Boxoffice-September.03.1979

SAC
978
Allied Artists is accused
of using nonguild actors
NEW YORK—"The Betsy." considered ihe
straw [hai broke Allied Artists liscal back and
sent Ihe company into federal Bankruptcv
Court, entered into a hearing recently before
Judge Stante) Lesser as the Screen Actors'
Guild accused Allied Artists of using nonguild
actors in the making of the 1 film when
guild actors were readilv available.
Actually . i's West (. oast chapter intended
to file a summons against \ \ js well as a petition
to enter into arbitration. But that was
about April 4. the date \ \ filed its request to
reorganize under Chapter XI of the federal
bankruptcy laws, and such a petition placed a
Slay on the SACi action.
SAG attorney John I lyn came to court to
ask Lesser to lilt the sta> ol arbitration. Lesser
retused—at least lor then—and directed AA
attorney Jav Arnason to make a "threshold
determination of AA's legal liability" in the
alleged violation of union guidelines.
The issue of liability took up most of the
minute hearing Aug. 2 1 . Lesser saying "I'm
45
not hospitable to the idea of arbitration"
because the hiring of actors is an issue ol
contractual law involving the guild and the
producers of "The Betsy." which is Harold
Robbins International and not AA. AA. he
pointed out. was responsible only for putting
up the money
Arnason pledged to file an answer regarding
AA's obligation by Aug. 28. at which time
Lesser will convene another pretrial con
ference to determine whether SAG has a right
to seek damages from AA.
Membership drive under way
to strengthen Pioneers ranks
The Henry G Pint Membership Drive has
been kicked off in honor of Phil's selection as
"Pioneer of the Year" for 1979. it wjs
announced jointly by B.V. Sturdivant. presi
dent, and Norman E. Gluck. membership
chairman, of the Foundation of the Motion
Picture Pioneers.
Gluck said that the campaign would run
through the Annual Dinner on Oct. 29 at the
Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. In addi
tton to the regional membership chairmen that
provide the local contacts to enroll new
members. Gluck continued that he would be
seeking the aid of the general sales managers
of the major companies.
The Honorarv Committee lor the 41st annual
Pioneer of the Year dinner has also been
initiated.
Serving on the committee are: Lam F.
Allen. Joseph G. Alterman. Samuel Z. Arkoff.
Chuck Barnes. Charles Boasberg. Ashley
Boone. Al Boudouns. Richard P. Brandt.
Steve Broidv. John G Broumas. David
Brown. Harry S Buxbaum. Ross Campbell. R.
L t arpenter, Michael H. Chakeres. Sidnev J
Cohen, Bruce t Cprwin, Fredric A. Danz.
Tad Dan/. Bernard D. Diamond. Glen W.
Dickinson Jr.. Barry Diller. Richard A. Fox.
M. J. Frankovich. Michael R. Forman.
Wilham R. Forman. A. Alan Friedberg.
Robert L. Friedman. P. Harvey Garland. Ber
nard E. Goldberg. Leonard H Goldenson. Mil
ton Goldstein. Melvin Simon, Jerome Gordon.
Also: Monty Hall, Salah M. Hassanein, Bob
Hope, Louis Jablonow, Newton P. Jacobs,
Leo Jaffe, William F. Kartozian, John W.
Keiler II, George G. Derasotes, Harold Klein,
Howard W. Koch. Arthur B. Krim. Alan
Ladd Jr.. Jennings Lang. Sol Lesser, Larry M.
Levin, Mervyn Le Roy, Martin. Levine,
Douglas J. Lightner, Weldon E. Limmroth,
Robert L. Lippert Jr.. Jack Loeks, Milton H.
London. John V. Louis, Irving H. Ludwig,
Frank G. Mancuso, Harry Mandel, Ted
Mann. Kenneth M. Mason, Ranee Mason,
Ben D. Marcus. Raymond J. McCafferty.
Walter Mirisch, Tom Moyer, Bernard Myerson,
Martin H. Newman, Glenn Norris,
Richard H. Orear, C.L. Patrick. R. Wade
Pearson, Earl Perry, Eugene Picker, Edward
M Plitt, Sam Plitt, Frank Price, Ralph W.
Pries, Martin Quigley Jr., Milton R. Rackmil.
In addition: Charles M. Reagan. Joel H.
Resnick, Albert H. Reynolds, Frank H.
Ricketson Jr., Harmon "Bud" Rifkin, Julian
Rifkin. Burton Robbins, Martin Rosenfield.
Paul A. Roth, John H. Rowley, Claude J.
Schlanger, J.M. Seider, Robert W. Selig, Terry
Semel, Sidney H. Sheinberg, Richard A.
Shepherd, Richard Sloan, T.G. Solomon, Dennis
C. Stanfill, Arthur Stein Jr.. John H.
Stembler. Ezra E. Stern. Sylvia Steiber,
Frederick G. Storey. Joseph M. Sugar, Morton
Sunshine, Bob Tankersley, George Tice.
Charles B. Trexler. Jack Valenti, James R.
Velde, Henry Vinson, Jerry D. Vitus, Richard
F. Walsh, Lew R. Wasserman, Frank G.
Wells, Roy B. White. Melvin R. Wintman.
R.N. Wilkinson.
BOXOFFICE/SEPTEMBER 3, 197'
industry briefs
New name for Cinema Concepts
Cinema Concepts, a company specializing in the production and distribution of special film
trailers, has a new expanded name and a new home office.
On Aug 20, C inema Concepts Inc. officially became Cinema Concepts Theatre Service
Co. The company, headed by president Stuart Harnell, has moved its home office to Atlanta,
hut will still retain its Nashville. Tenn. location as a branch office.
The company's new Atlanta address is 5 Dunwoody Park. Suite 111. Atlanta. Ga. 30338.
Manson head forms new company
Manson International president Michael Goldman has formed Ouixole Productions, a
< alifornia corporation organized to produce feature films for worldwide release. Goldman
w ill
head Quixote with Hans Gambaro, a former 20th Centur> Fox v ice president, serving as
vice president and Warren Braverman as secretary treasurer.
"All Quixote productions will be aimed at international marketability and released through
Manson". Goldman said. "After 26 years ol selling pictures we feel confident in ourabilitv to
judge what international distributors are looking for. Quixote will be the summation of this
background
A fall production schedule is expected to be announced shortly.
"Star Wars 9 into Hall of Fame
"Star Wars." 20th Century Fox's boxoffice giant which, in two years of exhibition, has
amassed more than $405 million, has been honored by the Academy of Science Fiction. Fantasy
and Horror Films, whose membership has voted it into the academy's coveted Hall of
Fame.
It marks only the second lime in the organization's history that it has so honored a film, the
previous Hall of Fame acknowledgement going to George Pal's "War of the Worlds."
In ceremonies held Aug. 10 at a special screening of "Star Wars." the film's arch villain.
Darth Vadar. was on hand to accept the special Hall of Fame presentation for Lucasfilm Ltd.
and 20lh Century Fox.
$50 million for 'Muppet Movie'
Leo Greenfield, senior vice president of Associated Film Distribution, has estimated that
"The Muppet Movie" will have amassed a $50 million boxoffice gross when the film completes
its 1 1 weeks of exhibition on Sept. 6.
The film opened June 22 on 42 screens. At the end of four weeks of release the film was on
146 screens and had taken in a boxoffice gross of $6,210,000.
Columbia shows Spanish previews
The Columbia Pictures Spanish Theatrical Film Division held a gathering of 10 exhibitors
of Spanish language films in the Miami area on Aug. 15-16. when they were shown six films
from among a group of nearly thirty that the division will offer in the forthcoming year
Carlos Barba. vice president and general manager of the division, which distributes to the
more than 450 U.S. theatres that show Spanish language films, said. "Sixteen of the films on
our list are from Mexico, two are from Spain, and two others are co-productions of two or
more countries. They are first rate films from every genre—action, musical, drama, comedy
and science fiction.
"In addition, we're distributing six recent Columbia films with Spanish subtitles. These
include the outstandingly successful 'The China Syndrome." plus 'California Suite.' "Fast
Break." Tee Castles." "Hard Core' and "Hanover Street." "
At the Convocation, details were announced regarding a group of three other recentlv
acquired films that are just going into production, among them "El Secuestro de los 100
Millones "' ("The Kidnapping of the 100 Million"!, which will be directed by Mexico's Ismael
Rodnquez. one of the premiere names in Spanish language films.
| |
STEREO
Every Film,
Every Show,
Every Day!
i
GRAHAM
(continued from page I)
studios established permanent headquarters
on the West Coast. "We want to build on the
successes we have had to a greater degree."
Graham said.
"There have been a lot of developments in
the basic infrastructure of movie production
that make it economic for films to be made in
Florida. He added that movie production in
Florida has a strong foundation of personnel
and equipment as a result of previous efforts
in the state and the fact that "we have become
a center for production of related items such
as television commercials and records."
LEVIN EXPLAINED that
the equipment
and infrastructure has existed in Florida for
some time but that what had been missing was
a chief executive who recognized the
economic value and popular exposure that increased
film production would bring to the
state and was personally committed to seeing a
campaign like this through to the end
"We know we have some advan
(ages—some natural advantages and. as the
governor has said, some infrastructure—."
Levin said. "What we don't really know is the
best possible way to increase it.
"WE HAVE BEEN ABLE to sell a little
bit. but frankly, the trips have been more
valuable to us as information gathering
devices." he said.
Asked how he could justify coming to
California under the open pretense of try tng to
lure film business from the West Coast to
F londa. the soft-spoken Graham said he didn't
think the movie business had ever been considered
as having its base firmly fixed in Los
Angeles.
If a film is going to be made on location out
side of California, which many are. Graham
said. Florida would like to be one of the places
considered.
"We see movie production as being a significant
part of Florida's economic base so that
the state will not be so reliant on its two tradt
tional bases of agriculture and tourist trade."
the governor said.