The Exhibitor (1959)

September 30, 1959 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 17 V:-V\ >•* *' * • . T-l-’ • y' "M OVER THE ATLANTIC” .tfr ' ■ • ,••->. r;.' «. v_ ~V.v» "• M mBb ABmm Hi ^Pv Bl INTER CONTINENT ORGANIZATION V.V ■v'y /AtBftNV and BUffALO^r: ■' . '. 7 v /-• wax Wesfebbe .' ^ ATLANTA, ,CHAR LOTTE, . . JACKSONVILLE, KANSAS CltT, ? : MEMPHIS and ST. 10TJIS ? ■’ -•: ... fiowco Exchanges, Inc. • •:,'• .• •.... ‘ Gen. Mgr..Scott lett-v. BOSTON and NEW HAVEN \ . •*•• .• Edward' Ruff Film. Associates :VC "•. Edward Ruff • " . • . "r ^Chicago, Milwaukee,. ^ MINNEAPOLIS, DES MOINES > : 77 -^ /'•'issanjay Fi’Uns^JnFGc^ ^-.7 ; ■ r->J*>'-ireing.S;; Joseph r ^"•. " ... '. ~ :CI N C.INN ATI , . ’ Screen Cissies, Inc.'-*' • '. h * :7V': -V .Edward SaJzb’erg' 7" V £ . ' J'-Empir.e Pictures Distributing Co: • J OENVER : ' E G.Fitm Distributor , ' ' , "Eugene Gerbase • ’ •'./ 7 ; :: OEtROIT add CLEVELAND ' ' ’" " Sam Seplowin INDIANAPOLIS Howco Film Exchange, Inc. Jessel Salzberg LOS ANGELES, SAN FRANCISCO, SEATTLE-PORTLAND Favorite Films of California, Inc. N. P. Jacobs NEW ORLEANS Howco Pictures of Louisiana, Inc. L. V. Seicshnaydre NEW YORK Realart Film Exchange George J. Waldman OKLAHOMA CITY Screen Guild Productions of Oklahoma, Inc. PHILADELPHIA American International Film Distributing Corp. Edward Heiber WASHINGTON, D.C. American International Picture Exchange Jake Flax CANADA Inter-World Theatrical Distributors Corp. Toronto A. W. Perry INTER CONTINENT RELEASING ORGANIZATION Paramount Sunset Studios 1456 North Bronson Avenue Hollywood 28, Calif., Hollywood 2-6282 LONDON Observations by Jock MacGregor ABE MONTAGUE must have felt very proud and been, I believe, more than a little touched by the turnout at the London lunch in his honor. Leaders from all sides of the industry were there in force, and as he quipped looking along the impressive top table: “Never have I spoken before so many of my bosses.” Seated there were Irving Allen, Cubby Broccoli, Jim Carreras, Stanley Donen, Carl Foreman, Sir Alec Guinness, Otto Preminger, Sir Carol Reed, Charles Schneer, Walter Shenson, and Sam Spiegel — a mighty array of production talent whose efforts are released through Columbia. Abe greatly impressed his audience. Covering all facets of the industry on a global basis, he supported claims with intricate facts and figures, but not once in his fluent and lengthy speech did he consult a note. We had gathered to pay tribute to this great American sales chief, but to hear him speak, we might well have been paying homage to Mike Frankovich. There is no question as to the esteem in which he holds him. And justly so. Mike has done a terrific job. In little over four years, he has with drive, foresight and initiative bulldozed Columbia from a lowly position to the very forefront of the industry in London. His sponsoring of British product has paid big dividends in more than one way. His promotion to a vice-president of Columbia Pictures Corporation has been joyfully acclaimed as a just reward. As Abe said, “Once it was a case of ‘Go west, young man; now, with the present trend in the industry, it is ‘Go east’ Carry on, Mike Frankovich.” IT IS A CASE of “Go West” for Jim Carreras, who is New York bound on Oct. 21 for a stay at the Hampshire house to boost his latest Columbia release, “Yesterday’s Enemy.” He will be accompanied by General Sir Robert Mansergh, ADC General to the Queen and commander of Britain’s 5th Army Division in Burma, who will lecture in connection with the film. Jim, by the way, is hopping mad with the Hollywood daily story that Elliot Hyman has bought Hammer Films and has had the cables burning with denials. ... It is attending functions like the opening of the Kingston Boys Club that one has second views about the value of film premieres. It was partly due to money so raised that the Variety Club and the local Round Table were able to make this fine project possible. It was the dream child of C. J. Latta and D. J. Goodlatte, who live in the district and brought it before the crew who immediately provided $15,400 of the $21,000 required and much equip¬ ment. Incidentally, senior members of Variety found themselves unexpectedly on TV. They had been called for an emergency crew meeting in C. J.’s office. A door opened and it was a case of “lights, action, camera.” “This is Your Life” featured Chief Barker Billy Butlin, who had been married earlier in the day. Our heartiest congratulations to Bill and Norah, two of the loveliest people in show business. CHARLES SCHNEER’S press conference was among the roughest I recall. First his pro¬ posals to glorify the ex-Nazi Wernher von Braun, whose rocket bombs brought Hell to Lon¬ don were severely challenged. Then, after working for two weeks at Pinewood finishing “Gulliver’s Travels,” he said, because of his experiences with labor, he would never film here again. Some got hot around the collar, feeling he was not the man to make such statements, and it is his good fortune that certain ‘nationals’ next morning had more important news than his utterances. . . . Talking of pressmen, this is a good one! A top critic confided in me he had a brush with his editor because his film feature was being cut and cut while plays and TV were getting more space. The editor confronted him with the recently highly publi¬ cised falling attendance figures and said that with the public losing interest, he could not justify the space. Others, besides ABC, must make a thorough effort to get patrons back to those empty stalls. Selznick Sells 22 To BBC HOLLYWOOD — The Selznick Company, Inc., last fortnight confirmed reports that it will furnish 22 pre-1948 features “owned or controlled” by them to the British Broad¬ casting Company under “limited license to televise.” Fifteen of the films were produced by David O. Selznick personally, three were produced by Dore Schary, one by Alfred Hitchcock, and one by Kenneth MacGowan. There are also included in the arrangement two pictures produced by the Pioneer Com¬ pany. Pepsi Party For TOA NEW YORK — A paid round-trip for two by jet plane to Brussels will be the special prize the Pepsi Cola Company will award to an exhibitor or concessionaire attending its International Dance and Cocktail Party which it will sponsor at the 12th Annual Convention of the Theatre Owners of Amer¬ ica at the Hotel Sherman in Chicago, Nov. 8-12, the Convention planning committee an¬ nounced. New Albany House Starts ALBANY — Grading has been started by Neil Heilman for the 1,000-seater, of the latest design and appointments, which will be constructed near the highly successful Hellman-owned Thruway Motel in this city. It is expected to be finished for operation sometime in 1960. Originally, the house was to have been opened by Labor Day or earlier of this year, but delays were encountered. Two new corporations were recently or¬ ganized under Heilman’s aegis. They are Lincoln Drive-in Theatre Corp. and Lincoln Drive-In, Inc. Cal. Remodeling Set BEVERLY HILLS, CAL. — J. Arthur Drielsma, A.I.A., has been commissioned to remodel the Beverly Hills Music Hall Theatre in Beverly Hills, Sidney Linden, general manager, Herbert Rosener Circuit, announced. Plans call for a complete modernization, a new front, lobby and foyer, the latest in sound and projection equipment, and new seating.