The Exhibitor (1966)

Czech Director Credits N.Y. Festival For Success I A TSE Drive For AH Film Workers Seeks To Boost N. Y. Production NEW YORK — Three New York Film Fes¬ tival selections were nominated for this year’s Academy Awards, with top honors being won by “The Shop on Main Street” (Best Foreign Language Picture, distributed by Prominent Films) and “The Chicken” (Best Live-Action Short Subject, distributed by Pathe Contempo¬ rary Films). “Overture” (Documentary Short Subject, distributed by Pathe Contemporary Films) was also in the running. Czechoslovakian director, Jan Kadar, co¬ director of “The Shop on Main Street,” who passed through New York on his way back from Hollywood bearing his “Oscar,” made these remarks: “The beginning of the career of our picture was really the New York Festival, for it was with the Festival that our picture won the best introduction into the United States a motion picture could have. At the Cannes Film Festival, where it was earlier shown, no one wanted to buy it for distribu¬ tion; there was no commercial interest in a little Czechoslovakian film on such a big subject. “The enthusiasm of the New York Film Fes¬ tival audience and the response of the national film critics during it not only influenced the success of our film around the rest of the United States, but had a direct influence for success and purchase in other countries around the word. “I feel strongly that the best point of de¬ parture for a film like ‘The Shop on Main Street’ is the New York Film Fe.stival. More than anyone else, I am in a position to appre¬ ciate the efforts of the Festival on behalf of new works.” Tex. Exhib Uses Marquee To Warn Noisy Kids DUMAS, TEX. — After the noise prob¬ lem in the Evelyn Theatre had simply gotten out of hand and after battling the problem for some time, H. S. McMurray decided that he would declare war on noisy kids and would ask them to leave if they continued to be noisy. Before taking this drastic action, Mc¬ Murray placed a warning on his marquee which stated, “We have declared war on noisy kids. Parents warn yours.” McMurray said that after posting the notice on the marquee, results were amaz¬ ing, and the noise problem has ceased tem¬ porarily. “How To Steal” To Hall NEW YORK — William Wyler’s “How to Steal a Million” will have its world premiere at Radio City Music Hall in mid-summer, it was announced by Joseph M. Sugar, 20th Century-Fox vice-president in charge of do¬ mestic sales, and James F. Gould, president of the famous Rockefeller Center playhouse. The engagement will mark the first 20th Fox film produced under the company’s new management to play the Music Hall since Darryl F. Zanuck assumed the presidency. NEW YORK — The drive to bring all film production workers on the east coast into I.A.T.S.E. membership moved into a new phase, with the union inviting unaffiliated craftsmen to a meeting. Prominent advertisements in the trade press and the New York Times, stressing the need to “stabilize the industry,” armounced that the session would be held in the Gertrude Lane Auditorium. Committee in charge of the meeting in¬ cluded three I.A.T.S.E. business agents — Steve D’Inzillo, Operators Local 306; Kenneth Fundus, Studio Mechanics Local 52; and John Hall, Jr., Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Local 798 and Theatrical Wardrobe Attendants Local 764. “A prime objective in pursuing this course,” D’Inzillo said, “is to create a climate which will attract more film production to New York City and thereby make possible more employ¬ ment for the competent craftsmen located here. With the aid of the producers and the City of New York, we are working toward the efficient and economical procedures needed to accomplish our objective.” NCC Dividend Set LOS ANGELES — Directors of National General Gorporation declared a regular quar¬ terly dividend of five eents per common share, payable June 1 to shareholders of record May 20.