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lolumbia Holds First
Yorldwide Conclave
LOS ANGELES—The firsl worldwide
Invention in the long histor) ol ( olumbia
cturcs Internutionul opened Wednesday
i hi 1 os Angeles, with delegates represent-
;; Columbia in more than 50 countries in
tendance.
["he kickoii general session was chaired
Patrick M. Williamson, executive viceesidenl
ol Columbia lnicm.iiion.il. .mil
tended In corporate and divisional offi-
•is headed In Man I Hirschfield, presi
ni and ch ; ef executive officer oi Colum-
.i Pictures Industries, and David Begel-
,ui. president of Columbia Pictures.
Following the general meeting, the more
..in SO delegates moved to the Burbank
(udios. site of much of the activity during
ie get-together, for a \isit to the set of
The Cheap Detective" and screenings of
Madame Claude." "The Greatest," "The
leep" and "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tir."
Marketing meetings were scheduled for
sveral films, notably "The Deep" and
Close Encounters of the Third Kind." In
ie case of the latter film, special film
laterial was to he screened
Also on the dais for the opening day's
eneral meeting was corporate senior viceresident
Joseph A. Fischer and a number
f Columbia Pictures executives from the
lurbank headquarters, including Daniel
lelnick. executive in charge of worldwide
reduction; James Johnson, vice-president
dministration, and Greg Morrison, viceresident,
worldwide advertising-pi blicity.
Columbia Pictures International execupresent
included vice-presidents Don-
Id McConville, sales manager; David Mataon.
continental manager; Martin Blati. adertising
and publicity, and Peter Vadasdy,
reasurer.
Karen Libbett Named NATO
Public Relations Chief
NEW YORK.— Karen Libbett has been
i.inied director of public relations for the
National Ass'n of Theatre Owners, effec-
'ive immediately, it was announced hi
loseph G. Alterman, executive director and
• ice-president.
Joining NATO in 1W as assistant to
:he director of public relations. Ms. l.ib-
-ictt's responsibilities include publicity, press
relations and national convention coordinator.
She also is the editor of the annual
"Encylopedia of Exhibition" and recently
assumed the position of editor of the bimonthlv
"Flash Bulletin."
'Promise' Global Rights
Acquired by Universal
\l W YORK— Universal has acquired
worldwide distribution rights to "The Promise."
a Weintraub-Heller production which
has been set lor a September 12 start date.
Gilbert Cates will direct and Fred Weintraub
and Paul Heller will produce.
Crowns Van Captures Imagination
Of Large Segment of U.S. Populace
B\ R \l I'll K W1INSKN
IK il M \V(>( )l) ( rown liiteinalion.il
Pictures is catching the crest ol the wave
ol the nationwide cia/e lor customizing
one's vehicle. I he fad is epitomized in the
( rown feature "I he Van," which captures
the spirit that moves young and old into
personalizing trucks, in the opinion ol celebrated
car customizer George Hams, who
designed the picture's "star."
Barris said he is "delighted with the
picture," because it catches the good
hearted mood that motivates most van owners
to go ui great lengths to modili "what
basically is a truck" to tit their own fantasies.
"There have been manv fads when it
comes to automobiles but the customized
van is far more enduring than a tad.'
It's a product for a large age group. People
from 16 to 68 years of age show up at
van shows all over the country," he observed.
Three
Vans Customized
Barris and his crew of specialists customized
three vans for the Crown feature.
Two were the "Straight Arrow" used bv
the hero and one was the "Van Killer."
driven by the villain who uses his ominous
black vehicle to bully everyone on the highway.
The "Straight Arrow" was made in two
versions. One was the complete custom job
inside and outside and it figured most
prominently throughout the film. Its duplicate
was designed as an exact copy on
the outside, but was left bare inside, because
it was used for all the crash scenes
for which interior decor was unimportant.
Barris and a crew of 24 worked around
the clock for four weeks to customize the
"Straight Arrow" and took another two
weeks for work on the second van used in
the Crown production.
'Knievel!' Is Launched
With
Huge Promotion
Hollywood—Warner Bros. gave
"Viva Knievel!", its first big summer
release, a saturation send-off before it
opened in many situations throughout
the nation Friday (3) b\ placing a total
of 3,200 theatrical and teaser trailers to
pliid and cross-plug the film.
The campaign, under way since
March, used 1,200 theatrical trailers
and 2,000 teaser trailers which were
put into circulation through National
Screen Service as part of its continuing
trailer placement program for Warner
Bros.
"Viia Knievel!" is a Shcrrill C. Corwin
production starring Kiel Knievel,
Gene Kelly, Lauren Mutton and Red
Buttons, directed b\ (, union Douglas
and produced l)> Stan Mough.
I he "Straight Arrow's" interioi was out
htted in the exotic slvle that van owners
across the country seek to achieve, Barris
noted.
I he main inleiioi item and one receiving
much attention ou-canici a is a
genuine waterhed In addition there is the
sculptured lounge-couch, a ( B unit, a
color IV, a refrigerator, a stereo outfil
and storage areas and wardrobes. Adding to
the exotica are murors on the ceiling and
others covering one entire wall.
I sed Velvet Carpeting
Probably the most provocative item is
the 40-inch porthole that serves as a ba>
window near the waterhed. I he inside coloi
scheme was carefully designed lor I liming
purposes and. alter manv consultations
with director Grossman, Barns hit upon
a flesh-tone motif. Adding to the exotic
theme was the use ol crushed black velvet
as the major carpeting mold with white
as an accent. Giving it all a touch of
luxurv was an ermine fur spread for the
waterhed.
The "Van Killer" was painted hlack with
a muscular arm portrayed on the outside
to express the bull) theme. Adding to
the tough-guy feel of the "Van Killer" was
a steering wheel made out of a chain.
"We had three weeks of consultations
with the people making the picture before
we began work. Everything had to be
worked out to make sure our customizing
fit in with the ideas they had for the picture,"
Barris commented.
"Fhe Van" is an appealing film, according
to Barris because it captures "the tun
of van-ing. It gives the van fans a chance
to see what can be done with their vans."
Craze Started on Coast
The van craze started on the West Coast
with the surfing enthusiasts who used the
vehicles to transport surfboards. Once the
idea caught on. it spread across the country
with phenomenal results.
"Detroit can't keep up with the demand
and most dealers have a tough time supplying
vans for commercial use. because
the van fans grab them." Barris said.
An outgrowth of the enthusiasm has
been the formation o\ van clubs all over
the country and the creation of the Show
Producers Ass'n which handles approximately
14d shows in the U.S.. which. Barris
said, attract nearly 13.000.000 participants
Burt Reynolds Will Star
In and Meg 'End' for UA
\1 Y\ YORK— United Artists has signed
Burt Reynolds to stai in ami direct "The
End," an original corned) written by Jerry
Belson, it was announced bv Mike Medavov.
United \nists senioi vice-president in
charge ol West Coasl production.
oik
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BOXOFTICE :: June 6, 1M77