Variety (September 1961)

PICTURES Wednesday, September 6, 1961 AP Abandons Artie Aspirations For Now, But May Try Again Later American International Pictures + has abandoned, at.least for the time being, its tentative entrance into: the art film distribution field. AIP prexy Jim Nicholson, in the course of a recent stepover in New York, acknowledged that AIP’s in -ftial attempts in this field of interest with two British pix had not been notably successful. “It’s not as easy as you think, ” Nicholson said. by way of commenting on AIP’s withdrawal from ; that activity as well as on the slowness of the U. S. majors to tap Schermi Suit Vs. 20th Comes to Bat This Fall Trial of a suit filed vs. 20th-Fox by the Italo firm of Schermi Distribution, re “The Loves of Hercules,” Jayne Mansfield starrer, is expected to take place in New York late this month or in October. Suit ;was originally filed in. May in New York by the plaintiff's. attorneys, Stillman & Stillman, Schermi charges 20th breached a contract to pay the plaintiff $350, a source of income which is becom-|900 on delivery: of the print of the ing increasingly important in the U.S. scene. With the U. S. art theatre market in view. AIP last year acquired the psychological meller, “Portrait of A Sinner.” and a comedy, “Beware of Children.” Nicholson still thinks they're pretty good pix, but for one reason cr another they didn’t get dates and they didn’t click in specialized exhibition. The two films were handled by AIP’s regular salesmen and franchisers | around the country. To sell this kind of product suceessfully, says the prexy. you really need people who devote their entire time to the activity on both selling and promotion. If and when AIP tries again, Nicholson says he'll set up a special unit within the company to do nothing else. The unit would be based in New York tas opposed to Hollywood where the prexy and exec veep; Samuel Arkoff headquarter’ since Gotham is the hub of foreign film distribution in the U. S. Nicholsen also noted that the financial investment involved in picture. 20th claims that because of a title conflict, it cannot use “Loves of . original contract is invalid. Schermi | says, however, that contract specified only that film would have to it has. ‘Potent B 0. Pix Puttine Disney Back Into Black Hollywood. Sept. 5. Net income. of Walt Disney Pro-}. duction Ine., for the fiscal year 'ending in September, is estimated at around $4.000.000. with a prob-: ability per share earnings will near the 1958 high of $2.51. expected to change materially for * handle, and thus | get a Production. Code seal, which -LGolawyn’ s Based on the 1.626.023 shares now outstanding, the number of shares is not Gilbert Roland’s Frere Joins Hildalgo Prod. Hollywood, Sept. 58. Francisco (“Chica’’) Day joins his } brother, Gilbert Roland, as coproducer and director on a slate of features to be made in Mexico ‘under. Roland's .indie Hidalgo Pro ductions. Roland stars. “Song ..of the Dove” and “The , Eagle and the Cactus” tee off slate, ‘to film ‘back-to-back. in Cuernavaca. starting in November. Third, untitled, is based’ an co-producers’ father, Francisco “Paquiro” Alonso, a matador. Goldwyn’ $ Alt. Seeks 1506; Tops Damage Award San Francisco, Sept. 8. Lawyer Joseph L.. Alioto has _ [asked a $150,000 fee, plus: $154,000: for winning Samuel 11-year-old antitrust in costs, case agauinst Fox-West Coast and: 20th-Fox. Attorney submitted his bill, {which would’ be paid by defendants, last Thursday (31) in federal court ta.Judge George. B. Harris, who said. he’d take Alioto’s plea: under submission. Case wound up late last: spring with Judge Harris awarding Goldwyn $100,000 actual -| damages, trebled. Alioto said he, lawver Maxwell Keith and lawyer George Slaff put | in an estimated 23,000 hours on! the case. He. said he himself put in about 3.000 hours and ‘that Keith and Slaff each put in about 5,000 hours. Alicto also ‘argued that he considered this fee “modest” because National Theatres, ! on the Coast . .. _New York Sound Track MPAA ‘prexy Eric Johrston. honorary chairman of the. fourth annual: B'nai B'rith youth services dinner Nov. 14 at. the Waldorf-Astoria honoring Leonard. H. Goldenson, prez of AB-PT .".';, Americo Aboaf,. Universal veep. and foreign general sales. ‘manager, back. at -his desk after visiting company’s main offices in Europe. He also addressed. five. day conference of U's continental ad-pub chiefs in Paris:.’. : Alice: Faye coming out of retirement for a role in. 20th's new “State Fair” .... Jack Brodsky, 20th’s assistant: publicity manager, in Westhampton for another week of vacation ... Irving Maas, MPEA veep and. director. of the Asian division, heading back to his Tokyo headquarters. .. Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher stopped over Thursday night (31). en route from Hollywood to Rome ... , Hume Cronyn. is Joining ‘the “Cleo”: -cast which now includes Rex Harrison ‘and Richard ‘ Burton, ‘inaddition to Miss Taylor... A press . release from distrib Emile de Antonio, re ‘Village Voice. film ‘critie Jonas Mekas’. first. film effort, “Guns in The Trees,” notes that the pic “will' probably be premiered commercially in Havana,” though he doesn’t say why. Mekase (“You c car's al analyze death: away”) modestly Tefers to his. effort . ‘as “an atom om oo” . William Ruder (ex-& Finn, p.r.. " outfit), just ‘nominated by President Kennedy to the $20,000-a-year. post as "Asst. Secretary of Commerce for Administration & Public Affairs, is a 39-year-old former market‘ing and public consultant, who. started: his career. in: 1945_a5 -exploitation director for Samuel Goldwyn Productions. Le Scoop from Allied Artists claims their top-grosser to. date in Pakistan is an item called: “Tales.of a Captive Princess” . AA picked up western hemisphere. rights ‘to now-shooting .Day ‘ “of Triffids,” sci-fi pic: via Security. Pictures, London . . .-Bob Shapiro’ back at his Para‘Inount Theatre desk after two weeks. of ‘scanning upcoming product . Universal screens “Flower. Drum Song” in San Fran‘cisco: Noy. 17 for. a: hospital benefit. Film is.a Christmas release. : | Former Off-Broadway actress Diana Faith is:trying the Jean Seberg Isuceess formula by going abroad for film: success;. So far, so good. She’s just completed a role jn the Italo-French “Man in The. Iron Mask,” which American International has acquired for worldwide (sans Italy and France): distribution . . . Ernest. Turnbull, chairman: of ‘20th-Fox of Australia and managing director of the Hoyt’s circuit there, in town for. hjs regular biennial visit . Iiustrator Douglas Crockwell and admen Monroe Greenthal and ‘David. Diener on .the | Coast to see Frank Capra's “Pocketful of Miracles, ” which, UA. will . distribute. Robert Rich, veép and general. sales ‘manager’ of: Seven “Arts Asso; clated, in Memphis onbiz Jast week ... . Cascade .Pictures ‘here has the Tahitian semi-documentary, “Maeva,” ‘which’ got an’ out-of-com-_ petition screening at the recently coricluded Venice fest’... Howard . Lesser owner and operator of the. Roslyn Theatre, Roslvn,. LiI., Will build. a new theatre at: Spring. Valley to replace the -Valley Theatre which was destroyed by fire in De¢ember. House, which will seat 600 rand be equipped for T0m projection, ‘is expected, to be completed ‘by. next; February .. . Irving. Dashkin, general . manager of the. Savoy, class foreign film distribution has | the remaining fiseal vear period. risen sharply in last couple of| picney pix rental upsurge, is the years, an especially burdensome key to the skyrocketing profit. Boff problem to an outfit climbing into boxoffice done by “Swiss Family the field for the first time. It used Robinson.” ‘101 Dalmatians.” “The to be, the AIP chief said, that the Absent Minded Professor, ” 3nd the Goldwyn case. in which a pro-| Jamaica, LI, for. more than 30 years, is on an extended vacation... ducer sued another producer-disTheatre has been leased by Savoy Amusement Corp. headed by tributors, .was “novel, different !Abreham Levy. . and a pioneer in its field.” The | The lineup for “El. Cid” roadshow dates now includes’ ‘the . Alex-. lawyer evidently. pointed this. up ;andria, San Francisco . . Jim Backus for “Boys’:Night Out,”.:to be.. because: only receatly. Federal. Metro-released inext. ‘spring... . National Allied’s defected Indiana: o films were so inexpensive that you could afford to lose money on five or six of the pix if you made money | on the seventh. Now with prices up. one can’t afford such policy. “The Parent Trap.” contributed ! solidly to the stout gains. Television gains were up a scant : $44,558, as of July, over corresponding nine months of 1960. AIP currently is doing quite Disney Park gross dropped by $20, nicely with adventure-fantasy-hor| 985 for the same period. ror product for the mass market ta which the company heretofore Other’ income fell $220.336. © During the 1960 fiseal year Dis has always catered — and knows ney had a net loss of $1,300,000. best. Present efforts by the comPany seem to be directed towards doing this kind of film in such a way that it. will even appeal to more selective audiences as well. as AIP toppers feel their “Pit an The Pendulum” will on the acts of the kind of respectable reviews received in the N. Y. Times and N.Y. Herald-Tribune. 206 RADIO SATURATION FOR ‘FANNY’ IN CHICAGO | Chicago, Sept. 5. Previous high in 1959 was $3,600, 000 with nh fewer er shares shares outstanding. PACIFIC FILM ASSOC, IN BANKRUPTCY PLEA Pacific Film Associates, a N.Y. } distrib, filed under Chapter 11 “ofl. the Bank: tintey Act ‘in -N.Y.. Federal Court Monday (28),. asserting inability to meet current debts. | Company’s petition proposed an|: . Judge Lloyd H. Burke allowed at-}unif (under . Trueman Rembusch) skedded for TOA: ‘enrollment . inv a }{torney Robert Raven and his as-| bi sociatés ‘a $100,000 fee inRaven’s | successful antitrust suit on behalf jot the Embassy Theatre against other. exhibitors and.major distribjutors. In “justification of the $154.000 in costs,. Alioto said $107.000 of this. was for accountants’ fees, which Goldwyn already has paid. Arthur B. Dunne, lawyer for the Fox defendants, argued lawyers’ fees should bear a “reasonable re \lationship” to the result and that the fee should be based on actual | damages ($100,000), not treble Dune said that. in ‘cases he'd looked: up attorneys’ fees allowed. by judges. had never exceeded 50% of actual damages. In court it. was.also revealed that arrangement to pay off about 50|Alioto is trying to substitute as ; unsecured. creditors. Outfit listed assets at $278,920, Utilizing one of the most inten-| and liabilities at $1,257,844 257.844. sive spot radio campaigns in recent years here, “Fannv” (WB) opened its second run Friday (i) in 65 nabe, outlying and ozoner locations. ‘The saturation run was also unusual in that {ft opened the day after the film closed at the down-]. town Chicago Theatre. Warners’ Kev Role Not : SerYet, But ‘State Fair’ Starts Rolling Hollywood. Sept. -5. Although: role of the father. hasn't been set, Jose Ferrer is Z0 local promo departing ahead with plans for prelim ment said that it was spending|inary location work on 20th-Fox’s $20.000 in 10-, 20and 30-second| “State Fair’ in Dallas.’ He, cam radio spats for the first week of the| eramen and technieal crew leave outlying run of the picture in addi-| for Texas tion to a “substantial” newspaper | start Thev estimate. that the/{ day. Dallas State Fair, which plays budget. spots amount to an average of a; Tradie commercial every 15 minutes on the seven major Chi stations. “Fanny” had a solid seven-week {| Loop firstrun. Aldrich to Direct . Two Pix fer Embassy Robert Aldr:ch is definite now as director of two pix for 1962-63 for Embassy Pictures. Joe Levine flew with pact and pen last week to Rome. where Aldrich is winding tle Embhassy-Titanus coproduction of “Last Days of Sodecm and Gomorrah.” His first under the new deal will be “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" from the Henry Farrell suspense novel about a psychoFathie relationship between sisters. Tt rolls pes se int. Second pic under the deal hasn't been decided. city Friday 8) to important part in musical,. doesn’t. | get under way until next month. Ferrer said four original tunes’ from previous films will be retained and four new ones added. Walter Simonds has been assigned. as art director in Charles Brackett | nroduction which will star Pat Boone Bobby Darrin, Pamela Tif fin, Anna Mar e--et and: Alice Faye. — —_ Joyce Boom Ahead? Dublin. Sept. 5. “With Jerry James Joyce’s shoating backgrounds Mon 1 Plaintifis—to be awarded the dam| ages—the following individuals: ‘Samuel Goldwyn, Samuel Goldwyn | dr., Frances Howard . Goldwyn, |James A. Mulvey and: Ben Fish. Original plaintiff had been a limited partnership, wyn Producticns: . Alioto said he filed an appeal to higher court’ asking that films of a 10-year period before 1945 be allowed into ‘suit,’ Federal Judge Edward P. Murphy having knocked out that decade’s | worth of pictures on grounds the Statute of limitations had run out. Alioto -also said jhe was still in discussion stage with the Naify Circuit on its phase: of the case. Murphy also had severed the Naify chain from the Fox part of the case, with proyiso that. the]’Naify phase be tried after the}. Fox decision was reached. Decea Singer ‘Named -Jo Interstate Ad Post . Dallas,. Sept. 5. ‘Mitch ‘Torok: has been named. to : ‘Waid set _to Iens;succeed Hal Cheatham as head of “Ulysses” for 20th-|exploitaiton and advertising _ for | Fox in Dublin next spring, Mary-'the Interstate Theatres in Dallas. Ellen Bute has planed in from | He will work under James O. N.Y. with the news that she’s| Cherry, city manager. going to film another Joyce work, | “Finnegan's Wake.” spring of 1962. gandering locations and = cast. Script has been written by Mary Manning. Miss Maenning will finance the production. also in the She’s presently and: Miss Bute Samuel . Gold| the Iate | through his Go Films . t. “I Got Those Cathode Blues” ts heading of poet. Louis ‘MacNice’s. gubrious review of British summer ty in a recent New Statesman... George K. Arthur in The Hague looking for shorts to distribute . Metro producer Lawrence Weingarten hosted: -a. screening of his “Honeymoon Machine” as part of. the celebration tied in with the opening of the new. M-G office in Copenhagen oe Leo Jaffe, Columbia first v.p. “treasurer; off to studio talks. L. A. to N.Y. Harry Bell Venessa. Brown. Marlene Dietrich Henry Ephron. Phoebe. Ephron Freddie Fields Charlotte Harmon ‘Lewis Harmon Bern Hoffman ' Earl Holliman | ’ Leonard Kaufman David Kramarsky ‘Philip Langner Carol Lawrence Joanne Linville Irving Mansfield Edward Morey Norton V. Ritchey Robert M. Weitman : Curt Weinberg ‘George E. West Morris L. West N. Y. to L. A. Paul Anka: Alexander H. Cohen Bob Corcoran Irvin Feld Dave Gerber. David Golding -Leo Jaffe Larry Lowenstein Michael Sean O'Shea Hildy Parks Roberta Peters" Herman Rush Don W. Sharpe Jean Stapleton Howard Stark George Stevens Europe to U. ‘S.. ‘Stella Adler Don Ameche Earl Blackwell Lucius. Beebe Sam Bronston Bob. Considine Melvyn. Douglas Arlene Francis Tony Furness : compressed air. ‘bis equipped with: the ‘conventional | hardtop concession bar, plus living space . “*| Reisini, ; THEATRE: INBALLOON IN FRENCH TAKEOFF : First: Itinérama ‘touring balloon theatre | for Cinerama exhibition was: launched. in.. the. town’ of | Mantes-La-Jolie; France last Mon‘| day (4) with tucnout of pro. and nonpro celebs brought in from Paris 60. miles. distant. Attraction . | —besides. ‘the unique theatre itself —was “This Is. Ciner ama,” the first | production in the thr ee-projector . ‘| process which has. long Tun ‘in: | Paris and environs. y Portable showcase, inflated with can seat 3, 000, and. works--restrooms and for the balloon’s crew. _ Innovation is. creation of. Nicolas” Cinerama prez, and plan {sto Have similar balloon audi .toriums. in operation’ over most: of the European countryside. U. S. to Europe ‘Bob: Barker: a ‘Peggy Case. Harry Caplan Milford Cline Robert Coote ‘| Troy . Donahue Carl Fisher Warda Hale Bob Hawk George Hollister Jr. Jonn Houseman. Al Jennings. | Hy Kanter ‘Nick Keesely Mort Kaye Lillian .Kramer Thomas J, LaBrum Cheatham has been promoted to’ Constance Ifape Henry Levin Interstate’s main office here as Stubby Kaye -Ralph: Martin. assistant to Francis. Barr, exploita-| Raymond Paige Ray Node. tion. and advertising manager for| Louis Sobel George Pal the. entire circuit of more than 80 j theatres in Texas. ‘Decca ‘Records for. five years, and is also a ‘songwriter and vocalist, = Torok, with Roy Somlye Ingrid Thucin Richard Tucker Irving Wallace ‘Norm: Prescott William Roberts Jule. Styne Paul Vogel