Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

MOTION PICTURE TEN CENTS ery Much Alive' ^ ^ ^ ^ m_m_Seat Theafres 964 Festival jomAty offices or Hotel to Make Them Profitable Ilere Pressed \\ Skouras ew Arts Center and N.Y. 7orlds Fair Links Favored Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th !entury-Fox, has taken the initiative seeking representation for the morn picture in the new Lincoln Cenr for the Performing Arts and in stering the proposal for a first interitional film festival with the U. S. dustry's participation there in conaction with the New York World's air in 1964. Skouras strongly favors both the ilea of such a festival and the new incoln Arts Center as its locale. He ,:gards it as an ideal way in which to ■gister the motion picture's status i,5 an art form by including the reen's bests, culled from all the %rld, in a festival within what is de( Continued on page 3 ) Rosenberg, Balla Named To American-lnt'l. Posts It a Americo Rosenberg has been appointed American International Pictures home office representative in Brazil, it was announced by William 3. Reich, vice-president of American „ .international Pictures Export Corp. 4 iRosenberg will make his headquarters in Brazil at the Rio de Janeiro office of Imperial Films, AIP's franchise in that country. He was formerly with Paramount ( Continued on page 3 ) 'Exodus' Has Premiere In Baltimore Tonight Special to THE DAILY BALTIMORE, Dec. 18. Otto Preminger's "Exodus" was launched in Baltimore with a glittering preview tonight at the Mayfair Theatre. It will have its regular Baltimore premiere :: tomorrow night. The special presentation, arranged (Continued on page 3) TELEVISION TODAY— page 5 Special to THE DAILY BOSTON Dec. 18.A hotel-theatre trend was predicted by Preston RTisch, president of Loew's Hotel, Inc. division, and member of the board ot Loew's Theatres, during a visit here last week. . "Now that the cathedral-size picture theatre is absolete, the trend is to the 600 to 800-seater, which must be topped by offices or hotel rooms to make it profitable," he said. "Loew's is not only remaining in the theatre business, but has two more theatres in the works in New York, Tisch said. A threeman committee is now making a survey of all Loew's theatre property. Loew's now operates three hotels, The Americana, Miami; Traymore and Ambassador, Atlantic City, and 98 theatres. Plans call for the budding ot a hotel in Washington, D.C., and a motel in New York City, in addition to the two hotels now being built in New York by Loew's, the Summit and Americana. Laurence Tisch, Loew's Theatres board chairman, is now in Pans, London and Rome looking to build new hotels abroad. Putting a theatre and hotel under one roof is the plan of the Tisch brothers, principal stockholders of Loew's Theatres. The Summit will be an 800-room 21 story hotel, and is now building at two stories a week. The Americana will be a 2 000-room hotel, to be ready in 18 months. The Summit is scheduled tor a July opening. Here with Tisch were: Charles Kurtzman, executive in charge of Loew's out-of-town theatres; Jim Shanahan, who will handle hotel publicity for Loew's, and Buzz Sherry, sales director for the new Americana in New York. Opinion Clash Producers in Britain Back Pay-Television FBFM Also Asking Quota For British TV Films General Committee for Johnston Dinner Set Organization of a general dinner committee to be in charge of the dinner which Compo is sponsoring as a testimonial to Eric Johnston in observance of his completion of 15 years in the motion picture industry was announced over the weekend by Russell V. Downing, chairman of the affair. Heading the list of those who have accepted appointment to the committee are three members of the Compo governing committee: Ben Marcus, ( Continued on page 5 ) BFPA to Support 5 Festivals in '61 From THE DAILY Bureau LONDON, Dec. 18-The British Film Producers Ass'n. will support the 1961 film festivals at Cannes, Berlin, Moscow, San Sebastian and Venice, with its major effort concentrated on Moscow. This, said a BFPA spokesman, is because the U.S.S.R. is still considered an important and untapped market for motion pictures. As regards Venice, British particip( Continued on page 3 ) By WILLIAM PAY LONDON, Dec. 18-The inevitable clash of opinion between exhibitors and other sections of the industry on the desirability of toll television in Britain was revealed by the disclosure that producers supported its adoption. Exhibitors have already declared their unqualified' opposition "to any extension to the television services." Following its monthly council meeting the Federation of British Film Makers stated it was making two main recommendations to the (Continued on page 4) 'Pepe' Week Commences Today "Pepe Week" makes its bow today The Columbia release will world premiere on Wednesday preceded by a series of special press and industry previews, all at the newly-redecorated Criterion Theatre. On Friday the scene will shift to Miami, where the ( Continued on page 2 ) Statutes Can't Substitute for an Industry Conscience, Dr. Flick Says Special to THE DAILY ALBANY, Dec. 18.-"No system of enforced censorship or sta tutory licensing can take the place of an industry conscience, Dr. Hugh M. JfJWK, fo™ director of theState Education Der^rtrnent^^ and present associate commissioner for cultural education, said in commenting on current criticism of some film content. The motion picture industry's great and pressing need, he remarked, is for strong leadership, whether by one or more persons. This leadership must try to reestablish, or raise, the moral climate of the times, and must strive to raise the general moral standards. In doing so, that leadership would also serve best the long term interests of the industry. "It is not too much to expect tins of the film industry," Flick continued. He pointed out that in both the recent statement by the National Catho(Continued on page 3) Theatre Headquarters For Disaster Relief A neighborhood played a vital part in Friday's tragic air crash. William Brandt's Carlton theatre on Flatbush Avenue, less than a block from the spot where the giant United Air Lines jet crashed in flames, was turned over to the police and fire departments and the Red Cross for use as a headquarters for disaster operators, including providing shelter for the families made homeless by the fire. , Martin Levine, general manager of the circuit, said the theatre would suspend regular operation for as long as it could be useful to the community. I