Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1960)

Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, February 17, ['EHSDML MENTION HOWARD MINSKY, assistant to George Weltner, Paramount vice-president in charge of world sales, is in Toronto today from New York. • Michael Bergher, vice-president of Columbia Pictures International, has arrived in Hollywood from Tokyo. He is enroute to New York, where he will make his headquarters after having been in the Orient since 1934. • Sm Blumenstock, vice-president of Charles Schlaifer & Co. Los Angeles office, has arrived in New York from the Coast. • Robert Ingram, Columbia district manager in Atlanta, has returned there from Jacksonville. • Robert Wise, producer of the Mirisch Company's forthcoming "West Side Story," has arrived in New York from the Coast. • Richard J. Winters, 20th CenturyFox publicity executive, has returned to New York from Washington. • S. J. Backer, owner of the Harlan Theatre, Harlan, la., has returned there from Omaha. • Ray Essick, of the Modern Theatre Circuit, Cleveland, has left there for a tour to Israel. • Annette Burd, of the advertisingpublicity department, Stanley Warner Theatres, has returned to New York from Florida. Sal Adorno, Sr., general manager of M&D Theatres, Middletown, Conn., has become a great-grandfather for the first time with the birth of a boy, Richard Salvatore, to his granddaughter, Mrs. Richard Carter of Middletown. gems of Y\ showmanship!... EDITORIAL by national screen service' ( Continued from page 1 ) exhibitors are mindful that the total number of films produced each year is decreasing. But in the case of the recently-announced Columbia schedule, there is more than just a promise of future product. There is ample evidence that Columbia is delivering the product and, even more important, will continue to do so. In the first two months of 1960, Columbia is releasing five major productions, including Sam Spiegel's "Suddenly, Last Summer," Philip A. Waxman's "The Gene Krupa Story," Carol Reed's "Our Man in Havana," Stanley Donen's "Once More, with Feeling," and Ansark-George Sidney's "Who Was That Lady?" The last three productions, all being released this month, are reported to have a negative cost of $8,000,000. In the next ten months of the year, Columbia plans to distribute 32 more films, most of which already have been completed. For release within the next few months are Raoul J. Levy's "Babette Goes to War," William Goetz' "The Mountain Road," Drexel's "Because They're Young," Hall Bartlett's "All the Young Men," Charles H. Schneer's "Gulliver's Travels," Richard Quine's "Strangers When We Meet," and Goetz' "Song Without End," to mention just a few. Columbia has also promised that the films will be released in an orderly fashion throughout the year. In addition, Columbia has announced that 26 major films will go into production in 1960, thus insuring that the release schedule for the following year will be equally imposing. Small wonder, then, that Columbia refers to 1960 as "The Year of the Big C." A noteworthy aspect of this bright picture at Columbia is the fact that it is less than two years since the present management team, headed by president A. Schneider, took over the operation of the company. In that short period, they have turned an ambitious blueprint into a reality. At the same time, they have made the transition from studio production to independent production, while maintaining their own Hollywood facilities. The line-up of more than 40 independent producers affiliated with the company includes many of the top money-makers in the business. Frank Maney Dies ORRVILLE, O., Feb. 16. Frank Maney, for 13 years associated with Leonard Mishkind, president of the General Theatres circuit of Cleveland, most recently as manager of the Orr Theatre here, is dead following a heart attack. Self Regulation Urged On Theatres by Cor man From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 16.-Addressing a local exhibitor group at luncheon yesterday, Roger Corman, president of Film Group, Inc., urged them to campaign among fellow showmen for the kind of self-regulation maintained by most producers. Corman decried the increasing tendency among theatres to exhibit films minus a Code seal or Legion of Decency approval. He attributed a large part of the rising clamor for censorship, certification, and other inhibiting devices to the many engagements given "hot" pictures. "Thoughtless bookings in the interest only of today's dollar can have lasting repercussions on all segments of our industry," he warned, adding: Sees All Houses Hurt "A single exhibitor playing the wrong kind of picture will damage all theatres and further arouse already inflamed groups. Self-regulation is simple. You need only ask yourself if the picture is in bad taste, contrarv to public welfare, one you would have to apologize for. Tempting as it may be to play a 'hot' picture, ask if the single engagement is worth the future of your heavy, long-term investment. It is better to buy sensibly, then sell hard, than to jeopardize your theatre's esteem in the audience's mind. Remember mass morality is more easily outraged than an individual's." Attendance Reported up For 10th Straight Month Motion picture theatre attendance showed an increase for January of 8.9 per cent over that of the same month in 1959, according to Sindlinger & Co. This was the tenth successive month that attendance was up, continuing a trend that began last March, the report showed. In January over 163,800,000 persons attended a motion picture theatre, it was stated, and average weekly attendance was 32,700,000. Ad Chiefs Invited The advertising and publicity chiefs of the New York offices of all the major film companies have been invited to be on the dais next Wednesday when the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers honor Si F. Seadler, advertising manager of Loew's, Inc., at a luncheon meeting at the Hotel Picadilly here. Invitations have been sent to Paul Lazarus of Columbia, Jerry Pickman of Paramount Pictures, Charles Einfeld of 20th Century-Fox, Roger Lewis of United Artists, Phil Gerard of Universal, and Charles Cohen of Warner Brothers. Bad Weather Doesn't Hurt 'Marty' In Siberia From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Feb. 16. port that "Marty" has been extre well received in Irkutsk, Siberia reached Turner Shelton, chief o USIA's international films branch dience turn-outs have been goo« spite temperatures running well 1 zero. Shelton also said that the Ru< probably will release another A ican film for viewing by local diences about March 1. It is u stood that choice of the next filn between "Lili" and "The Old and the Sea." A.VX. Supports Kranr Scores Legion Tactic The American Veterans Comn Jte has come out in support of the rig a film producer to hire a writer n gardless of his political affiliation' 1 at the same time criticized wl | calls the "mob pressure" tactics c w American Legion. Mickey Levine, AVC national c d: man, was quoted in the New >r Times yesterday as describing th I sition of the Legion's national I mander, Martin B. McKnealh "neo-McCarthyism," and revealeili had urged leading liberal orgt tions to join the defense of any son in the industry who wishe stand erect and free." Threatens Court Action Levine stated that the AVC v use court action if the Legion "illegal" picketing or boycotts to rass producers. "The time has I passed when we can permit th( gion with impunity to terrorize A can citizens who happen to dis with its unusual interpretatio democracy and concept of justic Levine's attack on the Legior contained in a letter to Stanley t er, independent producer-director was criticized by the Legion foi ing Nedrick Young to write the version of "Inherit the Wind,' Broadway success. Young had re to answer questions before the I Committee on Un-American Acti1 He has had trouble in getting w' work since then, and now write der the name of Nathan E. Doi Calls Kramer 'Patriotic' The letter from the AVC chai expressed "admiration and suppo Kramer "for the patriotic, American position you have tak ir resisting the mob pressure of Ithf American Legion and refusing 1 at low any individual or group to ret you to disregard your constitui nal rights and the rights of others." j 1) MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; James D. Ivers, Managing Editor; Richard Gertner, News Editor; Herbert V. : 4ft Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager, TELEVISION TODAY, Charles S. Aaronson, Editorial Director; Pinky Herman, Eastern Editor. Hollywood B an Yucca-Vine Building, Samuel D. Berns, Manager; Telephone HOllywood 7-2145; Washington, E. H. Kahn, 996 National Press Bldg., Washington, 4, D. C; London Bure; 4, 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. 1\ ioir 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 00. Cable address: "Quigpubco. New York" Martin Quigley, President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Raymond Gall.W Vice-President; Leo J. Brady, Secretary. Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres and Better Refreshment Merchandising, each published 13 times a isat as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Television Today, published daily as part of Motion Picture Daily; Motion Picture Almanac, Television Almanac, Fame. Entered as 5 mO' class matter Sept. 21, 1938, at the Post 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 Oft