The Exhibitor (1960)

Albany Bishop Urges AH Catholics To Shan Legion-Disapproved Films ALBANY — Bishop William A. Scully, Al¬ bany Catholic Diocese, called for a complete abstention by “all Catholics — young and old” from patronizing motion pictures Legion of Decency — rated “B,” “C,” or those “placed in a special category.” The prelate, former chairman of the Bis¬ hops National Committee for Motion Pic¬ tures, Radio, and Television, took this strong stand in a pastoral letter issued in connec¬ tion with Legion of Decency renewal pledge. He based it — and The Evangelist, official weekly publication of the 14-county Diocese, unequivocally supported him in a leading editorial — on the recent findings of the Epis¬ copal Committee on Motion Pictures. The Committee reported that “morally ob¬ jectionable” pictures had risen from 14.59 percent of the total 1959 Hollywood produc¬ tion to 24.33 percent in 1960, and that a change had occurred in the type of “objec¬ tionable” films — from “cheap and tawdry teen age social dramas and sensational films” in 1959 to “major Hollywood quality produc¬ tion” this year. He cautioned parents to be “alert to the moral danger confronting their children, es¬ pecially adolescents,” via the exhibition of “these offensive pictures.” Bishop Scully asserted that “subjects have been chosen for production that should never be displayed on the screen, immorality has been glorified, sex glamorized, brutality and crime made common place.” The industry’s Production Code, he said, “has failed in its primary purpose, and is hardly more than a name . . . the seal of approval has been given to pictures which are not fit to be shown in any neighborhood motion picture house. “Much of what is currently offered on the movie screen is aptly described by Pope John XXIII as a ‘dirty deluge,’ ” the diocesan newspaper commented. “Protestants, Jews, and Catholics, accepting the Ten Command¬ ments as the basis of morality, can not fail to appreciate the viciousness and the ex¬ tent of the assault that is being made by the motion picture industry on the norms and traditional standards of Judaeo-Christian teachings. “Newspapers that glaringly display offen¬ sive ‘come-on’ advertising for these movies, and television stations that invade the pri¬ vacy of the home with shows that are heavily accented with sex and crime are equally reprehensible,” the Evangelist editorial de¬ clared. Technicolor Net Up NEW YORK — The consolidated net income of Technicolor, Inc., after taxes of the com¬ pany and its wholly-owned subsidiaries for the 11 periods (44 weeks) ended October 29 was $418,292, or 19 cents per share on 2,211,679 shares of stock outstanding. This compares with consolidated net income after taxes of $186,908 or nine cents per share for the same period of last year on 2,033,792 shares then outstanding. Samuels With Exclusive Int. NEW YORK — Leo F. Samuels, former president, Walt Disney’s Buena Vista Film Distributing Corporation, has been ap¬ pointed executive assistant to Edward Gray, president, Exclusive International Films, Inc. Samuels was recently with UMPO. Eric Johnston, president. Motion Picture Asso¬ ciation of America, recently presented to the National Archives Part Five of "Land Of Liberty," a film history of the U.S. The latest segment of the film which takes America from 1939 to 1958 is composed of documentary newsreel footage. Wayne C. Grover, Archivist of the U.S., is seen receiving the film from Johnston in the Archives Building, Washington, D.C. WB Profit Decreases Slightly From 1959 NEW YORK — Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., and subsidiary companies report for the year ended Aug. 31, 1960, a new profit of $7,102000 after a provision of $6,600,000 for federal income taxes. The net profit (not including the net profit of $6,500,000 on the sale of the company’s ranch) for last year amounted to $9,375,000 after a provision of $6,000,000 for federal in¬ come taxes. The net profit for the year is equivalent to $4.64 per share on the 1,527,900 shares of common stock outstanding at that date after deducting 315,396 shares held in treasury. The net profit for last year was equivalent to $5.91 per share on the 1,585,196 shares of com¬ mon stock outstanding after deducting 97,051 shares then held in treasury. Theatrical film rentals, income from tele¬ vision productions, sales, etc., amounted to $87,163,000, dividends from foreign sub¬ sidiaries not consolidated were $2,084,000; and profit on sales of capital assets was $716,000 for this year, as compared with $82,731,000, $1,130,000 and $1,467,000, respectively for the year ended Aug. 31, 1959. Net current assets this year were $46,951,000 (including $19,482,000 cash and U. S. Govern¬ ment securities) and debt maturing after one year was $5,644,000, compared with $44,687,000 (including $21,615,000 cash and U. S. Government securities) and $5,277,000, re¬ spectively, last year. Arkansas Exhib Meet Set NEW YORK — The Independent Theatre Owners of Arkansas, a unit of the Theatre Owners of America, will hold its 1961 state convention at the Marion Hotel in Little Rock, May 2 and 3, it was announced by Bruce Young, unit president. The theme of the convention will be “Let’s Make Show Business Our Business.” He said that attendance is also expected from exhibi¬ tors in states bordering Arkansas. Eddie Holland, city manager for North Lit¬ tle Rock Theatres, is serving as chairman of the publicity committee for the convention. De Luxe Lab Expansion Complete By March 1 NEW YORK — Alan E. Freedman, president of De Luxe Laboratories, reported that the million-dollar expansion program under¬ taken this summer to handle the planned increase of 70mm Todd-AO product is in process of completion and will be ready for operation with the latest available machinery and trained personnel by March 1. The laboratory is being equipped to han¬ dle the processing of such 20th-Fox multi¬ million dollar 'Todd-AO productions as “Cleopatra,” “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” “State Fair,” “The Sound Of Music,” and many others. “The latest available processing machin¬ ery is being installed as planned,” Freedman said, “fulfilling our aim of maintaining De Luxe as the most modern and fully equipped film processing operation in the world.” Freedman then outlined the design of the new equinment which includes electronic high-speed color printing machines; multi¬ lateral striping machines, making possible the additional tracks for George Stevens’ planned five-languaee track for “The Great¬ est Story Ever Told,” and other innovations. In addition, Freedman said that new huecheck devices are being tested to maintain a constant vigil on color printing, assuring absolute fidelity in reproduction of ToddAO colors as photographed, J City Censorship Fought OKLAHOMA CITY— This citv’s ordinance nroviding for film cen^orshio is challenged in a Federal District Court suit filed as a result of the banning of the nudist colony film, “For Members Only.” The delayed-action suit was filed bv Uni¬ ted Film Distributors as a result of Sentember action of the local Literature Review Board, upon whose recommendation, the police chief ordered showing at the down¬ town Warner halted. The film upon threat of confiscation was withdrawn; but United Film is now asking a permanent injunction against police action and a ruling on the constitutionality of the censorship ordinance. Tfie petition claims the film was cleared bv Federal Customs and other censor boards. The local action is also challenged as an “unconstitutional restraint upon communication, for it sets up an indi¬ vidual censorship of motion picture films.” N.Y. Film Critics Elect NEW YORK— Paul V. Beckley. HeraldTribune, was elected chairman of the New York Film Critics succeeding Howard Thompson. The Times. Wanda Hale, The News, moved up from secretary-treasurer to vice-chairman; and Archer Winsten, The Post, became secretarytreasurer. The group will meet Dec. 29 to vote on the best picture, foreign film, director, actor, actress and screen writing of 1960. B'nai B'rith Honors Blank DES MOINES — A. H. Blank, longtime TriState executive, received the B’nai B’rith Man of the Year award in Des Moines. A past president of the organization. Blank has been active in Jewish welfare and other welfare activities. He was the donor of the Raymond Blank Memorial hospital for children and a memorial lodge for Boy Scouts at Camp Mitigwa. 8 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR December 21, I960