The Exhibitor (1962)

Academy Nominates Shorts For Oscar Consideration HOLLYWOOD — Nominations for the Short Subjects Awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were announced by Wendell Corey, Academy president. A special Short Subjects Awards Nominat¬ ing Committee, headed by Hal Elias, viewed cartoon and live action entries and, by secret ballot, selected: CARTOON SUBJECTS: “The Hole,” Story¬ board Inc., Brandon Films Inc., John and Faith Hubley, producers; “Icarus Montgolfier Wright,” Format Films, United Artists, Jules Engel, producer; “Now Hear This,” Warner Bros.; “Self Defense — For Cowards,” Rem¬ brandt Films, Film Representations, Inc., Wil¬ liam L. Snyder, producer; “Symposium On Popular Songs,” Walt Disney Productions, Buena Vista Distribution Co., Inc., Walt Dis¬ ney, producer. LIVE ACTION SUBJECTS: “Big City Blues,” Mayfair Pictures Company, Martina and Charles Huguenot van der Linden, pro¬ ducers; “The Cadillac,” United Producers Re¬ leasing Organization, Robert Clouse, produc¬ er; “Heureux Anniversaire” (Happy Anni¬ versary), CAPAC Productions, Atlantic Pic¬ tures Corporation, Pierre Etaix and J. C. Carriere, producers; “One Plus One,” Group II Film Productions, Lester A. Schoenfeld Films, Hayward Anderson, producer; “Pan,” Mayfair Pictures Company, Herman van der Horst, producer. The Short Subjects Awards Nominating Committee is composed of all active members of the Academy’s Short Subjects Branch, plus three members chosen by lot from each of the following Academy branches — Actors, Art Directors, Cinematographers, Directors, Film Editors, Music, Producers, Sound, and Writers. Talent Hunt On Campus BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. — New faces and new talent from the dramatic departments of the universities and colleges of America are a proven fact. This was announced by George Borden and Sam Nathanson, Parallel, Inc., who have acquired the rights for world wide distribution of “None But The Brave,” pro¬ duced in color with a cast and director, as well as the story and music, by students of the dramatic department at the University of Texas. Earl Podolnick and Wroe Owens, TransTexas Theatres, financed the picture and were in Hollywood to complete the deal with Parallel. Producer Martin Poll, second from right, looks over photos from "Love Is A Ball" with United Artists sales executives at a New York press conference. Seen, from left, are Carl Olson, assistant to the UA vice-president; D. J. Edele, New York Metropolitan manager; Poll; and Gene Tunick, eastern and Canadian UA divi¬ sion manager. The NEW YORK Scene By Mel Konecoti MARTIN H. POLL is a producer who believes that once a picture is completed, it must also be sold, even if it means pushing back other pictures on his schedule. This is the case as regards his most recent film, “Love Is A Ball,” which is to have its sendoff in the money city of Las Vegas, mecca of fortune hunters. He and United Artists executives have scheduled a premiere there March 1-3, which promises to set the country on its ear. In the words of UA’s dynamic director of adver¬ tising and publicity, Gabe Summer, “it will be a ball.” Helping Sumner to make it so will be Maurice Segal, UA’s west coast advertising and publicity representative; A1 Fisher, exploitation manager, and his fine staff of fieldmen, who are always on the ball when it comes to affairs of this type; and Mike Hutner, publicity manager. The fieldmen, incidentally, were in for home office meetings and were present at the press conference which heralded the event. The entire operation comes under the supervision of vicepresident Fred Goldberg. The Steve Allen TV Show will cover the affair, which will mark the start of a several month campaign. Everybody is cooperating fully with stars Glenn Ford, Hope Lange, Ricardo Montalban, and Telly Savalas scheduled to show, as are director David Swift and even the non-participating stars and technicians. The campaign in other areas will be tailored to the individual area and also related to the junket, according to Sumner. Other guests include 150 entertainment personalities and press representatives from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and points in-between. The picture was made abroad in and around the French Riviera because the millionaire aura was necessary, and rebuilt sets couldn’t duplicate the lushness and opulence of Monte Carlo etc. The easiest and best place to make films, said Poll, is in Hollywood, but if a story has elements that defy duplication, then a producer must go where the elements are. After spending the next three or four months in the selling of the release (he’s going to Miami to help six theatres there open it March 6), aided by tv spots, radio, etc., gearing their appeal to fun, Poll will turn his attention to “Love And Taxes,” a comedy to be written and directed by Abe Burrows, to be followed by comedy, “Abby and the Girls,” and by adventure thriller, “A Twist of Sand.” Poll has a four picture deal with UA aside from “Love Is A Ball.” Poll and the others concluded with the thought — these days it’s not fair to a film to let people wander into a theatre by happenstance; you have to do everything possible to help them want to come into the theatre. SENOR PINK AND THE CASTILIAN: Since “The Castilian" is a story of early Spain, producer-exhibitor Sidney Pink believed that the story should be filmed there with as much authenticity as possible. Besides, he was able to work up a co-production deal with Spanish film makers. Aside from this, there are villages and entire areas in Spain which have remained unchanged since the Middle Ages, and consequently, they provide the most authentic and realistic settings for a current motion picture about that time and place. One area had people who never saw a movie and who knew from nothing about radio or tv. They have no toilets, cook over open fires, and get their water from puddles in the streets. Pink plans on making his next two in Spain, with two more to be made in the U.S. He did note that the financing of films was much easier overseas. “The Castilian” cost $1,600,000 and is the first in Panacolor, which is a process whereby color is printed over black and white prints with considerable saving of money, he opined. The other four will also be in Panacolor. As an exhibitor with three theatres, he claims too many theatremen are leaving the selling of pictures to distributors. All segments of the business are faced with the same problem — to stay alive. Therefore, the problems of each should be considered by the other. He saw no reason why exhibitors shouldn’t be successful if they pay attention to their operations and spend less time complaining. One of the sicknesses of the business, he claimed, is a lack of good product, and another is a lack of outlets for developing new talent. Exhibitors are crying, he opined, because they can't all get pictures like “Ben-Hur” or “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane.” He, for one, would like to go back to block booking because the industry was healthy then. Dick Lederer, Warners advertising and publicity director, reported that “The Castilian” will be released by Warners for Decoration Day engagements in the U.S. and Canada. It stars Cesar Romero, Frankie Avalon, Broderick Crawford, Alida Valli, etc. GRATITUDE NOTE: Morey (Razz) Goldstein, president and general sales manager, Warner Bros. Pictures Distributing Corp.. held his first press conference since assuming the post to report not only that the company will probably release about 20 features in 1963, but also to express his sincere gratitude to exhibitors everywhere, and Warners employees for making the recent sales drive in his honor the huge success that it became. He also wanted to establish that the so-called lean periods are changing and that pictures can be released in these with every assurance that they will do business if they are good. He referred particularly to the past pre-Christmas period when “Gypsy” was released to very fine returns. The final week of the sales drive wound up with billings of $1,400,000, with about 90 per cent of the theatres in the U.S. and Canada putting a Warner subject on their screens. He took little credit, preferring to compare a sales manager to a baseball team manager — you can only be as successful as the product allows. One of the contributors to the success was “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane,” which brought in $250,000 in its 17th week of release. He set a target of four millions in domestic film rentals on this after the initial dates, and it looks as though it might even exceed this. RKO and other theatres ( Continued on page 14) February 20, 1963 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 13