The Exhibitor (1960)

CANADIAN Highlights By Harry Alien, Jr. THE RECENT ANNUAL meeting of the Marcus Loew’s Theatres in Toronto revealed renovation plans for their Loew’s Yonge St, Toronto. The company, 80 per cent of which is owned by Loew’s Theatres, Inc., New York, operates three theatres in Canada, Loew’s London, Ont., Loew’s Yonge St., and leases Loew’s Uptown. Loew’s Yonge St. will be closed for two weeks just before Easter for a $154,000 renovation job. Its 2,096 capacity will be reduced by 400. A similar type of renovation at the Uptown will be completed by Dec. 22 for the opening of “Spartacus.” Leopold Friedman, a director and one-time financial vice-president of Marcus Loew’s, resigned and was succeeded by L. A. Tisch, chairman of the executive committee of Loew’s Theatres, Inc. Another recent change of interest in the Canadian setup was the elimination of the advertising department headed by Gerry Collins, who was returned to his old post of manager of the Uptown. The Uptown is rented to a com¬ pany in which the principals are Loew’s Theatres and Marcus Loew’s stockholders. Eugene Picker, president of the parent company, revealed the company is looking for a hotel site in Canada, as well as obtaining a theatre in Montreal. The one in that city which bears its name is the property of United Amusements. Marcus Loew’s financial report gives the profit of the Yonge St. theatre and the rentals from the Uptown as $239,268. John H. Clarke is the Canadian division manager. THE SOCIETY OF MOTION PICTURE AND TELEVISION ENGINEERS is working on its 89th convention to be held on Canadian soil for the second time in its history. Meeting May 7-12 from all parts of the world will attract hundreds. About 50 booths exhibiting the latest and the best will be part of the convention. . . . Officials of International Telemeter Company, the parent firm of Trans Canada Telemeter which started the pay -TV in the pilot area of Etobicoke, Toronto, says a Canadian plant for manufacture of the unit is under consideration. Franchise director Phil Isaacs said the company had no plans to expand be¬ yond Etobicoke at present, but had enough cable to expand to three times its present 5,500 subscribers. He said it would be impossible to say yet if the experiment was a financial success, but Trans Canada Telemeter president Eugene Fitzgibbons has been quoted earlier as saying the operation was still on rough ground. Isaacs said the size of the manufacturing operation in Canada would depend on the extent to which Canadians adopted the pay-TV, but it was already under consideration. Tools and dies for production of the article could also be made in Canada from blueprints, he said. Isaacs said his firm has no intention of abandoning the coin meter system in Etobicoke, but said he was unable to make a com¬ parison of costs because he didn’t know what expense was involved in any credit plan. REEL CLIPS: A week-long celebration around Christmas is planned for “Ben-Hur” which opens its second year at the University, Toronto. . . . H. B. Chandler, Montreal, is now senior United States representative of the National Film Board. He wiU work from the Board’s office in Canada House, New York. J. W. Cosman, senior NFB representative in New York for the past three years, has returned to Montreal to become chief of the Board’s film sales division. . . . Jim Sturgess was re-elected president of Local 173 of the lA, which is the Toronto Moving Picture Projectionists Union. Harry Brooks is vice-presi¬ dent, Andy Pura secretary -treasurer, Pat Travers business agent, and Roy O’Connor record¬ ing secretary. Albert Hill, A1 Hope and Lome Clarke were returned as directors and Tom Sharp Sr., was made one for the first time. Podhorzer Expands Diversity Of Product NEW YORK — Mimio Podhorzer, president, announced that the name of his company. United German Film Enterprises, Inc., has been changed to United Film Enterprises, Inc. The change reflects the rapid expansion in volume and in diversity of product handled by the company during the last year. While the company is continuing to represent vari¬ ous German motion picture producers, it is also negotiating sales in other countries. During the year 1960, for example, the com¬ pany sold over 20 German films to Canada and an equal number to Latin American coimtries and the Far East. United Film Enterprises, Inc., will also represent the French production firm Franco London Film, S.A., here. In addition to the above, the firm is repre¬ senting the producers of the Italian film, “The Adventurers,’ ’and the Israeli-German co-production, “Blazing Sand.” Both of these are adventure films. The first was filmed in Brazil, while the second deals with the ex¬ pedition of five young Israelis to the ancient temple city of Petra and was shot on loca¬ tion in Israel and in Jordan. While the major activity will continue to be the sale of foreign films in this country, the company is also selling American films abroad and acting as go-between in various co-production deals. Berkeley Films Bows NEW YORK — The formation of Berkeley Films, Ltd., a producing-financing-distributing film company, was announced by Leonard Key, a member of the board of di¬ rectors and well-known in theatrical circles as a producer-writer-director. With offices in New York and London, Berkeley will finance the so-called “front money” so vital to film deals. Also vmique in the credo adopted by the board of direc¬ tors: A strict hands-off policy toward the producers, giving them full creative freedom. Some of the properties which Berkeley holds options on for filming are “Once There Was A Russian,” the forthcoming Sam Spewack play; “Captain Cat,” Robert Holies’ best-selling novel; Carel Capek’s famous book, “The War With The Newts”; “The Agency Game,” a spoof of American and British advertising; and “Live Bait,” a sus¬ pense drama. “The Agency Game,” starring Terry-Thomas, the first film on the agenda, is scheduled to go before the cameras in February. The board of directors includes Leslie Linder, theatrical agency executive; Albert Fennel, executive film producer; Lewis Gil¬ bert, producer-director; Nat Freedman, busi¬ nessman; Dick Sloan, theatre owner; Leslie Norman, producer-director; Basil Appleby, producer-author-director; William Goldman, theatre owner; Harrison Jones, bank presi¬ dent; Leonard Key, producer-author-direc¬ tor; Irving Greene, banker; and Leonard Berston, businessman. Turner Heads UA Branch NEW YORK — John Turner has been ap¬ pointed branch manager of United Artists’ New York exchange, it was announced by James R. Velde, UA vice-president in charge of domestic sales. Turner, a former branch manager and dis¬ trict manager for UA, will begin his new as¬ signment on Dec. 19, imder the supervision of D. J. Edele, southern division manager. Embassy Ups Parker NEW YORK — Judson Parker has been ap¬ pointed exploitation manager for Embassy Pictures Corp., it was announced by Eddie Solomon, executive vice-president. Parker, who has held various executive po¬ sitions with Embassy since joining the firm four years ago was Embassy’s Boston sales manager before transferring to its New York advertising staff. In his new position Parker will handle all of the film company’s cooperative advertising campaigns and exploitation activities in the field commencing with the forthcoming re¬ lease of “Two Women,” “The Fabulous World of Jules Verne,” and “Bimbo The Great.” Mantzke On Leave MINNEAPOLIS — Frank Mantzke, president and general manager. Northwest Theatre Corporation and president of North Central Allied, is taking a four months’ leave of absence on his doctor’s orders and will spend the time in southern California. A new head for Northwest Theatres will be elected at the firm’s next board meeting next month. B-Y Maps N.E. Campaign BOSTON — Buena Vista’s major promotion¬ al campaign to launch Walt Disney’s newest Technicolor cartoon feature, “101 Dalmations” throughout New England during the Febru¬ ary no-school holiday was presented to more than 150 key area showmen at a special meet¬ ing here. Irving H. Ludwig, Buena Vista president, hosted the kick-off limcheon and meeting. James V. O’Gara, eastern division manager; Charles Levy, advertising and publicity di¬ rector; Pete Smith, manager of Walt Disney Character Merchandising; Leo Greenfield, as¬ sistant eastern division manager; and Bob Dorfman, exploitation manager, also attended. Schneider Acquires Maciste NEW YORK — Samuel Schneider, recently returned to New York from Rome, annoimces the acquisition by his Major Productions, Inc., of “Maciste The Giant,” in Eastman Color and TotalScope, starring Mark Forest and Chelo Alonso, for distribution in the United States and other English-speaking countries. The film, said Schneider, is a large-scale production with exteriors filmed in Egypt and mass scenes in Jugoslavia. December 21, I960 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 35