The Exhibitor (1965)

Col. Int. Sets Foreign Sales Meets To Map Release Of 1965 Features NEW YORK — More than 80 British, Euro¬ pean. and Near Eastern executives of Colum¬ bia Pictures International convening on Feb. 13 in London will be addressed by Columbia’s executive vice-president Leo Jaffe, first vicepresident M. J. Frankovich, Columbia Pic¬ tures International executive vice-president Mo Rothman, and Columbia vice-president Robert S. Ferguson, plus a contingent of major independent producers currently mak¬ ing films for Columbia. The announcement of specific plans for the top-level Columbia Pictures International meeting in London follows the disclosure that Columbia will convene an around-the-world series of meetings that will provide direct contact with the company’s global personnel during a sevenweek period in February and March. Following the London meeting, Colum¬ bia executives will meet with Far Eastern and Australian Columbian International execu¬ tive personnel in Tokyo on Feb. 20, and Latin American personnel in Rio de Janiero starting March 27. Each of the three meetings will last four days and all will include visits by top-level Columbia executives and major independent producers. The conventions will be atetnded by all territorial managers plus key sales and advertising-publicity personnel from many of the countries. In all, more than 200 members of the Columbia organization will be involved in the three sessions. The 80 at the London meeting will be the laregst such gathering in the company’s history. According to Rothman, executive vicepresident of Columbia International, the de¬ cision to hold the world-wide series of meet¬ ings was based upon the company’s desire to “take all steps to insure that each pic¬ ture scheduled for 1965 distribution will re¬ ceive the most thorough handling.” Rather than rely on long-distance com¬ munications or occasional visits by major executives, said Rothman, “We have decided to bring all cur key people face to face for the most careful and detailed planning of all sales and promotional campaigns on each film.” Among the films on the agenda for screen¬ ing and planning are “Lord Jim,” a film by Richard Brooks; Jerry Bresler’s “Major Dun¬ dee”; Hammer Films’ “Die! Die! My Darling!”; Richard Quine’s “Synanon”; William Wyler’s “The Collector”; Harold Hecht’s “Cat Ballou”; Irving Allen’s “Genghis Khan”; Stanley Kramer’s “Ship of Fools”; James Harris’ “The Bedford Incident”; and James Woolf’s “King Rat.” TONE Plans Agenda BOSTON — Censorship will be one of the main topics of discussion at the annual mid¬ winter showmanship meeting of Theatre Own¬ ers of New England on Feb. 16. Barbara Scott, MPAA attorney, New York City, will address the membership. Summer Redstone, Redstone Drive-In Thea¬ tres, Boston-based group, and president of TOA, will head the speaker’s list, Malcolm G. Green, president of TONE, said. Norman Knight, president of Knight Radio Stations, will address the TONE meet on “Radio Pro¬ motion for Motion Pictures.” Doris Day, star of 20ih-Fox’s forthcoming “Do Not Disturb,” is seen with her 1964 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Laurel Award naming her “top female star of the year.” Sweet And Sour Apples For Cincy’s Favorite Gal CINCINNATI — The city of Cincinnati dramatically expressed its indignation at a group of Hollywood newspaper women who named its favorite daughter, Doris Day, the most uncooperative film star of 1964. To counter a blow struck by the Holly¬ wood Women’s Press Club, which voted its Sour Apple Award for Miss Day, the Ohio city sent its mayor to do her honor. On the set of “Do Not Disturb,” a MelcherArcola production at 20th Century-Fox Studios, Mayor Walton Bachrach presented Miss Day with a Sweet Apple Award — a golden apple mounted on a king-sized plaque. “The City of Cincinnati,” the mayor said, “takes great pleasure in presenting this Sweet Apple Award to you, its favorite daughter. This is in full recognition of the honor you have brought to it through your unparalleled success in the entertainment world and for your greatly appreciated cooperation in many of its important civic programs.” The mayor spoke of her help to others and contributing to events of worth and substance. He said that the people of his city find it difficult to believe any one group would label her as being “uncooperative.” Miss Day accepted the award with thanks, but made no reference to the Hollywood women’s group vote which prompted the Cincinnati action. During the presentation ceremony, wit¬ nessed by her co-star, Rod Taylor, producers Aaron Rosenberg and Martin Melcher, di¬ rector Ralph Levy, and 85 members of the production crew munched on apples. SW Declares Dividend NEW YORK — The board of directors of Stanley Warner Corporation has declared a dividend of 30 cents per share on the common stock payable Feb. 25th to stockholders of record Feb. 8th. TAME Asks NAB To Boost Opposition To CATV WASHINGTON — The following statement was issued here by TAME (Television Ac¬ cessory Manufacturers Institute) on the basic principles for proposed community antenna television legislation approved by the tele¬ vision board of directors of the National As¬ sociation of Broadcasters at Palm Springs, Calif. TAME applauds NAB’s position approving certain basic principles for regulation of CATV by the Federal Communications Com¬ mission as an important step in the right direction. TAME believes, however, that the NAB proposals do not go far enough and hopes that further study of the problem will con¬ vince the NA.B that regulation should be more comprehensive and should be concerned with the following problems: 1. The danger to the FCC’s nationwide al¬ location plan for the orderly development of American free television broadcasting service. 2. The frustration of the growth of UHF TV made possible by the recently enacted ] all-channel receiving set law. 3. Operation of CATV without making a showing of “public interest convenience and necessity.” 4. Profiting from taking programs of tv stations without obtaining permission or '■ paying for them. 5. Observance of the same legal obligations tv stations have to assure that the public will obtain the views of opposing can¬ didates for public office, and opposing views on controversial issues. 6. Prevention of CATV opening the door to pay-tv. 7. Competition with tv stations for ad¬ vertising. These problems can only be dealt with, TAME says, by the licensing of CATV systems just as tv stations are licensed. Exhibs Back Uniform Time COLUMBUS, O. — Ohio exhibitors, partic¬ ularly operators of drive-ins, are expected to campaign vigorously for enactment in this session of the Ohio Legislature of a constitu¬ tional amendment which would require uni¬ form time in all Ohio’s 88 counties. The measure is being introduced in the Ohio Senate by Sen. David Matia, Democrat, Cleveland. The amendment may provide for approval by the legislature or by voters in a general referendum. Depending on the lan¬ guage of the amendment, it would be possible for either Standard or Daylight Saving time to be adopted, but it is considered likely that Standard time would be adopted, since the greater area of the state operates under Standard time. Only a few communities in the northeast section, including Cleveland, have been operating under Daylight Saving Time in summer months. Ken Prickett, executive secretary, Inde¬ pendent Theatre Owners of Ohio, asked Ohio ! exhibitors to “talk this up” with their state representatives and other business men. Kalish To Writers Awards HOLLYWOOD — Austin (Rocky) Kalish has been named producer of the Writers 17th an¬ nual awards show to be held at the Beverly Hilton on Mar. 17. Kalish will replace Herbert Baker who has been forced to resign the show’s stewardship because of the press of other duties. 10 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR February 3, 1965