The Exhibitor (1963)

Universal Execs Told Of Impressive Lineup NEW YORK — Universal Pictures Company will release its most impressive lineup of im¬ portant box office productions with the great¬ est grossing potentials in its history during the next nine months, Henry H. “Hi” Martin, vice-president and general sales manager, told the company’s home office sales executives and regional sales managers during the ses¬ sions of their two-day regional sales meeting. Starting with the current releases which has seen the company open five new JuneJuly releases since the beginning of June including “The List of Adrian Messenger,” “Tammy and the Doctor,” “King Kong Versus Godzilla,” “Lancelot and Guinevere,” and “A Gathering of Eagles,” Martin announced that the August release will be “The Thrill of It All,” starring Doris Day, James Garner, and Arlene Francis, which has its world premiere at Radio City Music Hall following the cur¬ rent attraction. “For Love or Money,” another new Univer¬ sal comedy, is scheduled for October release, but it will be given a series of August key city pre-release openings. “Kiss of the Vampire,” the new Hammer production in Eastman Color, is scheduled for September. “Dark Purpose,” a BrazziBarclay-Hayutin Production in color pro¬ duced in Italy and starring Shirley Jones, Rossano Brazzi, George Sanders, Micheline Presle, and Georgia Moll, is scheduled for December release with pre-release openings for Thanksgiving. Universal’s Christmas release will be “Charade,” in Technicolor, the unique blend of comedy and mystery starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, and co-starring Walter Matthau. Scheduled for February is another comedy, “Man’s Favorite Sport?”, the Howard Hawks ProductionGibraltar Laurel Universal CoProduction in color starring Rock Hudson, Paula Prentiss, Maria Perschy, and Charlene Holt, which Howard Hawks produced and directed. “The Brass Bottle” the Universal-RandallGreshler Production in color starring Tony Randall, Burl Ives, and Barbara Eden, is scheduled for March. Completing the group of productions set is “Captain Newman M.D.,” based on the best¬ seller and starring Academy Award winner Gregory Peck, Tony Curtis, Angie Dickinson. NATIONAL ALLIED ( Continued from page 11) lisher of Harrison Reports. That it call at¬ tention to his career, his courage, fights for the independent exhibitor, “often alone, for the right ... to exist.” That all trade papers call attention to the fact he has an incurable disease and to contribute to Pete Harrison, c/o Motion Picture Exhibitor, 317 North Broad Street, Philadelphia 7, Pa. And, above all, to make haste. The board itself voted a contribution, and will urge all units and individuals who can to do likewise. Ben Marcus, Milwaukee, chairman of the executive committee and one of the COMPO triumvirate, reported on COMPO activities. In consequence, directors voiced approval of efforts to eliminate federal admission taxes, the award poll, and COMPO aid in sponsor¬ ing the projected Hollywood Museum. The NEW YORK Scene By Mel Konecotf A CAMPAIGN to bring production back to the east on a major scale was realized last week when the modern, new Long Island Studios were officially opened in Westbury in what was once a group of airplane hangars, one of which was supposed to have been used by Charles A. Lindbergh. Producer-director Robert Rossen, who is making “Lilith” for Columbia release starring Jean Seberg and Warren Beatty, snipped a ribbon of film the other morning after keeping reporters and photographers waiting until rehearsals with the cast had been completed. The film, which was described as “a contemporary drama concerned with a girl’s mad and limitless love,” is budgeted at $2,300,000, and it should be finished in early August and be delivered to Columbia by the end of the year. It will probably be released next spring. This is part of a two picture deal with Columbia, which has no time limit. Why did Rossen insist on making it in the east? He doesn’t like Hollywood for one thing; the people were available here; and also the story concerns itself with the east. Rossen was impressed with the new studios, opining that they’ll work out real well. Dick Silbert, production designer, who has worked on many pictures, thought that the new studios will mean much as far as stimulating local production is concerned. He knows many film makers who didn’t want to come to New York because of space limitations. Michael Myerberg, owner of the new studios, which will consist of a $2,500,000 complex of 16 sound stages and production offices eventually, stated that the need for his operation has been clearly demonstrated by “Lilith” coming in before everything was finished and by the producers of the UA release, “The World of Henry Orient,” starting to build their sets on another stage so they can get underway shortly. He will have six stages by winter, and he expects that television will be using two of them. Myerberg doesn’t expect it to take business away from anyone, but it will stimulate new productions. Because of the demand for available space, he has postponed his own feature, “The Frog Pond,” which he will now make in October or November with union participa¬ tion. He paid tribute to the film unions for their help in getting the studios rolling. THE MAGIC NUMBER: Joseph E. Levine, the industry man of note, bought lunch the other day at the Four Seasons after a lengthy hiatus, and Mrs. Levine looked wonderful as usual. The occasion was a press conference for Italian director Federico Fellini, star Marcello Mastroianni, and others. They had arrived to help Levine open their new feature, “8'/2,” which is probably Levine’s shoe size. The film, which cost one million dollars, was compared by a questioner to “Last Year at Marienbad,” and the answer to this eluded us somehow. Levine didn't know about future Fellini commitments, but he did say that “8/2” would be dubbed and that Fellini would assist with it. Mastroianni was so thrilled to work for Fellini that he sounded as though he was ashamed to take any money for the privilege. One of the nicest things that happened there was that we had a chance to say hello again to Irene Kuhn, writer for King Features. WELCOME NOTE: A new series of “The Screen Director,” bi-monthly publication of the Screen Directors International Guild, made its bow last week after an absence of 12 years. Editor is Jack Glenn, SDIG public relations director, who was founder and editor of the original publication. Assisting on the editorial board are George L. George, Robert Edmonds, Julius Postal, Robert Braverman, Leslie Goldman, Graeme Ferguson, Dana Noyes, and Lewis Jacobs. It’s an informational medium not only for membership but for interested parties at agencies, the press, etc. ADDED STARTER: There’s a new distributor been formed, Shawn International, by Abraham P. Levine, president, and he hopes it will be an outlet for foreign and unusual American films. He recently financed the New York-produced “Greenwich Village Story,” which was produced and directed by Jack O'Connell, who at one time used to turn out tv and other commercial films before becoming more artistic. According to Levine (no relation to Joe), it’s not necessary to spend millions to make a good film, and there is plenty of room in the industry for independent producers. “Greenwich Village Story” cost $125,000 and puts on the screen not only details of the famous Bohemian area but a touching love story that takes place there. O’Connell emphasized that naturalness was one of his requisites for filmmaking, following much of what he learned while working abroad on “La Dolce Vita” and “L'Avventura.” Levine has a number of other films which will be released in the near future, while O’Connell reported that he is working on five others with no distribution set as yet. O’Connell opined that New York had the biggest treasure trove of performing talent in the world, and he termed police cooperation and that of other city agencies just great. The people he has used are relative newcomers to the screen, and some of those in minor roles were plucked from in back of the cameras or from the area where they were shooting. It was filmed practically all on location and the outdoor scenes were photographed from a covered truck with a piece of burlap covering the camera lens. Jack Ellis, in charge of distribution, expected healthy exhibitor support for the company’s first release. CHEERS DEPARTMENT: Joan Crawford, who has just been signed for the top starring role in William Castle’s “Strait-Jacket,” was honored last week by Columbia Pictures at a cocktail reception at “21” attended by press, radio, television, and industry representatives. She left shortly afterwards for Berlin to attend the International Film Festival before returning to Hollywood to start on the film, in which she will play the role of an axemurderess who sees her daughter for the first time after 20 years of confinement. HELLO WILL ROGERS, GOODBYE BROADWAY! July 3, 1963 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 13