The Exhibitor (1965)

US Non-Theatrical Film Makers Honored For Festival Triumphs WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a glittering cere¬ mony, more than 100 American film pro¬ ducers and sponsors were honored by the Council on International Nontheatrical Events (CINE) for the outstanding performance of their films at 51 international film festivals in 1965. George Stevens, Jr., director of the U. S. Information Agency’s Motion Picture Service, singled out the creative efforts of America’s young film makers, and the fact that films are now being made in cities and towns in all parts of the United States as an indication of the renewed vitality which is becoming apparent in America’s film art. At its eighth annual awards program, CINE granted the coveted Golden Eagle to 112 motion pictures plus 13 CINE Eagles to ama¬ teur films, 11 of which were made by teen¬ agers. CINE jurors reviewed 500 films to arrive at the Golden and CINE Eagle winners, thereby making them eligible to represent the United States abroad. Twenty top international prizes were pre¬ sented by foreign diplomats before a capacity audience in the National Education Associa¬ tion auditorium here. Three motion pictures shared the spotlight by winning two or more high awards each. Saul Bass’s “The Searching Eye,” made for the Eastman Kodak Company New York World’s Fair pavilion, was awarded the Dip¬ loma of Merit at Edinburgh plus two Italian prizes — the Lion of St. Mark (first prize) from the Venice Children’s festival and the Golden Gondola from the International Com¬ mittee for Educational and Cultural Films. A production by a Harvard University stu¬ dent, Eliot Noyes, Jr., “Clay,” also took the Edinburgh Diploma of Merit plus the Helen Grayson Award at Annecy, France. A 1964 Golden Eagle winner, “The Sea,” by Michael Birch for Encyclopedia Britannica Films, Wilmette, Ill., won the Minister’s Silver Cup at the Milan Maritime Festival and the Plaque and Special Jury prize at Vicenza, Italy. A total of 265 nontheatrical, television docu¬ mentary and theatrical short subject films were sent abroad in 1965. Seventy-two won honors, with 23 being top awards. Chesapeake-Ohio Offers Intransit Movies To Riders NEW YORK — The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, one of the country’s major rail networks, has become the second railroad to feature big-screen, full-color movies for its passengers. Walter J. Tuohy, chief executive officer of the railroad, and David Flexer, who pioneered the airborne movie system in use on major airlines, announced the sign¬ ing of a three-year contract with the C&O for nightly movie presentations on the railroad’s crack trains. The movie show¬ ings will begin immediately, with sched¬ ules both east and westbound. Motion pictures have been featured on the major trains of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad since last December. The contract was signed between the C&O and Intransit Motion Pictures, an affiliate of Inflight Motion Pictures. Goodman Joins Artixo NEW YORK — George (Jerry) Goodman has joined Artixo Productions, Ltd., as executive vice-president, it was announced by Artie Shaw, president. A native of St. Louis and a Harvard graduate, Goodman has been an associate editor of Dow-Jones’ “Barron’s National Busi¬ ness and Financial Weekly,” then a contri¬ buting editor in the Financial Section of “Time,” associate editor of “Fortune,” and vice-president of the Lincoln Fund, a mutual investment group. The author of four books, “The Wheeler Dealers,” “A Killing in the Market,” “A Time for Paris,” and “The Bubble Makers,” he went to Hollywood in 1961 and since then has been a writer at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Col¬ umbia Pictures, and other film companies, as well as in television. The American premiere of Artixo’s “How NOT to Rob a Department Store” is sched¬ uled for the Fine Arts, it was also announced by Shaw. WESTON Weston Elevated To Assist Levine At Embassy NEW YORK — Robert R. Weston, vice-presi¬ dent, has been named administrative assistant to Joseph E. Levine, president of Embassy Pictures. Formerly assistant to executive vice-presi¬ dent Leonard Lightstone, Weston will as/ sist Levine in all phases \ ... m::M: of the corporation’s ac¬ tivities. Commenting on Wes¬ ton’s elevation, Levine stated that the new ap¬ pointment is in keeping with Embassy’s policy of promoting from within its executive talent pool. He further noted that Weston, who joined Embassy in November, 1960, as advertising manager, had demonstrated from his first day with the company that he was a man with “ideas and the energy, zest and determination to succeed — qualities that are of vital impor¬ tance in the world of motion picture enter¬ tainment.” Weston, named vice-president in charge of world advertising, publicity, and exploitation in January, 1963, later moved over to super¬ vise Embassy’s flourishing music activities while retaining an active hand in such areas as advertising and the acquisition of proper¬ ties and scripts. A graduate of Fordham U., Weston was assistant advertising manager at United Artists prior to joining Embassy. He entered the film industry as a copywriter for Colum¬ bia Pictures, and later became an assistant account executive at Donahue & Co. adver¬ tising agency, assigned to the Columbia ac¬ count. Shaw Joins Titus Prods. NEW YORK — David Shaw has been ap¬ pointed west coast head of the recentlyformed Titus Productions, it was announced by Herbert Brodkin, president of Titus. The new company, which will have its headquarters at Paramount Studios in Holly¬ wood, was formed for the development of television projects. First on its agenda is a new series based on “Shane,” the widely acclaimed Paramount motion picture. Brodkin is also president of the New Yorkbased Plautus Productions. "Spy" In Benefit Bow HOLLYWOOD — Howard W. Koch, Para¬ mount Pictures vice-president and studio and production head, actors Jack Lemmon and Robert Young, director Blake Edwards and Mrs. Clark Gable have been named by Leo Hirsh, president San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Clinic, as honorary co-chairmen of the Dec. 22 benefit premiere of Martin Ritt’s “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold” at the Warner Hollywood. The premiere will aid the Clinic, a non¬ profit, non-sectarian organization opened in 1962 to aid emotionally disturbed youngsters and their families. The Clinic, which serves the vital community need of retrieving chil¬ dren otherwise lost to society, is the only facility of its kind in the rapidly growing San Fernando Valley. Stuart Whitman recently made an appearance at a trade screening of Paramount’s “Sands Of The Kalahari” at the Dallas exchange and is seen, left to right, with Roy Adams, head booker and buyer, Rowley United Theatres; Debs Hale, head booker and buyer, Jefferson Amusement Corporation; Tom Bride, SW sales manager, Paramount Pictures; and Matt Dowlin, independent exhibitor of Dallas. 12 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR November 17, 1965