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I had not
seen the film,
but I phoned my
boss Dick
Harper in LA
suggesting he
secure me TV
rights. He wasn’t
too keen and
asked what price
I would secure
in Australia. I
told him $US
250,000
minimum.
The
Academy named
it Best Picture The Sydney head-office of Fox Film Corporation (Australia) Pty. Ltd., 1940. Peter Broome was to negotiate its
and although I sale in 1979. The purpose of the original of this image was a trade advertisement for Wunderlich Ceramic Facing.
had promised it ‘Every shower of rain washes down the vitrified smoothly glazed surfaces’.
to Kerry Packer,
I reneged. international TV market place, now opposition to Fox TV. I suggested that I
Network 10 had secured the rights to comprising 23 countries from would market the product if necessary
the Olympic Games, so I sold it to them Afghanistan in the west, American for no commission.
for $US one million. More importantly, Samoa in the east, Korea and Japan in Dennis agreed that should be the
I packaged it with reruns of our the north, to New Zealand in the south. case, but Fox TV should be paid ten
programs - Bud Greenspan’s Olympiad I had become a powerful employee, and percent commission by Hoyts. Over
and Olympic Minutes, and restricted highly respected. lunch in the Hoyts boardroom he
rights to three years and nine months, Fox, and I suspect most US film instructed Jackman accordingly.
since Olympics occur every four years. companies, were highly political and As a cost cutting measure Fox
Chariots is therefore available for one's skills in that area were fully tested. theatrical distribution had been
resale to the Olympic network at top Oil-man Marvin Davis had acquired amalgamated with Columbia forming
dollar every four years. Fox and he appointed Dennis Stanfill - Fox/Columbia, meaning that Fox
A great deal of time was expended known as The Arrow - as Chief Brisbane Street, purpose built as a film
on international conventions: twice a Executive Officer. The name was spot- exchange, became redundant.
year to Cannes for MIP (a French on; that’s how straight he was. At the same time Marvin Davis,
acronym which translates as Dennis frequently visited Australia in uncomfortable about owning property
International Programme Market), to company with two or three executives, outside the USA, put Hoyts on the
the USA for the National Association and always called to see me, likewise market and instructed Terry Jackman to
of Television Programme Executives insisting I see him when in LA. He sell the Fox building. My team of four
(NATPE), and every May to Los seems have taken a liking to me, often were the last occupants.
Angeles for screenings to buyers of the asking testing and probing questions, Time went by and no sale resulted,
new season’s series. thus becoming an important ally. so I phoned Dennis Stanfill and
Except for the buyer’s screenings Terry Jackman who was building suggested I try and dispose of it. He
these trips were incredibly expensive the Hoyts complex on George Street told me to do so, and secure leased
and a waste of effort. The only plus had allocated Fox TV office space in premises in the CBD, commensurate
was the opportunities to compare notes his new building. Perceiving this as a with the importance of the company.
with colleagues and to meet buyers bid for an ultimate takeover, I flew to In one of my major mistakes I sold
from all over the world. LA unheralded and unsung, where the building to the Motor Traders’
I cordially hated MIP and NATPE, within twelve hours over dinner at the Association - I should have bought it
comparing them to ‘boat shows’ which home of Fox President of TV Sy myself and made a subsequent fortune.
demean the product, but more Salkowitz, we quickly hit that one on We secured lovely offices on the
importantly, demean the salesmen. the head. second top flour of the National Mutual
However, attendance was compulsory. Hoyts Distribution had acquired Building on the corner of York and
These occasions were really a means of both theatrical and TV rights to a bunch Market Street, overlooking the Harbour
giving the buyers the bonus of of ordinary features and it came to my Bridge and Darling Harbour.
international travel. knowledge that they were offering them On Dennis’ next visit he
When Robert Morin took over as to my Australian customers. This complimented me, saying I had done
my boss I suggested that my territory happened to coincide with a Stanfill very well. I was appointed Chairman of
should include Japan, and he readily visit, and in my office I explained that Twentieth Century-Fox Australia. ★
agreed. This massive market gave me it was unseemly for a Fox company
responsibility for about one third of the (Hoyts) to be selling product in Concludes Next Issue

CINEMARECORD 2007 33