Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

uesday, December 7, 1960 Motion Picture Daily Maryland TOA udies Sales Tax Special to THE DAILY ■IKlTIMORE, Md., Dec. 6-The ■Viand Theatre Owners Associag' ' a unit of Theatre Owners of I dea, has called a special memI hip meeting for Thursday at 11 ti ., at the Variety Club here to I ■ on legislative matters including I >sition to the proposed state sales 1 which would affect theatre adL ions. resident John G. Broumas said I the TOA unit is working with ft Allied States organization in the s to present a united front on this \ threat. He said that William Fishi,f Carlin's Drive-In Theatre has Jo named chairman of the TOA 1 imittee to work jointly with Allied, I' that Jack Fruchtman and Isadore l.paport are working closely with committee. Clagett Participating iroumas further reported Manning m" Clagett of MPAA's Washingoffice had been working closely h him on legislative matters, koumas also reported that the mbership meeting will consider the owing additional matters: >lans for a board meeting at Carvel 11 in Annapolis on Jan. 11, at which die a reception will be held for all mbers of the Maryland legislature. Umbers will be urged to invite their Lai representatives. Arrangements for a joint meeting lift the Washington, D. C. and Viriia TOA units on Wednesday, irch 22, at Washington, D. C, in ajunction with the mid-winter ard and executive committee meet■y of national TOA. American Legion in Maryland Urges Its Membership to Boycott Four Pictures Special to THE DAILY BALTIMORE Dec. 6.-The American Legion, Department of Maryland, inTnewlS urges all legionnaires to refuse to patronize any tibeatre showing "Inherit the Wind," "Chance Meeting," "Spartacus or Exodus. 1 V — nication'states records of the U.S. Congress ond«e on Tin American Activities show Nedrick Young, script writer for Inherit the wTnd"™ed to testify regarding his alleged identification ^ ^communism The Legion states records show Ben Barzman and Millard Lampbel script wnters for "Chance Meeting" and Joseph Lozey, its producer, have all V.M»n identified with communist sympathizers. «c„01. The newsletter further claims Dalton Trumbo, script wnter or both Spar of Israel. Will Plan Convention Plans for the unit's 1961 conven| to be held next fall in Ocean Ifiroumas also reported that Reba ,d Muriel Schwartz of the Elkton rive-In Theatre had joined the aryland unit. leaver-Champion Gets Constantine Great' "Constantine the Great," a spectaciar now in its final stages of roduction, has been acquired by eaver-Champion Attractions, Inc., imes A. Mulvey, the company s resident announced. Based on a story f the first Christian Emperor, the lastmancolor-Totalscope film stars lomel Wilde and Belinda Lee. Conferred in Europe Rights to the multi-million dollar .reduction were bought by BeaverZhampion for an undisclosed sum. vlulvey and David Griesdorf, a viceresident of Beaver-Champion, reined last week from a three week nip to England, France and Italy ifter discussing a number of property purchases and co-production deals with top producers and directors. Col.Highroad ( Continued from page 1 ) and writing responsibilities, it was announced yesterday by A. Schneider, president of Columbia. The pact extension followed a series of meetings attended by Schneider, executive vice-president A. Montague, first vice-president and treasurer Leo Jaffe and other Columbia home office executives with Foreman and M. J. Frankovich, Columbia vice-president in charge of European production activities. Foreman and Frankovich flew from London for discussions which began during the past weekend. The move was undertaken, according to Schneider, as an expression of Columbia's satisfaction with Foreman's soon-to-be-completed The Guns of Navarone," which Columbia has slotted as its top offering for 1961. Involved is a group of five major productions, the first of which The Human Kind" will be directed as well as produced by Foreman from his own screenplay based on the Alexander Baron novel, immediately following the release of "Navarone." To Seek New Producers Also included in the new arrangement is continuance of the successful pattern established by Foreman with Highroad's "The Mouse That Roared," wherein fledgling producers with unusual properties will be invited to make their films under the Highroad aegis and under Foreman s direct supervision. This is in line with a policy formulated by Foreman and Frankovich prior to the making ot "Mouse," which has been one ot the top U S. grossers among British imports in the past year. Both feel that it is as important to help new producing talent develop as it is to encourage new writers, actors, actresses or directors. Foreman flew back to London yesterday to resume final editing of "The Guns of Navarone." He was joined by Dimitri Tiomkin who will undertake immediately his composer-conductor chores for the film. Exclusive Int'l. Will Expand Distribution Exclusive International Films, Inc. will expand its distribution network to cover every major marketing area in the country through the selection and appointment of territory affiliates in the next two weeks, it was announced by Sanford Wiener, the company's chief representative tor sales. Wiener disclosed the appointments, effective immediately, of Ellis Gordon for the New England territory and Herbert Bregstein as the West Coast affiliate of Exclusive International. Wiener will leave here tomorrow on an extensive trip to line up a number of other important affiliates. He will conduct distributor discussions in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Cincinnati. He will be gone two weeks. 'Sundowners' Contest Set for Exhibitors A unique record, bringing exhibitors throughout the country "season s greetings" from Warner Bros, and an opportunity to win an RCA-Victor 21-inch Wagner color television set, is contained in the new Warner Bros, pressbook for "The Sundowners. The record gives exhibitors details of the competition in which they are urged to take part by submitting their exploitation campaigns for "The Sundowners," with emphasis on the national and local contest in which the grand prize will be a jet holiday-fortwo in Australia. The tv set will go to the exhibitor who submits the best all-around exploitation campaign. Posters for 'Pepe' "Pepe" subway posters, heralding the George Sidnev-Posa International film for Columbia release, are being printed in 12 colors, including four colors in Day Glow. In order to secure the novel effects of both lithography and silk screen, the processes are being combined. PEOPLE Edward Emanuel, chief barker of Variety Clubs International; Jack Beresin, former international chief barker and head of Berlo Vending Co., Philadelphia, and Ralph W. Pries, also of Berlo Vending Co. and former chief barker of the Philadelphia Variety Club, have been named to the coordinating committee to assist in the 1961 New March of Dimes in Philadelphia. □ Dore Schary, producer, director and author of "Sunrise at Campobello," on Dec. 12 will receive a distinguished service award from the President's Committee on Employment of the Physically Handicapped for his "provocative plays designed to rivet attention of the mass public on the fitness of the handicapped." Presentation will be made in New York. □ Martin B. Ellis, general manager of the A. M. Ellis Theatres, Philadelphia, and chief barker of the Variety Club in that citv, will head the theatrical division for the 1961 Allied Jewish Appeal Campaign. □ Harry Evans has been named manager of the Rex Theatre, Vero Beach, Fla. To Show 'Vendaticket' At Loew's 175th Today "Vendaticket," described as "the world's first automated movie theatre box office" will be installed operationally for the first time anywhere at Lcew's 175th Street here this morning Jinx Falkenburg will purchase the first admission to the theatre while the top executives of Universal Controls Universal Match, and Loews Theatres, Inc. look on. They include: M. Mac Schwebel and Louis Chesler, president and board chairman respectively of Universal Controls; Laurence Tisch, chairman of the board of Loew's Theatres; and Frank Prince, chairman of the executive committee of Universal Match. Rejects Counterfeits The self-service machine takes bills and coins up to $9, scans bills for genuineness, rejects counterfeits, issues the proper number and denomination of tickets, and gives change in coin and bills. 'Callaghan' to Atlantis Rights to all the "Slim Callaghan" novels by the late English detectivemvsterv writer Peter Cheyney have been 'acquired by Laurent Films Corp., it was announced by Harold L. Sp'ero, general sales manager of Atlantis Films, U.S. distributor of all Laurent product.