The Exhibitor (1959)

August 12, 1959 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 11 COMPO Committee Maps Research Plan UA International Promotion Meet Formulates Global Sales Patterns NEW YORK — Plans for a comprehensive research program aimed at helping the entire industry were discussed last week at the first meeting of the COMPO research committee. Presided over by Albert M. Pickus, chair¬ man of the committee, the meeting was held in Pickus’ suite at the Sherry Netherland Hotel. It was attended by Max A. Cohen, Harry Goldberg, Irving Dollinger, Ralph Hetzel, and Charles E. McCarthy. After the meeting, Pickus asserted that while the session had been largely explora¬ tory it had resulted in the establishment of a policy for the committee’s work. “This policy can be simply stated,” Pickus said. “It is simply that we shall attempt to evolve a research program that will have as its objective an improvement in our business. What the nature of that research will be I am not now prepared to discuss, as it will take several meetings and intensive study of numerous suggestions before we will have specific plans whipped into shape. Indeed, we all agreed that until our plans are completed we shall make no further public statement about the committee’s work. However, I wish to emphasize that this will be a working committee and that it will continue its delib¬ erations until it agrees on a workable plan for the improvement of the industry’s busi¬ ness.” UA Promotes Sloane NEW YORK — Burt Sloane has been named United Artists publicity manager, it was announced last week by Roger H. Lewis, vice-president in charge of advertising, publicity, and exploitation. The appointment is effective immediately. Sloane had served as assistant publicity man¬ ager for the past year. He previously was trade press contact for UA. Sloane’s appointment follows the elevation of Morton Nathanson to director of interna¬ tional advertising and publicity. Val Coleman has been named assistant publicity manager, and Sam Kreisler has joined the United Artists publicity depart¬ ment as a feature writer. Israel Honors Krim NEW YORK — Arthur B. Krim, president of United Artists, was awarded the Founders’ Plaque of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Industry last week. Krim was cited by the American-Israel group for his efforts and enthusiastic sup¬ port in promoting the economic relations between the two countries. The presentation was made by Nathan Straus, III, president, American-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Decca Net Improves NEW YORK — Consolidated net earnings of Decca Records, Inc., for the .six months period ending June 30, including the company’s share of undistributed earnings of its sub¬ sidiary, Universal Pictures, amounted to $196,202., equal to 13 cents per share on 1,527,401 outstanding shares of capital stock. In the corresponding period of 1958, Decca reported earnings of $76,370., equal to five cents per share on 1,527,401 outstanding shares of capital stock. NEW YORK — In a pioneering move. United Artists will hold the first intercon¬ tinental promotion conferences in motion picture industry history, it was announced last week by Arnold M. Picker, vice-presi¬ dent in charge of foreign distribution, and William J. Heineman, vice-president. The meetings are being held in New York through Aug. 14. The conferences will bring together topechelon United Artists officials from both sides of the Atlantic to set up comprehensive global promotion and sales patterns. The opening sessions on Aug. 10 were to be chaired by Roger H. Lewis, UA vice-presi¬ dent in charge of advertising, publicity and exploitation. Lewis declared that for the first time in industry history, high-ranking home office and foreign officials are meeting to exchange ideas and to formulate a global merchandis¬ ing blueprint unifying the company’s di¬ verse, worldwide operations. “This marks an important step forward in our overall program to develop and exploit the broadest global market for our product,” he declared. “The steady growth and in¬ creasing importance of foreign distribution and production activities require that we merchandise our films in terms of a truly international character. The conferences will detail promotion methods and techniques de¬ signed to penetrate every audience potential of the world market.” Keynote addresses were to be given by Picker and Heineman and Max E. Youngstein, vice-president. Morton Nathanson, newly appointed director of international advertising and publicity, will supervise the convention program and join with Fred Goldberg, national director of advertising, publicity and exploitation, in directing the work sessions. Under United Artists’ new reorganization, the company’s promotion activities, including advertising, publicity and exploitation, have been consolidated into a single global oper¬ ation. The conferences are aimed at developing global promotions for the company’s current and forthcoming concentration of boxoffice attractions. The meetings place particular emphasis on unifying UA’s film activities with its music, records, and television oper¬ ations on a world-wide basis. UA promotion and sales executives partic¬ ipating in the precedent-setting conferences include James R. Velde, vice-president in Costa Joins UA Records NEW YORK — Don Costa has been named director of artists and repertoire of United Artists Records, it was announced last week by Max E. Youngstein, president of UAR, and David V. Picker, executive vice-president of the record company. Costa will assume his new position at the conclusion of his present contractual commitments. In addition to his A and R functions, he will also perform for the UAR label as a recording artist. Costa, highly regarded as a composer, con¬ ductor, and arranger as well as record execu¬ tive, will direct all recording activities of United Artists and its subsidiary labels. He comes to UA from ABC -Paramount where he served as A and R chief during the past four years. charge of domestic sales; Louis Lober, vicepresident in charge of foreign operations; Bruce Eells, executive vice-president of UATV; David V. Picker, executive vice-presi¬ dent of UA Records; Mo Rothman and Alfred Katz, foreign department executives; Samuel Cohen, foreign publicity manager, and Maurice Segal, west coast publicity coordinator. Key European promotion and sales execu¬ tives attending the intercontinental meetings are Charles Smadja, vice-president in charge of European productions; Giulio Ascarelli, continental advertising and publicity man¬ ager; Karl Scheffler, publicity manager for Germany; Joe Pole, publicity manager for Great Britain; and Francis Winnikus, Eur¬ opean assistant to Youngstein. UA’s first intercontinental promotion con¬ ferences will stress global promotion cam¬ paigns for the company’s outstanding roster of forthcoming releases, including such at¬ tractions as Edward Small’s “Solomon and Sheba,” starring Yul Brynner and Gina Lollobrigida; Stanley Kramer’s “On The Beach,” starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner; Hecht-Hill-Lancaster’s “The Un¬ forgiven,” starring Burt Lancaster and Aud¬ rey Hepburn; Jurow-Shepherd’s “The Fugi¬ tive Kind,” starring Marlon Brando, Anna Magnani, and Joanne Woodward; Joseph Fields’ “Happy Anniversary,” starring David Niven and Mitzi Gaynor, and Hecht-HillLancaster’s “The Devil’s Disciple,” starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, and Laurence Olivier. Velde Tours Exchange Areas To Map Distribution Plans NEW YORK— James R. Velde, United Artists vice-president in charge of domestic sales, is holding a series of sale meeting in six major exchange areas, beginning in Washington, D. C. The UA vice-president is meeting with company sales representatives and exhibitor leaders in a coast-to-coast tour including the Washington, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Omaha, Detroit, and Toronto ex¬ changes. Velde stated that the sales sessions will develop distribution campaigns for the com¬ pany’s lineup of boxoffice atractions set for release during the next six months. Partici¬ pating are Sidney Cooper, central and south¬ ern division manager; Milton Cohen, eastern and Canadian division manager; A1 Fitter, western divison manager. Mirisch To Film "Winesburg" NEW YORK — Harold J. Mirisch, president of the Mirisch Company, announced the ac¬ quisition of the rights to Sherwood Ander¬ son’s controversial book “Winesburg, Ohio,' which will be produced by the Mirisch Com¬ pany for United Artists release with Jeffrey Hayden directing and Christopher Sergei writing the screenplay. UA Declares Dividend NEW YORK — The board of directors of United Artists Corporation declared a regu¬ lar quarterly dividend of 40 cents per com¬ mon share, payable Sept. 30 to stockholders of record Sept. 18. SLOANE