Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

Motion Picture Daily Friday, October 21, 1Q« PERSONAL MENTION SEYMOUR MAYER, vice-president of MGM International, will leave New York today for Tokyo on the first leg of a six-week tour of the Far, Middle and Near East. Fred Goldberg, United Artists national director of advertising, publicity and exploitation, is in Dallas from New York. • Jeff Livingston, Universale executive coordinator of sales and advertising, will return to New York today from Hollywood. • Si Seadler, MGM Eastern advertising manager, has arrived in Detroit from Toronto on promotion plans for "Rutterfield 8." P. F. Rosian, Universal regional sales manager, was in Atlanta from Cleveland. • Jimmy McHugh, song writer, will arrive in New York over the weekend from Hollywood for two weeks of meetings with Joseph E. Levine on plans for the premiere of "Where the Hot Wind Blows." Nat Rudich, representative of Otto Premtnger, has arrived in Dallas from New York to plan the Dec. 22 premiere of "Exodus." Bruss Appointed MGM Field Press Repr. Kal Bruss, who has been a salesman for MGM since 1951, has been appointed to the company's field press representative staff and will headquarter in Detroit. A veteran of the motion picture business, Bruss began his film career with National Screen Service. He also became manager of the Fox Detroit Theatre and was a salesman for Telenews. Then followed sales positions with United Artists, Lippert, and MGM. Political Funds Will Be Collected Today Today is D-Day in the nonpartisan industry political fund campaign. All contribution envelopes that were distributed to over 18,000 industry employees are to be collected. They will be forwarded to the Motion Picture Association here for the eventual tally. Plans are now being formulated for the opening of the double-sealed envelopes by representatives of the citizens committees of both parties. At a yet unannounced time and place a presentation ceremony will be held. Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association, will present to each party a check for the sums collected in behalf of all members of the motion picture industry. Leading national political figures are expected to attend the presentation ceremony and receive the checks for their respective parties. Johnston Voices Gratitude Johnston expressed his appreciation for the gratifying response by the motion picture companies and their branches throughout the country. He indicated that early returns showed enthusiastic support for the drive. "No matter what the sum collected may be," Johnston said, "we will have proved again that the motion picture industry is a leader in the effort to strengthen and broaden our democratic processes." Reade Appoints Baimer Ass't. General Manager John Baimer, for the past four years in charge of Walter Reade Theatre operations for Monmouth County, and Central Division manager, has been promoted to the newly created position of assistant to the general manager for the entire Reade circuit, it was announced by Walter Reade, Jr., circuit president. In his new post Baimer will assist the circuit's vice president in charge of theatre operations, Nick Schermerhorn, in supervising the Walter Reade Theatre activities as far north as Saratoga Springs, New York, and as far South as Atlantic City. A 20-year theatre veteran Baimer joined the Reade organization in 1940 as an assistant manager at the Mayfair Theatre in Asbury Park NEW YORK THEATRES Pantages Dinner Tues i — RADIO CITt MUSIC HALL—, Rockefeller Center • Ci 6-4600 DORIS DAY • REX HARRISON IN A ROSS HUNTERARWIN PRODUCTION "MIDNIGHT LACE" A Unl.ersal International Release In EASTMAN Color ON STAGE "BRAZIL"EXCITING, EXOTIC SPECTACLE. It was incorrectly reported in Motion Picture Daily yesterday that the testimonial dinner being tendered Clayton Pantages of 20th Century-Fox at the Sheraton Ten-Eyck Hotel, Albany, would be held on Nov. 14 instead of Tuesday, Oct. 25. There has been no change in the date and the dinner will be held next Tuesday as scheduled. Says Exhibitor Should Censor 'Sick Picture7 Producer Joe Pasternak said at a trade press conference here yesterday that the exhibitor unhappy with the "sick picture" trend was his own best censor. His advice: "If you don't like it, don't book it." Pasternak Pies Legion Asks Boycotts Of Four Pictures Special to THE DAILY MIAMI, Oct. 20. -The American Legion, in convention here, charged that four current films, portray "subversive elements" and asked nationwide theatre managers not to show them. The convention delegates passed resolutions condemning "Inherit the Wind," "Chance Meeting," "Exodus" and "Spartacus." They also urged boycotts against the films because screen writers connected with them had declined to answer questions in the Hollywood probe of alleged Communist sympathy among some film figures. 'Legal Means' Urged The resolutions called on theatre managers not to schedule the four productions and urged Legion members to "use legal means"— seek court orders halting the showing-if the managers don't cooperate. MGA's $11 Millions Trust Suit Dismissed From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 20-Federal Judge Fred Kunzel today dismissed an $11 million anti-trust suit brought by the Musicians Guild of America last October against American Federation of Musicians, Local 47, NBC ABC, CBS, RCA, Capitol Records, MCA, Revue Prods, and Desilu. Judge Kunzel ruled there was no merit to the complaint which charged that defendants had violated the antitrust laws through their collective bargaining agreements. MGA recently lost out to the AF of M in an NLRB election to designate the bargaining representative for Hollywood musicians. Gluck Made V.P. Norman E. Gluck, who rejoined Universal Pictures in August in an executive post, has been elected vice president and director of United World Films, Inc., wholly owned subsidiary of Universal, it was announced by James M. Franey, president of United World. Gluck, in his prior association with Universal, was also vice president and director of United World. ( Continued from page 1 ) ment," he stated, "but even whe you have the product you can't se it with yesterday's methods." Paste: nak agreed that the producers am distributors owe exhibitors strong nf tional advertising campaigns, but tin in the end, it is local handling whic, ultimately makes a success or failun of a picture. He urged "creativity' in local promotional programs. Plans 35-Day Tour As for himself, Pasternak promise exhibitors full cooperation and in con junction with this announced that h was ^making a 35-day "whistle-sto;: tour" in order to push his latest MGM release, "Where the Boys Are." ffl also said that the studio was giving the film a publicity campaign "com parable with its biggest pictures" anc that its cast was also scheduled to tour on behalf of the picture. He cited this as evidence of pro ducer-distributor activity which wil depend upon exhibitor cooperation fo final box office response. Pasternak said "Where the Boy.' Are" will play Radio City Music Hal following the theatre's Christma: presentation. He said the film is the first of a planned series of "higr budget" productions featuring virtually unknown, new talent casts to be made by him in conjunction with MGM. Criticizes 'Star System' Blaming much of the lack of product today on the "star system" which I "allows individuals to hold up production for personal and selfish reasons," Pasternak predicted a trend | to such pictures as he plans. Bush Conducts Third Fox National Seminar The third in the 20th-Fox series of national merchandising and promo tional seminars will be conducted to day in New Orleans by exploitatior director Rodney Bush and will be at tended by the company's Southern regional advertising-publicity managers. Two previous meetings were held in New York and Chicago for the company's Northern and mid-Western managers, both of which were chaired by vice president Charles Einfeld. Arriving in New Orleans for the exploitational sessions are Gerald Rafshoon of Atlanta, Ed Hale of Jacksonville, Jimmy Gillespie of Dallas, and John Rhea of Memphis, Frank Jenkins of the New Orleans office will also attend the meetings. Bush will outline to the Southern managers the company's national merchandising plans for its release schedule through the end of the year, and for the line-up set for the first quarter of 1961. Yucca-Vine Building, Samuel D. Berns, Manager; Telephone HOHywood 17 ™«f Wa^hfn^on, E^Hn5?n■■ dlt°naI . News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Pinky Herman, Eastern Editor. Hollywood Bureau, D. C. ; London Bureau, 4, tals of the world. Motion York 20, Circle 7-3100. rer; Raymond Gallagher, published 13 times a year Fame. Entered as second foreigi. jingle copies, 10c.