The Exhibitor (1962)

Universal Plans 16-Feature Lineup To September, Martin Tells Meeting NEW YORK — Universal Pictures Company will place in release 16 important new box office attractions during the first nine months of 1963, while continuing “Spartacus” in release and re-presenting two of its record grossers of the past year, Henry H. ‘‘Hi” Martin, vice-president and general sales man¬ ager, told the participants in the company’s first national sales convention in many years, being held at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria. Martin noted that the box office names ap¬ pearing in Universal’s releases scheduled for the first nine months of 1963 and in pictures before the cameras and scheduled for produc¬ tion, include Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, Tony Curtis, Doris Day, Sandra Dee, Kirk Douglas, James Garner, Mitzi Gaynor, Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Rock Hudson, Burl Ives, Deborah Kerr, Gregory Peck, Paula Prentiss, Tony Randall, Phil Silvers, Rod Taylor, Lana Turner, Cornel Wilde, and Gig Young, plus such outstanding picturemakers as Robert Arthur, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Ross Hunter, and John Huston. The occasion marked the opening of the three days of formal business sessions at the Waldorf following two days of screenings of some of the releases set for the first nine months of 1963, including “A Gathering of Eagles,” “For Love Or Money,” “The List of Adrian Messenger,” and “The Thrill of It All” for the assembled managers of Universal’s 31 domestic branches, its regional sales managers, representatives of Empire-Universal which distributes Universal’s pictures in Canada, and home office sales cabinet members and ad¬ vertising, publicity and promotional execu¬ tives. Already in release since the first of the year besides “Spartacus” and the re-presentation of “Lover Come Back” and “Come Septem¬ ber,” are John Huston’s widely hailed produc¬ tion of “Freud,” which has just been selected as the U.S. entry at the Berlin Film Festival; “40 Pounds of Trouble,” and “Mystery Sub¬ marine.” Scheduled for March release is “To Kill A Mockingbird,” which has already opened to record business and has been accorded eight Academy Award nominations including “Best Picture of the Year,” “Best Actor,” “Best Direction,” and “Best Supporting Actress.” It has also been selected as the U.S. entry in the Cannes Film Festival. This will be followed in April by Alfred Hitchcock’s widely heralded “The Birds” in Technicolor, starring Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Susanne Pleshette, and introducing Tippi Hedren, which has its world premiere at the RKO Palace and Sutton and 28 other theatres in the greater New York area on March 28; “The Ugly American,” starring Marlon Brando, Sandra Church, Eiji Okada, and Pat Hingle. May releases will be “Paranoiac,” the new thriller from Hammer Film Productions, and “Showdown,” starring Audie Murphy, Kath¬ leen Crowley, and Charles Drake. “Lancelot and Guinevere,” the Emblem Pro¬ duction in Color and Panavision, starring Cornel Wilde, Jean Wallace, and Brian Aherne, is scheduled for June, along with “Tammy and the Doctor,” the newest in the successful “Tammy” series, the Ross Hunter Production in Eastman Color starring Sandra COMPO Bulletin Boosts "Oscar" Telecast Promotion NEW YORK — COMPO, which has been designated to obtain exhibitor support for the Academy Awards Telecast on Monday evening, April 8, has issued the first of a series of bulletins to exhibitors throughout the country. The bulletin urges participa¬ tion of all exhibitors in the promotion and asks that it be advised of any unusual promotion ideas so that they may be passed on to other exhibitors. The first bulletin contains a complete list of Academy Award nominations in all categories. Glen Alden Earnings Soar NEW YORK — In 1962, Glen Alden Corpora¬ tion achieved its best financial performance since the List Industries-Glen Alden merger in 1959, Albert A. List, board chairman, an¬ nounced. Glen Alden earned $7,514,000 on sales and revenues of $115,004,000. This equals $1.36 a share. In 1961, Glen Alden earned $3,038,000 on sales and revenues of $91,529,000. This was equal to 54 cents a share. The figures for 1962 include gains from sales of properties of $2,189,000 equal to 40 cents per share. Dee, Petre Fonda, MacDonald Carey, Beulah Bondi, and Margaret Lindsay. July releases include “A Gathering of Eagles,” in Color, starring Rock Hudson, Rod Taylor, Mary Peach, and Barry Sullivan, and “King Kong Vs Godzilla,” produced by John Beck. “The Thrill of It All,” the new Doris Day, James Garner, Arlene Francis comedy in Eastman Color, is scheduled for August re¬ lease along with “The List of Adrian Mes¬ senger,” Joel Production directed by John Huston and starring George C. Scott, Dana Wynter, Clive Brook, and Herbert Marshall with Tony Curtis, Kirk Douglas, Burt Lan¬ caster, Robert Mitchum, and Frank Sinatra participating in unusual character delinea( Continued on page 15) President John F. Kennedy recently congratu¬ lated Robert S. Benjamin, chairman of the board of United Artists, upon his appointment to the post of national chairman of the United States Committee for the United Nations for the third successive year. Marathon Syndicate Suit Decided For Distributors INDIANAPOLIS— The end of one of the longest film anti-trust actions on record came after 78 days of trial when a Federal Court jury found in favor of all of the defendant distributors and exhibitors in the Syndicate Theatres anti-trust suit. The case was filed on Aug. 8, 1956, with Syndicate’s basic claim being that the dis¬ tributors were discriminating against it by refusing to serve its theatres in cities such as Columbus, Elwood, and Wabash at the same time as Indianapolis; and claiming that there was a conspiracy among the distribu¬ tors and first-run exhibitors in Indianapolis to hold the Syndicate theatres back and de¬ prive them of feature pictures until they had lost their value, particularly road-shows. The distributors claimed that they were distributing their pictures as each felt in its own business judgment was reasonable and proper, and that there was no conspiracy; and they apparently proved this to the satis¬ faction of the jury. The case was heard before Judge William E. Steckler. Damages of $2,700,000 had been sought by Trueman Rembusch’s Syndicate Theatres, Franklin, Ind. The verdict was culmination of a personal campaign against film specials and sales policies for them which Rembusch launched more than five years ago. IFIDA Fights Censor Bill NEW YORK — Michael F. Mayer, executive director, Independent Film Importers and Distributors of America, Inc., released the text of a telegram to Governor John Dempsey of Connecticut assailing proposed censorship legislation in that state: “Our organization of Independent Film Importers and Distributors has been informed that a measure has been introduced in the Connecticut Legislature authorizing censor¬ ship of motion pictures in Connecticut. We are certain that you, in accordance with the long tradition of liberty and free speech in the Nutmeg State, will oppose this legislation. As you are aware, a free screen is just as essential to our citizens as a free press and the free right to assemble. We respectfully urge you to take all necessary steps to defeat this pernicious legislation, aimed at destroy¬ ing the right of individuals to choose their own film fare.” Ferguson "Speaks" In Manila MANILA — Robert S. Ferguson, Columbia executive in charge of worldwide advertising, publicity and exploitation, delivered a unique half-hour merchandising presentation here at the Diners’ Club International Convention via “remote control” from his New York head¬ quarters, utilizing magnetic tape recordings and special slide material. Delegates representing more than 50 coun¬ tries throughout the world “listened” and “watched” as Ferguson outlined the extensive program of global cooperation between the famed credit organization and “The Man From the Diners’ Club,” the new Columbia comedy starring Danny Kaye. Following the sessions, delegates, along with leading government officials and political and social figures, attended a private advance screening of “The Man From the Diners’ Club” at the Razal Theatre. 10 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR March 13, 1963