The Exhibitor (1959)

14 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR March 4, 19 59 Ohio Gov. DiSalle Hits All Movie Censorship The NEW YORK Scene By Mel Konecoff RETURN OF THE DIRECTOR: William Wyler, director of “Ben Hur,” returned here last week after spending close to a year in Italy. He opined that he should be finished editing and scoring so that the film could be released in October. Following this, he expects to take the longest vacation possible with not a thought of making another picture until late next year. Who knows, he might even go to Rome just to sightsee, something that was not possible during the picture’s making. He had nothing but praise for the production facilities at Cinecitta, the Italian studio, and he had no complaints about anything connected with the production. He did admit that it would have “cost a helluva lot more” if it were made in Hollywood, possibly half again as much, and the last production figure estimated was close to 15 mil¬ lions. He thought that the film was a bargain at that in view of the 12 to 13 million spent on “The Ten Commandments.” Asked to comment on the high money demands of stars, writers, directors, etc., he noted that anyone is entitled to what he can get, and if they get it there must be a reason. He did think that the star demands which are the highest are exorbitant, and he thought that they have been out of touch with the public, still being of the opinion that because they are stars in a film is a guarantee of its success. Not so, sez he. The proper creative talent be¬ hind a film is a greater guarantee of its success. The public just does not follow the stars anymore. In contrast, he noted that in Europe a competent picturemaker gets the backing he needs because of his reliable reputation regardless of who is starred. He thought the bankers and others in the industry would do better to bank on the creative end of a film rather than on the personalities before the cameras. Said he, people like George Stevens, Billy Wilder, Al¬ fred Hitchcock, and others should be adequate enough insurance to picture backers. Wyler criticised American exhibitors who are in the main responsible for the situation with stars, since they buy their films after asking who is in it. The same cannot be said for their European counterparts. FANTASY DEPARTMENT: Can you picture Mister Magoo as a lamp dealer in the Arabian Nights period? Can you visualize his jerky nephew as an Arabian Prince? Steve Bosustow, head of UPA Pictures, did, and with the backing of Columbia Pictures he has turned out a feature length cartoon called “Magoo's Arabian Nights.” The film is expected to run about 80 minutes, is in Technicolor, and will be ready for Christmas of this year, coming in for about two millions. At a press luncheon the other day, advertising and publicity executive Jonas Rosenfeld revealed that an extensive promotion campaign was in the works on the cartoon, which includes Bosustow turning out his own TV commercials, setting up licensing agreements with manufacturers of toys, books, records, novelties, etc. in time for the Christmas trade. Bosustow claimed it took 10 years to sell the feature idea. Now that the plunge has been made with Columbia backing, the future has limitless possibilities. Musicals, mysteries, etc. can be made in the animation medium so that adult appeal can be built into an attrac¬ tion as well as the ever-present youngster appeal. Other factors in favor of the move are less casting troubles, lower expenses regarding star talent, etc. Disadvantages include length of time it takes to turn out a cartoon feature and a reluctance of backers to tie-up money over a three or four year period without returns. There is still a place in the market for shorts, he believed, which also serve as a fine spot to try out and to develop characters ala Magoo. Audiences want shorts, and exhibitors are beginning to find them most useful in rounding out the program when they have lengthy single features to play, reported Bosustow. He is seriously considering making longer shorts among the approximate dozen he will turn out this year. It takes about two to three years to turn out an animated feature; however, if the demand is great, this time can be reduced. 1962 should see his next, “Robin Hood Magoo,” ready for theatre screens. Others in the planning stage are “Jellyroll Morton — The Story of Jazz” and a biblical tale, “The Story of Ruth.” THE METROPOLITAN SCENE: UA’s “Some Like It Hot” reopens the rebuilt Loew’s State. What a sight — Marilyn Monroe bending down to cut the ribbon . . . UA has joined the fight against jaywalking by posting 500 colored posters keyed to the theme, “Cross at the green not in between .... Don’t make the next mile .... The Last Mile.” Wonder what they could be plugging? .... “Compulsion” follows “South Pacific” into the Rivoli. Reserved seats? They don’t know yet .... Bantam Books plugging 14 top films in their book promotions be¬ tween now and Easter .... “Inn of the Sixth Happiness” was the third film to play ten weeks in the history of the Paramount .... A children’s coloring book featuring scenes from Paramount’s “The Buccaneer” has been put out by the Saalfield Publishing Company of Akron. It is getting a big play tieing in with theatre dates .... With an announcement due any day as to who is to distribute the United Nations film, “Power Among Men,” in Eastmancolor, it is being unveiled this week at an invitational showing at the Museum of Modern Art. We saw this at United Nations headquarters the other day and it’s a fascinating docu¬ mentary .... Joe Levine makes his invite to his “Hercules Exploitation Luncheon” at the Waldorf Astoria on March 20 in the Main Ballroom most emphatic via an imitation bomb. It should be an explosive affair. Clearance Rule Appealed WASHINGTON — The Orbo Theatre Cor¬ poration, operator, Villa, Rockville, Md., has gone to the Supreme Court in an effort to set aside an Appeals Court decision which upheld a 21-day clearance in favor of Wash¬ ington first-runs. Mendelsohn Leaves U-I-TV NEW YORK — Alfred L. Mendelsohn, as¬ sistant sales manager of Universal Pictures television division, will join Elliot, Unger and Elliot, producer of television filmed commercials, on or about March 1 as general sales manager. COLUMBUS, O. — Even if the Ohio Legis¬ lature approves a movie censorship bill, it appears that such proposals face a veto by Gov. Michael V DiSalle. The governor, in a press conference at the Press Club of Ohio, indicated that he is opposed to censor¬ ship “as a matter of principle.” “It would be difficult to write a censorship law under rules laid down by the Ohio Su¬ preme Court,” said the chief executive. “To set up someone to try to act as a censor, to say what a person should see, could be something very well violative of the First Amendment of the Constitution.” Gov. DiSalle said he believes there should be “strong laws” against pornographic litera¬ ture, which could include movies. “That could be the best way to handle objection¬ able films,” he said. The governor’s statement came on the day that a second censorship bill was intro¬ duced in the Ohio Legislature. Its authors, Sen. Thomas O’Shaughnessy, Democrat, Columbus, and Rep. Paul Lynch, Democrat, Columbus, seek to set up a classification system for films. The classifications, “adult” and “family,” would be determined by a board of eight members set up by the state. The O’Shaughnessy-Lynch Bill would pro¬ hibit persons under 21 from attending “adult” movies. Policing of the classification regulations would be a function of theatre owners and managers, much as bar owners are now held liable for selling liquor to minors. Earlier, Sen. Robert Shaw, Republican, Columbus, introduced a censorship bill which redefines “obscenity” and sets up a board of five members to rule on questionable films. Columbus Paper Backs "Limited" Censorship Bill COLUMBUS, O. — It’s “problematical” how far Sen. Robert F. Shaw’s bill to revive film censorship on a limited scale in Ohio will get in the state legislature, said the Colum¬ bus Dispatch editorially. The newspaper, which has supported censorship, said the legislation might meet opposition from “a hostile U.S. Supreme Court.” “Nevertheless, Sen. Shaw’s proposed law, aimed specifically at obscenity in movies, is a step worth taking,” said the Dispatch. “It defines obscenity precisely and poses a di¬ rect challenge to the reasons for which the Supreme Court knocked down Ohio’s long¬ standing moderate and effective film review statute and for which it has invalidated al¬ most every similar state law on which it has ruled.” “A censorship program such as the Shaw bill provides could go a long way toward barring some of the more blatantly objec¬ tionable films now being shown. It should and doubtless will have the support of many thousands of Ohioans who are concerned and alarmed by the flood of dubious film fare which has washed over Ohio’s screens since the destruction of the state’s film re¬ view program and the virtual breakdown of self-censorship by the film industry. “Some day even the determinedly ‘liberal’ U. S. Supreme Court will be forced to recognize public opinion and the damage done by its rulings on the legality of film review by the individual states. Enactment of the Shaw bill might be a move toward this much-to-be-desired goal.” The Shaw bill is the first censorship pro¬ posal to be introduced in the current session of the legislature.