 ) location in Spain, was filmed in the Todd process on 70mm film synchronizing scents with action on the screen. Thirty different odors were projected to each seat in scenes where olfactions are vital to the plot or important clues in solving the mystery. Whiffs gags, using odors to tell a joke, were also introduced in the production. Osmologist Hans Laube is the inventor of the process controlled by Todd exclusively. The picture opens in Los Angeles Jan. 29, and in New York on Feb. 3, after which it will be shown in 60 key cities across the nation. Starred in "Scent of Mystery" are Denholm Eliott, Peter Lorre, Paul Lukas, Beverly Bentley and Diana Dors. Jack Cardiff directed from a screenplay by William Roos. Introduced by Eddie Fisher Eddie Fisher introduced the theme song and "The Chase," two of the themes from "Scent of Mystery," at a disc jockey cocktail this afternoon. Todd explained that Prof. Laube, a Swiss inventor, spent 25 years developing the Smell-O-Vision! process. The machine, it is understood, was perfected with equipment that can be installed in any theatre with widescreen facilities, in several weeks. The machine is reportedly so sensitive it can control the time period of a scent to the second, and one odor can follow another almost immediately. For "Scent of Mystery," which runs 135 minutes, Prof. Laube measured and blended 200 chemical mixtures from 43 separate odors emanated. The odors range from the scent of roses to the smell of horses, chemically reproduced, of course. S. O. Equal or Better First Sam Spiegel's "Suddenly, Last Summer," a Columbia Pictures release, continues to break boxoffice records in its opening engagements in New York and Los Angeles, with second week grosses equalling or bettering the marks established in the opening week, the company reported. At the Criterion Theatre here the film established a new all-time singleday house record with a gross of $15,693 on Saturday, January 2. The full second-week total was a huge $65,261, surpassing the figure for the first week and setting a new mark for a holdover week at the theatre. At the smaller Sutton Theatre, where the film is playing day-anddate, the second week ended Tuesday was a mighty 821,676, or more than $2,000 over the gross for the initial stanza. In Los Angeles it set new house records for each of the first two weeks of its run at the Warner Beverly Theatre. The seven-day total was a resounding $30,000 each week. 'Summer* Book Tie-In Columbia Pictures and Signet Books are conducting an extensive cross-promotion to publicize Sam Spiegel's "Suddenly, Last Summer," and the New American Library paperback edition of the Tennessee Williams play. Signet has prepared a special playdate bulletin to advise bookdealers all over the country of the local playdates of the Columbia release. 'Goliath' Big Here American International Pictures' "Goliath and the Barbarians" grossed $35,722 in its first week at the Amsterdam Theatre here, the company reported yesterday. Marano Files in Albany Two Film Control Bills 11 Special to THE DAILY ALBANY, N. Y., Jan. 6.-Assembly|| man Luigi R. Marano, Brooklyn Re-^ publican, introduced today, as thagE legislature convened for 1960, a bill$ amending Section 122 of the Educa-r| tion Law to provide that in the events a film is classified by the director of£ the motion picture division "to berg shown only to adult audiences," if shall be unlawful for any exhibitor to permit anyone but a person "18 oi over" to witness the screenings. As originally presented, the mini mum age was set at 21, however Marano changed this to 18 just as the Assembly was adjourning. He ex plained the latter was a fairer age, saying the idea is taken from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law. The 1 measure reads: 'i Violators Would Be Fined 'The director of the division, or when authorized by the Regents, the local office or bureau, after the ex* I amination of a motion picture film 1 submitted for examination as required, £ by the provisions of this article may j classify such films as restricted under standards and regulations to be esljt tablished by the Regents, to be shown ~ only to adult audiences. In the event i: a film is so classified, it shall be un* t lawful for any exhibitor to permit anyone but a person 18 years of age ' or over to witness the showing of such a film. Any violations of this provision shall be punishable by a $25 fine." The act would take effect July 8. Marano also co-introduced today a measure amending Section 122, to au j' thorize the motion picture division Pc director, or when authorized by the 51 regents, the officers of a local office or bureau, in licensing films to clas? sify them as "suitable for general patronage," "adults and adolescents" or "adults only." Exhibitors would be required to note the classification in advertisements. 4Li1 Aimer' Continuing To Keep Fast Pace Paramount's "Li'l Abner," playing record number of 800 engagement! ll during the Christmas-New Yearj period, continues to demonstrate oulf standing boxoffice strength in initial and holdover weeks, theatre report1 disclose. Typical late grosses for "Li'l Ab ner" include: $7,000, first week, Mai jestic Theatre, Reno; $12,300, second week, Grand, Cincinnati; $5,290, firsl three days of third week, Town Washington, D. C; $6,700, first foul days of moveover engagement, Ohio Cleveland; $12,740, second week Stanley, Pittsburgh; $15,802, fir* week, Fox, Atlanta. Also, $8,770, first nine days, CarJlj lina, Charlotte; $10,962, first wee| Malco, Memphis; $101,216, second week, 18 theatres, Los Angeles; $7,: 125, six days of second week, Cri terion, Oklahoma City; $13,018, sb days of second week, Fox, St. Louil, '| $20,353, second week, Michigan, De^ troit.