Boxoffice-August.02.1976

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WB-Third World Producing
Film on Racing Champion
NEW YORK— Filming has begun here
on the Warner Bros. -Third World Cinema
production based on the Hfe of Wendell
Scott, the first black racing-car champion.
No title has been chosen as yet.
Starring under Melvin Van Peebles" direction
are Richard Pryor, Pam Grier, Beau
Bridges, Cleavon Little, Max Julien, Vincent
Gardenia and Richie Havens. Georgia
State Sen. Julian Bond has joined the cast,
making his acting debut as a young lawyer
involved in voter registration, a part he has
played in real life as a moving force in the
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
during the 1960s.
New York actress Minnie Gentry assumes
the role of Pryor's mother. She previously
has worked with Van Peebles as star
of his Broadway hit "Ain't Supposed to Die
a Natural Death" and as co-star with Cicely
Tyson in the recently completed TV movie
"Just an Old Sweet Song."
Hannah Weinstein is producing, and
executive producers are Richard Bell, president,
and J. Lloyd Grant, attorney, both of
Third World Productions. The screenplay
was written by Van Peebles, Kenneth Vose
and Lawrence DuKore.
ABC Warrant Holders Want
Registry Allowing Resale
NEW YORK — American
Broadcasting
Cos. has announced that some of the
holders
of ABC warrants issued in 1972 to
institutional investors have requested that
ABC register the warrants for resale to the
public through underwriters. The warrants,
which expire Jan. 2, 1982, entitle holders
to purchase shares of common stock of
ABC at a price of $24 per share. The warrants
were issued in connection with 7 per
cent notes due in 1992.
ABC intends to notify all of the other
holders of ABC warrants of the receipt of
the foregoing requests and to register all
warrants held by the institutions that request
registration. If all holders request
registration, warrants to purchase 833.333
shares of common stock of ABC will be
registered. It is contemplated that a registration
statement will be filed sometime in
August or September for a public offering
as soon thereafter as practicable.
During the six-month period ended Juh
3, 1976, ABC had an average of 17,520,'-
000 shares of common stock outstanding.
Moses Closes NYC Office.
Will Operate From WC
BEVERLY HILLS—Charles A. Moses,
advertising and publicity consultant, has
closed his New York office and will work
entirely from his Beverly Hills quarters.
Peter Levinson Communications has taken
over representation for Moses on various
New York commercial accounts.
Moses gives as reasons for the realignment
the death of his New York associate
•BOXOFFICE :: August 2, 1976
Tony Birley Expects Wide Demand
For $17 Million 'Mohammad' Film
By RALPH KAMINSKY
HOLLYWOOD—Finding a top-notch
distributor for a $17,000,000 epic on the
life of Mohammad shouldn't be too much
of a problem, according to Tony Birley,
who has been in the business of selling films
for 21
years. Most of them have been spent
in the big leagues of foreign distribution
from his English base with the Rank Organization
and other key companies.
Birley is headquartered at the Beverly
Wilshire Hotel while in Hollywood to discuss
deals for "Mohammad, Messenger of
God," produced and directed by Moustapha
Akkad who, in 1971. began his epic effort
to put on film a definitive and meticulously
accurate story of Mohammad.
Akkad succeeded, Birley believes, not
only in creating a thoroughly authenticated
story but a film that, even before it is distributed,
is in the nature of "a classic."
After all, he points out, "It's a first, a
unique thing. No one ever touched the subject.
It's a classic because no one ever will
do it again."
After studying cinema at the University
of California at Los Angeles and the University
of Southern California. Akkan
worked with Sam Peckinpah and received
the stamp of approval of scholars at Azhar
University in Cairo, Egypt, for the script
by H. A. L. Craig.
The movie stars Anthony Quinn, Irene
Papas and Michael Ansara and was two
Linda Anderson last Christmas Eve and his
desire to spend most of his time in California.
A key motion picture and TV advertising
and publicity executive with major companies
in Hollywood, New York and Europe,
Moses resigned as executive in charge of
Universal Pictures' New York domestic and
foreign advertising and publicity to open his
own agency in 1969. He since has handled
many commercial accounts, films in production
and national promotion campaigns
for films such as "The Blue Bird," "Sounder,"
"Mother, Jugs & Speed" and "The Return
of the Pink Panther."
Bob Hope to Emcee Dinner
Honoring James R. Velde
NEW YORK—Bob Hope will be master
of ceremonies at the Brandeis University
dinner Monday (9) at which James R.
Velde, senior vice-president of United Artists
Corp., will receive the university's Distinguished
Community Service Award.
The announcement was made by Salah
M. Hassanein, general chairman of the
event at the Plaza Hotel. Hassanein, executive
vice-president of the United Artists
Theatre Circuit, was recipient of the award
in 1975.
years in the making. One reason for the
length of production time was that the film
was made twice—once in English and once
in Arabic for the Islamic community of
700,000,000.
Wherever Moslems live, the rental offers
are "out of this world," Birley said, predicting
a vast audience for the picture. He
added, "We'll treat it as a roadshow production
and we'll promote it as a "spectacular.'
With the kind of distribution and promotion
we're planning, it's not likely we'll deal
with any fly-by-night
operator."
Birely plans to screen the picture for
Hollywood-based distributors and he noted
that EMI is distributing in England, where
"Mohammad, Messenger of God" premiered
July 29. Deals are in the works for the
rest of the world and release plans already
are set in 18 countries, he said.
The film runs three hours and 20 minutes,
plus an intermission. The length, Birely
commented, "gives us time to tell the story,"
which he reiterated is of "epic proportions."
There has been no problem in arranging
screenings for distributors in Hollywood.
They already have "had the word" and they
want to see the picture, he observed.
In other areas of the world "amazement"
at the scope of the film is the only way to
describe the reaction of those who attended
the screenings. Birely said. "Mohammad"
opens up "a whole new mental field on
Islam'" and moviegoers of all faiths will
react to it, he predicted.
Romano Named V-P
Of Warner Bros., Inc.
NEW YORK—Edward A. Romano, controller
of Warner Bros.. Inc.. has been made
a vice-president of the company, it was annoimced
by Ralph Peterson, vice-president
and treasurer.
Romano, in his new position of vice-president
and controller, will be responsible for
all production, distribution and corporate
accounting functions.
Romano has played a key role and made
a significant contribution to the financial
management of the company since his joining
Warner Bros, in 1968. He was named
assistant treasurer in 1969 and assumed his
present position of controller in 1974.
Ogden Cash Dividend
BOSTON—Ogden Corp. has declared a
cash dividend of 49.375 cents per share on
convertible preferred stock payable September
29 to preferred stockholders of record
as of the close of business September 14.
Ogden also has increased the quarterly cash
dividend on its common stock from 25 cents
to 30 cents per share to be payable September
24 to stockholders of record at the close
of business September 10.