The Exhibitor (1962)

The NEW YORK Scene By Mel Konecoff EVERY TIME we broach the subject of a raise, we’re told— money isn’t everything. Last week, it turned out that in the town of Winsted, Conn., money wasn’t anything. When we first received some releases from Columbia press agents declaring that for one day money would be valueless in honor of the premiere of the company’s “The Man From The Diners’ Club,” we laughed and laughed. We’re not laughing any more ’cause we were there and saw legal tender being turned away in one of the stores. To start at the beginning, representatives of press, radio, and television from New York traveled up to Winsted via several buses, rendezvousing with Danny Kaye, who came up by limousine, and with press people from other areas in New England (hello again Jim Lee of Worcester) to observe the festivities of the day and to see the picture at night at the Strand. Danny Kaye was given a huge Diners’ Club card at City Hall after appropriate greetings, and then the police escorted procession took off in miserable rain for an elementary school, where Kaye greeted the small fry in the lunchroom; for the high school, where he had a ball with the Glee Club and the teachers; for a tour of merchants’ stores, who had pledged “no cash — all credit” for the day. He cut beef at the butchers; shaved Roger Caras in the barber shop; washed a lady’s hair in the beauty parlor; sewed a shoe sole in the cobbler’s shop, etc., etc., all for the benefit of newsreel and still cameramen. He held a press conference at the makeshift press head¬ quarters, which was the local firehouse. Extra phones and lines had been installed as well as typewriters, liquid refreshment, etc. At the conference, Kaye was both amusing and refreshingly candid, stating that he may make some other appearance on behalf of the film. Asked whether he’s got a piece of the film, he declared that he’s got a percentage of the losses. As regards the film, he stated that it has no message but is amusing, and certainly people won’t kill themselves if they miss it. Asked which of the entertainment media he preferred if he had to make a choice, he answered — the theatre. He has no picture scheduled for the immediate future, but he does have a weekly television series coming up. “Following a reception and dinner, the action shifted to the Strand with a pre-premiere parade washed out by the inclement weather. Kaye appeared on stage to receive two awards as did producer William Bloom and a man from the Diners’ Club, which had a big hand in setting the event up. They were given keys to the city with Kaye getting an addi¬ tional award from the local VFW Post for his activities entertaining servicemen. One of the nicest touches of the event was that the town’s 2700 youngsters received 50 cent junior credit cards courtesy of Kaye, Columbia, and the Diners’ Club, which entitled them to buy anything they wanted in the participating stores. They were dismissed early from school that day so they would have ample time to do so. All afternoon, we tripped over the kids with the hot, wet cards clenched tightly as they made their selections in the shops. For a week prior, over one hundred retail shops of all sizes and shapes have been dis¬ playing window cards and streamers informing their customers they had better do their shopping without money on that day. Banners also bedecked the streets, the newspaper came out with a special edition, etc., etc. If a vote were taken that day as to who was the town’s favorite, Kaye would probably have won instead of the late Louis T. Stone, who was ac¬ claimed as the man who did more to make Winsted a well-known place than any other individual. The town council made the no-cash edict official, by the way, when they voted an ordinance outlawing the use of cash for 24 hours. Bob Ferguson, Columbia executive in charge of advertising and publicity, and his staff are to be congratulated on the stunt and the excitement engendered, which should pay off come picture playoff time. THE FORTHCOMING second annual Warner goodwill tour plugging the company’s two summer releases, “PT 109” and “Spencer’s Mountain,” will be heralded by a short plugging the latter film entitled “Vacationlands USA,” which will be released in advance of the film without charge to theatres. It will run about 10 to 12 minutes, and there will be at least two hundred prints in color available for theatrical and tv use, giving some of the background of the making of the feature. “PT 109” will premiere in Boston on July 3, and it cost over six million dollars. In¬ cidentally, President Kennedy saw it in rough form and liked it very much, with Jack Warner getting personal thanks across the luncheon table at the White House. TEAM EFFORT: Everett Freeman and Peter Tewksbury will be functioning as a team when they set out to make “Sunday in New York” for Seven Arts and MGM next April 21, though each holds a separate contract with Seven Arts to make two films per year for the next five years. Exteriors of the film, once a comedy hit on the stage, will be shot in New York, and interiors will be filmed on the coast. It will star Cliff Robertson and Jane Fonda, and the play is being expanded by creater Norman Krasna so that the story will be a bit broader and more encompassing. This will be Tewksbury’s first feature, having concentrated on television heretofore, turning out such series as “Father Knows Best,” “My Three Sons,” and “It’s A Man’s World.” Freeman wrote and produced “Bachelor Father” on tv but made films prior, one being “Jim Thorpe, All American.” There is a nine week shooting schedule for the film, following a week of rehearsal, and it could work out so that the film may be ready for Thanksgiving or Christmas release. At one time, thought was given to shooting the entire film in New York, but then some¬ one came up with the idea that the film-makers could exercise better control in Holly¬ wood. At this point, Seven Arts advertising and publicity vice-president Ed Feldman stated that this move is part of an overall company effort to shoot as many pictures as possible in Hollywood. And, said he, the company is glad to be back. Fla. Exhibs Plan Meet After Legislature Opens JACKSONVILLE — Henry B. Glover, Largo, president, Motion Picture Exhibitors of Flori¬ da, has announced that a special spring busi¬ ness gathering of MPEOF’s officers and board of directors has been scheduled for April 7 at the Airport Motel in Tampa, to be followed by an evening cocktail party. In addition, Glover stated, an invitation has been extended to all Florida exhibitors — as well as to other persons concerned with in¬ dustry matters — to attend a MPEOF general membership meeting at the same location the following morning, Monday, April 8. Jack Fitzwater, Tampa, Bay Lan Theatres executive who is in charge of arrangements for the two gatherings, said that reservations may be made directly with the Tampa Airport Motel. In explaining the reasons for the gathering, Glover pointed out: “This timely meeting will follow by one week the opening of the Florida Legislature on April 2, at which time Gov. Farris Bryant is to present his message. We will have a week to analyze his recommendations and to test the temper of the Legislature with re¬ spect to taxation and regulation which might adversely affect our industry before we meet to consider the problems anticipated during this legislative session. “The importance of this meeting cannot be over-emphasized. We very much need the presence and support of every exhibitor when we convene in Tampa. “Also, the mid-winter meeting of TOA will take place on. March 17-19, and we will have a complete report to bring to Florida exhibi¬ tors from the national level.” LaMar Sarra, Jacksonville, vice-president and general counsel of Florida State Theatres, who is MPEOF’s legislative chairman, is ex¬ pected to take a leading part in the discus¬ sions at Tampa. UCPA Reelects Goldenson ST. LOUIS — Leonard H. Goldenson, presi¬ dent, American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, Inc., was re-elected chairman of the board of United Cerebral Palsy Associations at the organization’s 13th annual conference here. U's "Thrill" To Bow At N.Y.'s Radio City NEW YORK— Universal’s “The Thrill Of It All,” rollicking romantic comedy in Eastman Color starring Doris Day, James Garner, and Arlene Frances, has been booked to have its world premiere at Radio City Music Hall this summer, it was announced by Henry H. “Hi” Martin, vice-president and general sales manager of Universal, and Russell V. Downing, president of the Music Hall. “The Thrill Of It A11” has been set for August release by Universal. It will be the fourth of Universal’s comedy successes to play the Music Hall, starting with “Op¬ eration Petticoat” at Christmas in 1959 and including “Lover Come Back” and “That Touch of Mink,” the latter holding the title as the all-time top grosser in the more than 30 year history of the Music Hall. 10 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR March 20, 1963