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FIRST SIX MONTHS OF '57 -'58
TO SEE 196 NEW RELEASES
Gain of 35 From Saine
Period a Year Ago;
30 in February
By FRANK UTi'ENDECKER
NEW YORK—The first six months of
the 1957-58 releasing season (September
1957 through February 1958 >. will show a
great Increase in the total number of pictures
from the majors and the leading Indejjcndent
distributing firms. The new pictures
available will total 196. compared
to 161 for the same period a year ago.
IN(KK.\SES FROM SIX COMP.VMES
The greatest increases are from American
International, which had 12 new pictures
compared to only four a year ago; Allied
Artists, which had 18 pictures compared to
13 a year ago; Paramount, which had 13
pictures compared to only six in the same
period last year; Republic, which had 17 new
pictures compared to 12 a year ago; 20th
Century-Pox, which had 28 new pictures compared
to 18 In the same six-month period
lust year, and Universal-International, which
had 19 compared to 17 a year ago.
In addition Rank, which had eight new
pictures In the six-month period, wasn't In
existence a year ago. United Artists, Columbia
and MGM have fewer pictures for release
in the first six months of the 1957-58
period compared to the same period In 1956-
57.
While the use of Cinemascope. Vista-
Vislon and RegaLscope has increased in proportion
to the greater number of pictures
for release In the six-month period of the
current selling sea.son. the use of color has
fallen off. Fifty-nine of the features are In
Technicolor, Eastman Color or one of the
other processes during the current six-month
period, a drop of nine from the 68 in color
during 1956-57. However, during the September
1957 through February 1958 period. 41
Cinemascope pictures will be in release,
seven more than In the six-month period
a year ago. VistaVlsion pictures totaled 14.
twice the number released during the sixmonth
period a year ago. and 12 were In
RegaLscope. three times the number released
during the first half of the 1956-57 selling
season.
A
FEBRVARY INCREASE
Of the 196 new features released during
the flret six months of the 1957-58 .selling
acunon. 30 will be relcaaed In February 1958.
compared to 26 released In February 1957.
Broken down by companies, the February
1958 relea.tes will be:
ALLIE'J ARTI'.T-. -r./r V ijngcr Gunfighter," In
C^f'T'o'xtx- n- -
Lovoloy, with
Ah«,, •Ml\g," >torrir>g Gory Merrill and Nancy Davii.
MGM— "The Brother* Koromozov," in color, starring
Mono Schell. Yul Brynner, Cloire Bloom, Leo J.
Cobb or*d Richord Bosehort. orxJ "Underwater Worrior,"
in CinemaScope. storring Don Doiley with Cloire
Kelly
PARAMOUNT—"Wild Is tho Wind," a Hal Wolln
production in VittoVision, stornng Anno Moanoni,
Anthony Quinn orvj Anthony Fronclosa, and "Desire
'
Under the Elms. the Eugene O'Neill ploy,
stornng Sophia Loren, Anthony Perkins ond Burl
Ivet
RANK— "Smiles of o Summer Night.
"
produced
in Sweden, with Ullo Jocobssen, Evo Dohlbeck and
Hornet Anderssen
REPUBLIC— "Scotlorxl Yofd Investlgotor," with Rolond
Culver and Potncia Roc. "'Interrwtionol Counterfeiters,
" with Gordon Howord, and "Tho Mysterious
Mr. Monks "
TWENTIETH CENTURY-FOX — "A Forcwell to
Arms." produced by David O Selrnic'' *" Cbs." storring Clint Wolker and Virginia Mayo
With Bnon Keith
May Assume WB Lab Operation
NKW VOIiK An iin-imd-olf deal whereby
Technicolor would take over tho Warner
Bras latwrotorlo.s in Callfonila and Brooklyn
Is reported to be near the consummation
.st4ige If completed. Technicolor would do
all of Wnnier Bros, printing, boUi black-andwhite
and color.
BOXOFFICE Januaiv 27. IS-SB