Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1960)

l|day, September 16, 1960 Motion Picture Daily nvention, Closing Today, lied 'One of the Best' From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 15. One (flthe most successful and best att ded Theatre Owners of America inventions in the organization's 13flfir history will ring down the curtti tomorrow night with an elaboB e banquet, sponsored by Coca-Cola, il'the Cocoanut Grove of the AmI sador Hotel here. A feature of evening will be the presentation t Doris Day of TO As Star of the ■jvr Award. More than 1,000 persons i: 1 be accommodated at the banquet yii scores of others will be turned t ay for lack of room, convention ofWals said. Sherril C. Corwin will be fstmaster. The banquet will be preceded by a t;ktail reception hosted by National Crbon Co. OA Citations o Four Officials From THE DAILY Bureau LOS ANGELES, Sept. 15. TheaOwners of America presented its [•vice Medals at today's convention icheon meeting to S. H. Fabian, isident of Stanley Warner and airman of the American Congress Exhibitors; to Philip H. Harling, ector of the Committee Against y-TV; to Sidney M. Markley, vicejsident of American Broadcastingramount Theatres, and to Lamar rra, head of AB-PT Florida theas and legislative representative for 5rida exhibition. Presentation by Kincey H. F. Kincey, newly elected TOA .retary, presented the service mejs to Fabian and Harling in the m of plaques and citations for leadrhip in vital exhibitor activities, muel Rosen, executive vice-presint of Stanley Warner, made the ssentations to Markley for guidance d counsel to TOA, and to Sarra for ective legislative representation for hibition. A. Julian Brylawski of Washington, C, gave the luncheon invocatian. >ward Kennedy of Broken Bow, ;b., was toastmaster. OA Delegates Guests t the Harbor Drive-in From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 15. Thea; Owners of America convention legates spent the afternoon today an inspection trip to the Harbor rive-in Theatre, regarded as offerg the latest in drive-in design, uipment and operation throughout is area. Dwight L. Spracher of Seattle and iward L. Redstone of Boston conicted a seminar in drive-in operai>n and administration for the guests i the spot. Convention Speakers Urge Self-Regulation (Continued from page 1) violence as motion picture themes had increased, and as a result pressure for film controls is building. He said the product shortage makes it necessary for exhibitors to play some objectionable pictures. He warned that with several censorship cases now before the U. S. Supreme Court, favorable decisions could be followed by increasd laxity on the part of some producers, which would further aggravate the problem. If this should happen, Wolfson said, it is a certainty that an aroused public will demand stricter controls, and added: "We must recognize the Production Code as the keystone of our self-regulatory system. We should review its effectiveness from time to time and in the process you may find exhibitors asking for a tightening of its application, while producers may be asking for its further relaxation." Will Cooperate with MPAA TOA, he reported, will continue to cooperate with the Motion Picture Association on matters of censorship and legislation. There will continue to be an exchange of information, of complaints received about specific films, and influence exerted to maintain self-restraint and good taste in advertising. Wolfson said the TOA committee proposed that the MPA public relations director be charged with conducting a year-round campaign to stress the self-regulatory processes of the industry, and that MPA supply film ratings to all exhibitors for their guidance and to aid them in replying to criticism of films. He noted that 48 of the 50 state legislatures will convene next year and that censorship, classification and taxation bills are certain to be introduced in many of them. Wolfson said that if exhibitor and other legislative committees could appear before legislative groups and assure them tiiat the Production Code is under constant review in the industry for effectiveness it would be a strong weapon in legislative defense. Jerry Wald, presenting the producers' viewpoint, also cited the Code's value to the industry. "Over the years," he said, "the Code as a living, vital document has been a wonderful instrument to minimize the dangers of local and governmental censorship. It has helped us immeasurably to keep censorship moves at a mininrum." Favors Restraint Wald emphasized the importance of producers exercising restraint and good taste in their work and pointed out that decency pays best at the box office. He said he had studied a list of the 100 all-time best grossing pictures, those making $4 millions and up, and found no film which emphasized sex, crime or violence, even at the bottom of the list. "That list," he said, "should be the industry's Bible. Its lesson is clear: why make pictures for the smallest audience; the one that buys sex and crime pictures?" Wald said he feels at the same time that there is "no subject that cannot be handled on the screen as long as Johnston to Urge Africa Effort ( Continued ought to look for new markets, and the new market that is waiting for us is in Africa." Johnston noted that better distribution is needed in Africa, since many areas are now dependent upon London or Paris as distribution centers. Mechanical problems abound: the weather in the richest and underexploited sections of Africa encourages mildew, even in projectors. Operators are insufficiently trained and film breakage is frequent. He was told that a Dutch firm, Philips of Eindhoven, has developed a shutterless projector, and this, he thought, might help alleviate the problem. Johnston also said he had heard of the development of new and tougher film (by Kodak and DuPont) which would be less likely to tear at the sprocketholes. Johnston observed that there is op, portunity for "stupendous" growth of theatres on the west coast of Africa, where the theatres are few and poor. He mentioned that interest in films is great, and that movie clubs are forming there to obtain 16mm U. S. product. There are good theatres on the East Coast, where Fox is the predominant owner. The market poten from page 1) rial, he said, seems tremendous. Johnston stated that efforts are being made, with some success, to break down barriers imposed by the United Arab Republic boycott of some producers and stars. He noted that Spyros Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox, had recently been able to arrange to have Elizabeth Taylor admitted to Egypt in order to make "Cleopatra." Most theatres in the under-developed areas, he said, are owned or operated by Lebanese, Syrians or Armenians. In the course of his trip, Johnston spoke to the heads of state, businessmen, cabinet ministers and theatre owners in: Senegal, French Sudan, Liberia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, French Congo, Union of South Africa, Rhodesia, Tanganyika, Zanzibar, Ethiopia, Egypt and Mozambique. As Johnston sees it, the "Balkanization" of Africa is leaving a number of potentially rich countries— Guinea, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory coast, Northern Rhodesia, French Congo, Republic of the Congo, and Gabon — that have vast natural resources. it's done in good taste. You hear accusations that the production code is too narrow, but as a living document it has been constantly modified and changed, and it seems to me the Shurlock office has done a fine job in administering it. Their counsel and advice have been helpful to me many times." Points to 'Moral Responsibility' "No producer can afford to ignore his moral responsibility to the public," Wald continued. To preserve his freedom, the producer must exercise "integrity, taste and perception. As long as there are the tenets that guide a producer, I think the censorship problem will be held to a minimum. "Perhaps we should once again publicly emphasize the role that the production code plays in keeping our pictures suitable for the widest possible, public consumption." Margaret Twyman, director of community relations for MPAA, told the seminar that the "big, red flag" of critical, public opinion "is flying and we'd better pay heed. The public is not only speaking, it's hollering." Lamar Sarra, head of American Broadcasting Paramount Theatres Florida operations, and legislative contact there for exhibition, said national legislation on which exhibitors will work in the coming year will include toll-tv, minimum wages and admission tax repeal. Cites Ticket Price Increases The latter is becoming important, he pointed out, because with operating and living costs continuing to rise, many theatres are being forced to increase their admission prices to cover the $1 federal tax exemption level. Thus the tax becomes a problem for more and more theatres. Local legislation affecting the industry on which exhibition will work next year, he said, includes admission taxes, daylight saving bills and removal of the exemption for film rentals from local sales tax measures. These threats, Sarra said, should be faced by exhibitors now, not next spring when the bills have been introduced. Manning Clagett, MPAA legislative representative, told the seminar that with the Supreme Court curbing censors' powers more and more, they are turning now to attempts to enforce classification of films for adult or juvenile audiences. Classification hits exhibitors and distributors alike, he pointed out, and looms as potentially the greatest trouble the industry has ever had on the legislative front. Asks Contact with Public Hulda McGinn, legislative representative for Northern California Theatre Owners, told her audience that where exhibition falls down in defending itself from adverse state and local legislation is in not knowing the people of dieir own community well enough, especially leaders of local government, labor, press and civic groups.