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Owensby Slates
Martial Arts Films
Earl Owensby, right, head of EO Corp., discusses plans for five feature motion
pictures with Rod Sacharnoski, left, and Ed Parker, martial arts experts. The
productions will be filmed at Shelby, N.C.-based EO Studios.
SHELBY. N.C.—Earl Owensby. head of
EO Corp.. announced that an agreement has
been finalized with Rod Sacharnoski. martial
arts expert, and Ed Parker, security man
for entertainer Elvis Presley, for the production
of five feature motion pictures at
EO Studios. Other negotiations also are being
made between Parker and Owensby to
cast Parker in an upcoming EO production.
The signing of the pact came after Parker
and Sacharnoski toured the EO facilities
here and the two artists expressed satisfaction
with the "family-type" atmosphere of
the studios. Since they already had in mind
exactly what they wanted in their films,
their ideas were handed over to Owensby,
whose staff will create the screenplays. This
is the first time that the two top men in the
martial arts profession will be seen together
in a motion picture.
In TV Productions
Sacharnoski, founder of Juko-Kai International
Federation with approximately
100,000 active members, has been seen in
a variety of commercials as well as on ABC-
TV's "Wide World of Sports," in Madison
Square Gardens and at various other locations
with karate luminaries.
Parker has appeared in several TV productions
and has had roles in the motion
pictures "The Apache," with Robert Fuller.
and "Man From Hong Kong."
Action and adventure are the two key
words Sacharnoski and Parker used to describe
the films to be made.
No Trick Photography
"You won't believe what these guys can
do," Owensby said. "There will be no jumping
over houses or trick photography in
these films. What they demonstrate is actually
unbelievable."
A shooting date for the first of the five
action pictures has not been determined as
yet, but Owensby said it would be "as soon
as possible."
Sacharnoski, who resides in Charleston,
S. C and Parker, who makes his home in
Honolulu and in Pasadena, Calif., are collaborating
on a book concerning juko ryu
ki, completely developed by only a very few
people.
Parker commented, "Most karate pictures
do not have a storyline hut this one will."
Sacharnoski added, "We think that there
has never been a movie made like the one
we are going to make."
Marjorie Slater Is Named
Media Director for GCC
CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. — Marjorie
Slater has been appointed media director of
GCC Theatres, a subsidiary of General Cinema
Corp. of Boston, it was announced by
Melvin R. Wintman, president of GCC Theatres.
General Cinema is the world's largest
theatre circuit, with outlets in 38 states
from coast to coast.
is
In the newly created position, Ms. Slater
responsible for the purchasing and coordinating
of media buying for the entire
GCC circuit, comprising approximately
685 theatres. The appointment is effective
immediately.
She formerly was affiliated for a number
of years with Ingalls Associates of Boston
as media director.
Allied Artists Acquires
'Black and White' Rights
NEW YORK—U.S. and Canadian distribution
rights to "Black and White in
Color," Oscar winner as best foreign language
film, have been acquired by Allied
Artists, it was announced by Emanuel L.
Wolf, AA president and board chairman.
The film was directed on location in the
Ivory Coast by Jean-Jacques Annaud and
was produced by Arthur Cohn, a threetime
Academy Award winner. Jacques Perrin
was the co-producer of the film, which
is being shown in selected engagements.
NATO Wires Protest
To Dept. of Justice
NEW YORK—Marvin Goldman, president
of the National Ass'n of Theatre Owners,
accompanied by vice-president and executive
director Joseph G. Alterman, held
a press conference here Monday (4) to
speak about the Department of Justice's
ruling on splits and to report on the recent
NATO restructuring huddle in Nassau.
On the issue of splitting, Goldman released
the following telegram which had
just been sent to Ass't Attorney General
Donald I. Baker, Antitrust Division, Department
of Justice:
"As you know from the memorandum
dated Feb. 22, 1977, submitted to the antitrust
division by the National Ass'n of Theatre
Owners, motion picture exhibitors
throughout the U.S. strongly disagree with
the position taken toy the Department of
Justice in its Friday (1) press release that
splits violate Section 1 of the Sherman Act.
We believe that the department was correct
in the position it has consistently and repeatedly
maintained for the past 25 years
that splits among exhibitors are lawful
where the affected distributors consent or
acquiesce in the practice. Indeed, as NATO
pointed out to the department, at least four
federal courts of appeals have stated that
such splits do not violate the antitrust laws.
"The motion picture exhibition industry
is anxious to have the validity of such splits
determined in the courts so that an adjudication
as to their legality may be made in
the appropriate forum—the federal courts.
Unfortunately, the department's Friday (1)
press release precludes such a judicial adjudication
since it raises the threat of criminal
prosecution which will inevitably have
an in terrorem effect resulting in the cessa-
tion of splits without a court test. Exhibi-i
tors will be unwilling to risk the possibility
of a criminal felony prosecution as the only
way to test splits in court.
"We therefore request the department to
agree that at least its initial action in regard
to splits will be in the form of civil action
solely for injunctive relief, rather than a
criminal prosecution. If the department
agrees that a civil action is the appropriate
vehicle to test this issue we would be prepared
to call the department's attention tc
a situation where exhibitors desire to con-;
tinue splitting in order to initiate a promp
test case and a speedy resolution of the lega
issue whether splits with distributor acquie
scence violate the Sherman Act."
Sensurround 'First' Used
In 'Rollercoaster' Film
UNIVERSAL CITY — Special
Sensui
round musical effects in high, middle, an
low frequency sound ranges for Universal
"Rollercoaster." being directed by Jamc
Goldstone. were recorded recently by an 8i
piece symphony orchestra conducted b
Lalo Schifrin.
"Rollercoaster" is the third picture
be made in Sensurround.
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