Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

6 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, October 26, 1£{ Jersey Allied (Continued from page 1) what the Department can do to stop them. Jersey Allied, following protracted discussions with distributors, announced recently that it had reactivated its emergency defense committee and would begin at once actions on a variety of fronts to obtain some relief. It cited as the most urgent of its problems the long-standing complaint of north Jersey theatres against delayed availabilities resulting from holdovers in Times Square first runs in New York City, and the current increase in films opened on hardticket policy in the same theatres which, it contends, further aggravates the problem. Violations Charged The letter to the Justice Department, signed by Sidney Stern, Jersey Allied president, says the organization feels the distributors involved in the decrees "have been systemmatically and intentionally violating their terms to the general detriment and hardship of both the independent exhibitors and the public." The letter asks "what our rights are when we are confronted by a policy" of conditioning the licensing of one picture on that of another; of extending first run clearance by insisting on preferred play dates in sub-runs; of encouraging and even forcing bidding; of causing an artifical shortage of film and thereby being able to demand increasingly higher terms for definitely inferior pictures. Pleads for Even Flow Also, of discriminating in the pricing of film; of not providing an even flow of product by the withholding of pictures for holiday playing time; of restricting the booking of pictures when an exhibitor wishes to strengthen a weak show; of forcing extended playing time when not warranted; causing an exhibitor to sustain unnecessary losses; of not granting subrun theatres a cooperative advertising allowance while continually granting one to first run theatres; of extending and altering clearances and runs by claiming a "shortage" of prints; of extending and altering clearances and runs by requiring special projection equipment in certain areas, and of insisting on a road show, long run, hard tickets, high price policy for an increasing number of pictures in a few favored theatres. Says Ticket Prices Must Rise The letter contends that the alleged practices complained of result in higher admission costs to the public, the necessity to drive hundreds of miles or to wait years to see certain pictures; destruction of small business that are invaluable in keeping people trading in their own communities; unemployment of thousands of persons presently employed in subrun houses; the necessity of showing inferior pictures and pictures which Butterfield 8 CONTINUED FROM PAGE I observer's opinion her work here is her best to date, surpassing both "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "Suddenly, Last Summer." Mainly on account of her, there is a great deal of advance audience interest in this new picture, and business for it should boom accordingly. It is not a prettv or very edifying stoiy that Charles Schnee and John Michael Hayes have told in this film, based on the early O'Hara book (moved up in time in the film from the '30s to now). It is the chronicle of a "good time" girl in New York cafe society who acts as a part-time model but whose main income is derived from dispensing her favors to wealthy men. One night she is picked up by a handsome socialite with whom she falls in love. There are complications: he is married, albeit unhappily. She is not sure she can settle down even if he gets a divorce. They go awav for a blissful week together, and everything seems fine until his wife suddenly returns to New York just after they do. A quarrel ensues over a fur coat belonging to the wife which the heroine had borrowed after spending the night in his apartment with her lover. All is resolved when the heroine decides to go to Boston to forget, is pursued by her lover, and she is killed in a car accident. He presumably goes back to his wife. If this plot account sounds like "soap opera," it is because that is what the film essentially is. As such it is likely to appeal mostly to women— at least those who are not offended by its candid approach to sex. It abounds in both hot and tender love scenes; the heroine keeps running home to her disapproving mother for a good scolding or cry; and there are "confessional" scenes all over the place, including one in which the heroine describes in somewhat startling fashion her first sexual experience at the age of 13 with a man old enough to be her father. "Butterfield 8" is right in the groove of today's "adult" films. Giving it distinction beyond the ordinary, however, are the two factors mentioned before. Whenever events threaten to get too sudsy (and, really, the way that mink coat is used to manipulate the plot is absurd) along comes that sharp O'Hara dialogue to snap things into line. Such witty and penetrating "talk" is a pleasure to hear. Where another actress might have made the leading role repulsive bv emphasizing its unsavory nature Miss Taylor arouses tremendous spectator sympathy. She suggests a softness and "little-girl-lost" quality under the sophisticated veneer. In her hands the heroine is a poignant figure indeed. As the rich man she loves, Laurence Harvey conveys anguish galore, and Dina Merrill is conventionally sweet and understanding as his wife. Of exploitable value to exhibitors is the appearance also in the cast of Eddie Fisher, Miss Tavlor's real-life husband. Unfortunately, however, he does not make a very strong impression in the role of the old school friend that the heroine goes to whenever she is lonely. As an actor Fisher has much to learn. Others in the cast include Mildred Dunnock, Betty Field, Kay Medford, and Susan Oliver. The direction of Daniel Mann is most proficient, and the production values are elegant in CinemaScope and Metrocolor. Pandro S. Berman produced. Running time, 109 minutes. Release, in November. Richard Certner an exhibitor may not wish to present to his particular patronage because of the artificial product scarcity, and the loss of millions of dollars in local real estate taxes that cannot be paid by closed theatres. Jersey Allied informs the Department it "will be happy to sit down with you at your earliest convenience to document any of these charges." WASHINGTON, Oct. 25.-Officials of the Justice Department refused comment today on the letter from Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey listing trade practice grievances and inquiring what the Department can do to stop them. Para. Gets Film Rights To Churchill Life Story Paramount Pictures announced yesterday the signing of contracts by Sir Winston Churchill and producer Hugh French, giving the company exclusion motion picture and television rights to the statesman's early autobiographies. Rights acquired by Paramount are to "My Early Life," which was published in America under the title of "A Roving Commission," and "The World Crisis." They will form the basis of a motion picture about events in Sir Winston's life which preceded his marriage in 1908. Protest Denia (Continued from page 1) he said, and this can be held up i less a code seal is issued. Taylor, through his attorn Ephraim London, has charged c criminatory practice by Geoffi Shurlock's office, citing many stances of American films which, said, have portrayed or exceeded ( scenes in "The Bloody Brood" which deletion has been demandi Taylor said neither his compai nor his government would ts kindly to these restrictive measu "which can injure a possible rehj of capital to Canada inasmuch American pictures distributed Canada return to their distributors amount of approximately twenty n" lion dollars per year." "The Bloody Brood" was direct by Julian Roffman, co-produced Roffman and Ralph Foster, w Yvonne Taylor as associate produc The script was originally submitt to the Code Administration and t changes requested at that time we made in the script. On submissi of the film, however, the code s> was refused, Taylor said. Officer in Several Companies Taylor is a principal of Inten tional Film Distributors Limited, i lied Artists Pictures of Canada, Lij ited, NTA Telefilm (Canada) Lt Twinex Century Theatres Corpo tion, Limited, Beaver Film Prodi tions Limited, Meridian Films Li ited, Toronto International Fi Studios Limited and other compan engaged in distributing, exhibiting producing motion pictures. Recent he became associated with t American film company, Bea\i Champion Attractions, Inc. 'Alamo,' to Bow (Continued from page 1) elude Alex H. Ardrey, Harold Bache, George F. Baker, Jr., M John H. Ballard, Miss Ina Ball Rear Admiral John Jay Bergen, E win Foster Blair, George F. Bli Howard G. Brundage, Mrs. Walker Buchner, Harrison Chauncey, M Gen. C. W. Christenberry, Sami Adams Clark, S. Samuel Colt, Phi Cortney, Richard Cox Cowell, a Thayer Cumings. Also Ned Depinet, Mrs. Charj DeRham, Robert W. Dowling, M LeComte DuNouy, Clifton Fadim; the Hon. James A. Farley, AbrarK Feinberg, C. Russell Feldman, M Marshall Field, Eva Gabor, Leon; H. Goldenson, Charles M. Gra Harry C. Hagerty, Mrs. Edmund Hawley, Howard H. Helm, Nar Kelly, George Killion, Mrs. Rob Kintner, Mrs. Robert H. Kress, R( ert Lehman, the Hon. J. J. McCl^ John P. McGrath, Mrs. Joshua Log Charles Shipman Payson, Mrs. J. Penney, Mrs. C. Michael Paul, W ren Lee Pierson, Sabrina, Zach; Scott, Thomas J. Shanahan, M Carroll Tucker, Arthur K. Wats and Shelley Winters. The premiere marks the open of the film's engagement here.