The Exhibitor (1959)

12 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR July 22, 195b ROAMIN' FORUMS to Publicize . . . All over the map of the US., Twentieth is con¬ ducting a series of screenings and forums, in ad¬ vance of openings, to guarantee circulation if BLUE DENIM at the “talkit-up” level Experimented with successfully in New York, the jk stunt is now in the course of being duplicated in every other exchange area \ This is the way it works1 Call in a leading local figure, who writes ot talks on social problems in modern society, to serve as host and moderator at a discussion following -. screening of the picture T \ Among those invited are educators, legai lights, attorneys specializing in divorce cases, medical men including analysts and psychotherapists, and min¬ isters, priests and rabbis The discussion centers on the boldness of making a film on the subject of BLUE DENIM — the unusual topic of abortion— and the role of the screen in spreading enlightenment, which is another way of preventing this medical evil Should motion pictures speak so frankly and bluntly to delinquent parents? Or will this scare otf pros¬ pective customers who don't want to be admonished5 It's a bold move that Twentieth made in pro¬ ducing BLUE DENIM — boldness is the wav to sell t We can think of no bolder or smarter wav than the Blue Ribbon BLUE DENIM forums • • • Screenings of BLUE DENIM throughout the country, followed by discussion of the questions raised by the filir is an effective means of creating maximum interest in the picture among the nation's opinion makers. Film Company Presidents Lend Hand In Battle For Penna. Sunday Films Spyros P. Skouras, 20th-Fox president, and Mrs. Skouras embark for an extended tour of Russia and eastern Europe. Skouras will confer with industry leaders in each country in an effort to secure greater east-west co¬ operation. U-l Ends Transition; Sees Bright Future CHICAGO — Milton R. Rackmil, president, Universal Pictures Company, told a sales ex¬ ecutive conference at the U offices here last week that “the transition period is behind us. We have seen the positive results of our re¬ tooling and we look forward to the future with continued optimism and realistic con¬ fidence.” The company plans to continue to further implement the policy of making high quality, top budget films with the industry’s outstand¬ ing box office personalities, Rackmil said. He predicted that the soon to be released “Pillow Talk” and “Operation Petticoat” would match the box office success of “Imi¬ tation Of Life” and “This Earth Is Mine.” For “Spartacus,” he predicted a worldwide boxoffice performance that should match the industry’s greats of all time. Henry H. Martin, general sales manager, presided at the three-day meetings which were attended by F. J. A. McCarthy, assist¬ ant general sales manager; James J. Jordan, circuit sales manager; Charles Simonelli, eastern advertising and publicity department manager; and Jeff Livingston, eastern ad¬ vertising manager. Regional sales managers participating were Joseph B. Rosen, Barney Rose, P. F. Rosian, and R. N. Wilkinson. Cary Grant and producer Ross Hunter also attended the meetings, Grant telling the sales executives about “Operation Petticoat,” made for U-I by his Granart Productions; and Hunter bringing with him a rough cut of “Pillow Talk,” which he and Martin Melcher produced. Equipment Exports Steady WASHINGTON — Nathan D. Golden, direc¬ ts of the Scientific, Motion Picture and Photographic Products Division of the Com¬ merce Department Business and Defense Services Administration, reported last fort¬ night that the total U.S. exports of motion picture film and equipment have remained steady at $31, 000, 000-plus during the past three years. HARRISBURG, PA. — Their campaign for t passage of State Senate Bill 921 to ease “Blue 2 Law” motion picture theatre operating re 'i strictions was carried directly to Pennsyl j) vania legislators last week by members of / the Pennsylvania Motion Picture Association. I Following a strategy meeting at the Penn ^ Harris Hotel here, theatremen spent the day ■, Visiting State Senators and Assemblymen, ■ seeking their pledges of support for Senate t Bill 921, which is now in the Senate Law and Order Committee. The Bill would per¬ mit Sunday movies in any community where I 20 per cent of the registered voters petitioned for them. Under existing law, Sunday movies can be shown on a local option basis only after a referendum. John G. Broumas, operator, State Line Drive-In, State Line, Pa., and president of the ■ Pennsylvania exhibitors association, termed the turnout for the session excellent, and said the theatrement were optimistic that they could obtain favorable action on the Bill at the current legislative session. He said the members were particularly heartened by the support from Theatre Own¬ ers of America and from the film company presidents. He disclosed that at the suggestion of TOA president George Kerasotes, Robert Benjamin and Arthur Krim of United Artists, Jack Warner of Warner Bros., Spyros P. Skouras of Fox, Steve Brodie of Allied Artists, and Milton Rackmil of Universal had personally contacted Senator Harvey M. Taylor, Senate President Pro-Tern, and Sena¬ tor Douglas Elliott, chairman of the Law and Order Committee, regarded as key men in getting the bill moved to the Senate floor for a vote. He said he was certain the other film company presidents would take similar action. “To our knowledge,” Broumas said, “this is the first time the presidents of production and distribution companies have intervened directly in a state matter, and it is of tre¬ mendous encouragement to the exhibitors of Pennsylvania to know that they have a united industry behind them in this effort to mod¬ ernize an antiquated, undemocratic law.” Broumas said that exhibitors present set themselves up as a committee to contact all other exhibitors in the state to enlist their support. A major portion of their efforts, he reported, will be devoted to interesting business groups, civic organizations and parent-teacher associations in supporting the Bill. Hofei Chain Buys Loew's Stock ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.— Tisch Hotels, op¬ erating the Traymore and Ambassador Hote’s here, the Americana, Bal Harbour, Miami Beach, and the Belmont Plaza, New York, among others, was acquiring substantial hold¬ ings in Loew’s Theatres, it was learned last fortnight. The move was seen as part of a diversification program by the Tisch organ¬ ization. Laurence A. Tisch, the corporation’s presi¬ dent, described the move as “friendly” and said he has owned some Loew’s stock for some time, but more recently has purchased freely in the open market. The total number of shares now held was not divulged, but it was said to be less than the 15 per cent which has figured in reports,