The Exhibitor (1961)

U-l Toppers Map Distribution Plans For Pictures On 1961-62 Schedule NEW YORK — Universal Pictures will hold a week-long summer sales executives con¬ ference here starting Monday, July 17, to map distribution and promotion plans on the company’s pictures to be released during the balance of 1961 and early in 1962, it was an¬ nounced by Henry H. “Hi” Martin, vicepresident and general sales manager, who will preside. Milton R. Rackmil, president of Universal, will participate in the meetings. David A. Lipton, vice-president, will come to New York from Hollywood for the meet¬ ings. He will be joined by Philip Gerard, eastern advertising and publicity director, and Jeff Livingston, executive coordinator of sales and advertising. Charles Simonelli, assistant to the presi¬ dent, will also participate in the meetings. Hatton Taylor, general manager of Empire Universal and Mark Plottel, sales manager, will attend from Canada. Empire-Universal handles the distribution of Universal pictures in Canada. The company’s home office sales execu¬ tives including F. J. A. McCarthy, assistant general sales manager, and James J. Jordan, circuit sales manager, will be joined by reg¬ ional sales managers Joseph B. Rosen from New York; P. F. Rosian from Cleveland; R. N. Wilkinson from Dallas; and Barney Rose from San Francisco. Home office advertising, publicity, and pro¬ motion executives who will participate will include Herman Kass, executive in charge of national exploitation, and Jerome M. Evans, eastern promotion manager. Among the pictures scheduled to figure in the distribution and promotional planning sessions are “Back Street,” the Ross HunterCarrollton Production in Eastman Color based on the Fannie Hurst classic and starring Susan Hayward, John Gavin, Vera Miles, Charles Drake, Virginia Grey, and Reginald Gardiner; “Lover Come Back,” the 7 Pictures-Nob Hill-Arwin Production in color starring Rock Hudson, Doris Day, Tony Ran¬ dall, Edie Adams, Jack Oakie, and Jack Kruschen; “Flower Drum Song,” the Ross Hunter Production in color based on the Rodgers, Hammerstein and Fields musical and starring Nancy Kwan, James Shigeta, Miyoshi Umeki, and Juanita Hall; and “The Outsider,” based on William Bradford Huie’s best-seller “The Hero of Iwo Jima,” the story of Ira Hayes, the Pima Indian hero of World War II, and starring Tony Curtis. Rand Exits Para. Post NEW YORK — Harold Rand, publicity man¬ ager of Paramount Pictures, has resigned from the company, effective Aug. 1, and will establish a public relations office in New York. In announcing Rand’s resignation, Martin Davis, Paramount’s director of advertising, publicity and exploitation, stated, “An out¬ standing contribution has been rendered by Harold Rand to the company’s promotional organization. In his executive capacity, he has demonstrated initiative, leadership, and creativeness of the highest order. We regret his departure and wish him success in his new undertaking.” Prior to joining Paramount in his present capacity in 1959, Rand was publicity man¬ ager of Walt Disney’s Buena Vista Film Dis¬ tribution Company for two years, headquar¬ tering in New York. Chicago Drive-Ins Benefit From Radio Saturation Effort CHICAGO — The Greater Chicagoland Drive-In Theatre Association sponsored a radio saturation campaign between 4 and 8 p.m. on July 4, urging listeners to stop at their favorite drive-in theatre and enjoy their dinner before the show. Using spot announcements to stress the informality and great amusement to be had at local drive-ins, the announcements subtly sug¬ gested that “mom be given a break” by taking her and the family to dinner and a show. Oscar Brotman, president of the Associa¬ tion, and Stan Kohlberg, of the Kohlberg chain, worked out the details of the cam¬ paign. Theatres in the area distributed free candy to all children who came. Although accurate figures are not yet available, it was reported that business jumped considerably due to this saturation program. Md. Exhibs Join TOA BALTIMORE, MD. — Three Maryland the¬ atres have joined both the Maryland Theatre Owners Association, and national Theatre Owners of America, it was announced jointly by Albert M. Pickus, TOA president, and John G. Broumas, MTOA president. Peter Prince, Chestertown, has brought both his Chester, Chestertown, and Churchill, Churchill, into both organizations. Ronald L. Freedman, Baltimore Film Society, Inc., Balti¬ more, has enrolled his Rex in both associa¬ tions. CHARLOTTE — Bill Lemmond, Jr., operator, Fox Drive-In, was acquitted by a Superior Court jury at Charlotte June 30 of exhibit¬ ing an obscene film. The jury, after some seven hours delibera¬ tion, ruled that “Sun Lovers’ Holiday,” which is about a nudist camp, is not obscene. The case reached Superior Court on ap¬ peal from a verdict judgment of Judge Win¬ fred Ervin in County Recorder’s Court which found Lemmond guilty of the obscenity charge. The appeal was heard in Superior Court in April, but the jury at that time was unable to agree and a mistrial was ordered. This time the jury came out two times before it rendered its verdict to ask Judge George B. Patton to explain certain points of North Carolina’s obscenity law. The jury first reported that it was dead¬ locked at eight to four and was unable to agree. It did not say which way it stood, and Judge Patton ordered it back for further de¬ liberation. The verdict acquitting Lemmond later was returned. Lemmond was arrested in March for show¬ ing the film, which was confiscated. He was arrested again several days later for showing “For Members Only,” another film about nudism. However, the trial of “For Members Msgr. Little Urges Support Of Good Films NEW YORK — “With school out for the next two months, the summer season should give parents ample opportunity to turn movie-going into a family outing,” it was suggested by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Thomas F. Little, executive secretary, National Legion of Decency. “While many movies circulating this sum¬ mer are below entertainment standards set in previous years, there are a number of wholesome commendable attractions for the entire family. Among them are ‘Misty,’ a warm, delightful tale of two children on a pony ranch and ‘Question 7,’ a powerful drama detailing the conflict between the Church and Communism in Germany today. Both were previously cited by the Legion as superior motion pictures. Of more than rou¬ tine interest this summer will be the specta¬ cular World War II melodrama, ‘Guns of Navarone,’ Walt Disney’s ‘The Parent Trap,’ and the beautifully photographed and in¬ spirational religious drama, ‘Francis of Assi¬ si.’ “Parents with more mature children will find worthwhile entertainment in ‘Fanny,’ ‘The Naked Edge,’ and ‘The Bridge.’ ” As Monsignor Little pointed out recently in a speech over television, “. . . a ticket at the box office is a vote for good or bad films.” Sprechman Joins Embassy NEW YORK — Julius Sprechman has been appointed comptroller of Embassy Pictures Corp., it was announced by Joseph E. Levine, president of the motion picture company. Sprechman resigned as an executive mem¬ ber of the comptroller’s department of MetroGoldwyn-Mayer to accept the new assign¬ ment. Only” never went to a jury. County Record¬ er’s Court Solicitor Joe Travis transfered it to Superior Court for trial, and Superior Court Solicitor Kenneth Downs said he would not prosecute. Lemmond said after the verdict regarding “Sun Lovers’ Holiday” that “we were going all the way to the State Supreme Court with this thing, but I am glad we don’t have to.” He said he was pleased with the verdict for “this could have broken me.” “If I can get the film back from the court, I’ll have the movie on again tomorrow night,” he said. “I don’t want to cause any trouble,” Lem¬ mond said, “but I think it’s a bad thing when censorship takes over in this country. “I don’t think this movie is obscene. I mean that.” Lemmond was the second operator here to stand trial on the obscenity charge. The first was Robert Schrader, general manager, Visualite, who was arrested by city police several months ago for showing “For Members Only.” Judge H. Howard Arbuckle found Schrader not guilty when the case was tried before him, but Judge Ervin said later that this did not set any precedent in County Recorder’s Court. Jury Acquits Charlotte Exhibitor Of Obscenity Charge On Nudist Film 10 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR July 12, 1961