The Exhibitor (1966)

New High In Low Taste BEVERLY HILLS— A new high in low taste recently is both puzzling and annoying to top personalities in the entertainment indus¬ try. A practical joker with macabre aberrations has been arranging “funeral services” for Holly¬ wood celebrities. In the space of five days, targets of the grisly prankster were cinema stars Bette Davis and Lloyd Nolan and tv quizmaster Art Linkletter. The grim joker's activities came to light when the secretary to Dr. Myron C. Cole, pastor of the Beverly Christian Church, tele¬ phoned a local newspaper to inquire about Nolan. When she was informed the actor is enjoying flouishing health, she said, “Someone called ns, asking Dr. Cole to conduct funeral services for Mr. Nolan. He seemed quite authentic, introducing himself as ‘David Don CLARK TRANSFER, INC. Terminals: • BOSTON, MASS. 100 Gibson Street, Dorchester 617-282-2099 • NEW YORK, N. Y. 809 W. 46tli Street 212-246-0815 • NORFOLK, VA. 316 South Main Street 703-545-3832 • PHILADELPHIA, PA. (Executive Offices) 829 North 29th Street 215-232-3100 • RICHMOND, VA. 312 South 17th Street 703-648-6083 • TAMAQUA (Hometown), PA. RD #2 717-668-1727 • WASHINGTON, 0. C. 3194 Bladensburg Road, N.E. 202-526-4800 leavy of the Hollywood Park Mortuary’ and said a member of Mr. Nolan’s family would call us later. We made arrangements with our organist and soloist — and then began to won¬ der.” There is no “Hollywood Park Mortuary.” The church called the Inglewood Park Mor¬ tuary, owing to the similarity in location and name and believing an error might have been made. An Inglewood spokesman replied re¬ signedly: “Oh, yes. This is the third. A few days ago another church called us about services arranged for Bette Davis, and then another church called about rites arranged for Art Linkletter. In each case, they said the arrange¬ ments were made by a David Donleavy of the Hollywood Park Mortuary.” 7-Arts, Filmways Merger Off NEW YORK — Eliot Hyman, president of Seven Arts Productions, Ltd., and Martin Ransohoff, chairman of Lilmways, Inc., an¬ nounced that because of operating and contractural problems which had proven more difficult than previously anticipated. Seven Arts and Lilmways have mutually agreed to terminate all further merger negotiations. Judge Rules For UA In CATV Infringement Suit NEW YORK — ^Judge William B. Herlands in Pederal Court sustained United Artists in the suit brought by the company through its wholly owned subsidiary. United Artists Tele¬ vision, Inc., against the Lortnightly Corpora¬ tion, community antenna system, which op¬ erates in West Virginia from executive offices in New York. Fortnightly was taken to court over its al¬ legedly unauthorized pickup of feature films and cartoons from five Philadelphia tv stations licensing and broadcasting UA material. The suit charged copyright infringement and asked for a permanent injunction against further unlicensed activity by Fortnightly. Judge Herlands granted UA-TV an inter¬ locutory decree and denied a Fortnightly mo¬ tion to dismiss the action. Fortnightly was held guilty of infringing on the plaintiff’s copy¬ righted motion pictures by giving public per¬ formances of the films for profit. Judge Her¬ lands denied that Fortnightly had immunity under the law to show pictures without copy¬ right and ruled that the Federal Communica¬ tions Act of 1934 does not prohibit UA-TV from collecting royalties from the defendant’s CATV systems for public performances of the plaintiff’s copyrighted motion pictures. It was indicated that Fortnightly will ap¬ peal. Louis Nizer represented UA in the case. Sameric Plans New D-150 Theatre S) Construction of a new theatre has been announced by the Sameric Corp., Philadel¬ phia based circuit. The modern structure will seat approximately 1,400, and is scheduled for completion this September. Planned as first run house, equipment will include D-150 extra-wide screen facilities making possible presentation of all formats including standard 70mm and 35mm productions. Stereophonic sound, scientifically regulated heating and air conditioning and virtually unlimited parking will offer patrons a deluxe motion picture theatre in the West Trenton, New Jersey area. Site for the latest addition to the Sameric chain is at Scotch Road and Parkway Avenue, in Ewing Township. Plans for the theatre were drawn up by Harry Sternfield, F.A.I.A., and Harry H. Phillips, A.I.A., associate. The owners and developers are Louis H. and Earl Cahan. Louis Cahan is a veteran developer of shopping centers, apartment houses and commercial structures including theatres and office buildings. He was builder of the Orpheum Theatre, Mayfair House, Bankers Securities Building, Mitten Building, Chateau Crillion and developments in Trenton, New York, and other cities. The new house, to feature a smoking mezzanine, will be named the Eric Theatre — Ewing. 18 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR June 1, 1966