Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1960)

Motion Picture Daily Friday, January 8, 19$ J" 1 George Skouras Name UAK Board Chair mat George P. Skouras was elect chairman of the board and re-elect<P president of United Artists Theat Circuit at meeting of (j rectors h e / late Wednc day, it w learned yeste H — 1 day. The post M chairman 1; been vaca since it was i linquished t Joseph Schen several yef. ;f agoOther office j reelected i elude E. H. Rowley, executive via 11 president; A. E. Bollengier, financ: vice-president and treasurer; A. ! Frisch, secretary; Henry Ferber, | sistant secretary and assistant treiv urer; and Salah Hassanein, vice-prt ident. The board meeting was otherwi devoted to routine company busine a spokesman said. PERSONAL MENTION HERBERT GOLDEN, president of United Artists Television, will arrive in Hollywood from New York today for meetings with Bruce G. Eells, executive vice-president. • Leonard Anderson, president of Leonard Anderson Associates, producers of TV films and commercials, will leave here over the weekend for the Coast. • Charles H. Schneer, producer of "I Aim at the Stars," the Wernher von Braun story, has returned to New York from Germain'. • Edith Head, chief fashion designer for Paramount, will arrive here tomorrow from the Coast. • Jeanne Baird will return to Hollywood todav from New York. 'Nurse' Tops in U.K. time Kenneth More was named as the most popular star of 1959. "Carry On, Nurse," was one of nine British-made offerings figuring in the roster of the 12 biggest grossers— an unprecedented circumstance in the Quigley survey's history. The other 11 pictures, in order, are as follows: "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness," "Room at the Top," "I'm All Right, Jack!" "Rio Bravo," "The 39 Steps," "The Square Peg," "Tom Thumb," "The Big Country," "Operation Bullshine," "The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw," and "The Reluctant Debutante." Those made in Britain by American companies were "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" ( 20th Fox ) ; "Tom Thumb" (M-G-M) and "The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw" (20th-Fox). The next five most popular stars, in order, are as follows: Alec Guinness, Norman Wisdom, Stanley Baker, Dirk Bogarde and Peter Sellers. Two girls, Patricia Bredin and 14-year-old Hayley Mills, were named as the most promising newcomers of the year. NEW YORK THEATRES i — RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL— Rockefeller Center • Ci 6-4600 CARY GRANT • TONY CURTIS in "OPERATION PETTICOAT" NAN rmiEH • DINA MERRILL • ARTHUR O'CONNELL » GRAHART PRODUCTION i UNIVERSALINTERNATIONAL RELEASE Id Eistman COLOR and THE MUSIC HALL'S GREAT CHRISTMAS STAGE SHOW HERALD Catalogs 60 Product A comprehensive listing of industiy product under the heading Coming in 1960, The Industry's Calendar of Pictures for the Year, appears in the "Motion Picture Herald" of Jan. 9, 1960, out today. The chart, which comprises the upcoming product of nine producer-distributor companies— Columbia, MetroGoldwyn-Mayer, Paramount, 20th Century-Fox, United Artists, Universal, Warner Bros., Buena Vista and Allied Artists— reveals a wide variety of audience appeal in its subject matter, with a strong reliance upon pre-sold literature, both among best sellers and old classics, and the most prominent successes of the Broadwav theatre. Titles and talent involved— directors, producers, stars— are included in the listing, wherever available, in the chart, which has been prepared for theatre men who like to look ahead. Penn. Hearing March 9 On Film Control Act Special to THE DAILY HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 7. Suits challenging legality of Pennsylvania's new motion picture control act will be heard on March 9. Dauphin County presiding fudge William H. Neely today set that date for joint arguments in two separate law suits against the state challenging constitutionality of the Act of Sept. 17, 1959. Litigation has been filed by William Goldman Theatres, Inc., and the Pennsylvania Association of Amusement Industries, both of Philadelphia, and 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. The lawsuits charge that the Act is unconstitutional on the grounds that it deprives the plaintiff of their rights of freedom of expression and communication, of their liberty and property without due process of law, and of equal protection of the laws. At the same time, Judge Neely granted leave to Catholic congregations throughout the state to intervene on behalf of the Commonwealth. The move will allow Catholic congregations of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Scranton, Altoona, Johnstown, Erie, Greensburg and Pittsburgh to intervene as "friend of the court." Meanwhile, the names of the members of the board censors whose decisions would be the controlling factor in the administration of the act will be re-submitted for confirmation to the I960 legislature, which took no action in the matter during 1959. Classification Strong Post-New Year's Gross for 'Petticoat' "Operation Petticoat" grossed $202,392 at Radio City Music Hall here in its fifth week ended Wednesday night, giving it a five-week gross at the house of $956,000. The postNew Year's weekend figures continued strong with $19,152 for Monday; $18,021 Tuesday and $20,376 Wednesday. The picture is now in its sixth week at the Music Hall. (Continued from page 1) Catholic, Jewish and Protestant faiths. Presiding at the meeting was Assemblyman Joseph R. Younglove, chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee, who has introduced a bill in the state legislature which would authorize the director of the state motion picture division to classify specified types of films as unsuitable for children. Subject Principally Printed Matter Yesterday's meeting was designed to provide the religious leaders within the committee an opportunity to present their views "relative to the impact of the mass media upon the moral and spiritual climate of our society." The bulk of the discussion yesterday was concerned with obscene printed matter, particularly that available to the young at newsstands, but also covered newspapers, television, radio and motion pictures. There was discussion of whether the participants felt there was any noticeable difference between pictures produced in this country and recent imports insofar as moral tone was concerned, and whether there appears to be a tendency to ignore the industry's production Code and to abandon traditional standards of decency, with qualified reactions by participants both for and against. Independents Criticized Expressions indicated that the participants believed independent producers to be most responsible for greater relaxation of production standards of decency currently, and the view was expressed that "there is more to come from that quarter." "They are feeling their way," one remarked, "to see what they can get away with." Criticism of film and theatre ads in the New York press was voiced by the clergymen, with mention being made of some of the pre-Christmas advertising as being in particularly bad taste. A recent editorial in the Los An George Skouras I:C Ives, McGeehan Name To Oversee Ascap Deere Federal Judge Sylvester Ryan yi terday signed the new ASCAP cc sent decree, following completion t , ( preceding day of the vote count X. members which revealed 83 per cc of the ballots cast in favor of t decree. Judge Ryan also named forn Senator Irving M. Ives of New Yai and former Supreme Court JustijU John E. McGeehan as impartial s h visers and overseers for the operati of the new decree. They will obsei the workings of the new provisions : collecting and distributing the pi lc forming license fees paid to ASC^ They also will be in a position to ma: recommendations to the court changes in the decree should thjr deem them advisable in the futui Salaries for die two are to be by the court later. They will be p; by ASCAP. geles Times which warned product that they were going too far was si: mitted and read. Members of the Religious Lead/ Committee participating include I William F. Rosenbloom of Temj Israel; Monsignor Joseph Walsh the Catholic Archdiocese of New Yo and Dr. D. M. Potter, executive rector, Protestant Council of Ni York. James A. Fitzpatrick, counsel to t Joint Legislative Committee, also tended and conducted the questionii MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Shenvin Kane, Editor; James D. Ivers, Managing Editor; Richard Gertner, News Editor; Herbert V. Fee Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager, TELEVISION TODAY, Charles S. Aaronson, Editorial Director; Pinky Herman, Eastern Editor. Hollywood Bure Yucca-Vine Building, Samuel D. Berns, Manager; Telephone HOllywood 7-2145; Washington, E. H. Kahn, 996 National Press Bldg., Washington, 4, D. C; London Bureau, Bear St. Leicester Square, W. 2. Hope Williams Burnup, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; William Pay, News Editor. Correspondents in the principal capitals of the world. Moti ]| Picture Daily is published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, Circle 7-31 £?bleT2ad4r,ess : ' Qu'SPubco. New York" Martin Quigley, President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Raymond Gallag1 Vice-President; Leo J. Brady, Secretary. Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres and Better Refreshment Merchandising, each published 13 times a v it a section of Motion Picture Herald; Television Today, published daily as a part of Motion Picture Daily; Motion Picture Almanac, Television Almanac, Fame. Entered as sec< class matter Sept. 21, 1938, at the Poat Office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign. Single copies, 1