Boxoffice-January.03.1966

: January
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: Polly
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HOLLYWOOD
NEWS AND VIEWS OF THE PRODUCTION CENTER
Cartoon, Visual Arts
Expansion by MGM
HOLLYWOOD—Expansion plans for the
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer animation visual
arts division were revealed here at a press
conference by division head Chuck Jones
and his co-producer Les Goldman. Plans
call for projects within the next two years
to include feature film production. TV
special and series, theatrical shorts, semieducational
series, titles and trailers.
The division's new theatrical cartoon.
"The Dot and the Line," a 10-mlnute
special based on Norton Juster's famous
best-selling cartoon book, was screened at
the conference. Jones pointed out that the
subject was done with "appropriate animation"
as opposed to "full" or "limited"
animation.
Jones and Goldman said the short subject
would be followed by a feature-length
picture, also to be derived from one of
Juster's famous works. "The Phantom Toll
Booth." It is expected to run about 80
minutes in length and to cost around
$1,000,000.
Since Jones became head of the division
last year, the schedule has been devoted to
production of 12 new Tom and Jerry short
subjects and titles and trailers for MGM's
"The Singing Nun" and "The Glass Bottom
Boat." Jones said that under the expansion
program the division would step
up Its title and trailer-making activities,
continue its Tom and Jerry productions
and accelerate its production of cartoons
and series for television. In this latter category,
the division recently obtained the
rights to Dr. Suess' "How the Ginch Stole
Christmas" for a half-hour TV cartoon
special for Christmas 1966. and has commitments
for several cartoon pilots and
semi-educational series.
Technicolor Names Lane
As Promotion Manager
HOLLYWOOD — The commercial
and
educational division of Technicolor has
added William R. Lane as advertising and
sales promotion manager. Robert Krelman.
general manager of the division, announces.
He joins the Costa Mesa based division.
Lane is a former editor of Home
Magazine and edited American Cinematographer
for a special issue. A former lieutenant
colonel in the army during World
War II, he has been In production of commercial
and educational films for 20 years,
working with Cap Palmer's Parthenon
Films and Fred Niles Productions, among
others.
Hollywood 0//ice—Suite 321 at 6362 Hollywood Blvd.
Lehners Elected Chairman
Of MP Pension Plan
HOLLYWOOD — John Lehners.
IATSE
Local 776 business representatlvi
elected chairman by the Motion Picture
Industry Pension Plan's trustees at the organization's
annual meeting. Others
elected are John Buchanan, Business Service
Employes Local 278 representative,
vice-chairman; Anthony Frederick, Universal
City Studios, secretary, and Norman
Pottle, Technicolor, vice-seer-
A report by administrator Mark Bushner
showed that on November 30 assets of
the plan amounted to $51,392,000 and since
Jan. 1. 1960, when the plan made its first
payments to retirees, $13,597,000 had been
paid In monthly benefits. More than 25.-
000 film industry workers participate in
the plan.
Bushner also reported that by Saturday
ili 2.920 retirees would l»
monthly benefits, aggregating $507,000.
and projected figures for this year indicate
more than $6 million will be paid to industry
retirees, the highest such figure since
the plan's inception. Including deceased
the total number to retire under
the plan is 3.4775.
The board commended retiring chairman
John Zinn. AMPTP. for service during
the year and also voiced appreciation
to retiring officers Ernie Scanlon. Desilu.
vice-chairman; Paul O'Bryant. IATSE
Local 789 business representative, secretary;
Ralph Clare, Teamsters Local 399.
vice-secretary, and administrator Bushner.
3 Nobel Prize Winners Are
'Zhivago' Premiere Guests
HOLLYWOOD— Three Nobel Prize winners
attended the premiere of "Doctor
Zhivago" as guests of the Women's Guild
of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at the
MGM opening December 23 at Fed Stein's
Paramount Theatre here.
Bertram Allenberg. president of the
guild, was hostess. Honored
Dr. Richard Feynman. winner of the 1965
prize in physics; Dr. Carl Anderson, who
discovered positive electronics, and Dr.
Emilio Segre. also a ph
The premiere chairmen were Rosalind
Bergen and Mrs. Ray Stark
ban $100,000 was raised by thi
miere.
Pal to Film 'Puppets'
HOLLYWOOD — George Pal will film
"The Cavalcade of Puppets." a history of
the craft in which Pal first made his motion
picture mark. Masters of the art
around the world will be used to tell the
story
Critic
Raps Rushing
Films for Oscar Time
HOLLYWOOD—The local press is adverse
to the overwhelming rush ol
films into the area during a period, which
Scheuer. Los Angeles Times reterms
a "stampede " This is Oscar
time, and to compete, a film must run for
a period of a full week in the Los Angeles
area.
Some of this "last-minute rush" is due
to the short memory of the Academy members,
who are busy people. Naturally, a
film which appeared in January is difficult
to remember In December—or the following
January—unless it is a blockbuster,
like "The Sound of Music." and seems to
run endlessly.
Big theatre parties for charity help to
sweeten the publicity. Large openings listed
here in the "Oscar season" are Martin
Ritt's "The Spy Who Came in From the
Cold." "Battle of the Bulge," "Doctor
Zhivago," "A Patch of Blue." "The Slender
Thread." "Othello" and "Thunderball."
Scheuer said the big Christmas boxofficc
swelled the coffers of the producers
and distributors. He said he was convinced
the "hold-back system works hardships"
not only on the moviegoers, exhibitors and
vers, but even on the filmmakers
"Everybody knows the plight of theatre
managers," Scheuer wrote "All year long
ream about the shortage of product
and claim they are forced to throw in
the world's junk available in order to stay
open. This bit of petty larceny is passed
along to the public, a lot of whom are unsuspecting,
and the theatre—as well as Hollywood—receives
another black eye "
Producer Hall Bartlett
Injured During Explosion
HOI.:
Bartlett
suffered serious injuries on D
20 when an explosion ripped apart the
home of actress Rhonda Fleming, where he
was visiting. The producer, a close friend
and business agent of the actress, was
taken to the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital
with a shoulder fracture, face cuts and
second degree burns over 30 per cent of
his body.
Police and firemen said Bartlett.
knocked down and scalded when a gas unit,
which heated house and pool, exploded In
..mlng's home In West Los Angeles.
Bartlett was the producer of "Crazylegs
Hirsch" and is working on several new
projects, his associates said.
BOXOFTICE :
3. 1966