Boxoffice-January.08.1955

Producer-Director
Directors Guild Distributes Achievement Awards
Film pilots who were nominated for the annual Screen Directors Guild achievement awards in 1953 and the first nine montl;
1954 received plaques in recognition of their work at a year-end ceremony at the SDG headquarters in Hollj-wood.
In upper left photo, left to right, are Hank Potter, George Waggner. SDG President George Sidney. Virginia Grey (who acce
on behalf of Daniel Mann), George Stevens, Stuart Heisler and Don Siegel. Potter and Waggner were cited for TV megaphoning sti
IVIann was honored for the Hal VVallis-Paramount production, "Come Back, Little Sheba"; Stevens for Paramount's "Shane,"
Siegel for "Riot in Cell Block 11," a Walter Wanger production for Allied Artists. In right photo, William A. Wellman (left), hon
for the WajTie-Fellows production for Warners, "The High and the Mighty," poses with Miss Grey and President Sidney, the 1
named having been given a plaque for piloting MGM's "Young Bess."
The strip below shows President Sidney presenting awards to (from left) : Fred Zinnemann, for "From Here to Eternity" (Col); .
Negulesco, "Titanic" and "Three Coins in a Fountain" (20th-Fox) ; Henry Koster, "The Robe" (20th-Fox) ; Walter Lang, "Call
Madame" (20th-Fox), and Robert Wise, "Executive Suite" (MGM).
Washington Premiere
For 'Long Gray Line'
HOLLYWOOD — Columbia's "The Long
Gray Line." Technicolor-CinemaScope drama
of West Point, directed by John Ford, will
be given its world premiere early next month
at the RKO Keith's Theatre in Washington,
it was jointly announced by Harry Cohn,
Columbia president, and Sol A. Schwartz.
RKO Theatres head. Produced by Robert
Arthur. "Line" stars Tj'rone Power and Maureen
O'Hara.
* « »
"Tlmberjack," which Republic filmed on
location in Montana, will be given a dual
world premiere at the Fox and Roxy theatres
in Missoula February 4. Toplining Sterling
Hayden. Vera Ralston and Adolphe Menjou.
the action drama was lensed in Trucolor with
Joe Kane as producer-director. Herbert J.
Yates. Republic president, and Mrs. Yates
iMi.ss Ralston I will head a contingent of
film personalities attending the openings.
Briskin Named Chairman
For Jerusalem Festival
HOLLYWOOD—Irving Briskin of Columbia's
executive staff has been named production
chairman for the Jerusalem Anniversary
Festival, to be staged Thursday (13 > at
the Shrine Auditorium.
S'X.ecuiloe
West: Adolph Zukor. chairman of the
board of Paramount, arrived from New York
for his annual winter visit. He plans a
stay of several weeks, vacationing and conferring
with studio officials.
* * *
East:
Producer Walter Wanger and director
Don Siegel will head for Gotham next
week to scout talent for "The Body Snatchers."
on which they are associated as their
next venture for Allied Artists.
* * «
East: Don Hartman. Paramount executive
producer. left for Manhattan for business
conferences.
* * *
West: Completing a world tour, Yoshiaki
Takana,shi. a director of Eiga Haikyu Co..
Ltd.. which distributes Allied Artists product
in Japan, headed for his headquarters in
Tokyo after a brief stopover here, during
which he conferred with Steve Broidy, AA
president, and other officials of the company.
* * •
East: Frederick Brisson. whose Independent
Artists firm is producing "The Girl Rush"
for Paramount distribution, left for New York
on a quick business junket. Al.so heading for
Gotham were Melville Shavelson and Jack
Rose, who respectively directed and produced
another Paramount release. "The Seven Little
"^nxio^len^^
Foys." They took with them a print
Bob Hope starrer for a sneak sho^
Manhattan.
* « *
East: Producer-Director Kurt N<
planed out for Germany, where on
day i20) he will begin camera work o
of Rio," to be made in German and
versions. He is due back in Hollywood i
* * «
East: Gilbert Kurland, Universal-I
tional production manager, planed
New York for two weeks of compan
ness.
* « *
West : Otto Pre
checked in for a brief stay before re
to New York to continue preparations
next film project, a biography of Indi:
hatma Gandhi.
« « *
West: Director Mark Robson returnt
a six-month stay abroad, during wl
megged Warwick Pictures' "A Prize of
a Richard Widmark starrer for C(
release.
East:
* « •
Megaphonist George Sidney, i
from MGM to Columbia to pilot "Th
Duchin Story," left for Gotham on a
scouting hunt.
42 BOXOFFICE :: Januarj