The Exhibitor (1959)

12 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR February 25, 19 59 UA Production Pacts At All-Time High; $70 Million Budget For '60 LOS ANGELES— With United Artists in¬ dependent production associations now at an all-time high, the company will invest be¬ tween $65,000,000 and $70,000,000 for pro¬ duction in 1960, it was announced last week by vice-president Max E. Youngstein at the company’s Fortieth Anniversary Sales Con¬ vention in Los Angeles. The sales meeting, to map distribution for the greatest product lineup in UA's 40year history, is being presided over by William J. Heineman, vice-president in charge of distribution, and James R. Velde, general sales manager. “Our commitments with producers and star-producers now number almost 70,” Youngstein told the convention delegates. “Our success in attracting the outstanding creative artists is a result of our proven ability to promote and to sell. “Our goal for the coming year is to create new strength and new growth. We recog¬ nize no fixed limits to our potential. We’re very confident and very excited about the program we’ve assembled for 1959. We ex¬ pect to continue to attract production and performing talent in growing numbers.” Underscoring UA’s newly-won primacy in the motion picture industry, Youngstein re¬ called that eight years ago when the new management group headed by president Arthur B. Krim and board chairman Robert S. Benjamin took over the reins, United Artists had not received a single new film from an independent producer in nine months. “Today,” he said, “our long-range production program encompasses projects through 1962. Properties on the schedule include many of the most sought-after books and plays. Films for UA are shooting on three continents.” As an illustration of UA’s product strength in its Fortieth Anniversary Year, Youngstein listed 34 films that are now editing, shooting, and in active preparation. Lewis Promises Fight Against Ad Censorship With a record concentration of big films to merchandise during its anniversary year, United Artists does not intend to be ham¬ pered or intimidated by the new wave of “backstairs” censorship that is being directed against motion picture advertising. The promise of uninhibited, un-self-con¬ scious promotion was made by Roger H. Lewis, national director of advertising, pub¬ licity, and exploitation. Citing recent rejections by newspapers of motion picture ads, Lewis declared, “It’s about time the industry stopped being sheepish and supine. It’s time that we called for an end to the double standard — one un¬ realistically rigid measure for film promotion, another more lax and liberal standard for competing entertainment media.” Further documenting his charge of a double standard, Lewis told convention dele¬ gates that the very newspapers that turn down film ads splash their front pages with lurid stores and stills of sex and violence that would never even be considered for movie production or promotion. Lewis pointed out that no responsible in¬ dustry organization would exploit the vulgar and obscene to stimulate boxoffice action. “What we are unwilling to submit to,” he said, “is the capricious and discriminatory censoring of movie ads on the basis of arbi¬ trary and false standards, and by people who have no authority or special aptitude to determine what the public may find agreeable or disagreeable. “In virtually every other field,” Lewis stated, “the advertiser is free to reach the consumer in his own way. The film industry alone is traditionally handcuffed and hound¬ ed by self-appointed arbiters of public taste. “This year United Artists is putting into distribution the very finest lineup of big pictures in its 40-year history. This demands a promotion program that’s free and more flexible than anything we’ve ever used be¬ fore. We don’t intend to let this ‘backstairs’ censorship cramp our style and our product potential. If necessary, we’ll go to the courts to protect our right to reach the public in our own way.” Sales Divisions Realigned In United States, Canada United Artists is realigning its domestic sales divisions to afford maximum selling im¬ pact for its product, it was announced by James R. Velde, general sales manager. Under the new plan, the territorial United States and Canada will be divided into the following three major divisions: eastern and Canadian, central and southern, and western. Milton E. Cohen, terminating his position as supervisor of sales for “Around the World in 80 Days,” heads the newly-created eastern and Canadian division. Sidney Cooper, for¬ merly central district manager, has been promoted to division manager of the newly formed central and southern division. Al Fitter continues as western division manager. Conforming with the new territorial re¬ alignment, William Marchese becomes east¬ ern and Canadian division contract manager, and Phil Gettelson is appointed central and southern division contract manager. Arthur Reiman remains as western division con¬ tract manager. John Hughes, formerly eastern and south¬ ern contract manager, is promoted to New York circuit contact in the new sales shifts. Exchange areas falling under the super¬ vision of the eastern and Canadian division, include Buffalo, Boston, New Haven, Phila¬ delphia, and Cleveland, under eastern dis¬ trict manager Gene Tunick; Calgary, Mon¬ treal, St. John, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg under Canadian district manager Charles S. Chaplin. Central and southern exchange areas and their district managers include Charlotte, Jacksonville, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Dallas, under southern district manager William Hames; Detroit, Cincinnati, Indiana¬ polis, Pittsburgh, and Washington, under newly-appointed central district manager James Hendel. Branches and district managers under the supervision of the western division include Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Denver, under western dis¬ trict manager Ralph Clark; St. Louis, Omaha. Kansas City, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee, under midwest district manager F. J. Lee. The New York exchange area falls under the direct supervision of the New York home office. The Chicago branch falls within the operations of the eastern and Canadian di¬ vision headed by Cohen. The second and concluding series of an¬ niversary sales convention meetings were to take place at the Roney Plaza Hotel in Miami, Fla., with representatives of 19 U. S. and Canadian branches attending. United Artists has set an anniversary sales drive, it was announced by Velde in Miami. United Artists recent 40th anniversary sales convention in Los Angeles got under way, left, with an address by vice-president in charge of distribution William J. Heineman, who emphasised a record program of over $65,000,000 in features in 1959. Seen, left to right, are Roger H. Lewis, national director of advertising, publicity and exploitation; Max E. Youngstein, vice-president; Heineman; and James R. Velde, general sales manager. On the right, Velde is seen presiding over the sales conclave.