Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

snday, November 14, 1960 Motion Picture Daily *riest Asks Mo. Exhibitor Elected MPAA to Meet ( Continued from page 1 ) y desirable in tone," it was emlasized by the Rev. John E. Kelly, rector of the Bureau of Information, itional Catholic Welfare Conferee, Washington, D.C., during a , scussion of "Principles of Public ;lations"— at the third annual Intute of Public Relations, sponsored the Communication Arts Guild of e Albany diocese. Drawn from N.Y., New England One of two in the country, the ■minar was attended by 200 from e Albany area, Rochester, Vermont, assachusetts and Greater New York. Answering a question from the >or at a session attended by priests, sters and laymen, Father Kelly id, "the wonderful idea of Catholic m study clubs, suggested three ;ars ago by Bishop William A. Sculof Albany, then chairman of the tfohops National Committee on Moon Pictures, should be expanded. ?here are some such clubs function1 g around the country, but there I lould be more. They consist of high ' hool and college students, chiefly; fetivity on the adult level is not treat. Their number should be increased, and the participation of pults should be encouraged." Members of the clubs view, study ad criticize motion pictures. Urges Support of Fine Films j Father Kelly stressed that motion i''ictures are produced for profit; that artistic successes but box-office failures will bankrupt a producer, '"ilms of good moral tone deserve i atronage." "The Popes, especially Pope Pius, ave in encyclicals, praised the poten! ial for good and for service to man ind of motion pictures and other ledia of mass communication," Father Kelly pointed out. He called fiarticular attention to Pope Pius' • Miranda Prosus" encyclical, which 1'tad as its theme "very wonderful are ' he works of communications." f "Until the last year," the priest Continued, "the Legion of Decency Kas been principally concerned with 'noral evaluation of motion pictures." ie thought diat specific queries as ro the means by which stronger J Catholic support could be given desirable films should be directed to Consignor Thomas Little, executive | director of the Legion of Decency. I' Calls for Community Friendship To U. S. Senate An active theatreman, and member of Theatre Owners of America, is now — fully accredited member of the United States Senate. Elected to the Senate last Tuesday, to fill the remaining two years of the unexpired term of the late Missouri Senator Thomas C. Hennings, Jr., is Edward V. Long, 52, of Bowling Green, Mo. Long, president of the Long Theatre Company, Inc., of Bowling Green, operates theatres in the St. Louis, Mo,, area. A former Democratic lieutenant governor in Missouri, he was appointed last summer to the vacancy created by Senator Hennings' death. He won the seat handily in Tuesday's election. During a comment on "accentuatj ng the positive" in Catholic public elations-by praising that which is in society's and the community's interest, by greeting and being on friendly terms with persons of the Protes. ant and Jewish faiths, and with their clergymen, by remembering anniversaries and births in the families of jnavors and other officials — Father Kelly commented "theatres should be congratulated, too, when they show dean, entertaining motion pictures. Catholics, he continued, should be sparing in their "criticism of the press, telerision, radio and motion pictures, unless we know how diey operate. Without this, our criticisms at times are not valid." Criticism based on "ignorance" is not desirable or to be encouraged, Father Kelly emphasized. Reporting that 72 Catholic dioceses of the United States now have public information officers-usually priests— and commenting that they function with varying degrees of effectiveness, FadieV Kelly urged the appointment of one in each diocese as the sina qua non for a strong Catholic public relations program. Lauds 'The Nun's Story' Praising "The Nun's Story," the priest observed, "the one thing which it lacked, which it failed to show, was the joy of the religious life. The picture left some people puzzled as to why a convent should be so austere." He had recommended— when arrangements were being made for a preview of that film by sisters in their convent, that such a course not be followed: indicated his advice had not been taken. Father Kelly thought for a film like this "sisters should have gone to the theatre in pairs, be widi children, talk with them, pat them on the head, enjoy a common experience." Quote from Maryknoll Citing the Maryknoll fathers and sisters as "outstanding" in public relations, the priest said "Maryknoll sisters have not been bashful about being on television." He quoted a sister as saying "We can mortify ourselves more by being in the spotlight, rather than by avoiding it." 'Damon' for MGM Set HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 13 Producer-writer Samuel Marx disclosed that he and Sam Jaffee will co-produce the feature film production "Damon and Pythias" in Italy next spring which MGM will release. According to Marx details were finalized in Gotham early last week when he met with Joseph Vogel, head of MGM. Lee Steiner. America's representative for Italy's Titanus Films, is handling arrangements for Jaffee and Marx. ( Continued from page 1 ) meeting was made at an ad-pub committee meeting late last week. \t the same meeting the group took action to consolidate its program pertaining to industry relationships with newspapers, which had previously been handled by three separate committees. Davis appointed one special newspaper relations committee under the direction of Charles Levy, co-chairman of the full ad-pub committee. Also on this committee will be Phil Gerard, Fred Goldberg, Jonas Rosenfield, and Dan Terrell. In addition Paul Lazarus and Jerome Pickman will act in an advisory capacity. The new group supersedes three committees which had been concerned separately with newspaper censorship of film advertising, improvement of newspaper amusement pages, and advertising rate structures. Report on Merchandising Plan The committee also heard a report by Levy and Robert Ferguson on Hie test of the Compo-Marcus merchandising plan in the Pittsburgh area. Levy said that "Jungle Cat," a Buena Vista release, had had a favorable response in general. Ferguson said diat "I Aim at die Stars," a Columbia film, had not been going long enough to reach any conclusions. It was agreed that the reports on the films will be transmitted to the MPA sales managers committee. In other business Roger Lewis of United Artists was again appointed chairman of the ad-pub committee to work widi the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on the promotion for the 1961 "Oscar" telecast. Lewis will name his full committee later. Meanwhile he is to go to Hollywood this week for talks with Academy officials on the broadcast which may raise some problems. This year the telecast is commercially, rather than industry, sponsored. Plans will have to be worked out for campaigns by exhibitors at the local level. Museum Program Discussed The committee also heard a leport by Richard Griffith, of the Museum of Modern Art's films division, on an exhibit of motion picture advertising posters set for the Museum on Dec. 12. The exhibit will include posters from the start of the motion picture industrv to the present and will also feature foreign examples. The committee was asked by Griffith to assist in preparation of a brochure to be distributed at the exhibit and has taken it under consideration. To Film 'Remagen' HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 13 The Mirisch Company and Schulberg Productions, headed bv Budd and Stuart Schulberg, have entered into a coproduction deal for filming of Ine Bridge at Remagen." The picture, which starts shooting in Germany on May 15, 1961, will be a United Artists release. Pickles Popping Up In Theatres Everywhere Special to THE DAILY CHICAGO, Nov. 13. Pickles are popping up in theatres all over the nation, W. R. Moore, secretary-treasurer of the National Pickle Packers Association, said at the annual convention of the National Association of Concessionaires here last week. The pickles are found right alongside popcorn. They're generally nestled in ice and promoted as "chilly dillies." While most popular at kiddy shows and with the teen-age crowd, the pickles also are liked by adults, for the reason that they can be nibbled quietly. "The noise level of pickles being consumed is far below that of other refreshment snacks," Moore said. He noted that one South Bend theatre sells up to 200 pickles at its regular kiddy show. REVIEW; Journey to the Lost City Friti Lang — American International This intricate tale of intrigue in Eshnapur, the "lost city" of India, has been directed in pedestrian fashion by Fritz Lang from a cliche-ridden screenplay by Wemer Joerg Luedecke, based on an original story by Thea von Harbou. It all has to do with the widowed prince of the city, stolidly portrayed by Walter Reyer, who wishes to marry a dancer, played by Debra Paget. The prince's brother, played in typically villainous manner by Claus Holm, conspires all over the place in his attempts to inveigle the brother of the late Maharanee to dethrone Reyer for attempting to marry Miss Paget and thus defile the memory of die Reyer' s late wife. Paul Christian, an architect hired by Reyer to build hospitals in the "lost city," meets up with Miss Paget en route to Eshnapur, and saves her from a man-eating tiger. They fall in love. Reyer sets up Miss Paget in the palace, telling her that he had seen her dance in another city and has fallen in love widi her. There is a series of adventures which involve a man-against-tiger battle, a group of lepers in an underground dungeon and more tigers. In fact, a great deal of the slowly paced action takes place in weird subterranean caves and cells. The villainy of the prince's brother is, of course, unmasked in the nick of time, the army of the late Maharanee's brother is repulsed, the prince realizes that Christian and Miss Paget are in love widi each other, and allows love to triumph. The picture is filmed in Colorscope, which presents the action in not too clearly defined a color pattern. The English dubbing is not too well synchronized. The cast members perform their roles in perfunctory fashion as they go through their cliche-packed paces. Running time, 94 minutes. Release, in October. — S.H.R.