Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

Motion Picture Daily Monday, December 12, 19( PERSONAL MENTION T AURENCE A. TISCH, chairman -L/ of the board of Loew's Theatres, left here at the weekend for London. Preston R. Tisch and Charles Kurtzman, circuit officials, and James Shanahan, of Loew's Hotels, are in Boston today from New York. • Maurice A. Bergman, East Coast public relations coordinator for the Academy Awards, and Kalman B. Druck, president of Harshe-Rotman & Druck, public relations counsel for the Academy, will leave New York today for Los Angeles. • Ira D. Beck, Latin American television supervisor for United Artists Associated, will arrive in New York today from Mexico City. • Richard Attenborough, co-producer and co-star of Valiant Films' "The Angry Silence," and Sig Shore, who is co-presenting the film, will leave here today for Hollywood. Harold I. Tyler, former exhibitor now a New York Assemblyman, has returned to Chittenango, N. Y., from Albany. • Cary Grant returned to Hollywood at the weekend from New York. • Pat Notaro, Stanley Warner West Coast zone manager, will leave Los Angeles tomorrow for New York. W . A. Hartung Dies at 76 SEATTLE, Dec. ll.-Wilham Arthur Hartung, 76, pioneer in the field of exhibition in this and other areas, died at his home here following a heart attack. Active in Seattle since 1929, he had managed the Orpheum and later the Paramount theatres here. In his earlier days he had operated houses in Vancouver, Denver, Omaha, Milwaukee and St. Louis. Nine-City Tour for 'Where the Boys Are' M-G-M has launched a nine-city tour in Milwaukee and Cleveland on behalf of its holiday attraction, "Where the Boys Are." In the traveling group are the producer of the picture, Joe Pasternak, with several of the cast of new, young talent including Paula Prentiss, Jim Hutton and Maggie Pierce. Si Seadler, M-G-M's eastern advertising manager, is also with the group. "Where the Boys Are," which also stars Dolores Hart, Yvette Mimieux and the singing record star Connie Francis, will have its world premiere in Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 21 culminating the promotion trip. In Milwaukee the visitors were tendered an invitational luncheon followed by interviews with the press as well as appearances on leading tv and radio stations. They were in Cleveland Wednesday for a full schedule of activities. Their itinerary includes Detroit, the next stop, followed by Columbus, Atlanta, Charlotte, Richmond, Washington and Fort Lauderdale. They will subsequently return to New York in time for the picture's opening at Radio City Music Hall. New Fox Dallas Offices Will Be Opened Today Special to THE DAILY DALLAS, Dec. 11-Twenieth Century-Fox on Monday will formally open its new offices at 1400 St. Louis Street here. The company now is in the last stages of moving operations from its "film row" building. The new quarters, constructed under the supervision of Clarence A. Hill, head of branch operations for the Fox organization, combine all facilities on one floor at the street level. The screening room seats 56; offices and shipping room will serve some 600 theatres throughout the Southwest. Company executives who will attend the "open house" on Monday include C. Glenn Norris, general sales manager, and Thomas McCleaster and Robert Conn, of the Fox "sales cabinet." Koch Joins Essex Prods. Howard W. Koch has been named executive producer of Essex Productions, it was announced by Frank Sinatra, president of the company, which has signed a $15,000,000 multiple-picture deal with United Artists. Koch will assume his new post immediately with offices at Desilu Gower Studios. He most recently was associated with Norman Panama and Melvin Frank in the production of "The Facts of Life." Musician, Financier Five u Join in New Firm By SAMUEL D. BERNS HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 11. -An unusual union of talents has been effected with the formation of a new producing firm, which will make theatrical features under the Academy Productions, Inc., banner and filmed television spectaculars as well as regular filmed series through Heritage Productions. The two-men executive team consists of Buddy Bregman, young, dynamic and prolific music composerconductor and arranger who will function as producer of the association's projects, and Paul Benton, president of Western Trust, with other financial and building interests in this area, who will now devote his major activity to theatrical ventures with Bregman. Headquartering on the Goldwyn Studio lot, Bregman and Benton have already put a program of four pictures for 1961 in motion, which are completely and independently financed. The first of these, "The Evil Weak," will start shooting Jan. 18. The second one, "High Button Shoes," film version of the Broadway hit musical will be filmed in April. Other two films on the '61 slate are "Hate Town" and "The Robert E. Lee Story." In an interview with the new production team, Bregman disclosed an arrangement with Schenck Enterprises to handle all releasing negotiations for the individual films. Heritage is currently producing "The Song and Dance Men" as a filmed spectacular to be sold later, on the premise that it is generally difficult to get all the people you want for a special tv show; and this method of filming one that can be available when the sponsor wants it affords greater freedom of production without concern for deadlines. Another spectacular planned this year will be "The Jimmy McHugh Story," Bregman said. .A. Films Cited At Acapulco Festival Special to THE DAILY ACAPULCO, Dec. 11. The fh films entered by United Artists the third World Film Festival B. view here were all cited for award at the banquet which closed the a fair late last week. "Inherit the Wind" was cited f» its "notable use of actors and fill techniques to produce a controvei sial theme"; "The Apartment" ft "the excellence of its human vahw and its excellent direction"; "TbJ Fugitive Kind" for "the intense dri matic atmosphere achieved"; "Turn of Glory" for its "precise interprt tation of British Army atmosphere' and "Never on Sunday" for "fresl ness and gaiety in affirming the vit; values of the Mediterranean world Bankruptcy Filed BUFFALO, N. Y., Dec. ll.-Saber Motion Picture Production Inc., which last year filmed a feature motion picture based partly on operations of the Buffalo Police Department, has filed a petition for bankruptcy in Federal Court here. The petition was filed for the company by president, Robert R. Kleinknecht, who also is known as Robert R. Barron. The bankruptcy petition lists debts of $65,411, including wages earned last year by several employes. Other debts include rental of equipment used in filming the company's pictures. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane Editor Tames D Iver, MM!„im TiMit p I An I Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager, TELEVISION TODAY CWr « ' fe ^ ? M'toiWard Gertner, Ne Yucca-Vine Buildi- 1 " " Bear St. Leicester Picture Daily Cable address Vice-President ; as a section class matter NT&T Ruling ( Continued from page 1 ) tre has had three lessees since 195 all of whom failed to effect succes ful operation. Decision Reserved Judge Palmieri reserved decisio on N.T.&T.'s petition for permissic to erect a drive-in theatre near Phot nix, Ariz. Bert Pirosh, an independer exhibitor in the area, appeared on b< half of himself and other theatre or. erators as amicus curiae to oppose th N.T.&T. petition. He contended cor struction of the theatre by the pet tioner would unduly restrain theatr competition in the area. The Justice Department did not op pose the petition. 'Next Time' for Hunter HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 11. "Nex Time We Love" will be brought ti screen as a Ross Hunter productioi for Universal International, one o the company's top pictures for 1961 it was announced today by Edwan Muhl, Universal vice-president ii charge of production. Eleanore Grif fin has been signed by Hunter t< develop a modern screenplay for th story, which was filmed original! m 1934 with Margaret Sullavan anc James Stewart in the top roles. Royal Gets 'North' NEW ORLEANS, Dec. ll.-A. L Royal, head of Royal Distributing; Corp., Meridan, Miss., has acquirer the distribution rights to a 71 minute feature entitled "The Living North." Royal is presently engaged in negotiations with sub-distributor: and thus far has consummated dealwith Masterpiece Pictures for New Orleans territory distribution; Da Art Film Exchange, Dallas; anc Wheeler Films, Washington.