Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1960)

Motion Picture Daily Thursday, August 25, ity PEOPLE Freddie Field has resigned as vicepresident and a director of Music Corp. of America after 12 years with the organization. □ Aleck Papayanakos, owner of the American Theatre, Canton, N. Y., since 1923, and the Ideal Drive-in Theatre, outside Canton, since 1950, has sold hoth operations and will leave on Sept. 25, with Mrs. Papayanakos for his native Greece, where they will make their home in Sparta. □ Spurgeon Dunn has taken over from Mrs. J. C. Camp the Cairo Theatre, Cairo, Ga. □ Harry Foster, Columbia Pictures producer, has offered leading roles in his forthcoming "Mr. Wonderful" to Marty Allen and Steve Rossi, comedy team now appearing at the Pigalle in London. Contract is expected to be signed upon the return of the team from London. □ Phil Conway has been transferred from MCA-TV's Cleveland office to New York, effective Sept. 6. □ Clayton Hill, formerly of Detroit, has joined the Warner Brothers exchange in Cleveland as salesman, taking over the territory formerly covered by Bob Blitz, who resigned to join Paramount there. 70mm Equipment to Be Feature at Trade Show Seventy millimeter motion picture projection equipment will be displayed at the motion picture industry trade show at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, Sept. 13-16, in conjunction with the 13th annual convention of the Theatre Owners of America. Albert M. Pickus, TO A president, said that the Strong Electric Corporation of Toledo, will show its 35/70mm projectors, in addition to its jet arc, UHT and magnarc carbon arc lamps, in its booths in the show. The Strong Electric booths will be manned by Arthur T. Hatch, Bill White and C. Callender. Another trade show exhibitor will be the National Vendors, Inc., of St. Louis, Missouri, which will exhibit its series 222 cigarette merchandiser, its services CC-deluxe candy merchandisers, and its closed and open common fronts for the machines. Manning the National Vendors j FILM AC K r rwtvi ^ i i v> OPENING THE Universal meetings on "Spartacus" here yesterday was Jeff Livingston, executive coordinator of sales and advertising (third from left) flanked by Stan Margulies, advertising and publicity head of Bryna Productions, producer of the film; Philip Gerard, Eastern advertising and publicity director of Universal; and David A. Lipton, Universal vice-president in charge of advertising and publicity. 'Spartacus1' Campaign Set (Continued from page 1) entation meetings presided over by Jeff Livingston, executive coordinator of sales and advertising. Participants at the meetings included David A. Lipton, Universal vice-president in charge of advertising and publicity; Stan Margulies, Bryna advertising and publicity head; Philip Gerard, Universale Eastern advertising and publicity director; circuit advertising and publicity representatives; advertising, publicity and exploitation staff members as well as special "Spartacus" personnel and field representatives from the initial cities where "Spartacus" will open. This "concept of years," Livingston said, not onlv has applied to the national advertising, publicity and promotional campaign on "Spartacus," but to the local level campaigns since all initial engagements of "Spartacus" have been geared to run one, two of more years. Where local campaigns on the usual picture in key cities are generally started several weeks in advance of opening, the campaigns on "Spartacus" in these same cities are being started as much as six months in advance by the use of such promo tional devices as trailers, lobby displays, cross-trailers, display material and the soliciting of group sales through special mailings. Further, Livingston stressed, where field exploitation representatives are normally sent in two or three weeks in advance of openings in key cities, "Spartacus" field personnel are being sent in not less than eight weeks in advance and in some instances as many as 12 weeks in advance of the premiere. The local campaigns on "Spartacus," Livingston reminded the participants, must be paced. Not only must they be started 10 to 12 weeks in advance and built to a peak at the time of opening but the campaign must then be sustained for 20, 30, 40 or more weeks as the picture continues its engagement. On the promotional aids on "Spartacus," Livingston predicted that the field personnel "will find that they are being provided with the finest tools ever assembled for local media." The meetings continue today with the emphasis on group selling techniques and certain specifics or roadshow theatre operation. booth will be H. J. "Pete" Foster, M. L. Pierson and Charles Kaplan. TOA has been joined in co-sponsorship of the trade show by the Theatre Equipment Dealers Association, and the Theatre Equipment Supply Manufacturers Association. The trade show will be opened at 2 P.M. Tuesday, Sept. 13, to operate Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday morning and Thursday and Friday afternoons. There are no convention meetings scheduled at the same time, to compete. Pickus also disclosed that a "treasure chest" will be established in the trade show, with major prizes, including a color television set, to be awarded during trade show hours. To encourage trade show attendance the chest will be placed at the innermost section of the trade show areas, and conventioneers will have to be in the trade show area at the time the prizes are awarded to win them. Suzie Wong (Continued from page 1 ) Syms, the British actress and Michael Wilding. It was directed by Richard Quine from a screenplay prepared by John Patrick, author of "The Teahouse of the August Moon." The Patrick screenplay is based on the novel by Richard Mason and the play by Paul Osborn. With the booking of "Suzie Wong," the Music Hall has completed its future schedule through the month of November. In sequence, the films which will follow "Song Without End," its current attraction, will be Warner Brothers' "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs," starring Robert Preston and Dorothy McGuire; Universal's "Midnight Lace," starring Doris Day, Rex Harrison and John Gavin, and "Suzie Wong." Art Will Be Stress* In 'Greatest Storyi From THE DAILY Bureau I HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 24. -1 "GreatArtist Concept" will be 1 ployed by George Stevens in fii all roles in his production of '1 Greatest Story Ever Told" for 1 Century-Fox. Some of the world's greatest a. temporary painters will be corn'ssioned to draft the likenesses ofl screen personalities into the ctoi ter roles and background situat s, which played an integral part inij life of Jesus, into paintings of mal piece significance. It is expected 'at approximately 50 internatioijjj known stars will be selected for p i ings as an adjunct to this concern casting for the film. Ancient Glorification Cited i! I "For centuries, the world's j$ most painters, sculptors, musiiib and poets have glorified the stor j Jesus and left their imprints fo:jll mankind to enjoy," Stevens states, id adds, "In keeping with this, it is'ur aim to create a motion picture :at can depict the story of Jesusi many years and so become the ve ma's definitive contribution to subject. We hope it will rank the greatest achievements of all a;, This policy will extend ever! the briefest of roles. In order to make sure the 1^ number of stars necessary will) available when the $15,000,000 duction goes before cameras earl ii 1961, first of these personalities o specific roles will be announced vii in next two weeks. Stevens says that this "greatconcept" in casting is being use<ji! every phase of the picture's makK Membership of MGA Ratifies ATFP Coiitrcj! From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 24. Musicians Guild of America mem| ship, in a secret ballot, ratifiedb] near unanimous approval a new I tract with the Alliance of Televil Film Producers, which calls for e| per cent increase in the use ofl music for TV films, giving music! a basic scale of $55 for each onef one-half hours of live scoring in « half hour film of a TV series. Franklin Resignation] Accepted by the WGA-T From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Aus. 24. council of the Writers Guild of Ar ica, West, has announced the signation of its executive dim Michael H. Franklin, which was I mitted two weeks ago. Franklin will continue in his 4 sent post until a replacement I been found. A committee of top g| officers has been formed to fin| successor.