The Exhibitor (1963)

N. Y. Legislature Considering Bills To Further Increase Minimun Wages — — — ALBANY — A bill increasing New York 12 Major Features Head Fox 1964 Release Slate NEW YORK— Twentieth Century-Fox dis¬ closed its 1964 major release program, indi¬ cating an orderly flow of product, top box office stars, and balance of comedy, drama, romance, and melodrama. Joseph M. Sugar, vice-president in charge of domestic sales, declared, “Our schedule for 1964 represents the contributions of many of the leading creative talents now working in the film medium; and in theme and story content, recognizes the diversity in enter¬ tainment appeal. We know it is our strongest program in years, and we are confident it will be one of the most successful ever to come from this company.” The release program will be marked by the continuation of “Cleopatra” in major roadshow engagements, with additional re¬ served-seat runs still to be launched. Leading off the 1964 program will be “Move Over, Darling,” romantic comedy starring Doris Day, James Garner, and Polly Bergen. While the picture is set to debut in key cities at Christmas, its mass release will take place in January. Next year’s schedule also includes “Man in the Middle,” starring Robert Mitchum, France Nuyen, and Trevor Howard; “Shock Treatment,” starring Stuart Whitman, Lauren Bacall, and Carol Lynley; “Third Secret,” starring Stephen Boyd and Diane Cilento; re-release of Darryl F. Zanuck’s “The Longest Day”; “What a Way to Go!” starring Shirley MacLaine, Paul Newman, Robert Mitchum, Dean Martin, Gene Kelly, Bob Cummings, and Dick Van Dyke; “Fate Is the Hunter,” starring Glenn Ford; “Cassandra at the Wedding,” starring Natalie Wood in a dual role; “The Visit,” starring Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Quinn; “Erasmus With Freck¬ les,” starring James Stewart; “High Wind in Jamaica”; and “Our Mother’s House.” Weinberg To Sell "Lady" NEW YORK — Myron Weinberg has been appointed national sales promotion manager for the Warner Bros, motion picture pre¬ sentation of “My Fair Lady,” it is announced by Ernie Grossman, Warner Bros, national promotion manager. Weinberg, having completed a similar as¬ signment for “Cleopatra,” will assume his new post immediately for “My Fair Lady,” which will be presented on a reserved-seat policy, with 10 performances weekly and extra showings during holiday weeks and summer months. The world premiere of “My Fair Lady,” which stars Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harri¬ son, will take place on Oct. 21, 1964, at the Criterion, New York. The west coast premiere of the film, which is being produced by Jack L. Warner and directed by George Cukor in Technicolor and SuperPanavision 70, will be held one week later at the Egyptian, Hollywood. IFIDA Chairmen Named NEW YORK— Edward Ruff, Edward Ruff Film Associates, and Robert I. Kronenberg, Manhattan Films of Los Angeles, have been named to serve as east and west coast dis¬ tributor chairmen, respectively, for the forth¬ coming annual IFIDA dinner dance, accord¬ ing to Dan Frankel, chairman of the dinner committee. The awards dinner will be held at the Americana Hotel, Jan. 21, 1964. TWA Expands Inflight Pix For Trans-Atlantic Flights NEW YORK— First-run motion pictures are now being shown on all Trans -World Airlines’ trans-Atlantic flights, through arrangements just concluded with Inflight Motion Pictures, Inc., the airline has an¬ nounced. TWA has featured motion pictures for first class passengers on most trans-At¬ lantic flights for more than two years, and, in the economy class cabin since last May. Now, Inflight has completed installation of the necessary facilities on TWA's inter¬ national aircraft fleet so that new Holly¬ wood productions may be shown on every TWA flight over the Atlantic. TWA also features Inflight films for first class passengers on its non-)stop trans¬ continental StarStream flights. On trans-Atlantic and transcontinental flights, the film program is part of TWA's complimentary luxury “Royal Ambassa¬ dor” service. Each passenger may control the sound through feather-weight earsets at the audio outlet on each seat without disturbing those passengers who do not wish to watch or listen to the film. For international economy class passengers, the film is an optional feature with a nom¬ inal charge for the use of the earset. Each cabin is individually equipped with a screen, projection equipment, and new film programs by Inflight. Hetzel Reports On Trip; MPAA Supports C0MP0 NEW YORK — Ralph Hetzel, acting head of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc., reported to the MPAA board of direc¬ tors on his recent trip to Europe. The board also approved a contribution to COMPO and has agreed to match the funds contributed by exhibitors. In his report on Europe, Hetzel cited many of the problems facing the industry in several of the important countries. These problems vary from the impact of television on theatre attendance, to new taxes and quotas to help support struggling indigenous production. Hetzel further commented on the fact that European producers today are looking more and more to American film companies for leadership in maintaining the strength of motion picture exhibition worldwide. “A healthy European industry,” Hetzel stated, “is important to the continued success and growth of American film interests, be¬ cause without adequate European production the exhibition industry of Europe is also endangered.” Glen Alden Dividends NEW YORK— Glen Alden Corporation de¬ clared an extra dividend of 20 cents a share in addition to the regular quarterly dividend of 12 y2 cents a share, both payable out of earned surplus on Jan. 14, 1964, to holders of record Dec. 31. State’s statutory minimum wages, in succes¬ sive annual stages, from $1.50 hourly, Oct. 15, 1964, to $2 per hour, Oct. 15, 1966, has been pre-filed by Senator James L. Watson, Democrat of the 21st New York district and son of James S. Watson, first Negro jurist in this state. The measure provides the largest hikes of a number already proposed chiefly by New York Democrats. It would take effect im¬ mediately. Present minimum wage, which includes em¬ ployees of motion picture theatres, is $1.15 an hour. This advances to $1.25 hourly, effective Oct. 15 of next year. Such scales were set in the JerryAmann Act, recommended to the Legislature by Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller in 1962 and passed by large majorities in both Houses. Some Demo¬ crats, then and since, have insisted the “floor” should go to $1.50 immediately or at the end of the year. Governor Rockefeller, who suggested the first state-wide minimum wage of $1 an hour in 1960, was recorded last winter as predict¬ ing a $1.50 per hour minimum, but he did not fix a date. Exhibitors, through the Metropolitan Mo¬ tion Picture Theatre Owners Association, made a prolonged but unsuccessful effort to have the Legislature vote a specific exemption for film house workers. They carried the appeal to the nine-member Minimum Wage Board at hearings in New York City and in Syracuse. Failing with the Board, the exhibitor committee appealed to Industrial Commissioner Martin P. Catherwood, again in vain. Last year, a Rules Com¬ mittee bill permitting “students” to work in motion picture houses at less than the statu¬ tory minimum, passed Assembly and Senate (after debate and negative votes by the Dem¬ ocratic minority in the latter chamber), but the Governor vetoed it. He stated that “no convincing reason” for the amendment had been presented. "GWTW" Tops Iowa Poll DES MOINES— “Gone With the Wind” was voted as the favorite movie in a poll con¬ ducted by a Des Moines Tribune columnist in a “Favorite Film” contest. He asked his readers if they were stranded on a desert island and for entertainment could see a re¬ run of their 10 favorite films, which would they choose. “Gone With the Wind” was a three to one choice. Other favorites in order were “South Pacific,” “State Fair” (Iowa version), “West Side Story,” “Ben Hur,” “Around the World in 80 Days,” “The Music Man,” “It Happened One Night,” “Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Going My Way,” “The Ten Commandments,” “Mrs. Miniver,” “Mutiny on the Bounty,” “Rear Window,” “The Longest Day,” “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” “The Best Years of Our Lives,” “The Treasure of Sierra Madre,” and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” At the start of the contest, Don Allen, gen¬ eral manager, Tri States Theatres, said he would try to arrange a special show of the top choice and give free tickets to everyone who had voted for it. However, “Gone With the Wind” has been withdrawn, and he does not know if he can produce or not. December II, 1 963 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 7