Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1960)

2 Motion Picture Daily Thursday, February 25, l! PERSONAL MENTION ERIC JOHNSTON, Motion Picture Assocaition president, left Mexico Citv yesterday for Havana and will return to Washington tomorrow. • Michael Todd, Jr., left New York yesterday for Chicago. He will leave there tomorrow for the Coast. • Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, producers, have returned to Hollvwood from Europe. • Hugh Owen, Paramount vice-president, is in Philadelphia today from New York. • Doug Besher, assistant to Roy Avey, Georgia Theatre Co. executive, has returned to Atlanta from Florida. • Irving Lester, manager of motion picture promotion for Pictorial Review, has returned to New York from the Coast. • Dixo De Laurenths, producer, and Mario Monicelli, director, will arrive here today from Rome. • Leonard Anderson, president of Leonard Anderson Associates, returned to New York from the Coast on Tuesday, and left here shortly thereafter for New England. Ungerfeld, Mrs. Turner Appointed by Universal Robert Ungerfeld and Mrs. Evelyn Turner have been named to assist Herman Kass, executive in charge of national exploitation for Universal Pictures, it was announced by Philip Gerard, Eastern advertising and publicity director. Ungerfeld will assist Kass on field exploitation operations of the Eastern advertising and publicity department. He previously was a field exploitation representative working out of New York. Mrs. Turner, who has been a member of the advertising department for the past 12 years, will assist Kass in handling cooperative advertising. Whenever Seconds Count Don't fake chances-Order SPECIAL TRAILERS Jham. SooeL Old. (DupandahlsL FILMACK 1327 So. Wabash Ave. Chicago (5), Illinois. Gov H Moves to Hypo Exports ( Continued from page 1 ) Norton V. Ritchey, president of Allied-Artists International, and Louis Lober, vice-president, United Artists. Others invited to the meeting include representatives of Paramount, Warner Brothers, and King Brothers Productions. Ellis Arnall, representing the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers, and a representative of Buena Vista Film Distributing Co. have indicated that they will not be able to attend the session. It is understood that MPA president Johnston will present the industry's position to the Commerce Department. He will doubtless point out that the industry in its dealings abroad suffers under both screen and import quotas, discriminatory taxation, and other discrimination. It is expected that he will make a strong plea on behalf of the industry for freedom of international trade in motion pictures as an important factor in maintaining a healthy industry. No Early Solution Expected There are signs that it could be a mistake to assume that this interest by the Commerce Department in the problems of the motion picture industry necessarily means that an early solution to all problems can be expected. For one thing, the department has in the past had a World Trade Advisory Council which met periodically to advise the department. This operated under substantially the same ground rules as the individual industry groups. The meetings were closed, and industry recommendations and suggestions were not binding upon the department. Participants in the present meeting have been told by the Secretary that their "service at the conference will be limited strictly to an advisory capacity." Their suggestions and recommendations "will be used as appropriate by those responsible for devel oping instructions to U.S. representatives at tariff negotiations and international meetings dealing with trade restrictions." If time permits, the conference will also take up suggestions "for strengthening the work of the Government in export trade promotion," it was pointed out. A significant advantage of having many small conferences for individual industries rather than a large, unwieldly group like the World Trade Advisory Council is that each industry, including motion pictures, will have an opportunity to express its problems. There will be no question of having 100 different voices expressing opinions on disparate problems. Industry representatives at the March 1 meeting will be asked to make specific suggestions as to reductions in foreign import restrictions which they believe would be of greatest benefit to motion picture exports, and for related information. They will also be able to express their views on the steps they believe can be taken in international negotiation by the U.S. so as to enable this country "to receive the full benefit .. . that was intended under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Will Deal with 37 Nations Negotiations under GATT will be conducted with many of the 37 countries that have signed the agreement in Geneva, Switzerland, in the fall. Before they open, the committee for reciprocity information will hold public hearings in Washington. The Commerce Department says that its objective in these meetings is to "identify as precisely as possible specific impediments to increased export trade, and to attempt to evaluate the volume of additional sales that might result if these impediments were removed or modified." 4Tall Story' Set for RKO Palace in Spring "Tall Story," Joshua Logan's production of the Howard Lindsay-Russell Crouse stage comedy, for Warner Bros, release, will have its New York premiere this spring at the RKO Palace Theatre. Windisch Rejoins WB Irving Windisch has rejoined the Warner Bros, publicity staff in the company's New York office. For the past two years, he has served in executive positions with the Arthur P. Jacobs Company and other independent public relations firms. He held various Warner Bros, publicity posts during a long association with the company prior to November, 1957. Jerry Lewis Named 4Recruiter-at-Large' The appointment of Jerry Lewis as "recruiter-at-large" for the Civil Air Patrol's nation-wide youth training program was announced here by Brigadier General Stephen D. McElroy, USAF, national commander of the C.A.P. The nation-wide recruiting campaign will be coordinated with the release of Lewis' latest Paramount film, Hal Wallis' "Visit to a Small Planet," in which the comedian plays a space man visiting earth. Roxy Books 'Wind' 20th Century-Fox's "The Wind Cannot Read" will have its New York premiere at the Roxy Theatre early in March. Schary Says Films I Are 'Growing Up' Motion pictures are growing up ' keeping pace with the "more j more complex" American cult \ Dore Schary says in an article tc I; in The Reporter. The country, Schary says, is at able to take a grown-up look a i self. The movies, he hopes, will "reflect an America that has com age creatively, politically and t ! tionally . . . The current and 1 coming crop of motion pictures o | a number of provocative and ui ; tered comments on the world al us. Audiences demand it now . . 'Mirror of American Character Schary says that "through the yi the American screen has acted mirror of the American character, the article called, "Our Movie thology," Schary, tracing Amer attitudes through films, says the cess story has been the American < Americans are not drawn to a 1( they "love a hero, a winner, a cl pion," symbolic of the young cl ageous men who settled America lit is no accident, then, Sc writes, "that the most durable best patronized type of movie is i Western." Customers flock to ! them, providing producers wit steady market. LeRoy Works on Spec 'Over' Exploitation Producer-director Mervyn Le who recently completed his first for 20th Century-Fo.x(, "Wake When It's Over," has begun worl a unique exploitation plan in media. He is producing a special minute short-subject comedy fea starring the host of top comec who appear in "Wake Me." The subject showcases original by Dick Shawn, Ernie Kovacs, Knotts, Robert Strauss and n others and will be offered free to television stations around the con long in advance of key city playd The feature will then be edited d< becoming the regular theatre, c plug and teaser trailer. Another feature of the short ject, is that further editing will ch. the footage into the series of 60 20 second television trailers and sales tools, that 20th will use ii extensive TV campaign planned the attraction. 'Home from Hill' at Music Hall March 3 M-G-M's "Home From the 1 will begin its world premiere eng ment at Radio City Music Hall Tl day, March 3. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; James D. Ivers, Managing Editor; Richard Gertner, News Editor; Herbert V. F Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager, TELEVISION TODAY, Charles S. Aaronson, Editorial Director; Pinky Herman, Eastern Editor. Hollywood Bu Yucca-Vine Building, Samuel D. Berns, Manager; Telephone HOllywood 7-2145; Washington, E. H. Kahn, 996 National Press Bldg., Washington, 4, D. C.; London Bureai 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. M 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-. Cable address: "Quigpubco. New York" Martin Quigley, President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Raymond Galla Vice-President; Leo J. Brady, Secretary. Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres and Better Refreshment Merchandising, each published 13 times a 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 se 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.