Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1960)

Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, March 22, 1! 'Classification' {Continued from page 1) the motion picture industry in opposition to die proposal, which w ould authorize die State Education Department's motion picture division, in licensing a film, to classify the same as "approved for patronage by children attending the elementary and secondare schools of this state"— provided specified diemes where not portraved. The division, if empowered by the Regents, could also award to the producers, exhibitors, or distributors of a film so classified "a seal or other appropriate evidence of its approval." The measure would take effect immediately. Ratings Bill Deferred The Assembly today also deferred until Wednesday action on the Manley bill, amending the penal law in relation to die issuance of radio or television ratings for the purpose of influencing die sale of advertising. This was the second time the measure, designed to "control" rating organization, had been put over. Chances of its passing were believed to be diminishing. There was talk today that the legislature would not adjourn Saturday, as first planned: that sessions would be held through Thursday and an adjournment would dien be taken until next Monday, with Wednesday (Mar. 30) fixed as the target date for die windup. Please Don't Eat The Daisies CONTINUED FROM PAGE I NT&T Circuit Pay-TV 'Pressure' ( Continued from page 1 ) a report released by the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions. "To Pay Or Not To Pay," a 12page "occasional paper," issued by the Center "as a contribution to the discussion of the free society," is written by Robert W. Horton, a former Washington correspondent. In a foreword, the Center states that "contributors to publications issued under the auspices of the Center are responsible for their statements of fact and expressions of opinion." The Center is located in Santa Barbara, California, and is the principal activity of the Fund for the Republic. Horton's report cites "expensive gestures of lavish hospitality and contact with members of Congress" in 1958 by a major TV network as a factor in frustrating pay-TV in its early stages. "This is a technique of persuasion not unknown in the capital," Horton writes, "but seldom has it been used so effectively. The TV industry was joined, paradoxically, by the organized motion picture theatre owners." As a result of such persuasion, the report says, the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee of the U.S. Senate "apparently yielded to strong outside pressure" and requested the FCC to postpone pay-TV experiments when the service was about to be initiated in March 1958. In turn the FCC yielded. The report also declares that "whatever the tactics of the oppo the-make for Niven, and one oversized, neurotic family dog who is as dedicated as his masters to the urban-suburban-exurban war against the nerves. The film is abundant with assets— casting that's as good as it is popular; a wise, witty rhythmic storv, commendably literate; deftly paced; plenty of local color; several catchy tunes, and nearest the top, old truisms taught anew. The Metro team of producer Joe Pasternak and director Charles Walters adapted the picture from the best-selling book written by Jean Kerr, wife of the New York Herald Tribune drama critic. Together with screen writer Isobel Lennart they have taken the usual liberties with the original. Miss Dav plays the housewife who has everything on her hands but time for herself. Able mother, loving wife, semi-agreeable daughter, she nonetheless is always in the thick of it, policing her sons, the youngest of whom is an 18-month-old lock-picker kept in a wooden cage; counseling her husband and sulking sometimes when Miss Paige makes a career of vamping him; placating her mother, and encouraging a New York cab driver, Jack Weston, who doubles as a sub-novice playwright. In his first review as one of New York's "Holy Seven" drama critics, Niven pans the props out from under the production of his dearest friend, Richard Haydn. For this, the critic gets the verbal slug from Haydn and receives two loud, stagev slaps in the face from Miss Paige, whose ability as a dramatic actress Niven can't see. The "big slap" story makes Page One and so does Niven's career. He revels in his exciting new life— black-tie opening nights, cocktail and post-theatre parties, his prominence in print and demi-god recognition at Broadway's chic night spots. That's when Miss Paige takes a long, sultry liking to him, although Niven stays as true to Miss Day as events later turn him blue. Naturally, too, he becomes something of a carping character, undercutting worthwhile plavs with acidic jokes, neglecting his family. Hoping to de-orbit her husband. Miss Day decides to check out of hard-boiled Manhattan and head for a poachy old estate 70 miles up the Hudson. She takes a fancy to this quieter, less compromising life, enrolls her older children in school and, with Patsy Kelly, her doughy maid, refurnishes her home. She even finds time to play the lead in a local drama society play written by an "unknown" author who turns out to be her husband. The manuscript of this atrocious work is placed in her hands by Haydn, still angling to get even with Niven for that disastrous review. Niven at first refuses to allow his play to be performed but relents when Miss Dav, fed up with his pretensions, threatens to walk out on him. Niven bombs his own play in print, reverting to the good sport he really is. The storv ends happily, husband and wife reunited, their children as restrained as they'll ever be, their bozo dog still suffering from nightmares and insomnia. A line should also be devoted to Morton Haack's costumes for Miss Dav, who as always, looks gorgeous in whatever she wears. The film is in CinemaScope and Metrocolor. Running time, 111 minutes. General classification. Release, in April. Saul Ostrove sition, the record shows that the proponents of pay-TV also share responsibility for the public confusion that surrounded the attempt to set up their experiment." The pay-TV interests have "handled the matter of fees in vague and contradictory terms, and have made no comprehensive or concerted effort to produce realistic estimates of what the public might expect. They have been evasive on the point of advertising to a point where it could almost be assumed they were taking it for granted." Caught by pressures from both sides of the argument, the FCC has retreated. Horton says: its agreement with Congress in 1959 to conduct a limited pay-TV experiment in five cities "merely swept the dust under the rug, confirming the strength of the pressure that aborted the experiment originally." TV Booking Trial (Continued from page 1) the government was releasing a number of witnesses it had intended to call in its case against C & C Super Corp., National Telefilm Associates, Associated Artists Productions, United Artists, Screen Gems and Loew's, Inc., (MGM). Since die beginning of the trial Judge Dawson has frequently called on the prosecution to limit its witnesses. During cross-examination of Irwin Abeloff of WXEX-TV, Richmond, Va., Judge Dawson reprimanded Posner for his frequent objections. Abeloff admitted he had pitted one distributor against another in order to be offered more favorable prices for films he wanted to buy. He said he seldom made a counter offer but usually waited for a favorable price. (Continued from page 1) \ started, and the changes are j pected to be effective at end of ! third quarter, on June 29, 1960. , Officers of the new theatre on ating company will include B. Ger Cantor, chairman of board and cl executive officer; M. Spencer Lt j president; Alan May, vice-presidf finance and treasurer; Robert Selig, executive vice-president; \'< liam H. Thedford, vice-president, ;a Laurence A. Peters, secretary. Under new operation, Selig i be division manager of the In mountain-Midwest area and maintain his headquarters in Deiv i Fred Souttar, of Kansas City, M in addition to his present dist j manager responsibilities for Ceni and Southern Kansas, has been pointed Midwest area super? under Selig. Identity to Be Maintained For a limited period, theatres each area will retain their pre.l*| identity and an advertising camp; will be instituted to implement new name. Theatres in the Denver area ! continue to be known as Fox Inf mountain, while theatres in the K [I sas City area will continue as s Midwest theatres. In California, tit tres will still be identified as West Coast theatres and operat will continue under Pacific G division manager Thedford, who make his headquarters in the i NT & T Building in Beverly H! Calif. Providence 'Trust' Si Is Settled Out of Coi Special to THE DAILY PROVIDENCE, March 21. $39,000,000 anti-trust suit brought the owners of the Strand The here against three downtown tl, tres and eight major distributors j been settled out of court for an disclosed sum. Plaintiffs had char, that the defendants had conspirec prevent the Strand from obtainin number of films it had sought to r Defendants were: RKO Rhode: land Corp., owners of the RKO All Theatre; Loew's Theatre and Re' Corp., owners of Loew's Theatre;; and F. Theatre Co., owners of Majestic Theatre until Decern 1956, and Stanley Warner Theal present owners of the house, tributor defendants were Paramo 20th Century-Fox, RKO Radio, V ner Brothers, United Artists, Unii sal, Columbia and Republic. IFIDA Names Goldwm Jean Goldwurm, president of Ti Film Corp., has been designatec act as representative for the h pendent Film Importers & Distr tors of America in negotiations 1 Unifrance and other French film ganizations on matters of mutual terest. Goldwurm will leave here Paris in the near future.