Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

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On the Olt onzon WHEN and WHERE December 17: Annual Christmas party of the Des Moines Variety Club, Jewish Community Center, Des Moines, la. HOLIDAY GROSSES The four-day school holiday Thanksgiving weekend gave Broadway and neighborhood theatres a substantial attendance increase, with most managers contacted reporting business for the extended period ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend last year. "The Ten Commandments" at the Criterion, and "Around the World in 80 Days" at the Rivoli were reported complete sellouts for Thursday through Sunday. The four-day gross for the Rivoli was estimated at $22,500 and at $40,000 at the Criterion. "Giant," starting its seventh week at the Roxy, grossed an estimated $42,000 for the four days. "Love Me Tender" had a four-day gross at the Paramount of $27,000. MORE SALES TO TV? Paramount Pictures is negotiating with a group of 30 television stations in top U.S. markets for the sale of its pre1948 film library, it was reported last weekend. Among the stations seeking to acquire the backlog, which is said to be over the 700 mark, are the two DuMont Broadcasting Corporation TV stations in New York and Washington, and KTLA, Los Angeles. The production distribution company owns substantial interests in DuMont Broadcasting and in the west coast station. No purchase price was reported. Namenson, Julius Sanders, Robert W. Coyne, D. John Phillips and Mort Sunshine. "SECONDS" FOR "GIANT" In 13 cities where George Stevens' Warner Bros, production, "Giant," went into a second week, nine per cent of the theatre-goers returned to see the film a second time, according to a survey taken by Warner Bros. The survey also established that this figure increases with the length of the run. Where the picture has played more than two weeks, 11 per cent of the audience were found to be repeaters, said Warners. And so goes Warner's new all-time record-breaker. STARS AS PROMOTERS The policy of stars getting out and actually helping to sell their films to the public counts heavily in the launching and the box office returns, as indicated by reports from Ohio where personal appearances and other drum-beating by Doris Day helped run up near-record business for "Julie, " her Arvin production for MGM release. "The development of bigger and better TV shows, along . with other factors, is making it smart business for stars to get out and sell their pictures," December 22: Film Row Club's annual Christmas dance, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles. January 8: Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association, general meeting to elect new officers, Cleveland, O. January 29-31: Allied States Association, national drive-in convention, Netherlands-Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio. February 1-2: Allied States Association, annual winter board meeting, Terrace Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati. February 26-27: Annual convention of the Kansas-Missouri Theatre Association, Pickwick Hotel, Kansas City, Mo. March 3-5: Theatre Owners of America, mid'-winter board meeting, Blackstone, Hotel, Chicago. March 6-7: Second annual convention of the United Theatre Owners of Oklahoma, Biltmore Hotel, Oklahoma City. June 23-25: Annual convention of the Mississippi Theatre Owners Association, Edgewater Gulf Hotel, Edgewater Park, Miss. Miss Day said. "Even where they have no participation in the profits, it is more important to their own careers, as well as their relationship with the studio, to cooperate in promotions. " SCHARY LEAVES MGM AT YEAR END TAX APPEAL A petition for repeal of the five per cent admissions tax will be presented to Mayor Wagner December 7 by a committee representing New York City theatre owners, it is announced by the Independent Theatre Owners Association and the Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Association. Serving on the committee are: Harry Brandt, IT0A president; Solomon M. Strausberg, MMPTA president ; Eugene Picker, Emanuel Frisch, Sol Schwartz, William Loew’s, Inc. announced in New York Wednesday the termination of the services of Dore Schary, vice-president and production head at MGM studios, effective at the end of this year. Mr. Schary, whose contract had another year to run, will remain with the production company to complete "Designing Woman," which stars Lauren Bacall and Gregory Peck. Associated with MGM since July, 1948, Mr. Schary previously was with RKO Radio Pictures and Vanguard Films, Inc., and has been producing and writing motion pictures since 1932. Announcement of future plans for MGM studio opera tions will be made soon by Joseph R. Vogel, president of Loews, Inc., who left New York late Wednesday for Hollywood. The announcement said nothing of a successor to Mr. Schary as head of the studio and production head, but it is believed that Benjamin Thau, vice-president and veteran studio executive, will be placed in administrative charge by Mr. Vogel following the president's arrival at the studio. Mr. Schary's contract with MGM was for $200,000 anually and ran to January, 1958, after which he was to have gone on advisory status for another 10 years at a salary of $100,000 per year. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 8. 1956 9