Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1960)

sjsday, March 9, 1960 Motion Picture Daily ge Detroit Doesn't port 'family' Films I Special to THE llAILY rROIT, March 8.-For all their ijing for "family type" entertain|from the film industry, the of Detroit were shown that this ils to adequately support the type" films released in this □In 'A i ■ ct ' )"s 3S » b !edt ral hundreds of women, reprewes of nearly every women's p metropolitan Detroit, heard »arge from two leaders of the ;iotion picture industry who prethe topic of "motion pictures" eeting here as part of the Derce Press series on Conversation Arts. j presidents and organizational tes actively joined in the disi held at the Variety Tent No. rooms in the Hotel Tuller by ir's Alden Smith, president of the rative Theatres circuit here, and London, head of the Allied es of Michigan, audience listened intently as and London not only cited the fcy of films which were released 'Detroit area during 1959 as jblassified for "family entertain' but produced financial gross | showing the lack of attendance | these same motion pictures in t theatres. The figures shown ompared with those of the "nontype of film grosses in the e Detroit theatre, which alone e lack of support given "fams by Detroit ers. >e Debate Opens on ign Investment Act From THE DAILY Bureau SHINGTON, March 8. The today debated the foreign in;nt incentive act, introduced by Boggs (D., La.). Debate seeon the floor, with both supportid opponents of the measure ig to be in close balance. The uld permit certain U.S. corpo; doing business abroad to defer ■nt of tax on foreign profits until nds are returned to this coun bill provoked sharp opposition, some Congressmen saying that opposed it because it did little I .mirage U.S. investment overrule others opposed it because, aid, it did to much to spur foriaLj| investment. porters of the measure noted i the light of these objections, tied as though the "legislation ents a very happy medium" of passage, il vote on the bill has been •■ I' med indefinitely. 1 igo' Tops 'Bismarck' testers of the Congo Jungle," ' Century-Fox release grossed ) in two days at the Paramount •re in Buffalo this past weekend, ped "Sink The Bismarck" which 13,643 for the comparable two tflv Constitutionality Test in Pa. ( Continued on a move by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp., seeking to block expenditure of state funds for enforcement of the control measure. The firm sought an injunction to prevent the three-member board from spending any of its $75,000 appropriation until legality of the agency is decided and to prevent die state's new censorship board from operating pending the court test. The request was taken under advisement. Joint arguments will begin today on two suits challenging the act's constitutionality, both based on similiar constitutional questions. One suit was filed by 20th CenturyFox and the other by William Goldman Theatres, Inc., and the Pennsylvania Association of Amusement Industries, both Philadelphia organiations. Testimony on the practical problems of the industry which will be used as evidence in clarifying the plaintiffs' complaint were heard by Judge Sohn. Court dismissal of the suits has been requested by Attorney General Anne X. Alpern, who contends the board is a constituted agency and has defended the act as a legitimate exercise of legislative police power. Under the law enacted Sept. 17, 1959, showing of films "unsuitable" to children under 17 years is prohibited. Films would be ruled unsuitable if they are obscene of if they from page 1 ) have the effect of inciting to crime. The law lias defined the term "obscene" to meet objections raised by the State Supreme Court in ruling a 1915 state motion picture censorship law unconstitutional. The law holds that a film would be obscene if "to the average person applying contemporary community standards, its dominant theme as a whole appeals to pruient (lewd) interest," and also that a film portraying criminal acts as conduct worthy of emulation" could be ruled objectionable to the board. Violators would lie subject to a fine of $50 to $1,000. A prison term not exceeding six months, or both. Philadelphia exhibitors say the statute is "vague and indefinite," and contend the act is unconstitutional on the ground it deprives them of their freedom of expression and communication: that it deprives them of their liberty and property without due process of law, and that it denies them equal protection of laws. The 20th Century-Fox suit asks that the controlling and fiscal officers be restrained from expending any funds from die state treasury pursuant to the appropriation of $75,000 made by the act. It says enforcement of the act and expenditure of the funds will cause "irreparable loss, damage and injury of the plaintiff and other taxpayers." 700 Exhibitors Order 'Oscar'' Promotion Kits Over 700 exhibitors have ordered Academy Award promotion and publicity kits from industry salesmen and joined the campaign to have Oscar help the industry in the first 10 days of the drive, according to James R. Velde, chairman of the Motion Picture Association sales managers committee. Salesmen from the major companies are all working to enlist the support of exhibitors in the all-industry public relations program, spotlighting the awarding of the statuettes on television and radio on April 4. The increase in theatre participation has caused National Screen branches which service the kits, to increase their orders. Los Angeles, which sold less than 50 kits last year, has already ordered 175. As previously reported, Dallas upped to order from 165 to 300, Cleveland from 90 to 150, Denver from 50 to 100, and San Francisco from 175 to 200. Orders have been received from company branches in 25 cities. This means that only seven exchange cities have not yet reported sales to New York. The cities not reporting are Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, New Haven, Omaha, Seattle and Washington, D.C. In some cities orders have been received from as many as four individual branches. Metro and Fox branches in Los Angeles lead in theatre enlistment with 122 signed up. IFDA, Casino (Continued from page 1) was made by Casino Film Exchange, Inc., before the Assembly ways and means committee had favorably reported the Savarese act. IFDA, through executive director Michael F. Mayer, endorsed the proposal as one which would help the motion picture industry, would still provide the motion picture division with more than sufficient funds to operate, and would abolish an "antiquated" schedule of fees. The film industry has continued to suffer from adverse conditions, the letter pointed out. It was sent not only to the sponsors of the bill, apparently, but also to other legislators. Casino Film Exchange, of New York, wrote Assemblyman Anthony P. Savarese, Jr., Queens Republican, a letter "clarifying" its position. Casino, like many others handling foreign language films particularly, releases from 35 to 50 annually, it said. Because a minimum number of theatres show such films, Casino, "like the others mentioned," operates with only one print of each picture. Since the bill increases the price on the first, or original, print from $3 to $4 per thousand feet, it would raise Casino's "censorship costs" approximately $400. On the other hand, Casino would not benefit by the slashing of the fee for additional prints from the present $2 per thousand feet to one of $6.50 for each additional copy, it said. "Wholeheartedly" supporting the PEOPLE James J. Long has submitted his resignation, effective March 31, as district manager in Kansas City for Fox Midwest Theatres. Long recently acquired the Fox company's interest in the Plaza Theatre, Ottawa; the Iola in Iola, and the Fox in Fort Scott, Kans. To this circuit, he now will give all of his time. □ Steve Brooks, formerly associated with the Ashley Steiner Agency in Hollywood, has joined Alciona International, Yul Brynner's corporation, as secretary. □ Gordon Peck, who formerly operated the Pinecrest Drive-in Theatre, New Smyrna Beach, Fla., has been named manager of the Rialto Theatre in Orlando. □ Eddie Cantor has been re-appointed national chairman of Builders of Israel for 1960, an organization formed to advance housing construction in Israel. Additionally, it has been announced that there has been established in Israel the "Eddie Cantor Municipal Playground" in honor of the comedian. 'Fugitive' to Astor The Jurow Shepherd Pennebaker production of "The Fugitive Kind." based on the Tennessee Williams novel, will be the next attraction at the new Astor Theatre here. The United Artists release will be shown at the same time at an East Side theatre soon to be selected. proposal to lower the fee for additional prints. Casino could not understand why it called for an increased rate on the first. "Especially since the additional income to the New York state censor board is minute." Assuming "some 500 films are censored during the year, the additional revenue from this increase would be less than $5,000," the letter stated. "It is our opinion, therefore, that in order to help all motion picture distributing companies, there should be a decrease in the fee for the first print." Won't Impede Legislation "However, under no condition would we put any obstacle in the way of passage of this legislation. We suggest that, if there is any difficulty in die realization of our proposal, the fee for the first print remain as it is at present." Not being "familiar with the mechanics of making changes in a bill already introduced," Casino suggested the sponsor find the best way to incorporate its suggestion in the legislation, thus making the same "benefit to all distributors." "If there is no way possible of accomplishing this," concluded the communication, "we would support vour bill as it stands, since it does benefit the majority of the film distributors."