The Exhibitor (1964)

Full Integration Of Foreign Films In U. S. Theatres Seen By Emanuel MCA Sets Film Deals For Broadway Shows NEW YORK — Motion picture property sales set by the William Morris Agency in recent weeks featured a quartet of successful Broad¬ way plays, according to Abe Lastfogel, presi¬ dent of the international talent management firm. Play deals already set include Sidney Mi¬ chael’s “Dylan,” with Columbia Pictures; Ronald Alexander’s “Nobody Loves An Alba¬ tross,” to MGM; “Any Wednesday,” by Muriel Resnik, and Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe?,” with Warner Brothers. Alexander Cohen and Gabriel Katzke will produce and Michael Gordon will direct “Albatross.” Ernest Lehman will produce and write the screenplay for “Virginia Woolfe.” All are represented by the Morris office. Other recent property sales involve two novels, three original stories, and' several creative clients of the agency. In this con¬ nection, Columbia has concluded a deal for Frank Capra to produce and direct Martin Caidin’s “Marooned.” Norman Jewison will produce and direct Nathaniel Benchley’s “The Off-Islanders,” with William Rose doing the screenplay for United Artists-Mirisch Co.; MGM has acquired “Roses Are Blue,” an original by Garson Kanin; Gore Vidal will do the screenplay from his original story, “Don’t Rock The Boat,” for Martin Ransahoff’s Filmways Productions; and Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin will produce and direct “Divorce, American Style,” from a story and screenplay by Lear, for National General, which will go into production this year. As a 1965 project, Lear and Yorkin will produce and' direct “Never Too Late” for Warners, with playwright Sumner Long doing his own script for the film version. Executives involved in these activities in¬ clude Joe Schoenfeld and' Phil Kellogg, coheads of the motion picture department; Charles Baker, legitimate theatre department; Helen Strauss and Mike Zimring, literary department; Helen Harvey, Harold Franklin, Jack Hutto, and Sylvia Hersher, plays and writers; and Bernie Wilens, motion pictures. Nat Lefkowitz, Morris Stoller, and Sam Weisbord, senior executive officers, figured im¬ portantly in these negotiations. Victoria Facelift Delays Col.'s "Pale Horse" Debut NEW YORK — The completion of an ex¬ tensive refurbishing program at New York’s Victoria Theatre will delay the world premiere of Fred Zinnemann’s “Be¬ hold a Pale Horse” until Aug. 14, it has been announced by Columbia Pictures. At the completion of the refurbishing, the Victoria will have undergone total renovation including new seating, new marquee lighting, new curtain, alterations in the projection lamps, and an increase of 53 per cent in screen size. Broumas Names Execs SILVER SPRING, MD. — John G. Broumas, president of the 50-theatre Broumas circuit, announced the appointment of Michael Papa¬ michael as vice-president in charge of theatre construction, development, and improvements. Papamichael will supervise the building and development of new theatres as well as the physical aspects of the present theatres. Currently, Papamichael is coordinating his efforts with Broumas in order to open the rapidly growing chain’s two newest additions, the 900 seat Barricks Road Theatre and the 900 seat Plaza, Winchester, Va. Broumas also announced the appointment of James S. Lipsner as director of advertising and publicity for Broumas Theatres. Woolner Counsel Named LOS ANGELES — Woolner Bros. Pictures, Inc. which recently moved its headquarters to Hollywood, has engaged legal firm of Donald E. Leon to handle their interests and to finalize foreign and domestic production deals for company. NEW YORK — “We are on the verge of achieving total integration of foreign product in United States theatres.” This is the observation of David Emanuel, president of Governor Films. Currently re¬ leasing two British imports in the popular “Doctor” and “Carry On” series as summer offerings, “Doctor In Distress” and “Carry On Cabby,” Emanuel pointed out that the foreign accent is no longer a bar to playdates. A film’s nationality is no longer a prime consideration. Despite the prejudices that affected boxoffice results of films from abroad in past years, the veteran distributor recalled that motion pictures, as an international business, is not a recent development. During the last few years, he added, the industry has merely accelerated its one-world concept to the point where features are now being geared to the international market for maximum potential gross. “Actually,” Emanuel noted, “foreign in¬ fluences on movie-making have always existed. Even so far as technology is con¬ cerned, Edison must share billing with the European scientists who fashioned cameras and projectors at the turn of the century. And, long before them, Aristotle, Archimedes, and Da Vinci were fascinated by and in¬ fluenced the development of motion picture. “The early work of filmmakers from abroad also had a decided effect on the growth of our own domestic industry. When monopoly conditions prevailed in production and distribution a half century ago in this country and all pictures were limited to one and two reels, imported films upset these restrictions. And one has only to note the names Garbo, Jannings, Lubitsch, to realize how foreign influences continued in the ‘mid¬ dle age’ of the movies. Now the trend is stronger than ever.” The success of foreign films is a matter of exposure, the importer said, as it is with other overseas products. Taking foodstuffs as an example, he cited how foreign dishes like sukiyaki, shishkabob, wiener schnitzel, mamaliga, and shashlik tempted American taste buds. It’s the same with movies, Emanuel went on. Foreign films first got the exposure be¬ cause “picture gourmets” wanted them and helped build up a limited market. The poten¬ tial was expanded because of necessity (short¬ age of product) and the pint has now been reached where foreign films are no longer confined to specialty houses and grosses can¬ not be overlooked. In 1959, Emanuel achieved 7,000 bookings and grossed in excess of $2,000,000 with “Carry On Nurse” in the U. S. market. Acceptance of these imports is also aided by audience recognition. Many English stars have crossed the Atlantic to make American films and are therefore already known. “Today, travel is swift and innovations permit us to witness historic events in any part of the globe via Telstar. As the world grows smaller, the necessity for a global concept in moviemaking becomes more ap¬ parent. More and more, the promotion of quality pictures transcends all boundaries. It is not uncommon today for a majority of the films released internationally to represent creative talents from many lands. Each film in itself becomes a miniature United Nations.” Producer-director William Castle boards one of the specially built trams for a tour of Universal City Studios. The tours were recently opened to the public. August 5, 1964 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 13