Boxoffice-April.07.1958

Big Attendance Forecast
For SMPTE Convention
NEW YORK—An attendance of 1.000 persons
Ls considered certain at the 83rd convention
of Hie Society of Motion Picture and
Television Engineers April 21-25 at the Ambassador
Hotel. Las Angeles. Much advance
Interest has been manifested in the topics
to come up for discussion and the social
events, including special prograins for the
ladies.
Registi-ation will start April 20 and continue
into the morning of the next day,
when there will be a general session and a
get-together luncheon. In the afternoon, developments
in the closed-circuit television
field will be related. In the evening, James
Caj-d will present the activities of the George
Eastman House in a program that will include
excerpts from significant films of the
past.
SCHEDULE OF TOPICS
Topics April 22 will deal with sound recording,
industrial and instrumentation
photography and cinematography, with a ses-
-sion held at the MGM studios. Apiil 23 will
bring discussions of laboratoi-y practices and
facilities, and a cocktail party, banquet and
dance at the New Cocoanut Grove.
The morning of April 24 will be devoted to
new equipment for the TV and motion picture
industries, the afternoon to motion pictiu-e
studio practices and the evening to developments
in video tape and photogi-aphic
TV recording. The final day will bring a
symposium on plastics presented jointly by
the Society of Plastics Engineers and the
SMPTE. TV studio practices will be dealt
with in t.he afternoon. In the evening there
will be a session of distribution of TV programs
on film held at the new ABC Television
Center.
Among those presenting popers will be Harry F.
Olson ond Jotln Preston ot RCA Loboratories, Ralph
R. Wells ond Phil Sweeny of Columbia Pictures, C. R.
Crone, E. W. Templin, G. A. Brooks ond H. A. Manley
of Westrex Corp , Robert W. Eberenz of Byron,
Inc., John M. Leslie jr., Joseph Reizen, Charles E.
Anderson, Eorl R. Hibbord and Charles Ginsberg of
Ampex, Jerome L. Grever of Radio Corp of Americo,
Bernord L. Pickley of Hollywood, R. L. Estes of Eastman
Kodak, Don V. Kloepfel of General Film Loborotories,
Sidney P. Solow ond Lewis Mansfield of
Consolidated Film Industries.
Also, N. H. Groet, M. M. LIbermon, F. A. Richey,
Deane S. Thomas jr., Howard W. Vogt and Herbert
L. Rees of Kodak Reseorch Loborotories, William
Pobst of White Sands Proving Ground, N. M., Milton
C. Kurtz of Beckmon & Whitley, Inc., R. Corroll
Moninger of Percision Technology, M. R. Null arxJ
W. Lozier of Nationol Carbon Research
W.
Laboratories,
V. Voli ond Glenn E. Miller of
J. Gouger, W. Storr,
Lockheed Aircraft Corp.
Also, Neil Krenzel of the U. S. Novol Ordnonce
Test Stotion, Chino Lake, Calif.; K. H. Lohse of the
U. S. Steel Reseorch Center, Williom W. Edwards,
Fronk G. Ralston jr. and Henry J. Miller of the ABC
TV Center, Charles E. Buzzard of the Notional Broadcosting
Co., John P. Bollinger of Screen Gems, Eric
J. Johnson and Roderick T. Ryan of Eastman Kodak
and John Delmonte ond William J. Dewor of Furone
Plostics.
PROGRAM FOR LADIES
The ladies' events include the get-together
luncheon April 21, lunch and tour of Disneyland
April 22. a torn- of Max Factor, Inc.,
lunch at Barraclough's and the Cocoanut
Grove banquet and dance April 23. a tour of
Marineland of the Pacific April 24 and a
lunch and fashion show April 25 at the
Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Plans are being completed for an equipment
exhibit.
SMPTE Awarded Oscar
For 40 Years' Record
HOLLYWOOL>~The Society ot Motion
Picture and Television Engineers received
a special award of an Oscar for its 40
years' record of standardization of the
engineering of motion pictures and its
dissemination of information to the film
industry.
The award was presented by Bette
Davis, motion picture star, to Barton
Kreuzer. SMFTE president, after the conclusion
of the awards telecast and was
not generally known for several days
after the event.
Strong Light Caravan
To SMPTE Meeting
LOS ANGELES—-The new "blown arc" projection
lamp developed by the Strong Electric
Corp. will be demonstrated at the SMPTE
convention April 24. The showing is part of
a nationwide tour of the Strong Light Caravan,
a large truck equipped as a projection
booth. A story about it appears in The Modern
Theatre section of this issue.
The caravan thus far has "played" to
large exhibitor audiences at the Belaire
Drive-In, Detroit; Harmon Drive-In, Pittsbm-gh;
Bolton Drive-In, Atlanta; Whitesburgh
Drive-In, Huntsville, Ala.; Bellevue
Drive-In, Memphis; Do Drive-In, New Orleans;
Trail Drive-In, Houston; Jefferson
Drive-In. Dallas.
On Monday, April 7 the Caravan is scheduled
to be in Oklahoma City. Other dates
scheduled include; Denver, Thursday, April
10; Motor-Vue Drive-In, Salt Lake City,
Monday, April 14; Los Angeles. Thursday,
April 24. Other bookings will be announced
shortly.
Arthur L. Wilde Named
Whitney General V-P
HOLLYWOOD — In connection with
changes in the policies, methods and programming
of films at C. B. Whitney Pictures,
Inc., Arthur L. Wilde has been named general
vice-president of the company, it was
announced by Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney,
corporation president.
Whitney said the appointment was made
with a "general reorganization of personnel
and policy in proce.ss due, mainly, to a forthcoming
presentation of new camera techniques
developed by Whitney Pictures over
the past three years."
Wilde, former public relations director of
the outfit, has been in the motion picture
industry 22 years. He started with Warner
Bros, in 1936.
Fui-ther change in the Whitney organization
was revealed with the announcement
that George Green, administrative assistant,
has resigned to devote his complete time to
personal business and writing problems.
Oscar Telecast
I Continued iroiii paiic 24)
Ohio in Columbus had one of its biggest opening
days in years luid the Gary Theatre in
Boston had a 20 per cent rise in business
the next day. For the Gary, it marked the
second straight year that the award-winning
film was the attraction on the day of the
telecast. A year ago Ben Sack, the owner,
was playing "Around the World in 80 Days."
Both exhibitors and television critics were
quick to prai.se the industry effort. A tew ot
the theatremen said they would like to have
subsequent telecasts include .short trailers
boosting upcoming product. In Cleveland,
there was a suggestion that at least a halldozen
Oscars be given for the best musicals,
we.sterns, comedies, science-fiction, etc., instead
of on-stage presentations of Oscars lor
best editing, best sound recording, and other
classifications which do not hold great mass
appeal. But, on the whole, theatremen were
quite satisfied with the results.
Following are excerpts from reports from
key cities to the Council of Motion Picture
Organizations;
TOLEDO: Telecast great hit. Lancaster-
Douglas bit creating big talk. Audience highly
appreciative lack of commercials.
JACKSONVILLE; Public reaction .splendid.
Unquestionably it was as fine as could be.
Absence of commercials bringing terrific acclaim.
Everyone is chuckling about the allusions
to television.
WASHINGTON; Public's reaction uniformly
good despite slight flaws in production
and presentation.
MINNEAPOLIS; Public reaction .splendid.
Many call it one of the best television shows
ever seen. It's the talk of the town.
SEATTLE; Best Oscar telecast ever and
iiidustry has something to be proud of. Local
theatres bought spots before and after show
in which we explained pictures and personalities
appearing on broadcast could be seen
at "your favorite theatre," using industry
slogan in spot arurouncements.
ROCHESTER, N. Y.; General opinion
awards last night excellent. This year's format
very effective. Kept show at fast pace.
Young stars' participation very refreshing
and showed industry is not decadent. Parading
personalities showed oft our merchandise
to greatest potential. Congratulations
on great job.
NEW HAVEN; People generally liked idea
of no commercials. Audience generally agreed
Lemmon and Hope did terrific job. but there
was unfavorable comment on way songs were
presented. In spite of fact we closed early,
show did not hm't business at oui' evening
performance.
ATLANTA: Show very good in opinion of
all exhibitors contacted. Think idea ot no
commercials set very well with public.
Victor R. Beecroft Dies
NORFOLK. VA.—Victor Reginald Beecroft,
71, English-born dramatic actor, died March
25 in a Newport News hospital. He retired
in 1955. Besides stage plays, he appeai-ed in
the motion pictures "The Dawn of Tomorrow"
with Mary Pickford, "Rip Van Winkle,"
"Temptation," "The White Cliffs of Dover"
and "The Big Fall." He leaves four sisters
and two brothers.
26 BOXOFFICE April 7, 1958