The Exhibitor (1959)

12 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR August 26, 1959 LONDON Observations by Jock MacGregor EXHIBITORS are rubbing their hands once again. Business has shot up nicely. In the west end and suburbs it is the same, but the public is very definitely shopping for entertainment. There is little that comes between a hit and a miss. Some really alarming lows have been regis¬ tered. The best news is that there is a flow of most promising product for release dur¬ ing the next few months. The Boulting’s latest mickey taking comedy, “I’m All Right, Jack,” a cynical satire on trade unions and big business, received as unanimously enthusiastic a press as it would be possible to get, and on its opening day took $560 more than any other British Lion film ever to play the Leicester Square, all going to prove that premieres are not necessary to launch every picture. Space does not permit the listing of every hit, but one must acknowledge the crowds lining for “Hole in the Head,” “Nun’s Story,” “I Want to Live,” and “Last Train from Gun Hill.” “South Pacific goes on and on at the Dominion, and there is every chance that “Gigi” will leave the Columbia on Sept. 30 with the unique distinction of having never played to an unsold seat at an evening performance. It moves to MGM’s Ritz to make way for “Anatomy of Murder,” which will be shown on a two a day hard ticket basis. ONE OF THE BIGGEST behind the scenes problems following the Rank ratification plan whereby the best theatres were grouped together and the secondary ones linked with independents in the loosely termed “national circuit” has been getting producers to ac¬ cept dates on this outlet. The number of possible bookings is approximately the same, but the full potential value has not been established. Now it would appear on several oc¬ casions in the near future that this group will play the more attractive program . . . Stuart Levy and Nat Cohen have done it again with their “Carry On" series. Pro¬ ducer Peter Rogers’ latest “Carry On, Teacher” had a hard boiled trade audience rock¬ ing in its seats. Rather than receive the bookers and trade reviewers in the foyer, Peter arranged a buffet lunch at the Mirabelle where the praise for the movie was as lavish as the hospitality. In its first pre-release booking, business has been fantastic. Now “Carry On, Constable” is being readied and “Carry On, Sailor” planned. And the trade thinking of the business so far done by the series just says, “Carry On, Stu and Nat.” JIM AND MIKE CARRERAS have for the first time put an artist under contract. She is Norma Marla who did such a successful job in the U.S.A. exploiting “The Mummy.” Sultry and glamorous, she is unique among British contract artists. She really looks like an inter¬ national star and with proper handling will no doubt be so established. For her press unveil¬ ing, Jim had her exotically attired. It was a good start. Too often actresses appear on such occasions without any sort of guidance. . . . That hard working Barker, Clifford Jeapes held a cocktail party in his magnificent Park Lane house to launch the Variety Club’s premiere of Paramount’s “The Five Pennies,” which the Duke of Edinburgh will attend. . . . Sydney Box who has his finger in so many film ventures these days was the perfect host when he introduced Thomas Mitchell, who is making “Too Young To Love,” at a Westbury press reception. . . . “Blue Denim” will be released here as “Blue Jeans.” Cinerama Buys Novel Rights NEW YORK — Cinerama, Inc.’s entrance into the field of wide-screen production was signalized by the purchase, through an exchange of cables, of the rights to Joseph Kessel’s best-selling novel, “The Lion,” published by Alfred Knopf, and translated from the French by Peter Green. It is a Book of the Month Club selection. Hazard Reeves, president, said that formal contracts will be signed at the earliest moment possible and plans developed for the production of the story for Cinerama’s three-camera, multiple-sound system. Carter Republic Holdings Reported to S.E.C. WASHINGTON — A report to the Secur¬ ities and Exchange Commission last fort¬ night revealed that Victor M. Carter, new head, Republic Pictures, had acquired 249,383 shares of common, directly, and 14,800 shares of preferred through Metalsmith’s Inc., and an equal number of shares through Holmes Manufacturing Company. He also acquired for his own account $1,119,800 principal amount of Republic’s debentures. He bought in addition 216,349 shares of common and 29,600 shares of preferred from Associated Motion Picture Indus¬ tries, Inc. Mass. House Shutters NORTH ADAMS, MASS. — After more than 20 years of continuous operation, the Mo¬ hawk, one of the city’s two first-run motion picture theatres, closed last fortnight for an indefinite period. Samuel Goldstein, president, Western Mas¬ sachusetts Theatres, Inc., said that manage¬ ment of the Paramount and Mohawk had been combined and that the Mohawk would be refurbished and reopened when and if business conditions and availability of out¬ standing films made it possible. The ownership of the Mohawk will be retained by the E. M. Loew theatre chain, Boston, which built it in 1938. Lloyd J. Frank, who has been managing the Mohawk, will remain with the Loew theatre chain and expects to be reassigned to one of the company’s other houses it was announced. Dividend Payments UP WASHINGTON — The Department of Com¬ merce reported last fortnight that cash di¬ vidend payments by motion picture corpora¬ tions issuing public reports amounted to $678,000 in July of this year, a $4,000 gain over the same month last year. Cumulative dividends for 1959 totaled $13,009,000, com¬ pared with $11,869,000 for the first seven months of 1958. 10 On Zanuck List For 20th-Fox Release NEW YORK— Darryl F. Zanuck Produc¬ tions, Inc., will undertake a program of 10 major CinemaScope motion pictures during 1959-60 for release through 20th CenturyFox, it was announced recently by Darryl F. Zanuck, president of the independent pro¬ ducing company. The properties, according to Zanuck, will be filmed at 20th Century-Fox’s Hollywood studios and abroad, depending upon the locale, requirements. Ready for immediate production is “A Crack in the Mirror,” based on the French novel by Marcel Haedrich. Richard Fleisher will direct an international cast headed by Orson Welles, Juliette Greco, and Bradford Dillman. Zanuck will personally produce the film. The Zanuck Company’s program also in¬ cludes “Requiem for a Nun,” based on the novel “Sanctuary” by William Faulkner and the recent Broadway and London stage play. The property will be filmed in Hollywood with Richard D. Zanuck as producer. Richard Zanuck recently made his producing debut w;th the award-winning “Compulsion.” James Poe is writing the screenplay. Other properties will include “Deluxe Tour,” by Frederick Wakeman, filmed in Hollywood after second unit locations throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East; “Ballad of the Red Rock,” a story of the youth of modern-day Israel by Meyer Levin, which will begin filming in December on location in Israel; “The Fish Don’t Bite,” a comedy-drama by Carlo Blanco; “The Big Gamble,” by Irwin Shaw, which will be filmed in Italy, the Azores, and Chile; “Patate,” by Marcel Achard, which will be produced at the conclusion of the London stage production now in preparation; “The Secret of Lilly Dafon,” a new play by Wil¬ liam Saroyan; “Yes, Monsieur,” based on a novel by Genevieve de Vilmorin; and “Set¬ tled Out of Court,” based on the novel and play by Henry Cecil. Hyams Joins Batjac NEW YORK — Joseph Hyams has been ap¬ pointed director of advertising and publicity for Batjac Productions, it was announced by John Wayne, president of the independent producing company. Hyams will headquarter in New York and in Bracketsville, Tex., during the production of Batjac’s $8,000,000 outdoor epic, “The Al¬ amo,” a United Artists release, which goes before the cameras early next month. Frequent Moviegoers Lead Parade Back To Boxoffice RIDLEY PARK, PA.— Total movie at¬ tendance was higher during the past summer than it has been for more than a decade, according to a recent report from Sindlinger and Company, business ana¬ lysts. During the week ending Aug. 1, the company report shows that 82.3 mil¬ lion Americans entered movies or driveins. Paid adult (12 years and older) attendance was 68.8 million. The survey showed that 63 percent of attendance was at drive-ins. The report also predicted that the attendance boom would continue, pointing out that there are more frequent moviegoers now than there have been at any time in the past five years.