Variety (November 1961)

PICTURES 7 ‘Wednesday, November 1, 1961. ‘Big Product Cheekto-Cheek Manhattan film trade is. deep in. postmortems ‘after: ‘last’ week's . Striking situation wherein: three -advanced-admission: pix \ were: concurrent in: the N.Y. nabes—"Spartacus”. (U);: : “BenHur” (M-G) and “Exodus” (UA). It’s. for sure.-the distribution panjandrums. didn't. relish that sort of direct clash (a coincidence), even before the: fact. And as it turned out, their anxiety. was. made completé. = .: «: It was ahappenstance ‘also: to. make the ‘have-riot exhibitors. splurge with invective, though the aftermath reportedly left them with more cause for. cheer. than. anger. Pop-priced .attractions in the line of ‘fire seemingly did. okay, or If they did suffer there was more ‘tendency to chalk. It up to old ills-and the new: NBC-TV Saturday prime time. cinematics: Against . .the blockbuster array, there were even reports. of ‘standout ‘biz, , the.best of-it roped by the Italo “Two Women” in'26-RKO houses... ‘Some -tradesters. are opining that the upped admissions at:so’‘Many wickets . was unrealistic for -the market. and. only served ‘to. shoo business away. A more temperate view, though, figures last . week’s boxoffice tug. was abnormal, to. say the least, and. not a fair test for: the upped-admish pix. . In any. case, the second. thoughts’ are Plenty sobering on all. sides. Board, Sans Wases, to Look for Dirt. Columbus Passes City Ordinance: of Which Nobody Speaks With Respect [ne NO MAGIC Painter.” | called’ “Come Thursday.” -won their professioned spurs with |. a stylish : and sophisticated com ‘TO DISTRIBUTORS: By VINCENT CANBY . : Some Academy. Awards win| ners have. used, their Oscars as] ‘| door. stops. ‘The three New York. filmmakers who are ‘Little Movies Inc. ‘have used.their Oscar to. |knock ‘onthe doors of major distribs, and found, ‘sadly, that Oscar is a. better door. stopper than |. -Opener.. ~The situation was outlined in}. ‘|New York last week by Bob Davis} . |and.. Duard Slattery: who, *: with | = Ezra. Baker, turned out the 1961 | | award-winning short, “Day of the ' At: the time. they re-; * | ceived the Oscar in March they ‘had. already completed pho-: ‘| tography on their first indie feature, a contemporary melodrama "Having Legion Bs ‘Aladdin Embassy-Lux Film's “Wonders of Aladdin, ” with. primary appeal. for. the kiddie trade, has been B-rated (morally objectionable in part for all) by the Catholic Legion of Decency. Review body detected suggestive costuming and situ~ ations, _Pie stars Donald O'Connor, with Metro freleasing as a. yearend holiday attraction. One ‘Marco Polo’ Nearmg Completion; Papi Skepti Of Raoul Levy Project Rome, Oct: 31. _Aithough he denies being in a , Rome producer Giorgio Papi INCHANTED (County Att'y Vs. ‘Not Tonite Henry’: | Wouldn’ t Want i Dirt. Old to See It ‘ment.on modern art, they ‘decided ' and " his Jolly Films have appar| to. make. their feature film. debut | ently won the Marco Polo film {with a suspense yarn about the! gerby, His “The Great Adventure holdup’ ‘of an armored car.. Their | of Marco Polo” is now completing |aim:“ to. make “a. good program ; principal. photography here, to be Feature.” | followed by two weeks of location -Somebody (and Davis and Slat-' work in China. French producer tery ‘would like to get their -hands!Raoul Levy doesn’t expect to get ‘on him). told ‘them tmonths back! started on his “Marco Polo” until that it was almost. impossible NOT ‘early 1962... to make money if you -could ‘turn ! “AS a matter of fact,” Papi says. out. a pie for less than $100, 000 ;“‘if we didn’t have the feeling that | which. was in focus. Theirs came; ‘ Levy's ‘Marco Polo’ {sn’t going to in for something. well under that ibe made at all, we wouldn’t have sum, and it.has, they feel, con' gone ahead with ours.” The Italo [siderably more than good focus. | producer backs his feeling with ‘Columbus,Oct. 31, | A 15-member board: of review “to look for. ‘but. not censor” obscenity in filmis has been treated |. .dn Columbus by a ‘6-1 vote,. and. signed by Mayor Ralston Westlake |. “without enthusiasm.” The mayor “will appoint. ‘the board members, who. will serve without pay, ex-]_ cept for expenses. Councilman |. -« Robert Smith, who’ sponsored ‘the board of review bill; estimated that |: expenses would not exceed $500 a Month. This ‘ordinance ‘was .en Abe Montague’s Night Abe Montague, . Columbia’ viceprez, will .be. the: honoree at:the annual: Motion Picture . Pioneers: banquet’ at the Wal-_dorf-Astoria Hotel, N. Y.; Nov. 20.’ Tariff is $20 a head, and ~‘some 700. are. expeceted: to show... «. Ss: H. Fabian ds prez of the organization. | -., Svholer.:The lone opponent. of the acted’ after two futile. attempts. by: Councilwoman: Golda: May. Edmon ston to. get ‘through, a city’ censor: ship dill. Mayor: Westlake signéd . the bill} -but said, “If is only an ineffectual, | “weak and feeble step in the right |. ‘direction.“I am for any move.to help clean up the objectionable. movies.” He was asked: ‘by Kenneth Prickett, executive secretary: of* the Independnt Theater Own-' rs of Ohio, to. name at least. one industry. representative to: the’ hoard. Though. the appointments | to the board aré the duty of the Mayor, Council reserved the right to. approve his nominations. | The board, if it finds an objectfonable film, will’ report to police |" ‘any. violations of. city. and. state. anti-opscenity Iaws. It will be} "necessary for policemen to view | the . film: before prosecuting,. ac-:| cording ‘to. Police Chief George “:bill -Wwas .Mrs. ‘Edmonston,: who} said, “I can’t: see that ‘this law is any use, I’m still. in -favor of city. censorship.” | Latest effort to invest, ‘Columbus with power -of censorship. over fea-| ture ‘films: has been aborted, and issue appears dead for now. In ‘stead, the.tawn may get-a film re~ view ‘board. with: power only to “suggest” Police ‘action : ‘under, present obscenity laws.’ . A tie vote. killed the censorship scheme—for the second time—of Councilwoman Golda May Edmons-| on ton,. and ‘afterward she. indicated she was finally dropping the mafter. One -eouncilman ‘abstained: from . -the. latest’ vote, expressing favor’ .for prior censorship but . claiming it should. be on state basis because, he said; blue-pencil ma-chinery.atthe city level: ‘would. cost $1, 000,000. Proposal. for. a “15-member ‘Te-| view: hoard: is. expected to be‘ sub-}-. ° mitted to vote at next: couneil ses-gion. . Mayor would appoint members, who’ would screen pix at their discretion. If they discerned. obscenity, they could recommend. ap_ propriate Police action. . . ABC Vending, 39 Wis, Profit. Equals 82c ‘ABC Vending Corp.;. -which -has vending machines in many theatres _-as Well. as other public: places, had ‘net income of $2,141,783, or 82c per: share, for the 39. weeks ‘ended. Sept: 24. This. compares with a net of $2,003,783, or 77c per share, for the corresponding. period in 1969. ." : ings inelude RKO Theatres, had: a 000, or 25c¢. pershare,. -for. the ‘first ‘ year.. NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE’S | “Innocence” (Coli occurred at. the latter's. spouse. from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.. The thea ‘council the one woman. member ‘|named_ and -the advertising .not: -aren’t as-bad as the advertising.” It want = ta: Alden (RKO) Tums Last Year’s 9 Months’ « Loss Into Net. Profit .-Glen Alden Corp., whose hold However, -after two months of, knocking on. doors, ° only ‘three: majors have taken the time to even look at it! Four other majors have ° stated flatly that they aren’t in-| terested in ‘screening. it because, even if it were good, they are not: in the market for program. Pix, Their. experience proinpts several. pertinent conclusions:: (1) the. scuttlebut is: true to. -. the: ‘effect that the Oscars are not held in particularly: high: esteem by the.members of its own industry; (2) there: is no: product shortage, despite ‘ recurrent exhib. cries to the contrary; .(3) the so-called second “feature -spot’on double bills ‘is being. filled these days: almost exclusively by three types of films,. cheap” spectacles from abroud, shock-horror pix. and— reissues (sometimes. retitled te ‘the confusion of the pub ic.) consolidated: net profit of $1, 417,| nine’ months’of 1961. This .com|‘ -pares with a loss :of $1,540,000: for the: first three quarters | dast "Defictt. in 1961: included a. 108s | ‘from. ‘Special items of $1,449,000." “CHAMPAGNE PREMIERE’ | , Minneapolis, Oct. 31.:-.[“Champagne, doughnuts and. cofF fee,. served free, are “new. ways here to ‘capture public: attention.. ° A .“Champagn Premiere” at] which guests. were served the wine | at a prevue showing of “Loss ‘of another type of film. ‘which is now: “squeezing the program feature off; firstrun neighborhood St: :Louis Park last week. Hosts. were the theatre's owner. Harold" Field; and his wife, . and his son Martin Field, general :man ager of his local | theatres, and the a ‘picture. which started out to be: a-top feature but which, because it eventually evolved into a. turkey, winds :up on the lower half. of a. double feature program. He cite | the release skeds of two majors as; -being well padded ‘with this type: of .product. ‘Educated Now The . champagne was served: in’ the: theatre’s foyer from 8 to 8:30 p. m., after whicli the picture went |... At Ted ‘Mann's Joop. World on | “Breakfast | at Tiffany's" .opening day, the public was invited in to. have. free. doughnuts and. coffee of their. Pic. could not’ have been ; worse: in the marketability of their: ef‘fort, they ‘did not start making the | rounds“ until it was finished, edi‘J ted and. scored. Their idea was to {present one finished pic to the distrib, along with a new’ script, | budget outline, ete., for a second, saying, “Now you ‘ve seen. what we. can do on :our own, how about ‘making a package deal for ‘Come Thursday’: and the new property?” However, just about the time! -they: were ready for this, the an-! tre’s ‘newpaper . ads extended. the inviation. ADS AGAIN DRAW. FIRE. Des. Moines, Oct. B1. “at régular meeting of the. city said: that she has received a “great: deal of complaints about .the qual. ity.of and: the publicity for movies shown recently in Des Moines” and {although this: made for discussion. the council :took: no ‘action. No particular’ releases. ing down from on. high that’ this or that. major was dropping. its “BY” schedule entirely. It may well! be that the majors really: mean it this time, but ever since. 1950, it’s been .4n annual ritual among the varlous majors to. announce the impending: demise ‘of the program Picture. ‘Look at the marquees ‘of any circuit house in New: York and youll see that as-of a couple of months ago,somebody, somewhere | was apparently still grinding out the second features. were spectfied. ‘but dna. ‘general discussion .it was agreed “the pictures’ was suggested that the “movie industry regulate itself.” However, Mayor. Carlson commented, ‘‘May-be © something -could ‘be™ done. through -Gov. Erbe about unsuit-able mavies.” “No. one seemed, to designate . “unsuitable” | movies. 4 | Jolly . {plans for pic went back some time, the double bill—the “nervous. Aj nual pronouncements started com-| would only: i yarious reasons, notably the fact ‘that while Levy repeatedly has i announced Gina Lollobrigida and !Alain Delon as his stars, a personal check (as well as subsequent denials by the actress) showed that “Miss Lollobrigida has never signed for pic. Papi also notes that French distrib Cinedis had also abandoned plans to release pic and_ that Levy's attempted suicide had not helped lessen growing resistance to the French producer’s plans to _|stage “Marco Polo” over the three ‘|years since Levy’s first announce ‘ment. ‘Film exec said his own and that script had heen ready for a vear. Project had been dormant, however, while waiting to see what ‘| Levy would do. When French pro ducer continued to push back .|project, Jollv decided to go ahead without further ado. Due fo go on the China location are director Hugo Fregonese and t free himself from his impending Starring role in “Capri.” a double will be used on Far East lensing, with. Calhoun processed into pic 4later in labs. Yoko. Tani has femme jlead opposite Calhoun. Pie is in Eastmancolor and CinemaScope. ‘Other important factor in his ‘go-ahead. says Papi, is the official : production and coproduction okay given by Italian government authorities after meetings by a ‘special commission met to study Both. Davis and Slattery feel|!egal aspects of case. Jolly Film's that their timing of the completion | Zallic partner in coproduction ven ‘ture Is Gray Films (Paris). French inally interested in Levy’s pic) are already after ‘pic, as are several other countries, but Papf hopes to sell pic to a Yank major for either Western Hemisphere or Continent. or both. Shop talks to this effect were already in advanced stages. he said, via direct contacts with Yank execg.. Jolly exnécts to have “The Great Adventure” ready for general release by February. Levy’s “Polo,” should ft start in January or February..as currenttiy ventilated, be ready 14 months later, Papi guessed. {United Artists Relights To Show. Spanish Linguals Los Angeles, Oct. 31. United Artists Theatre in downtown L.A., shuttered for past five years, hag been reopened , by United Artists Theatre Corp. ag a Spanish film: house. ‘House is to be retabbed Unlted ‘Artists Alameda. Modesto, Cal., Oct. 31. “Not Tonite, Henry’’ has been seized by Stanislaus County district attorney as “obscene” and will ba tested in court under a new section of the State Penal Code which became effective last Sept. 15. Arrested last week was Covell Theatre manager Mervin Worley. D.A. Alexander Wolfe also issued complaints against George Mann’s. and Robert L. Lippert’s Friscobased Redwood circuit and against the circuit's district manager, Mr3. Rose Saso. Wolfe said he sat through film twice before taking action and added, “I can tell you, the picture is pretty raunchy ... the comj munity is behind me in this and [ ! plan to handle the prosecution my[sel f{—I wouldn't want my 2%-yearold yeaushter to see that picture.” sald he’d prosecute under Penal Code Section approved by legislature last spring. New, controversial sectton redefines “obscene” this way: “Obscene means that to the average person, applying contempofary standards, the’ predominant appeal of the matter... is to prurient interest, f.e., a shameful or morbid interest in nudity (and) sex « which goes substantially beyond the customary limits of candor (and 1s) matter that is utterly without redeeming social impaortance. ” BOGEAUS POSTED AS ‘UNFAIR’ BY ACTORS. Hollywood, Oct. 31. Benedict Bogeaus’ Trans-Globat Films Inc. has been placed on Screen Actors Guild’s “unfair list,” for asserted failure to pay actors’ salary claims on “Most Dangerous Man Alive.” Indie, according to SAG exee secretary John Dales, owes nine thesps several thousand dollars, Connecticat’s Cinerama Outside Business Area Hartford, Oct. 31. Connecticut's first and only scheduled Cinerama Theatre‘ is ‘how in operation. Located an a main arterial thoroughfare in a neighborhood community, house tagsed The New Cinerama Theatre is the former nabe Colonial. Significant fact about the theatre is thal it is located away from the downtown area. Reflects a grow ing awareness of theatre ops of the diminishing influence. of the downtown sectors. Here are two Main reasons for the neighborhood location of the Cinerama operation. One is the tremendous post war movement away from the city of large segments of the populace te suburdia. Other is the continual erosion of downtown theatrical properties by a civic project known as “Redevelopment.” This is still continuing in Hartford and threatens the existence of four of the five remaining downtown houses. Eventually two other theatres that fringe the downtown area are threatened with extinction under a proposed 10 year plan of redevelopment. This would ulti-« mately leave the city with no downtown theatrical propetties but one. The Strand which escaped extinetion by a whisker, being just a few feet away from an east-west highway now underway. First days of operation of local Cinerama reported brisk business. House formerly seated 1,350 and now has a capacity for 700 after major external and internal surgery that eliminated the balcony. Lockwood and Gorden Inc. of Boston, operates the filmer as well as several other hardtops, ozoners and arties in the area. Estimated cost of renovation better thar $150,000. New Cinerama Theatre located in an area that Is from all direetions with sufficient parking facilfties in the area. Operates 10 performances weekly, including three mats, with box office tep of $2. a