The Exhibitor (1959)

20 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR July 8, 1959 Changing Face Of Shifting Tides Of PONTIAC, MICH.— What really goes on in the industry as 40 million Americans change residence each year is pointed up by simul¬ taneous anouncements. 1) What was once Pontiac’s most luxuri¬ ous movie palace, the Orpheum, will be torn down immediately. Completed in 1925 by the late A. J. Kleist Jr. and his wife, Gladys R. Kleist, the house hosted attractions from silent pictures to stock companies. It had everything from a $25,000 organ to showers in backstage dressing rooms. It was leased to the Butterfield circuit in 1927, which sur¬ rendered it in 1955, since when it has been dark. Mrs. Kleist revealed simply it would be razed to save taxes, and within three months the site will become a parking lot. 2) Prophets of doom will be desolated to learn that Elton Samuels, who operates the Pontiac and Jackson Drive-Ins, for the Mir¬ acle Mile Drive-In Corporation, filed incor¬ poration papers for a new airer. Samuels has purchased a 32 acre tract ad¬ jacent to the Miracle Mile development, a large modern shopping center. On it will rise the Miracle Mile Drive-In. Construction by the West Engineering Co. of Flint begins this week. Samuels expects to open the MM THIS September. It will accommodate 1500 cars. In addition to standard projection, National Theatre Sup¬ ply will also install 70mm. L and L Theatre Concessions will operate the counters. Buy¬ ing and booking is to be handled by Clark Theatre Service of Detroit. There will be 1500 heaters. The new skytop will cost a half a million dollars. Theatre To Garage ALBANY — Permission to convert the Delmar, Delmar (Albany suburb), into a garage and car showroom has been approved by the Town of Bethlehem Board of Appeals. The only four-waller there, it was conducted for years by the late Joseph Jarvis, and since his death, by the widow, Mrs. Mary Jarvis. A son, Joseph L., now managing the Palace, Lake Placid, also was associated with the op¬ eration. The application for a zoning change to per¬ mit the conversion was opposed by Bethle¬ hem Community Association on the ground the structure is only 398 feet from St. Thomas Roman Catholic Church. A minimum of 500 feet had been required under zoning ordin¬ ances. The change sought by David and Donald Halsdorf, owners of a nearby garage, was ap¬ proved by Rt. Rev. Msgr. Raymond F. Roon¬ ey, pastor, who wrote a letter to the Halsdorf’s attorney that the conversion would not be detrimental to the church. India To See Cinerama NEW YORK — India will be added to the many foreign countries throughout the world presenting Cinerama. Bishu Sen, well known Indian producer, signed contracts with the Stanley Warner Cinerama Corporation giving him the right to present Cinerama throughout India. According to Sen, the first presentation will be in Calcutta, pending government approval, with subsequent Cin¬ erama installations to follow in Bombay and New Delhi. Negotiations were handled by B. G. Kranze, vice-president, Stanley Warner Cinerama Corporation. Industry Reflects US Population Arizona Non-Resident Tax Seen Chasing Production HOLLYWOOD — Producer Wililam Goetz made a direct appeal last fortnight on behalf of his own company and Hollywood producers in general to Governor Paul J. Fannin of Arizona to enlist his aid in bringing about repeal of Arizona tax statute 140NR, which imposes a state tax of one-half per cent on earnings of non¬ residents during their stay in the state. Goetz said, “It is more than just a mat¬ ter of the money we pay into the state. The tax itself is minor, but the over-all tax picture adds enough tax so that it often is a matter of whether a picture is made in Arizona or not.” Loew's Nets $375,100 NEW YORK — Loew’s Theatres, Inc., and subsidiary companies report for the quarter (12 weeks) ending June 4, the first quarterly report since date of division, a net income of $375,100 after provision for U.S. and Ca¬ nadian income taxes of $480,000. The net income is equivalent to 14 cents per share on 2,668,389 shares of common stock out¬ standing. Gross revenues for the quarter amounted to $10,207,000. At a meeting held June 19, the board of Loew’s Theatres, Inc., approved a restricted stock option plan, subject to stockholders’ approval, for its key personnel. The plan provides that the Corporation reserve 130,000 shares of its common stock, of which amount options for 85,000 shares were grant¬ ed. Bardot Pic Faces Providence Censors PROVIDENCE — A private screening for the Providence Bureau of Licenses of a Brigitte Bardot film, “Love Is My Profession,” which Lt. George P. Blessing, city amuse¬ ment inspector, has refused to approve in its uncut version, will soon be held in the Avon Cinema. Joseph C. Scuncio, license bureau chair¬ man, said that Blessing saw the movie at a private showing, not too long ago, and noti¬ fied the bureau that he would not recom¬ ment approval of the entertainment licenses unless certain scenes were removed from the version scheduled to open at the Avon dur¬ ing July. Scuncio said that the theatre management has said it wishes to show the French pro¬ duced film without deletions. It will be the second private screening of a Brigitte Bardot film at the Avon for the bureau. The theater received permission a year ago to show “And God Created Woman” after agreeing to make cuts recommended by Lt. Blessing. Scuncio pointed out that “Love Is My Pro¬ fession” has been shown in New York and other cities only after deletions were made. In January, 1956, the American film, “Baby Doll,” was screened privately here in Provi¬ dence for the bureau. Permission to show the film was given the Majestic after the management agreed to remove scenes which bureau members felt were suggestive, and others they believed to be offensive because racial groups were referred to in derogatory terms. U-l Handles "Sapphire" NEW YORK — Universal announced last week that arrangements had been concluded with the Rank Organization to handle in the U.S. distribution of “Sapphire” in Eastman Color, with Nigel Patrick and Yvonne Mit¬ chell. LONDON Observations by Jock MacGregor BACK FROM BURBANK bursting to tell the press of the wonderful product they had previewed came C. J. Latta, Arthur Abeles, and Jack Goodlatte. It was hard to say who was the more enthusiastic — the seller or the buyer. Jack, who had gone as Warners’ biggest British customer, said that never as an exhibitor had he hoped to see six such potential hits from one com¬ pany in one year as were shown at the convention. Since Jack L. Warner’s recovery — he looks fitter than ever — the company has been reborn and revitalized, Jack claims. Jack, being a showman who appreciates he must never stand still and must gamble and experiment to get results, plans to roadshow “The Nun’s Story” here. He is undaunted by “Diary of Anne Frank” having to be whipped out of such a policy at the Carlton and transferred to smaller Rialto on a Standard grind basis. . . . Following the trade screening of “Ferry to Hong Kong,” Rank’s first CinemaScoper, RFD’s Fred Thomas hosted a trade press lunch to welcome Colan MacArthur back from South America as head of Rank Over¬ seas Film Distributors. I knew Colan first when he ran Rank’s highly successful Italian set¬ up. Good luck. MORE HOSPITALITY came my way after the preview of “Mon Oncle,” which Ben Henry is handling following disagreement over the guarantee required for this market, at a Casanova lunch. Fabulously well reviewed by the press, no circuit deal has been set. Jaques Tati would be well advised to cut some 20 minutes to enhance its commercial pros¬ pects here. . . . The spacious foyer of the new Columbia was used for a press conference for the first time when producer Charles H. Schneer introduced Kevin Matthews, Jo Mor¬ row, June Thorburn, and other cast members of “Gulliver’s Travels.” He is once again using Dynamation which he claims is much improved since “7th Voyage of Sinbad.” Locations will be shot in Spain. Publicizing is Hollywood’s Lon Jones. ... I have a date on Sunday according to a gaily illustrated poster. It announces that I am bullfighting in Seville. This colorful piece of “bull” is an artful reminder that Associated British’s “Tom¬ my the Toreador” unit is on location in Spain. It will hang in a place of honor for a long time.