The Exhibitor (1966)

fife. "Disney World' Levehpment To Include Community If Tomorrow The "Disney World" Industrial Complex seen here is one of several similar areas planned for the lavish 1,000-acre Industrial Park. MGM Stockholders Get Their Stock Dividend NEW YORK — Certificates for the addi¬ tional shares of MGM stock which now belong to stockholders as a result of the company’s five per cent stock dividend were mailed recently. By the action of the board of directors on Jan. 4, shares were issued to holders of record Jan. 16. In a letter which accompanied the certifi¬ cates, president Robert H. O’Brein said: “The board took this action after they studied the results of the first 12 weeks of this fiscal year — a record first quarter for our company since MGM and Loew’s Theatres became separate entities in 1959 — along with the continuing profits of th past three years. This stock divi !dend is in addition to the regular cash divi¬ dends which have been increased twice in the last 18 months. “The shares of stock issued for this special dividend payment have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and therefore they may be traded. The Stock Exchange has been asked to advise you that in connection with the dividend, the earned surplus account of the company will be charged with $37.75 for each of the 252,743 shares of common stock dis¬ tributed in payment of the dividend, or a total charge of $9,541,048. This entire amount will be credited to the common stock capital account. “Your company’s operations for the year ended Aug. 31, 1966, resulted in net earnings of $10,221,000, and during such year your company declared cash dividends of $4,214,000. Cash dividends paid on the common stock during the five-month period ended Jan. 31, 1967, totalled $2,521,420. The company’s consolidated earned surplus account as of Aug. 31, 1966, was $43,712,000.” Powell To Col. Pub Post NEW YORK — Columbia Pictures has named Charles M. Powell to the post of na¬ tional publicity manager. Powell, who has served as Columbia’s national exploitation manager for the past year and a half, entered the motion pic¬ ture industry in 1959 as a member of the com¬ pany’s executive training program. Following an associa¬ tion with Paramount as that company’s national publicity coordinator, Powell served as advertising and promotion manager for NBC’s New York radio and tv outlet, WNBC, and returned to Columbia in 1965 to assume the post of national exploita¬ tion manager. In his new assignment, Powell is replacing Bud Rosenthal, who left the company to enter independent production. Winckles From Rank To UA NEW YORK — Kenneth Winckles has been elected managing director of United Artists Corporation, Ltd., in the United Kingdom, it was announced by Eric Pleckow, United Ar¬ tists vice-president and executive in charge of foreign distribution. Winckles resigned from his position as a director of the Rank Organization and head of that company’s theatre division. He succeeds the late David M. Bickler. WINTER PARK, FLA. — At a meeting at¬ tended by legislative, civic and industrial leaders representing all of Florida, Walt Disney Productions announced plans for a whole new “Disney World” to be constructed on a 43square mile parcel of land 16 miles southwest of Orlando. Basic elements of the proposed development include a new amusement theme park similar to the world-famous Disneyland in California; a series of theme motels surrounding and com¬ patible to the theme park development; out¬ door sports centers for golf, tennis, boating, camping, and other recreational activities which will take advantage of and preserve the natural beauty of the area; an Industrial Park covering about 1,000 acres, planned as a “showplace to the world of American indus¬ try”; a Jet Airport of the Future offering ser¬ vice to private and executive planes, com¬ mercial charters and freight carriers; an En¬ trance Complex to receive and service the mil¬ lions of visitors expected annually; and an Experimental Prototype Community of To¬ morrow, planned for 20,000 permanent resi¬ dents. The entire development is expected to cost at least $600 million. Land clearance, drainage and other construction activities will com¬ mence on the 27,400-acre Disney property as soon as the corporation’s legislative proposals are passed by the Florida State Legislature. The meeting was opened by Paul Helliwell, senior partner in the firm of Helliwell, Melrose & De Wolf, Florida counsel to the Disney organization. After introducing the Disney executives and special guests, Helliwell turned the meeting over to General William E. Potter, Disney’s vice-president in charge of administration-Florida project. Potter, who described the meeting as “one of great significance to central Florida and to vacation-minded families throughout the world,” introduced a 25-minute color motion picture, the last film to be completed by Walt Disney. In the film, Disney presented details of the many attractions planned for Disney World, but gave special emphasis to his hopes and dreams for “EPCOT,” the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, which will be a central attraction in the proposed new, total environment. Designed to serve an initial population of 20,000, EPCOT will be a living showcase for the creativity of American industry. In its endless task of depicting urban life 25 years into the future, EPCOT will never be com¬ pleted but will always be introducing, testing and demonstrating new ideas and new tech¬ nologies. “Our Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow will always be in a state of be¬ coming,” said Disney in the film. “It will never cease to be a blueprint of the future, where people actually live a life they can’t find any¬ where else today.” Thus, the goal of this balanced working community will be to establish new standards of design, never borrowing from patented modes of living. “I don’t believe there’s a challenge any¬ where in the world that’s more important to people everywhere than finding solutions to the problems of our cities,” continued Disney. “But where do we begin? Well, we’re convinced that we must start with the public need. And the need is not just for curing the old ills of old cities. We think the need is for starting from scratch on virgin land like this, and building a community that will be a prototype of the future.” Concluding his film presentation Walt Dis¬ ney said, “With the technical know-how of American industry and the creative imagina¬ tion of the Disney organization, I’m confident we can build a living showcase that more people will talk about and come to look at than any other area in the world.” Following the motion picture presentation, General Potter introduced Roy O. Disney, president and chairman of the board of Walt Disney Productions. Roy O. Disney emphasized that although the film dwelt upon the city of EPCOT, the new amusement theme park and its surround¬ ing motels will also be a highlight of the de¬ velopment. “Our theme park will be similar in many ways to Disneyland in California, and will build upon the experience we have had there as hosts to more than 60 million people,” said the corporation’s president. “Of course, a project of this size and scope will take several years to bring to completion,” said Disney. “In fact, we are currently plan( Continued on page 18) POWELL February 15, 1967 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 11