Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Sep 1955)

SECOND COMPO GROEP XAMED CIRCUITS WILL GET 25,000,000 VOTES Private estimates submitted to COMPO by five national theatre circuits indicate that they will require 25 million ballots for their patrons in the Audience Awards election November 17-27, it was reported last week by COMPO. The circuits are RKO Theatres, Paramount Theatres, National Theatres, Loew's and Stanley Warner Theatres. COMPO and National Screen, which will distribute the ballots, are canvassing other theatres to arrive at an over-all estimate for the number of patrons' ballots that will be needed nationally. Announce N ominations ' in Awards Poll for Period from April 1 to June 30 The second group of nominations by the country’s motion picture theatre operators for the Audience Awards election which will be conducted in theatres next November 1727, was announced in Hollywood Tuesday by Elmer C. Rhoden, national chairman of the Awards committee. Nominated by exhibitors as the best pictures released between April 1 and June 30 last were “Love Me or Leave Me,” MetroGoldwyn-Mayer ; “A Man Called Peter,” 20th Century-Fox; “Seven Year Itch,” 20th Century-Fox; “Strategic Air Command,” Paramount ; and “20,000 Leagues Lbider the Sea,” Disney-Buena Vista. Nominees Named Nominees for outstanding performances by male stars during the period are: James Cagney in “Love Me or Leave Me,” MetroGoldwyn-Mayer ; James Dean in “East of Eden,” Warner Brothers; Tom Ewell in “Seven Year Itch,” 20th Century-Fox; James Stewart in “Strategic Air Command,” Paramount; Richard Todd in “A Man Called Peter,” 20th Century-Fox. In the category, “Best Performance by a Female Star,” the following were named : June Allyson in “Strategic Air Command,” Paramount ; Leslie Caron in “Daddy Long Legs,” 20th Century-Fox; Doris Day in “Love Me or Leave Me,” Metro-GoldwynMayer ; ^larilyn Monroe in “Seven Year Itch,” 20th Century-Fox; Jean Peters in “A Man Called Peter,” 20th Century-Fox. Named as “Promising New Personalities — Male” were Ernest Borgnine, who appeared in “Marty”; James Dean, who appeared in “Fast of Eden”; John Derek, who appeared in “Run for Cover”; Tom Ewell, who appeared in “Seven Year Itch,” and Fess Parker, who appeared in “Davy Crockett.” Promising Players Female personalities in the same classification who were nominated were Betsy Blair, who appeared in “Marty” ; Marge Champion, who appeared in “Three for the Show”; Terry Moore, who appeared in “Daddy Long Legs”; Mary Murphy, who appeared in “Hell’s Island,” and Mara Corday, who appeared in “Man Without a Star” and “The Man from Bitter Ridge.” June Allyson, Doris Day and James Stewart were nominated for outstanding performances in the first group of nominations announced July 27, Miss Allyson being chosen for her work in “A Woman’s VV^orld,” a 20th Century-Fox picture; Miss Day for her performance in “Young at Heart,” a Warner Brothers film, and Mr. Stewart for his performance in Paramount’s “Rear Window.” Theatre owners will shortly receive a list of pictures released in July, August and September. From this they will be asked to make five additional nominations of best pictures, best performances and most promising new personalities, thus bringing the list of nominations up to 20 in each category. These nominations will make up the ballot to be offered movie patrons during the Audience Awards election November 17-27, with a blank space for write-in votes. It is expected that at least 8,000 theatres will hold these elections, at which theatre patrons will be asked to vote for one in each of the five categories. The winners will be announced shortly after the election at elaborate ceremonies in Hollywood. In announcing the second nominations, Mr. Rhoden said that the Audience Awards election program is being received with tremendous enthusiasm by both the public and the nation’s movie theatres. "Ugetsu" Wins Seiznick's Golden Laurel Award “Ugetsu” a Japanese film distributed here by Ed Harrison, last week won the David O. Selznick Golden Laurel Award for pictures making the greatest contribution to international good-will. The award was presented by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., to producer Masaichi Nagata, as a climactic event in the Edinburgh Film Festival. Presentation last year, to “The Last Bridge,” an Austrian film, was at the Berlin Festival. On the Award jury were Ellis Arnall, Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, Gardner Cowles, Otto Harbach, Rene d’Harnoncourt, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Herbert Bayard Swope, and James P. Warburg. Aitown Stary lit Cinerama. PresidjenT Eisenhower’s atoms for peace proposal will be the basis of Cinerama, Inc.’s first picture. Hazard E. Reeves, president and founder, announced in New York this week. The story will be a dramatic description of the manifold and fascinating uses of the atom for energy in peaceful pursuits. The company says it will have the technical aid of the Atomic Energy Commission. Producing will be Grant Leenhouts, Cinerama Inc., vice-president in charge of production. Mr. Leenhouts was active in the early development of the medium, has a record of production at major studios, and during World War II was head of planning and production for the U. S. Navy motion picture division. The picture, Mr. Leenhouts said this week, will be in 35mm as well as Cinerama, and will be released during 1956. He added he already has been photographing such “onetime” events in atomic history as the launching of the submarine “Seawolf.” Braadtray Crosses Biy Mainly excellent business was registered during the Labor Day weekend at most first run theatres in New York. The result was robust grosses reported for the week. Neighborhood situations also enjoyed good holiday business according to spokesmen for Loew’s Theatres and RKO Theatres. At Radio City Music Hall, a huge $154,000 was expected for the eighth week of “Mister Roberts,” while “Love Is a Many .Splendored Thing” at the Roxy would probably reach an excellent $66,000 in its third week. The first week of “The Man from Laramie” at the Capitol was expected to hit a substantial $61,000 and the initial week of “The Phenix City Story” at Loew’s State was also expected to reach a fine $63,000. The fifth week of “To Catch a Thief” at the Paramount was due to register a booming $60,000, while a good $41,000' was estimated for the first week of “The Kentuckian” at the Mayfair. “Summertime,” in its 11th week at the Astor, was due to hit a healthy $26,000, while a fine $29,000 was forecast for the third week of “Pete Kelly’s Blues” at the Victoria. A nice $30,000 was seen for the third week of “Ulysses” at the Globe and an estimated $29,000 was expected for the second week of “You’re Never Too Young” at the Criterion. United Artists’ “Marty,” which is rereportedly the best money-maker in the 21year history of the Sutton Theatre, will have earned more than $200,000 in film rentals at the theatre when it enters its sixth month there Sunday, it was announced by William J. Heineman, United Artists vice-president. 16 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, SEPTEMBER 10. 1955