Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1960)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY ■ I 87, NO. 54 NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, MARCH 21, 1960 TEN CENTS a Threat jjdustry Still a h u r t By ■ate Measures ft 14 Legislatures m Still in Session By E. H. KAHN SHINGTON, March 20-a new of activity in state legislatures that the industry still faces its it threat in New York, where a ■r of classification bills are to be on this week. ■resent, there are 14 state bodies ■ session, two have recessed until >ates, and one has yet to meet. ;bpt in New York, it appears as i the industry has not fared too jat the hands of the states. This bn can, of course, change at loment. In Massachusetts, for le, a classification bill was deE as was a sales tax measure would, in any case, have exi film rentals and admissions, 'irginia, the lawmakers let die a tax bill which was feared to to both admissions and film . In addition, a bill imposing a {Continued on page 2) Allied Names Two National Board Meet Special to THE DAILY TROIT, March 20.-After the meeting of the board of direcf Michigan Allied it was aned national directors Milton >n and Alden Smith would repit at the National Allied board tg in Chicago March 28 and Ihe announcement said the diwere issued appropriate invons by the board." : meeting followed a luncheon •eel eleven leading local disprs. ,iwas also announced that the -Lux Krim Theatre had joined gan Allied. This is the second un house to join since the first 3 year, the other having been gan's largest theatre, the Fox. VISION TODAY— page 7 'Bridge, 'Paul Muni Win Top Argentine Festival Prizes By MARTIN MAR DEL PLATA, March 20.-A an Italian actress and Italian director Second International Film Festival h Detroit Projectionists Contract Row Settled Special to THE DAILY DETROIT, March 20. Local 199, Projectionists' Union, has finally signed a new two-year contract with Detroit metropolitan exhibitor groups following six months of negotiation. The old contract expired last Jan. 3, and a federal and state mediator had been called in to assist in the reaching of an agreement. The settlement calls for the start of a pension plan and an increase in weekly pay rates. It covers the majority of exhibitors in the city and several suburbs. U. S. Industry Wins 2 Argentine Concessions Two important provisions of benefit to the American industry have been incorporated into the one-year extension of the film agreement with the Argentine Government, George Vietheer of the Motion Picture Export Ass'n. said here at the weekend. Negotiations for the agreement— in ef(Continued on page 2) QUIGLEY, JR. West German film, an American actor, won top prizes in the competition of the eld here and which came to an end at the weekend. Named as best picture was "The Bridge"; best actor, Paul Muni in Columbia's "The Last Angry Man"; best actress, Eleonora Rossi Drago in "Un Maledetto Imbroglio"; best director, (Continued on page 3) Sellers, Mankowitz Join In Deal with Continental By SAUL OSTROVE "Strong partnership support" on this side of the Atlantic has been assured producer-screen writer Wolf Mankowitz and actor Peter Sellers, who together have agreed to co-produce two pictures with Continental Distributing, Inc., which hopes to (Continued on page 2) Exhibitors' 'Oscar' Aid The Best Yet: Robbins More exhibitors in the United States have signed on the dotted line to support the 1960 Academy Awards Presentations than have ever before joined together for any single industry activity, according to Burton Robbins, vice-president of National Screen Service. Robbins based his statement at the (Continued on page 7) American Legion Magazine Sees Test Under Way on Film Work for 'Reds1 The American Legion Magazine which, in its March issue gave but cursory editorial attention to the employment of persons cited by the House Un-American Activities Committee by Hollywood producers, launches a full-scale attack on the practice in the April issue, just Nedrick Young on the latter's "Inherit the Wind." It asserts that the two producers "made it publicly known that in hiring Young and Trumbo they were testing the public attitude toward the complete reacceptance of communists in the Hollywood film industry." The article also cites the acquisition by Paramount of the British production, "Chance Meeting," the script of which was written by Mil(Continued on page 6) out. In an unsigned article, three pages in length, under the departmental heading "News of the American Legion and Veterans' Affairs," it asks the question: "Will the Public Support Re-Entry of Reds in Films?" The article reviews the recent declarations of producers Otto Preminger and Stanley Kramer in connection with the employment of Dalton Trumbo, one of the so-called "Hollywood 10," on the former's "Exodus," and of Following Meeting AMPP Studies New Proposals From the SAG Another Confab Expected Some Time This Week By SAMUEL D. BERNS HOLLYWOOD, March 20. "We have spent the afternoon in an exchange of offers and counter-offers, and at this time are dispersing until the producers call the next meeting." With this joint statement representatives of the Screen Actors Guild and the Association of Motion Picture Producers brought to a close on Friday evening the almost three-hour bar gaining session seeking to end the current strike of the guild against the major companies. Charles S. Boren, executive vicepresident of die AMPP, said following the conference that the producers will consider the counter proposal made by SAG before calling the next meeting, which it is believed will be held during the coming week. His only comment on the progress of the (Continued on page 2) Industry UJA Goal Increased 30 Per Cent A 30 per cent increase over last year's total of $700,000 raised for the United Jewish Appeal by the motion picture and amusements industries was set as the division's 1960 goal Friday at a committee meeting attended by 40 industry leaders in the office of Barney Balaban, president of Paramount Pictures. Irving H. Greenfield of M-G-M was elected chairman of the drive (Continued on page 2) MGM Field Staff Meets On 4Ben-Hur' Today Special to THE DAILY CHICAGO, March 20.-The MGM field staff, both die regular press representatives and the special men assigned exclusively to "Ben-Hur," are meeting at the MGM exchange here tomorrow, to discuss promotion for (Continued on page 2)