The Exhibitor (1966)

Chartered Jet To Fly LA. Group To N. Y. To Honor Pioneer Forman Ferguson Urges Exhibs To Recruit Top Admen BOSTON — Speaking at the General Cinema Corporation’s annual division managers’ meet¬ ing, Robert S. Ferguson, Columbia vicepresident in charge of advertising and public¬ ity, urged exhibitors to keep amateurs out of the act and leave their local advertising cam¬ paigns to professionals. Ferguson briefly discussed the effects of the new production code, the rising importance of roadshow attractions, the distributor’s obliga¬ tions to the exhibitor, and the exhibitor’s responsibility to his audience. In this connection, the Columbia executive had special praise for Boston exhibitor Ben Sack. Ferguson noted, “Ben Sack brought showmanship back to Boston at a time when movie business was at an ebb. He restored the motion picture to its rightful place as Number One on the Boston entertainment scene.” The highlight of Ferguson’s address was his plea to exhibitors to bring the professionals back to the advertising of films. “We’re spend¬ ing the money to make the pictures,” Ferguson said. “We’re spending the money to merchan¬ dise the pictures. We’re spending the money to advertise the pictures. I urge you to spend some money, too, in recruiting and hiring talented advertising people for your theatres. “The day of the amateur is gone. Now is the time for professionals. Let those without talent sell candy. Let those without talent handle the ushering chores. But above all, keep those without creative talent away from the ads. Don’t let them tamper with areas that are beyond their abilities. “Advertising is a job that calls for knowledge, skill, talent, and experience. Either use the ads as we give them to you without change, or hire the best man you can find to correct and alter them to fit your local situation. Keep the amateurs out of the act and you and we will be so much better off.” SW Declares Dividend NEW YORK — The board of directors of Stanley Warner Corporation has declared a dividend of cents per share on the com¬ mon stock, payable Nov. 25 to stockholders of record Nov. 9. Cinema Lodge of B'nai B'rith recently held a lun¬ cheon celebration at the Americana Hotel, New York, honoring Jack Levin on his 50th anniversary in the industry. From left to right are Si Seadler, Levin, Harry Brandt, and Norman Robbins. Exhib-Producer Iselin Broadens His Horizons ALBANY — Alan Iselin, 40-year-old Alban¬ ian who has startled area filmdom by extend¬ ing his operations from ownership of drive-ins to the production of science-fiction pictures and to the supervision of a television “pilot” film, is further broadening the scope of his activities. Iselin has been elected president and chief executive officer of Isram Corporation, which currently owns oil, gas, and real estate interests in Israel and also operates a com¬ mercial finance division in the United States. He hopes to acquire a production-distribution picture company which he could bring into a projected corporate structure. Iselin already heads several “Futurama” corporations for screen and video. Offices for these are at 991 Broadway in Albany. The prominent New York law firm of Wiseman, Celler, Allen, Spett & Sheinberg represents Iselin and has other film industry clients. LOS ANGELES— A United Air Lines DC-S super-jet has been chartered for the William R. Forman “Pioneer of the Year” testimonial in New York City Nov. 21, it is announced by Attorney Ezra Stern, chairman of the local committee. More than 100 Pacific Coast and Hawaii industryites are expected to be aboard the junket, according to Stern. The flight will depart Los Angeles Saturday, Nov. 19 at 12 noon, returning Tuesday evening, Nov. 22. Headquarters will be the Americana Hotel, where the annual Pioneer of the Year ban¬ quet will be held. Forman, president of Pacific Theatres and Cinerama, Inc., was nominated by the Mo¬ tion Pictures Pioneers, Inc., and the Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation for his pioneer¬ ing the drive-in theatre concept in America and “the upgrading of drive-ins and their ap¬ pointments to an American way of life.” For¬ man also is being honored for his revitaliza¬ tion of Cinerama, Inc., of which he is world wide president. Serving as co-chairmen with Stern for the New York charter trip are Jim Nicholson, AIP president; Walter Branson, coast head of National Screen Service; William H. Thedford, National General Corporation; and Don Guttman and Robert W. Selig, Pacific The¬ atres. Selig also is dinner co-chairman with Sey¬ mour Poe of Twentieth-Century Fox. Tisch Bros. Aid N.Y.U. NEW YORK — A gift of $2 million from the Tisch Foundation for a new building tohouse the School of Commerce at New York University was announced by Dr. James M. Hester, president of the University. “The commitment of the Tisch brothers, Laurence Alan and Preston Robert, to New York City is well known,” Dr. Hester said. “New York University welcomes this out¬ standing gift in support of its program to pro¬ vide superior educational opportunities in New York City.” The new School of Commerce headquarters will be called the Tisch Building, honoring the memory of A1 Tisch, the father of the two brothers. Laurence Tisch is president and chairman of the board of Loew’s Theatres, Inc. Preston Robert Tisch is president of Loew’s Hotels, a subsidiary of the parent corporation. Young Heads Phila. MPA PHILADELPHIA — At the annual meeting of the Motion Picture Associates of Philadel¬ phia, the following officers were elected for the coming year: Milton Young, Columbia Pictures, presi¬ dent; Robert Friedman, United Artists, vicepresident; re-elected treasurer, William J. Doyle; and Richard M. Doherty, secretary. The new board of directors includes Stanley Adelman, George T. Beattie, Alfred J. Davis, Sid Eckman, Martin Grassgreen, Jack H. Greenberg, Don R. Hicks, Jerry Levy, Mort Magill, Nathan Milgram, Norman Silverman, and Harry Weiner. The Motion Picture Associates is the charity arm of the distribution end of the motion picture industry in Philadelphia. Shown following a press conference announcing the benefit world premiere of 20th-Fox s The Sand Pebbles" at the Rivoli, New York, on Dec. 20 were, left to right, Salah Hassanein, executive vice-presi¬ dent, U. A. Theatres; producer-director Robert Wise; star Candice Bergen; Joseph M. Sugar, 20th-Fox vice president in charge of domestic sales; and Jonas Rosenfield, Jr., 20th-Fox vice-president and director of advertising, publicity, and exploitation. The premiere will benefit the Korea Society and the Pearl Buck Foundation, Inc. 1 I November 2, 1966 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR