The Exhibitor (1965)

Celebs Brighten Scene At Texas D-l Convention NGC Expects Continued Prosperity, Thanks To Boxoffice Resurgence LOS ANGELES — A motion picture industry box office resurgence promises continued pros¬ perity for National General Corp., operator of the nation’s second largest theatre chain, and is the background for its major new suburban theatre-building program, it was announced by NGC president Eugene V. Klein in remarks to shareholders at the company’s annual meeting. Speaking in the Fox Wilshire Theatre, Klein said National General plans over the next five years to build 60 to 75 new theatres, following the “population trend” and locating them in large new shopping centers wherever possible. He commented that costs of the building pro¬ gram “will be borne substantially by shopping center builders and developers,” with the company contributing “equipment, showman¬ ship, and know-how.” Reporting satisfaction with NGCs 1964, fis¬ cal year ended Sept. 30, Klein saw “further progress” in 1965, which may encourage direc¬ tors once again to consider a further increase in the dividend rate. In 1964, while achieving revenues of more than $59 million, and net operating income of $2.5 million, or 70 cents per share, the company, after an interruption of several years, resumed quarterly dividend payments initially at a rate of three cents per share. In October, the rate was increased to four cents. Comparable operating results in 1963, with earnings adjusted to eliminate non-recurring items and as if fully taxed, showed revenues of $48.2 million and net income of 1.2 million or 35 cents per share. There were 3,464,037 shares outstanding in 196,3, and 3,592,523 in 1964. With Columbia Pictures Corp., the com¬ pany is continuing its plans to produce motion pictures of “significance and merit.” Upcom¬ ing features include “Divorce American Style,” “What Little Girls Are Made Of,” and “Operation Fer de Lance.” The arrangements for co-production with Columbia will utilize Columbia’s production and worldwide distri¬ bution facilities. He attributed the movie industry’s 1964 re¬ versal of the long television-inspired boxoffice downtrend to better pictures, “unprece¬ dented leisure time,” and peak prosperity. He added, “New sophistication, developed meas¬ urably and ironically by the very tv sets from which audiences now seek to escape, spurs a whole new generation of entertainment seek¬ ers to throng to movie houses which are at last able to cater to more discriminating tastes.” National General’s board of directors elected Klein, president and chairman of the board; Irving H. Levin, executive vice president; Alan May, financial vice-president and treas¬ urer; Harold A. Lipton, vice-president and secretary; Pierre Salinger, vice-president; Samuel Schulman, vice president; Dan A. Polier, assistant vice-president; Frank P. Stagen, assistant vice-president; Paul F. Scherer, assistant secretary and assistant treasurer; and Lee E. Thom, assistant treas¬ urer. Board of directors elected at the annual stockholders meeting were Lloyd Drexler, Paul Hallinby, Jr., Nathan Kates, Klein, Levin, Lipton, Jack M. Ostrow, Edward Pat¬ terson, Schulman, and Seymour F. Simon. Dan A. Polier and William H. Thedford, co-directors of theatre operations of National General Corporation, have embarked on a Salinger In Acting Debut For Fox's "Do Not Disturb" HOLLYWOOD — Pierre Salinger, former U.S. Senator and press secretary to Pres¬ ident John F. Kennedy, has been signed to make his motion picture debut in “Do Not Disturb,” now filming at 20th CenturyFox. Salinger will portray the American Consul in Paris who helps Doris Day when she becomes stranded. Following his defeat in the California elections last November, Salinger joined National General Corporation as a vicepresident, with headquarters in Beverly Hills. New Y-P For WOMPI NEW ORLEANS — Mrs. Lee Nickolaus, president, Women of the Motion Picture In¬ dustry International, announced the appoint¬ ment of Mrs. Viola Wister, Charlotte, as in¬ ternational vice-president, to fill the un¬ expired term of Anna Belle Miller, Denver, who has left the motion picture industry. Mrs. Wister is secretary to Scot Lett, gen¬ eral manager of Howco Exchanges, Inc. The new vice-president’s official capacity with the international organization in former years in¬ cluded the office of treasurer, which she held for two disconnected terms, and chairman of a number of international committees. In her Charlotte club, Mrs. Wister has served as president and secretary, in addition to committee chairmanships. series of meetings with the circuit’s district and theatre managers in Seattle, San Francis¬ co, San Diego^ Los Angeles, Denver, Kansas City, and Salt Lake City. Klein was slated to address the Los Angeles and Kansas City sessions, while Levin was to attend the San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Denver meetings. John Klee, area supervisor of NGC’s Fox West Coast Theatres in northern California, has been promoted to Pacific Coast division manager for the circuit, and will move to the home offices in Beverly Hills. The veteran theatre executive, who began his theatre career in 1922 and has been in the Bay City since 1955, will succeed Thed¬ ford, also formerly of San Francisco, who moves up to co-director of theatre operations for the 218 -theatre circuit. DALLAS— Hollywood motion picture stars Bette Davis and Olivia De Havilland, sched¬ uled to arrive in Dallas on Feb. 25 for a stop publicizing their latest movie, have extended their visit plans an additional day to Feb. 26. The actresses will stay over to attend the President’s Banquet of the Texas Drive-In Theatre Owners convention to be held here opening Feb. 23 through 25. The two stars coming here to promote their costarring picture, “Hush, Hush . . . Sweet Charlotte,” will leave for Chicago on Feb. 26. Other Hollywood stars who will be on hand to help Texas D-I theatre owners celebrate are John Ashley, Deborah Walley, Sue Ane Langdon, and Hope Holiday. Stars John Ashley and Deborah Walley will be on tap at a beach party the night of Feb. 24, sponsored by the American-Inter¬ national Pictures Co., with hosts for the party being Jim Nicholson, president, and Sam Arkoff, vice-president of AIP. At the President’s Banquet Thursday night, an entertainment skit will be presented by Sue Ane Langdon and Hope Holiday. The theatre owners convention will open Feb. 23 at 4: 30 p.m. with a ribbon cutting to open trade exhibits. A luncheon Feb. 24 will honor the trade press. Principal speaker will be Summer Redstone, president of Theatre Owners of America. Topic of a work session following the luncheon is “Product of the Future and How to Sell.” Among speakers will be five local men. They are W. B. Williams, branch manager, 20th Century -Fox; James Gillespie, publicity director, 20th Century-Fox; Roy Smith, branch manager, Universal Film Ex¬ change; Bill Schaefer, publicity director, Paramount Film Distributing Corp.; Judson Moses, publicity director, Metro-GoldwynMayer Pictures Corp. Other topics to be discussed during the three day meeting will be “Film Classifica¬ tion and Censorship” and “Drive-In Opera¬ tion Guides.” Included among studio executives attend¬ ing are F. J. Edele, vice-president and gen¬ eral sales manager, Embassy Pictures; Milton Goodman, assistant general sales manager, Columbia Pictures Corp.; and A1 Fisher di¬ rector of exploitation, United Artists Corp. Receiving a special award at the Presi¬ dent’s Banquet will be Nicholson and Arkoff. Speaker for the President’s Banquet will be humorist Bob Murphey. At a recent stockholders meeting of National General Corporation are seen, left to right, vice-presidents Pierre Salinger; Alan May; Harold A. Lipton; president and chairman Eugene V. Klein; executive vicepresident Irving H. Levin; and vice-president Samuel Schulman. February 24, 1 965 6 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR