The Exhibitor (1959)

12 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR August 12, 19 59 The NEW YORK Scene By Mel Konecoff MARTIN SWEENEY, executive vice-president of Magna Theatres Corp., distributors of the Norelco all-purpose projector and owners of the Todd-AO production process, wants it known that rumors to the effect that 70mm equipment was not available are false. As a matter of fact, his company has installed 22 such projectors in 11 theatres, with another 16 scheduled for installation in August. Thus far, 84 theatres have been sold in the U.S. and Canada through July. He estimated installations in Europe came to another 75 theatres. Sweeney was proud of the fact that the projectors have been in operation since 1955 with¬ out any breakdowns. The purchase of a set includes an engineering survey, supervising of installation, lenses, etc., all for the price of $15,500. He noted that Loew’s has ordered 16 projectors for delivery in September. By the end of the year, Sweeney estimated that an additional 50 to 75 machines would be installed in theatres here and in Canada. He felt that the future of Todd-AO and 70m'm was assured, with a number of producers scheduling future filming on wide film. He expected that there would be a minimum of three features from 20th Century-Fox alone in the next several years. High grosses from Todd-AO features are encouraging other producers to consider the process. Sweeney also announced the new slate of officers realigned since George Schaefer resigned as president. George P. Skouras is president; A. E. Boellinger, treasurer; George J. Solomon, secretary; and Martin Kasman, assistant treasurer. WE TOOK A RIDE (again via air conditioned limousine — boy, are we getting spoiled) up to the Terrytoon factory in New Rochelle where Bill Weiss, vice-president and general man¬ ager of the CBS-owned company, played host to a look-see at what was going on plus a showing of some of the forthcoming product. He noted that business is on the upgrade with the second quarter 10 per cent ahead of the same period last year. TV commercial cartoons outdistance theatrical revenues. He esti¬ mated that 1959 will see 20 cartoons released, and that 1960 will go with 24 animated fun films. The organization, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in October, he noted, has changed its thinking from early days, and today’s product is greatly different from the accepted Hollywood concept of a cartoon. This applies visually as well as musically. The cartoons are lighter, funnier, and off-beat in story line and execution. The cost varies from $35,000 to $50,000, and they can be turned out in 90 days as compared with the year it took not too long ago. Short releases used to find their greatest revenue in marginal houses, reported he, whereas now they are being played in better theatres and in many top firstruns. A good cartoon can come through with 15,000 bookings domestically and with twice that number world-wide. Terrytoons is thinking about feature-length cartoon production, but thus far the right subject has failed to materialize. The plant employs a staff of about 100. PRODUCTION NOTE: Ross Hunter, ex-actor and highly successful producer at UniversalInternational, was hosted at a 21 Club trade press luncheon recently when he came east with a rough print of his latest, “Pillow Talk," starring Rock Hudson and Doris Day, for release early in the fall. The lad who has made 21 pictures has had phenomenal success with pictures for women and remakes. He believes that pictures and the people therein must have glamour and glitter. If most people get something on screen that they can’t get at home they are satisfied, opined he. Said he, you also have to use every built-in gimmick you can find in a picture these days for it to be successful. His big grossers, averaging one per year, which have made U-I very happy, include “Mag¬ nificent Obsession,’’ “Battle Hymn,” “The Glenn Miller Story,” “All That Heaven Allows,” and “Imitation of Life.” The last was a real big grosser. He’s also had some clinkers for which he blames no one but himself. Hunter is also unique in that he doesn’t care what the critics think about his pictures since they don’t pay to see them. The producer was of the opinion that the industry was never more alive than it is today. It’s wonderful to see the way theatres are coming to the people as part of new shopping centers, where they can be attended the lazy way. He also thought that there was still a place for the first-run downtown as well. Another opinion is that pay-TV will arrive some day, and that meanwhile TV was hurting itself badly with poor editing of the old films they are showing. Hunter’s picture schedule calls for the remaking of another oldie, “Back Street,” and be¬ cause of his past successes, the studio is giving him a free hand with women’s pictures which once were discouraged. He wants to make it upbeat with lots of glamour and glitter, even though it has a sad ending. Others on the Hunter schedule are “Matilda Shouted Fire,” an English comedy; “Elephant Hill,” to be made in India with Susan Hayward; “Little Eva,” with Sandra Dee, another possible “Tammy”; and a spectacle, ’’Peter And Catherine.” His contract with Universal has four years to go, and he’s going to try and renegotiate some of the terms like money, seeing as how his pictures are doing well by exhibitors and the company. One SBA Theatre Loan WASHINGTON — The Small Business Administration reported that only one of the 601 loans okayed in June went to a mo¬ tion picture theatre. The transaction involved $27,000 of $31,588,000 disbursed to small busi¬ ness and went to Bourbon Entertainment Company, Paris, Ky., for a drive-in. Feinstein Heads Roach Branch NEW YORK — Arthur Sachson, general sales manager for the Hal Roach Distribution Corporation, announced that Dick Feinstein has been appointed New York branch man¬ ager. Feinstein has been with the Roach organization for three years as assistant branch manager. MPA, ACE Appoint Three Sub-Committees NEW YORK— S. H. Fabian, chairman, American Congress of Exhibitors, and Eric Johnston, president, Motion Picture Associa¬ tion, last week announced the names of members of the three sub-committees that will work in the special areas discussed at the recent ACE-MPAA joint meeting. The product committee, which will ex¬ amine the possibilities of more film product for theatres, comprises for ACE, Fabian, chairman; Sol A. Schwartz, co-chairman; Sidney N. Markley and William Forman; and for MPAA, Barney Balaban and Abe Schneider, co-chairmen. The committee to aid small theatres will consist of for ACE, Horace Adams and George Kerasotes, co-chairmen; Irving Dollinger, Max A. Cohen, and Albert M. Pickus; and for MPAA, Arthur Krim, Robert Ben¬ jamin, and Abe Montague, co-chairmen. The advertising committee will consist of for ACE, Max A. Cohen and Emanuel Frisch, co-chairmen, and Harry Mandel, Harry Goldberg, and Ernest Emerling; and for MPAA, Joseph R. Vogel and John O’Connor, co-chairmen. The MPAA co-chairmen may call in others to work with them. The sub-committees are expected to re¬ port to the next joint meeting of ACE-MPAA scheduled for Aug. 25. Md. To Enforce Censor Law BALTIMORE, MD. — Attorney General C. Ferdinand Sybert and his chief deputy, Stedman Prescott, Jr., last fortnight advised C. Morton Goldstein, chairman, Maryland Board of Motion Picture Censors, that while several provisions of the state’s censorship measure may be unconstitutional, it is the duty of the cenors to enforce the law until such time as they may be held unconstitu¬ tional by the courts. The opinion advised Goldstein to continue to enforce the provisions of the two sections dealing with debasement or corruption of morals and incitement to crime, except the portion portraying immorality in a favorable light, which had been ruled upon by the U.S. Supreme Court in the “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” decision. House Hears Censor Bill WASHINGTON — The House version of the Eastland joint resolution to reinforce state censorship laws was introduced last fort¬ night by Representative John Dowdy, Demo¬ crat, and former Texas district attorney. Senator Eastland submitted the Senate draft recently after blasting the Supreme Court for its “Lady Chatterley’s Lover” deci¬ sion. Eastland said the court has broken down the Hollywood film code and destroyed the effectiveness of state laws on censorship. The Dowdy resolution, identical to the one presented by Eastland, declares that “nothing in the Constitution or the Amendments there¬ to shall be construed to limit the power of any state to protect the moral standards of its citizens.” Milwaukee House To Close MILWAUKEE — The Alhambra, believed to be the oldest motion picture theatre in the city, will close on Aug. 16 because of leasing difficulties with the building’s own¬ ers. Operated by Stanley Warner Theatres Inc., the house, which dates back to 1896, became a motion picture theatre for the first time in 1918.