Weintraub and Ladd to Head New UA/MGM

Jerry Weintraub and Alan Ladd Jr. will jointly serve as chairmen and chief executives of the new United Artists/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distribution Co. when the companies become separately owned upon completion of the sale of MGM/UA Entertainment to Turner Broadcasting System.

Weintraub is chief executive of the new UA, in which financier Kirk Kerkorian will be the majority shareholder. Ladd now is president and chief operating officer of MGM/UA.

The two officers said the jointly owned and operated distribution firm will rely heavily in the first year upon MGM productions, which has 12 motion pictures presently being prepared for release.

Richard B. Graff, MGM/UA’s distribution head, will be president of domestic distribution in the new distribution firm; Irving N. Ivers, MGM/UA worldwide marketing chief, will be its executive vice president-domestic distribution, and Jack Gordon, MGM/UA head of international distribution, will be its president of international distribution.

Besides Weintraub and Ladd, the new firm’s executive committee will include Sidney H. Sapsowitz and Burton J. Morrison, who will serve as its chief operating officers.

Two MGM/UA officers joining the new distribution firm, along with their staffs, are John Peckos, who is senior vice president and general sales manager, and Arthur Stanisch, who is senior vice president-adminstration. The U.S., Canadian and Puerto Rican branches of MGM/UA also will be absorbed into the new joint venture.

Executives and staff members of the MGM/UA motion picture marketing division joining the new distribution venture include Paula Kelley, vice president for media and co-op advertising; Ted Hatfield, vice president-field operations; Perry Katz, vice president-research, and Budd Filippo, vice president-marketing administration.