Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1960)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, JULY 7, 1960 TEN CENTS EDITORIAL More Production By Sherwin Kane rHE disclosure by Albert Pickus, Theatre Owners of America president, at the convention of Maryland Theatre Owners Association last veek that Pathe Laboratories is prepared to finance new production is welcome news to the nation's exhibijors. H Pickus said he and TOA associates ijeorge Kerasotes and Walter Reade, jr. had been informed by James S. Jurkett of Pathe Laboratories and Gordon K. Greenfield, president of America Corp., P-L's parent company, [hat financing would be made available to independent producers in Hollywood who could assemble package leals which earned the approval of 'athe Laboratories officials. Exhibitor cooperation is being revested by P-L as an incentive to proved with the new production plan, although specifics were not provided, he cooperation desired presumably vould include playing-time pledges rom a sufficient number of theatres »f good earning potential to make the 'enture economically practicable for 'athe Laboratories. Rut one meeting between the P-L ifficials and TOA leaders having been leld up to now, such particulars as he probable number of pictures to jeceive backing, their budget range, I tart of production and the like, have jot been spelled out. Subsequent Jneetings will be held and, perhaps jjvhen the extent of forthcoming exIiibitor support can be fairly gauged, linswers to such questions will be provided. • Pickus was careful to state that upport of the Pathe Laboratories proluction plan would not impinge on >ther projects being advanced by exlibitors in hopes of adding to the ■upply of pictures available to all heatre owners. One such plan calls for the formaion of an exhibitor operated producion company, to which the five major •ircuits have pledged $2,000,000. Many exhibitor leaders have for ong described the product shortage is the theatre owners' Number One problem, more grievous even than the prospective sale of post-1948 film libraries to television. If this be even an approximation of ( Continued on page 3 ) HERALD Story by First National Pioneer Points Parallel Today Samuel Spring, prominent attorney and film industry executive, discusses in this week's issue of "Motion Picture Herald," out tomorrow, the product crisis facing the industry today and the parallel situation which existed 40 years ago Plans 1200 Seat East Side Theatre Plans for New York's first motion picture theatre combined with an apartment dwelling and office building were announced yesterday by Charles B. Moss and Associates. The 1200 seat theatre will be an integral part of a $7,000,000 completely air-conditioned 20-story structure to be built on the northeast corner of Third Avenue and 58th Street, Manhattan. Moss is president of the B. S. Moss Theatres which operates the Criterion and Forum on Broadway, others in New York City, Long Island, New Jersey and Florida, and is presently building one at Bergen Mall, Paramus, N. J. Moss described the project as a new concept in luxury, urban living, and (Continued on page 3) Screen Gems Sues on Cartoon Copyrights In an action in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Screen Gems, Inc., and Columbia Pictures, as plaintiffs, alleged that Morris Kleinerman and Cinepix, Inc., have infringed plaintiffs' copyrights in some 13 motion picture cartoons by unauthorized dis( Continued on page 6 ) when he was among those who formed First National Pictures. The author, who was vice-president, treasurer and general counsel for First National, outlines in six major steps the battle over fair film rentals, the signing of Charlie Chaplin, and box office intuition of the company's exhibitor owners and managers. Spring emphasizes the similarity between First National in the Twenties and such successful current operations as United Artists and Universal. He praises First National's daring exhibitors who had foresight enough to get Chaplin to make his feature-length (Continued on page 2) Devaney Named M-G-M Western Sales Manager William J. Devaney has been named Western Division sales manager for M-G-M, it was announced by Robert Mochrie, general sales manager. Devaney, who has been Midwestern Division manager, moves into the position held by Herman Ripps before his appointment as assistant general sales manager last week. Joining the company in 1929, Devaney became an assistant branch manager in Chicago in 1946, moving up to branch manager a year later. Since 1958, he has been Midwestern Division manager with headquarters in Chicago. In his new position, he will headquarter in Los Angeles. British to Tighten Film Title Registration Rules; Want 'Serious Intention' to Produce From THE DAILY Bureau LONDON, July 6.— The Rritish Film Producers Association is to tighten one of its title registration rules to satisfy itself that there is a serious intention to produce the film for which a title is registered before it grants extensions of projection. Announcing this, the RFPA stated that from Oct. 1, 1960, the titles committee would regard the failure of applicants to supply evidence of commitments entered into and production plans after the fifth period of subsequent extension, as prima facie evidence of absence of serious intention to produce. Registrants who have further extensions beyond the fifth refused were, however, at liberty to apply for re-registration of their titles. It is understood that sometimes titles are registered and then abandoned. The BFPA aim in enforcing this rule is to avoid having too many titles on the register which are really dead wood. In Public Will Ask FCC Hearings on Zenith RKO Would Have to Prove Pay-TV Application 'Valid' The Federal Communications Commission will be asked to call public hearings to determine if Zenith and RKO General can prove that their application for a test of toll-TV in Hartford, Conn., "is in the public interest." In a joint action taken on Tuesday at a meeting in New Haven the Joint Committee Against Toll-TV and the Connecticut Committee Against TollTV laid plans for a new attack on Zenith-RKO General. Philip F. Harling, chairman of the Joint Committee, revealed the development yesterday. Present with Harling at the meeting were Marcus Cohn, Washington attor(Continued on page 6) CinemaScope Is Now in 41 ,01 6 Theatres Abroad CinemaScope has been installed in 41,016 theatres abroad, 20th CenturyFox reported yesterday. The report is as of March 26, 1960, and does not include the U.S. and Canada. In addition, 41,855 theatres have ordered CinemaScope equipment and they will be serviced shortly. This figure represents an increase of 649 over the number of equipped theatres as of Dec. 26, 1959, and an increase of 668 ordered. 1,500 Set to Attend 'Wind' Debut in London Special to THE DAILY LONDON, July 6.-More than 1,500 British film industry leaders, civic and social dignitaries and governmental officials, led by producerdirector Stanley Kramer and stars Gene Kelly and Donna Andersen, tomorrow night will attend the world premiere of "Inherit the Wind" at the Astoria Theatre here. The event will be covered by 175 ( Continued on page 6 ) TELEVISION TOD AY -page 6