The Exhibitor (1962)

O'Brien Sees MGM Profit This Year; Silver stein, Lefko NEW YORK — In his first appearance as president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., be¬ fore an annual meeting of stockholders, Rob¬ ert H. O’Brien stated that since his election last month he and his associates have formu¬ lated a broad and sweeping program which should provide a basis for a turn around in operation. O’Brien stated he believes the company can look forward to a resumption of profitable operations later in this fiscal year and in¬ creasing profits in fiscal 1963-64. The new program, already begun, em¬ braces objectives in four major areas. They are: First: different standards to be followed in production of motion pictures; Second: new policies to produce revenue through more effective utilization of all assets; Third: the program to be carried forward by the best available manpower in all key positions; and Fourth: further growth and expansion in re¬ lated areas, such as music, recording and TV production. In discussing his new plan of operation, O’Brien declared: “In production we shall hold to the prin¬ ciple that a picture’s budget must be geared to a careful evaluation of its film rental possi¬ bilities and, once set, the costs must be care¬ fully controlled.” He emphasized that modern research tech¬ niques are being employed to ascertain the best means of advertising and selling films. Outlining his plan for achieving fullest re¬ turn from assets of the company, the new president said: Our approach is based on the principle that any asset not earning a satisfactory re¬ turn should be segregated and employed in other income producing ventures, or sold.” In carrying forward these plans, O’Brien revealed MGM will: 1. ) Have available for release 36 new pic¬ tures before the end of 1963; an increase over the number of productions offered ex¬ hibitors in any similar period in the past. 2. ) Place into production soon a number of outstanding properties, including “The Prize” and “The Forty Days of Musa Dagh,” each based on world-famous novels; and “The Named New VP's Cindy Carol, selected in a talent search to be the new "Gidget" in the movies, is seen with director Paul Wendkos, left, and producer Jerry Bresler on the first day of filming Co¬ lumbia's "Gidget Goes To Rome" in Italy. Unsinkable Molly Brown,” adapted from the successful Broadway musical. 3. ) Be represented on national TV networks by five and one-half hours of programs week¬ ly during the coming year. 4. ) Continue to re-group and re-release to TV the 700 pre-1949 feature films which have been bringing substantial revenue to the com¬ pany the past several years and over which the company has retained ownership; and proceed with licensing of a limited number of post1948 feature films. 5. ) Expand the company’s Record and Music publishing enterprises. 6. ) Consider acquisitions in related fields, such as optics, sound reproduction systems and film manufacture whenever such activity offers an opportunity for profitable operation. Also announced was the election of two new vice-presidents of the company: Maurice Silverstein, who was made President of MGM International on Jan. 19, 1963, and Morris Lefko, who was appointed General Sales Manager on Feb. 8, 1963. They also named a new treasurer, Jason Rabinovitz, who joined the company in 1957 as assistant Comptroller. In 1958 he was made General Manager of MGM-TV and has con¬ tinued in that post. “Tonight” Is Movie Night, TOA Campaign Proclaims NEW YORK — TOA has launched a fullscale institutional campaign, it was announced by president John H. Stembler. The campaign will be based on the slogan, “Tonight’s the night to go out to a movie!” The slogan will be used in every conceiv¬ able way, via every means of communication. On radio, for example, each spot announce¬ ment will be preceded by the slogan, which can be spoken in just a few seconds. For example, “Tonight’s the night to go out to a movie! The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, a sweetheart of a picture, starts its Hollywood Preview showing tonight at the State Thea¬ tre. Etc.” TOA members will urge local newspapers to use the slogan as headline for an entire movie page. The promotion departments of cooperating newspapers will be asked to run ads using the slogan as a headline for their own institutional ads boosting their complete movie pages. In a given area, groups of TOA exhibitors will, cooperatively, buy ads displaying the slogan in small space, off-the-movie-page ads, Proofs and mats will be furnished for all these purposes. The MPAA is being asked to incorporate the slogan into its newspaper ads, radio spot announcements, and television trailers, as well as posters and displays. TOA members will ask groups of downtown merchants to cooperate in using the slogan to boost theatre business — and their own — in advertisements, posters and heralds. Groups of^ exhibitors sharing costs in any given area will use the slogan on posters, in trains, busses, stations and other points of travel where communication is most effective. "Spaceship" Sets Crown Mark LOS ANGELES — Crown International’s “First Spaceship on Venus,” science fiction spectacle in Technicolor and Totalvision, has played 862 theatres in first two months to set a company record, it is announced by presi¬ dent Newton P. Jacobs. Unique feature of record lies in company’s purposeful limitation of release of “First Spaceship on Venus” to play-off region by region in order to avoid dilution of concen¬ trated campaigning. charge of production; Irene Dunne, chairman. Foundation Board; George Killion, member of MGM's board of directors; and His Eminence James Francis Cardinal Mclntypre; and, right. Miss Dunne, John Wayne, Rosalind Russell, and James Stewart. The recent American premiere of MGM-Cinerama's "How The West Was Won" at the Warner Hollywood, Hollywood, Calif., raised over $100,000 for St. John's Hospital Foundation, and seen at the event were, left to right, Robert M. Weitman, MGM vice-president in 12 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR March 6, 1963