The Exhibitor (1961)

N.Y. Variety Tent Steps Up Activities NEW YORK — Variety Tent 35 has blue printed a program of stepped up activities, starting with an election luncheon on Nov. 28, a luncheon for its ladies’s Barkerettes auxiliary on Nov. 30, an installation lunch¬ eon and Tent 35 AGVA raffle on Jan. 16, heavy participation in Variety International’s convention in Dublin in May, a grand ball, reception, dinner dance at a date to be deter¬ mined, and several other projects still on the drawing board. The election luncheon on Nov. 28 was to be held at the Hotel Astor. Paid up members will be guests of the Tent. The Tent’s nomi¬ nating committee composed of Ira Meinhardt, chairman, William J. German, Edward Fab¬ ian, Harold Klein, Edward Lachman, and Mort Sunshine was to present a slate of 11 canvasmen for election, including Charles A. Alicoate, present chief barker; Irving Dollinger, Bud Edele, Walt Framer, Salah Hassanein, Jack H. Hoffberg, Jack H. Levin, Robert K. Shapiro, Charles Smakwitz, George Waldman, and Harold Zeltner. Luncheon chairman Levin is lining up a program for the luncheon. Among honor guests will be Abraham J. Gellinoff, a barker of Tent 35 who was recently elected a Justice of the State Supreme Court. Irving Allen, chief barker, and Monty Ber¬ man, past chief barker of the London Tent, were guests of New York Variety at Lunch¬ eon at Sardi’s reporting highlights of the pro¬ gress made for staging the Variety Interna¬ tional convention at Dublin in May. The Lon¬ don Tent is cooperating with the Dublin Tent on this event. Allen and Berman ad¬ vised their New York hosts that the London Tent will be host to visiting barkers traveling to their city from the Dublin convention at luncheon or dinner. They indicated that the Variety International Convention in 1965 will in all probability be held at Monte Carlo. Barkerettes of Tent 35 will attend a lunch¬ eon on Nov. 30 at the Roman Gardens of Hostaria Borghese, at which Mrs. A1 Steen, chief barkerette, and Mrs. Harold J. Klein, membership chairman, will acquaint members of the auxiliary with the aims, projects, and purposes of the Tent. New Office For Fox INDIANAPOLIS — Twentieth Century-Fox opened a completely remodeled building as their exchange office here this week, it was announced by Clarence Hill, manager of branch operations. Verne Fletcher, Indianapolis branch man¬ ager, reported that the new exchange build¬ ing would have every modern facility for a quick and efficient operation to aid all ex¬ hibitors in every possible way. Newly decorated sales and booking offices have been refurnished with modern furni¬ ture in keeping with its modern decor. The new branch office will have space for a ship¬ ping and inspection room, and a storage vault for prints. MGM Managers Switch Jobs NEW YORK — In a switch in branch man¬ ager assignments, Leroy H. Smith will move from Des Moines to Minneapolis and Vincent F. Flynn will move from Minneapolis to Des Moines, it was announced by Robert Mochrie, MGM’s general sales manager. Smith, who has been with the company for 25 years, has been Des Moines branch man¬ ager since July, 1960. Flynn, who has been with MGM for 18 years, has been Minneapolis branch manager for the same time. LONDON Observations by Jock MacGregor IMPROVED CONDITIONS, added comforts, new decorations, and the latest projection equipment are paying big dividends for those British exhibitors with the faith in the industry to give their houses a face lift. Recently, Rank all but gutted the Streatham Astoria in a couple of weeks or so and re-opened it as a Top Rank luxury Odeon. Now distributors are rubbing their eyes at the greatly increased figures being returned despite a reduction in capacity to give added leg room. It appears the public is shopping as much for comfort as entertainment. The full treatment has now been given to the Odeon, Woking, a dormitory area which might be described as being to London what, say, Scarsdale is to New York. In addition to a new proscenium, furnishings, decoration, and equipment, 293 back stalls have been re¬ moved to provide for a new entrance lounge. This replaces the original entrance leading directly from the small and narrow main foyer and eliminates the consequent “howling gale,” to quote an employee, which was notorious with patrons. The reopening after a two week closure was handled in style by A. H. Campbell, W. A. Hockman, C. F. Booth, John Read, and manager A. F. Gordon Jefferies, who were all present to look after our comforts at the theatre and ensuing reception. A fanfare from trumpeters preceded the official opening by the chairman of Woking Council. A goodly array of stars and models appeared on the stage before the screening of “Back Street” adding glamor to the evening. John Behr and his publicity team were always much in evidence. NO ONE has contributed more to British films over so long a time as Sir Michael Balcon. His foresight and initiative have been the drive behind many of the most succesful set-ups. His latest venture is the marrying of the Bryanston group with Seven Arts in a new com¬ pany headed by Maxwell Setton, Kenneth Shipman, Kenneth Hyman, Richard Patterson, and himself to develop, finance, and distribute British films of international significance in both story value and cast. Five or six international pictures are anticipated annually. The first will be Balcon’s own production of W. H. Canaway’s best seller, “Sammy Going South.” This will be followed by Woodf all’s production of Henry Fielding’s classics, “Tom Jones,” with Albert Finney starring. Seven Arts will release in the U.S. through a major distributor or a Bryanston outlet such as Continental Distributing, Inc. Elsewhere, Lion International will handle. PUBLICISTS make news. Alan Tucker has resigned from Columbia to form his own pub¬ lic relations set up and is being succeded as publicity chief by Patrick M. Williamson, who has come up the hard way , having spent 17 years in various grades in the department. Former Daily Mail show business columnist Edward Goring has joined Rank Theatres as press officer. Film publicity can do with some recruits with first hand knowledge of newspaper work. Some publicists do not appear to realize that a properly captioned photograph im¬ presses far more than an outsized press show invitation which causes an irritating bulge in the pocket. After all, it is what is seen on the screen that registers. John H. Dennett, former tradepaperman and Rank publicity chief, has been appointed to the board of Odhams Press, Ltd., and advertising manager of the company’s many magazines and periodicals. With parking meters coming to Film Row, ever alert ad chief A1 Shute has designed trade paper spreads showing the stars of the current line-up superimposed at the meters out¬ side Warner Pathe House and coined the slogan: “It’s worth the paying time when you’re booking this king of playing time!” Nancy Kovack, playing Medea in Charles H. Schneer's Columbia production of "Jason and The Golden Fleece," now filming in Italy, reigns as Queen of the U.S. Marine Ball at a gala diplomatic and military celebration held in Rome to commemorate the 186th anniversary of the corps. Among the guests of honor are Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Schneer, U.S. Ambassador to Italy Frederick Reinhardt, Mrs. Reinhardt, Miss Kovack, and her escort. Major Francis W. Tief, Marine Corps attache assigned to the Embassy. November 29, 1961 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 9