The Exhibitor (1957)

September 18, 1957 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 9 Ambitious Buena Visita Schedule Includes IS Films In 18 Months MITO Annual Meeting Elects Clark President ST. LOUIS — The 39th annual meeting of Missouri-Illinois Theatre Owners was held in the Kingsway Hotel here last week. The gathering was keynoted by Frank L. Plumlee, Edwards and Plumlee Theatres, Farm¬ ington, Mo., who spoke on the subject, “There’s a Theatre In Your Future.” Other speakers at the opening session included James H. Nicholson, American International president; Tommy James, St. Louis; and Paul Krueger, St. Louis, chairman, 1957 Theatre Owners of America convention. Toll television, and closed circuit cable TV as launched in Bartlesville, Okla., were dis¬ cussed in the course of a symposium headed by Herman M. Levy, TOA general counsel, and Albert Pickus, TOA vice-president. Eddie Clark was convention chairman, and MITO president L. J. Williams welcomed the delegates and introduced Plumlee. A Better Business Forum concluded the activities of the first day. Panelists included Jimmie James, Phil Nanos, Charles Goldman, Pete Medley, George Kerasotes, William Waring, Jr., and Williams. Activities of the second and final day of the conclave included a luncheon, business session, and open forum, followed by a cock¬ tail party and banquet in the evening. At the latter event, exhibitor and MITO director Ed V. Long, Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, addressed the assembly, for which David G. Arthur, Variety Club chief barker, was master of ceremonies. Hollywood stars Rita Moreno, Shirley Fields, and Sally Todd were in attendance. Williams, not a candidate for reelection, was succeeded as president by Clark, of Metropolis, Ill. Other officers elected include James, chairman of the board; John Meinardi, vice president; Goldman, treasurer; and Plumlee, secretary. Regional vice-presidents are Nanos, for St. Louis; Medley, for Mis TNT Bookings Soar For Fight Telecast NEW YORK — An all-time record closedcircuit network of 170 theatres in 127 cities are already in the Theatre Network Television network for the Robinson-Basilio bout on Sept. 23, it was announced by Nathan L. Halpern, president of TNT. Re¬ quests for rights are still being received. More than 100 mobile and portable TV projectors, 25,000 miles of telephone lines and a seating capacity of 500,000 are in¬ volved in the telecast from Yankee Sta¬ dium. Goodman Joins NSS NEW YORK — Burton E. Robbins, vicepresident in charge of sales for National Screen Service, last week announced the ap¬ pointment of Monroe R. Goodman as his ex¬ ecutive assistant. Goodman was with Para¬ mount for 25 years, when he left to become a vice-president of Artists-Producers Associ¬ ates, Inc. souri; and Waring, for Illinois. A resolution was passed by the convention requesting TOA to explore the possibility of establishing an industry corporation to issue trading stamps. Among others participating in the two-day program were George Roscoe, TOA field rep¬ resentative; M. A. Levy, 20th-Fox midwest district manager, and Tom Bloomer, former MITO president. An exceptionally well pa¬ tronized trade show was held in conjunction with the convention. NEW YORK — Buena Vista, Walt Disney’s releasing subsidiary, will release 15 features during the next 18 months, beginning in September. The ambitious releasing schedule, a new record for BV in its four-year history, was announced by general sales manager Leo F. Samuels, at the close of the firm’s second international sales conference, held at the Disney Studio in Burbank. “In four years,” Samuels said at the con¬ ference’s final session, “our company has be¬ come an increasingly important source of quality product. The name of Walt Disney has always been synonymous with quality. Now, we are in the position to offer the pub¬ lic and our exhibitors quantity as well as quality. Our outstanding schedule for the forthcoming year and a half will fill a great variety of theatre needs, and fill them in a manner that will stimulate boxoffice through¬ out the country.” Included in the 15 Buena Vista releases, with four titles yet to be announced, will be the following Walt Disney productions: “PERRI,” Disney’s first True-Life Fantasy; “OLD YELLER,” a live-action feature star¬ ring Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, Jeff York; “THE LIGHT IN THE FOREST,” fea¬ turing James MacArthur, Wendell Corey, Joanne Dru; “THE RAINBOW ROAD TO OZ,” Disney’s first live-action musical; “ARC¬ TIC WILDERNESS,” True-Life Adventure; “SLEEPING BEAUTY,” all-cartoon feature, produced in Technirama and Technicolor; “SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS”; “PETER PAN”; and “BANNER IN THE SKY,” based on James Ramsey Ullman’s novel. In addition to the Disney features, Buena Vista will distribute two major Technicolor productions of C. V. Whitney Pictures, Inc., “The Missouri Traveler” and “The Young Land.” SPG To Hear Shapp HOLLYWOOD — Samuel G. Engel, presi¬ dent, Screen Producers Guild, announced last fortnight that the first general member¬ ship meeting of the new season will be held on Sept. 23. Milton Shapp, president, Jerrold Electron¬ ics, Philadelphia, will speak on “The Eco¬ nomics of Pay-TV — How To Make Cable Television Profitable.” 20th-Fox Ups Raphel NEW YORK — David Raphel, 20th-Fox man¬ ager in Holland, has been elevated to the post of assistant to John Lefebre, managing di¬ rector for Continental Europe, it was an¬ nounced last week by Murray Silverstone, president, 20th-Fox International Corporation. New DCA Office & NEW YORK— DCA announced the opening of a New York branch office at 630 Ninth Avenue, with Ira Michaels continuing as DCA’s New York sales representative. Kramer Buys "Beach" HOLLYWOOD— Stanley Kramer announced last fortnight that he had purchased the screen rights to the best-seller Nevil Shute novel “On The Beach.” The New York Scene (Continued from page 6) “Stranger” will be made in N. Y. because of location sequences, the good technical assist¬ ance that can be provided, and lower costs and less expensive materials available. If it were to be made at a major studio, it could cost $1,300,000, while he expects to bring it in for $800,000. John Barrymore, Jr., is starred. Culture Note: Sepy Dobronyi likes to make statues of nude women. Columbia likes to exploit its pictures so as to realize the greatest potential. When Sepy accidentally called one of his creations “The Golden Virgin” and Columbia had a film by the same name, they got together. First thing you know, the company will use Sepy and said statue for exploitation and promotion purposes. First stop is the Woods Theatre in Chicago. Sepy didn’t introduce us to the model but lunch wasn’t bad. Aside To Eric Johnston: Your office still is not observing your own event and screening clearance department. Aside To Joe Vogel: Sorry we’ll be unable to accept your invitation of several months ago to be in Louisville for the premiere of “Raintree County.” It seems Kentucky governor Chandler neglected to send us an official invite. Well, we never thought he was too good a baseball commissioner anyway. Aside to Max Youngstein: The addition of the Mirisch organization to the UA roster must be highly regarded indeed. No one was counting at the “21” Club party of welcome. Wasn’t Doris Day a neat looking doll? ! Aside to Harold Rand and Bob Perilla: Well, how was the talent in Europe and do Tigers Really Fly? *> Aside to Ed Feldman: Did you know Tico Records has issued an album of Spanish music inspired by “The Sun Also Rises”? ' Aside to Marty Blau: We’re pleased that Columbia is so pleased with its premiere of “3.10 to Yuma” that they’re sending out a covering brochure to exhibs everywhere. How about that “Miss Colorado” being named “Miss America”? Aside to AI Daff: When you fall off the cigar wagon, leave us know, eh? Aside to Head Shrinkers: Fox is holding special screenings for you guys at the home office of its forthcoming “Three Faces of Eve.” Aside to Mike Hutner: The lino man was probably thinking of Rock Hunter when he com¬ posed the item last week, or maybe he, too, wanted a pair of pajamas. Aside to Sam Rinzler: Go ahead and enjoy yourself. Aside to D. John Phillips: So what.