Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY L. 88, NO. 100 greatest Problem9 (OA Bulletin tits Disorderly all Release :ys Oct.-Nov. Period ne of Worst in History ^Disorderly release schedules of nanal distributors which result in acriulations of quality films for holiy periods and a lack of them at ier times are strongly scored in the Went Theatre Owners of America julletin," just circulated to members. TOA asserts the release of quality jtures was near "an all-time low" ring the October-November period, d that only a "little relief" is in ;ht as a result of the 'Jsmall flurry Thanksgiving pictures." "This lack of quality in non-holiday '•riods, coupled with the basic prod| shortage, is exhibition's greatest ioblem," says the Bulletin. "From all e reports we are receiving, the Ocber-November period to date has (Continued on page 2) fleering Tomorrow May decide a TV Strike 1 A meeting which is expected to de•rmine whether or not television erformers will strike against the four mjor networks will be held here imorrow. Representatives of the performers ' nions, the American Federation of "t elevision and Radio Artists and the (Continued on page 6) Sernheim Is Paramount Paris Representative From THE DAILY Bureau f HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 24.-Michel iernheim, author and motion picture ind television producer and director, lias been appointed Paris production •epresentative for Paramount Pictures Corporation, it has been announced by Jack Karp, Paramount | studio head. Bernheim, whose appointment is (Continued on page 3) NEW YORK, U.S.A., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1960 11 Pictures for 'Family Audience1 To Be on Marketfor Holiday Season The holidav season this year will find no less than 11 pictures directed at th M-Se» on "the market. ThJ ^is almost twice the number oi new films available for the same period (Thanksgiving through New Years) last year, which was six. The large number of "family" pictures going out at this time takes on added significance for exhibitors in view of many complaints from patrons about the flood of "adult" films on the market throughout this year. There will still be a goodly number of the latter type around for the holidays (including at least seven major releases). But no moviegoer is going to be able to complain-as some have done the past-that there is no choice (Continued on page 3) Sole of TV Sets Booming Overseas From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Nov. 24.-People overseas are buying television sets at a greater rate than before-nearly twice as many during the last four months as during the period from January to June, the U. S. Information Agency reports. During the same four-month period, USIA said its television service sent a total of 226 programs to 51 countries, with an estimated viewing audience of 135,250,000. There was an expansion of more than four million tv sets in use overseas in this period, as compared with an increase of 2,500,000 during the (Continued on page 6) in It ■ N.Y. Bookers Set New Officers Slate The nominating committee of Motion Picture Bookers Club of New York has offered the following slate of officers for 1961: president, Myron T. Starr, United Artists; vice-president, Martin Perlberg, Florin Theatres; vice-president, Frank Patterson, ( Continued on page 2 ) Coordinating Committee For 'Oscar' Show Set From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 24. Appointment of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences public relations coordinating committee for the 33rd annual "Oscar" presentation was announced today by Valentine Davies, Academy president. The committee, headed 'by Jack Diamond and John Flinn, public relations branch representatives on the Academy board of governors, is responsible for the supervision and control of all promotional activities for the awards show April 17. Other members of the committee (Continued on page 3) Warn Negro Audience in Cities Should Be Wooed by Film Industry The motion picture industry is neglecting an important potential market by not adoptingPsPecial promotion and publicity techniques to woo the vastly increased Negro urban population, Ebony Magazine charges as a result of a survey of the situation taken by its Pacified Coordinating Group Due for Ad Problems TOA, SPG, Ad-Pub Heads Agree on Procedure The formation of a coordinating committee representing Theatre Owners of America, The Screen Producers Guild and the advertising-publicity directors committee of the Motion Picture Ass 'n., to maintain liaison among the three and handle mutual problems which may arise in the future will be undertaken immediately. This was agreed upon at a meeting of representatives of the three organizations here last Tuesday, called in ( Continued on page 3 ) Ad-Publicity Men Meet With Dallas Editor Here A committee of the Motion Picture Ass 'n.'s advertising-publicity directors committee met on Wednesday at the Harvard Club here with Virgil Miers, amusements editor of the Dallas, Tex Times-Herald for an exchange of views on the contents and make-up of newspaper amusement pages and similar subjects. The luncheon conference was one of a series which the MPAA committee is holding with newspaper representatives from all parts of the country whenever they visit New York. TELEVISION TODAY— page 6 research department. In a report entitled "First Run Movie Markets and the Shifting Negro Population," the magazine cites the recent increase in the urbanization of the Negro, giving figures to show the population gains in major cities. This shift in Negro population, it asserts, has had a tremendous effect upon the potential audience for theatres in those markets. „ "For various sociological reasons, the report says, "the urban Negro, unaccustomed to the privilege of at tending first-run movies has indulged his new-found freedom. It is a matter of record that Negro people regularly attend movies more often than any other group." On the other hand, it points out, "communication with the Negro movie-goer has not kept pace with his growing importance to the ^ box office potential for the exhibitor." In 17 major markets motion picture sales promotion and publicity people are faced with the added problem of sell( Continued on page 6 ) Studios Producing 35, Including Two Abroad From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Nov. 24. Cameras are rolling on 35 productions, with nine of the 35 on the 20th Century-Fox agenda; six for United Artists release; five for Columbia, and four each for Allied Artists and Paramount release; three at Universal-International; two at Metro-GoldwynMayer, and one at Warner Brothers, also an independent production, "Caribe." Started were two on location in Munich: "Armoured Command" for Allied Artists, and "The Big Show,' an API production for 20th CenturyFox release.