Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1960)

fey, February 15, 1960 Motion Picture Daily 7 iyai'it Ray Receives v Selznick Awards From THE DAILY Bureau iSHIXGTON, Feb. 14.-Satyajit Indian director of "Pather Pan' and "Aparajito," received the Selznick Golden Laurel Award JGolden Laurel Trophy in cereheld this afternoon in the pritheatre of the Motion Picture Aspon of America in Washington, ic A. Johnston, president of A. made the presentation, the o have been given in this counn the ten year history of the :n Laurels. It also marked the lime that the two top awards went single director. Here from Calcutta WASHINGTON: Loew's Palace Theatre was the scene of a sparkling international premiere for "Sink the Bismarck." Among the notables were (left to right) David Ormsby-Gore, British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Sir Admiral Geoffrey Thistleton-Smith and Lady Thistleton-Smith; Lady Harold Caccia and Ambassador to the U.S. Harold Caccia of Great Britain. v flew here from Calcutta to re his trophies, one of which was Ihed with his name and that of ary, the other with the name of tost recent film, "Aparajito." The jiony was followed by a reception ; honor at the Indian Embassy, ded by notables of Washington ^' and diplomatic corps, parajito" was selected as the forfilm of the year that "contributes to international understanding groodwifl" by a jury made up of ialph J. Bunche, Under-Secretary e United Nations; Norman Coueditor of The Saturday Review; per Cowles, publisher of Look tzine; Supreme Court Justice im O. Douglas; Otto Harbach, dent Emeritus of ASCAP; forGovernor W. Averell Harriman; Claire Boo the Luce; and Mrs. <lin D. Roosevelt. The Golden A Trophy was awarded to Satyaky as the director whose body of most fully exemplified the pur of the Golden Laurels. Silver Laurel to Six ■e jury also awarded Silver Laurel ils to six films: "Cabiria" (Italy), r Bags Full" ( France ) , "He Who Die" ( France ) , "Nine Lives" (way), "The Roof" (Italy), and ) Seventh Seal" ( Sweden ) . Spei wards for "documentary achieve" were voted to "Le Mystere Pi( France) and "Power Among ( United Nations ) . Johnston prej the awards to the Ambassadors Dse countries, to be forwarded bv to their respective film makers, jlcoming guests at the ceremony. ■ ton said: there any one thing that can lite us . . . that can enable the Italy to understand the man in . the man in Argentina to under the man in Abyssinia, the man p U.S.S.R. to understand the man e U.S.A.? Unifying Influence Stressed think there is such a means and t is the motion picture . . . the n pictures of all nations reaching f boundaries of suspicion and conveying the living, articulate : of men in one land to men a phere away. ,i rough the motion picture, I we've gone up the path a good Texas Drive-in Assn. (Continued from page 1) McDaniel, Lamarque. Ferguson was also honored by receiving the John H. Hardin annual award for the outstanding personality in the drive-in industry. Ralph Fry was named salesman of the year. New directors are W. D. Mount, Flovdada; Johnnie Blocker, Corpus Christi; Charlie Tiegner, Conroe; Franklin Bagley, Monohans, and Bob Milentz, Liberty. A resolution opposing bill 1046 establishing a minimum wage of $1.25 an hour was passed by the convention at the Sheraton-Dallas Hotel. The association's attorney, Ed Toolowsky, voiced the hope of the drive-in owners that Sen. Ralph Yarborough, headliner for the Coca-Cola sponsored Thursday night presidential banquet, would be in favor of introducing an exemption to the Kennedy bill for relief of theatre employers. Al Myrick, president of Allied States Association, criticized distribution for its policy of the "big build up followed by the hard-to-buy policy." He said, "When the public wants to buy that's the time to sell," and stated that withholding of films after national advertising has reached its peak is a real detriment to the boxoffice. He lauded the American Congress of Exhibitors and reported, "Allied States has endorsed ACE. ACE will lead the industry out of the wilderness." 'Murder' Starting Here May Britt and Stuart Whitman will have the leading roles in Burt Balaban's "Murder, Inc.," which will go into production today at the Filmways Studio here. way. But the end is far beyond any horizon we can comprehend. "The dangers that this medium can be misused are great. "But the opportunities for using this great medium greatly are still unlimited. "The fact that the motion picture can be used greatly is shown by the film being honored this afternoon . . . by the man being honored this afternoon by the coveted Golden Laural Awards." New Approach (Continued from page 1) in a bulletin issued at the weekend from Allied headquarters here. The EDC says the approach must be started now, particularly since television "is on the downgrade and people are beginning to stir out of their homes." Mention is made of the Ben Marcus business-building plan as "forward looking and timely." "But," the bulletin adds, "for it (the plan) to achieve its full potential it must be supplemented by a fresh point of view in regard to pricing pictures and delivering them on prompt availabilities." EDC criticizes the "brutal practice" of demanding from smaller theatres 60 per cent, with a review to 50 per cent, for certain pictures and cites in this respect "the handling byUnited Artists of 'Solomon and Sheba." The bulletin adds: "Speaking of the lowest denominator in our business, distributors have repeatedly stated that they can break even on a $12.50 film shipment. So why charge a theatre twenty-five, thirty, forty, or fiftv dollars and close a retail outlet? Obviously a $15.00, $17.50, or $25.00 shipment is profitable to a distributor. When multiplied by several thousands of tiieatres already closed by unrealistic film charges, it adds up to millions of dollars of revenue now annually lost to the industry. These theatres closed because the owners were not left enough out of the boxoffice dollar to pay operating overhead and properly maintain their theatres. Other theatres by the thousands will close unless a more realistic attitude is taken in setting distribution policies." Bert Gordon in IV. Y. Bert I. Gordon, producer-director of United Artists' "The Boy and the Pirates," will arrive here today for a 10-day program of promotional activity in behalf of the film. He will meet the press, appear on radio and TV and meet with Metropolitan exhibitors. The film has been set for Easter release. For O'Donnell ( Continued from page 1 ) search scientists in this country and Europe. Numerous meetings have been and are being held and the committee hopes to select the best idea very soon. The committee is composed of Arthur Mayer, chairman, and A. Montague, Samuel Rosen, Murray Weiss, Herman Robbins, Ned E. Depinet, Eugene Picker, Richard F. Walsh, and Ned Shugrue. It is a logical offshoot of the Will Rogers Hospital board of directors, of which O'Donnell had been chairman since the inception of the hospital's present policy more than a decade ago. Aided by Dr. Mayer Much help is being given the committee by Dr. Edgar Mayer, who has devoted many years of his professional life to the hospital, having been active on the governing board, and medical director, when it was known as the NVA Lodge. In the years that followed, Dr. Mayer has been medical advisor to the Will Rogers board of directors. He had been in close contact with O'Donnell, and is well acquainted with the aims of Will Rogers as they were set up by O'Donnell. He also knows the needs and potential of the hospital. "We are considering every practical theme to portray and perpetuate the principles for which Bob O'Donnell always pressed— the principles of brotherhood and considerate care of the sick among us in the amusement industry," Mayer said, "We are determined to create a memorial that will give full honor and be a fitting tribute to the man who inspired and directed the noble progress of our Will Rogers Memorial Hospital and Research Laboratories." Praised by Montague Adding to this, A. Montague, Will Rogers president, said, "Bob, more than any one man was responsible for the hospital's great attainments. Choosing a theme for this memorial is a most serious challenge. We must develop one that will go on permanently doing the things for humanity that Bob would want done. Just what form it will take is not absolutely clear at this time, but we know that when it does appear it will be in keeping with Bob O'Donnell's most cherished ideals. For it will further his main objective in the hospital's program— that of bringing help and healing to all employees in the amusement industry, whover they may be, and also to benefit all mankind in the process. Our memorial will be one of which Bob would be proud, and one that everyone in the industry will support." An announcement by the memorial committee is expected to be released early in March. Photographer Dies BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 14.— Charles Preston, official photographer for dieatres in this area, is dead following a long illness.