The Exhibitor (1957)

20 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Johnston Kicks Off Golden Jubilee As First Business Building Fffort New York — Eric Johnston, president, Motion Picture Association of America, opened the Golden Jubilee of Motion Pic¬ tures celebration as the featured speaker at the Sales Executives Club luncheon, Roosevelt Hotel, last week. All branches of the motion picture in¬ dustry participated in this Motion Picture Industry Day. Some 50 industry leaders, representing the major producers and distributors, exhibitor association heads, theatre circuit chiefs, and several leading actors and actresses were on the dais. For this event, the Sales Executives Club extended a welcome to all members of the motion picture industry and allied organizations. Each of the major producing-distributing companies prepared a dramatic ex¬ hibit of its latest release and the ballroom and adjoining areas were decorated in gala motion picture grand opening style. It is proposed that the exhibits will be. used as a traveling unit so that this Gold¬ en Jubilee kick-off even may be put on in key cities throughout the country as one of the first steps in the joint ex¬ hibitor producer distributor Business Building program. "80 Days" Dates Set New York — Michael Todd has set four additional openings for “Around The World In 80 Days” in Kansas City, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. "Face" Bow Benefits 49 National Charities NEW YORK — Fortynine national and New York charities have been designated to benefit from the “Your Favorite Charity” world premiere of Elia Kazan’s “A Face In The Crowd” for Warners, last week at the Globe. More than 1,500 persons, including notables from the entertainment field, business, politics, and civic life, filled the Globe to capacity for the first premiere in motion picture history to permit ticket-holders to earmark their charity. Tickets were priced at $25 for orchestra and mezzanine seats and $10 for balcony locations, with Price Waterhouse auditing the com¬ pilation of contributions. Houston Variety Moves Houston, Tex. — Variety Club Tent 34 last week moved to new quarters at 6808 South Main, above the Ding How Restaurant. The Houston Endowment recently gave the Tent a grant of $90,000 to pay off the mortgage on its Boys’ Club and make it possible for two boys a year for the next five years to receive scholarships amounting to $2,500 per boy. The Tent is sponsoring a benefit night at Playland Park on June 15. Phila. Exhibs Protest Commandments Policy Philadelphia — An anti-trust complaint was filed in U. S'. District Court today by Fried Management Company, Harry L. Dembow, N. Herman Bornstein, Milton Amusements, Inc., William Goldman The¬ atres, Inc., Ridge Theatre Corporation, Melvin H. Koff, A. M. Ellis Theatres Com¬ pany, Main Line Theatres, Inc., 309 DriveIn Theatre Corporation, and Downtown Amusement Company, against Paramount Film Distributing Corporation charging violation of the consent decree under a selling plan for “The Ten Command¬ ments,” outlined by the company and branch manager Ulrik Smith on May 21. The plaintiffs demand that Paramount be ordered to license this film so that it may be made available for exhibition at their theatres 28 days after completion of its run at the Randolph, Philadelphia; that the defendant be enjoined from licensing this film to any theatre in the Philadelphia area except in accordance with the normal plan of distribution to “key-run” theatres; that the defendant be enjoined from accepting any bids or executing any dis¬ tribution plans as outlined in their bid letter of May 21; and that the defendant be enjoined from arbitrarily imposing an unreasonable clearance. Judge Allan K. Grim granted a tempo¬ rary injunction and set June 11 as the date for a hearing on same. Under branch manager Ulrik Smith’s signature. Paramount’s letter says they will accept “. . . additional special engagements in selected theatres in Philadelphia area. To this end we have decided to divide the area into several geographical sub-divi¬ sions. In each of the several areas we propose to offer one additional special engagement of the film. Each engagement will have the same starting date although the length of the engagement may vary in respective areas. Competitive offers will be invited from all the suitable theatres within each area for the special engage¬ ment which we will offer in that area. We will accept the offer of the theatre in each area which we believe will result in producing the highest film rental for Paramount. “In order to assist us in evaluating the offers we receive, we suggest that the terms that you offer include the minimum period of playing time, the film rental which you would guarantee for this spe¬ cial engagement. If all the offers received should be deemed inadequate, we reserve the right to reject all such offers and will then negotiate with a theatre or the¬ atres, according to our best judgment. The complaint was filed by Sylvan M. Cohen, of the law firm of Cohen, Shapiro, and Cohen. Loan Extensions Discussed Washington — The House Small Busi¬ ness Committee last fortnight began a series of hearings aimed to develop facts on legislation needed to extend Small Business Administration help to enter¬ prises which are not adequately served by private lenders, including SBA par¬ ticipation in movie theatre mortgage loans. °Oo °o o u l*ou»° sCZL,U f To * m let’s not kid ourselves ! The money you save on inferior sound service is lost in less tickets sold. Today yolir sound must be perfect! Every dollar you invest in an altec service contract pays dividends at your box office. 161 Sixth Avc. New York 13, N. Y. Specialists in Motion Picture Sound j I ALTEC June 5, 195 7