The Exhibitor (1956)

10 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Republic Cuts Stuff And Payroll ) Cxchange Consolidation Is Planned New York — A series of Republic pay¬ roll reductions began last fortnight with the dismissal of four principal home office executives and 27 other employees and salary cutbacks for remaining executives and staff personnel. The reductions fell into two percentage brackets, and moved to consolidate certain exchanges. The moves were anticipated following the acquisition by Cantor, Fitzgerald, and Company, Beverly Hills investment firm, of an option to acquire controlling stock in the film company from its president, Herbert J. Yates, and his associates. The executives dismissed were three division sales managers, Edmund C. Grain¬ ger, Walter L. Titus, Jr., and John Curtin, and Steve Edwards, director of advertis¬ ing, publicity, and exploitation. The others who departed last fortnight included em¬ ployees in the sales, advertising-publicity department, contract department, 16mm. department, accounting department, legal department, and the mail room. John Alexander, sales manager, and William Marchese, contract department head, re¬ main in liaison capacities with Richard W. Altschuler, world-wide sales head. The salary cuts going into effect were of 10 and 15 per cent, the lower affecting remuneration in the $100-300 bracket, the higher one the salaries in excess of $300 weekly. The exchange consolidation, it was understood, would result in the clos¬ ing of branches in Omaha, New Haven, Albany, and Portland, with the possibility that two other exchanges might close, depending on surveys underway. The 19th floor of the 1740 Broadway building occu¬ pied by Republic was closed, with home office activities being concentrated on the 18th. The dismissals approximated a third of the New York staff of 95. Briskin Heads Indie Unit Hollywood — Irving Briskin, Columbia studio manager, has been released from his employment contract with the com¬ pany to form an independent television production organization which will release through Columbia’s subsidiary, Screen Gems, it was announced last week by Harry Cohn, Columbia president. Brislin, as the executive officer of his new company, will have the responsibility of supervising all Screen Gems produc¬ tion, Cohn disclosed, lensing an extensive number of video series over a period of seven years. The agreement becomes effective July 1. Rocky Mt. Allied Elects Denver — A. Neil Beezley, Burlington, Colo., last week was elected president and national director, Allied Rocky Moun¬ tain Independent Theatres, by the board of directors, which consolidated the two posts. Retiring president James J. Peter¬ sen, Littleton, Colo., was named treasurer. Other officers elected by the board in¬ clude Tom Smiley, Denver, vice-president, and J. H. Ashby, Denver, general man¬ ager, both reinstated. Marie Goodhand, Kimball, Neb., was named secretary. The board meeting was held in lieu of the annual meeting. Grainger Has Interest In Holt-Nichols Firm HOLLYWOOD — The formation of a new film production company by Nat Holt and Dudley Nichols was an¬ nounced last week. At the same time, it was disclosed that former RKO president James R. Grainger holds an interest in the new organization and that he will supervise personally its distribution and sales operation. The new company was reported to be negotiating with the majors for sales and distribution facilities, with MGM considered a likely possibility. A tentative date of July 1 was set for the first production, “Outlaws In Town,” with a script by Nichols, whose agreement with Holt’s com¬ pany is non-exclusive, it was said. Miss. TOA To Convene Edgewater Park, Miss. — The largest at¬ tendance ever was expected at the 15th annual convention of the Mississippi The¬ atre Owners Association at the Edgewater Gulf Hotel here next week. Scheduled as principal speaker is Boyd Campbell, a native of Jackson, Miss., chairman of the board and past president, Chamber of Commerce of the United States, and chairman of the company he organized, The Mississippi School Supply Company. Those in charge of the meeting are president Teddy Solomon, McComb, Miss.; secretary and treasurer John Williams, Jackson, Miss.; and vice-presidents Sam Jackson, Ruleville, Miss.; Tom Garraway, Prentiss, Miss.; and Stan Taylor, Crosby, Miss. Friedman Joins Artists-Producers New York — A. W. Schwalberg, presi¬ dent, Artists-Producers Associates, Inc., has announced the appointment of Martin Friedman, long time industry executive, as special sales representative. William J. Heineman, seated. United Artists vicepresident in charge of distribution, and James R. Velde, general sales manager, are seen ex¬ amining some of the many exhibitor wires and letters pledging support for United Artists Week, July 1-7. NBC, Mankiewicz Share Figaro Firm New York — The National Broadcasting Company has purchased 50 per cent ownership of Figaro Incorporated, inde¬ pendent motion picture production com¬ pany of which Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Academy Award-winning motion picture writer-director-producer, is president. Mankiewicz retains the other 50 per cent ownership of Figaro, Inc. Announcement of the Figaro signing was made by Robert W. Sarnoff, presi¬ dent, NBC. He said the long-term agree¬ ment, which contemplates the entrance of Figaro and Mankiewicz into television development and production, provides for Figaro’s furnishing the consultive serv¬ ices of Mankiewicz and others on Figaro’s staff to NBC, including selection of pro¬ gram material, talent and other elements, and critical analyses and recommendations as to programming and production tech¬ niques; the granting to NBC of a favored position in connection with the telecast¬ ing of all motion pictures produced by Figaro. Figaro recently completed a new arrangement with United Artists whereby it is contemplated that Figaro will make nine motion pictures, five of which will be produced, directed and written by Mankiewicz, for United Artists release during the next four years. The election of its board also was announced by Figaro, Inc. These include Mankiewicz, chairman; Emanuel Sacks, RCA and NBC vice-president; Bert Allenberg, executive vice-president, William Morris Agency, Inc.; Alan Livingston, president, Gagran Corporation, whollyowned NBC subsidiary; Abraham L. Bienstock, New York attorney; Earl Rettig, vice-president in charge of NBC-TV network services; Robert Lantz, vicepresident, Figaro, Inc.; and James E. Denning, director of talent and program contract administration for NBC. New officers of Figaro, Inc., are Mankie¬ wicz, president; Sacks, executive vicepresident; Lantz, vice-president; Rettig, treasurer; and Richard Reiss, secretary. New Distrib Firm Bows Boston — Edward Ruff, former presi¬ dent, Regal Pictures, Inc., of Boston, has established a new distributing firm, Ed¬ ward Ruff Film Associates, which will be located in the Metropolitan Theatre building. Associated with him will be Ben Wil¬ liams of Ben Wililiams Enterprises. The new firm will distribute many of the leading foreign films and domestic reissues in the six New England states. Regal Pictures, Inc., of which Ruff was president and Mac Farber treasurer, has been dissolved. AB-PT Divestiture Extended Washington — American BroadcastingParamount Theatres last fortnight was granted until July 3 as another extension to complete its divestiture of theatres required by the consent decree in the Government’s anti-trust action. The orig¬ inal deadline was March 3, which was extended to June 3, and now until the July date. June 13, 1956