Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

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THE NATIONAL FILM WEEKLY Published in Nine Sectional Editions BEN SHLYEN PROGRAM FOR PROGRESS' Editor-in-Chlef and Publisher DONALD M. MERSEREAU, Associate Publisher & General Manager JESSE SHLYEN ....Managing Editor HUGH FRAZE Field Editor AL STEEN Eastern Editor I. L. THATCHER Equipment Editor MORRIS SCHLOZMAN Business Mgr. Publication Offices: 825 Van Brunt Blul. Kansas City 24, Mo. Jesse Sblyen, Managing Editor; Morris Schlozman, Business Manager; Hugh Fraze, Field Editor; 1. L. Thatcher, Editor The Modern Theatre Section. Telephone Cllestnut 1-7777. Editorial Offices: 1270 Sixth Ave., Rockefeller Center, New York 2U, N. Y. Donald M. Mersereau, Associate Publisher & General Manager; A1 Steen, Eastern Editor. Telephone COlumbus 5-6370. Central Offices: Editorial — 920 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 11, 111., Frances B. Clow, Telephone Superior 7-3972. Advertising— 5811 North Lincoln, Louis Dldler and Jack Broderick, Telephone LOngbeach 1-5284. Western Offices: Editorial and Film Advertising— 6362 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 28, Calif., 8yd Cassyd. Telephone Hollywood 5-1186. Equipment and Non-Film Advertising — New York Ufe Bldg., 2801 West Sixth St., Los Angeles 57, Calif. Bob Wettsteln, manager. Telephone Dunkirk 8-2286. London Office: Anthony Gruner, 1 Woodberry Way, Finchley, N. 12. Telephone Hillside 6733. The MODERN THEATRE Section Is Included hi the first Issue of each month. Albany: J. S. Conners. 140 State St. Atlanta: Mary Charles Watts, 205 Walton St.. N. W. Baltimore: George Browning, 208 E. 25th St. Boston: Guy Livingston, 80 Boylston, Boston, Mass. Charlotte: Blanche Carr, 301 S. Church. Cincinnati: Frances Hanford, UNlverslty 17180. Cleveland: W. Ward Marsh, Plain Dealer. Columbus: Fred Oestrelcher, 52% W. North Broadway. Dallas: Mable Gulnan, 5927 Wlnton. Denver: Bruce Marshall, 2881 S. Cherry Way. lies Moines: Pat Cooney, 2727 49th St. Detroit: 11. F. Reves, 906 Fox Theatre Bldg., WOodward 2-1144. Hartford: Allen M. Wldem, CU. 9-8211. Indianapolis: Norma Geraghty, 436 N. Illinois St. Jacksonville: Robert Cornwall, 1199 Edgewood Ave. Manchester, N. H.: Guy Langley, P.O. Box 56. Memphis: Null Adams, 707 Spring St. Miami: Martha Lummus, 622 N.E. 98 St. Milwaukee: Wm. Nichol, 2251 S. Layton. Minneapolis: Jon Pankake, 729 8th Ave. S.E. New Orleans: Mrs. Jack Auslet, 2268% St. Claude Ave. Oklahoma City: Sam Brunk, 3416 N. Virginia. Omaha: Irving Baker, 5108 Izard St. Philadelphia: A1 Zurawskl, The Bulletin. Pittsburgh: R. F. Kllngensmltb, 516 Jeanette, Wllklnsburg. 412-241-2809. Portland, Ore.: Arnold Marks, Journal. 8t. Louis: Joe & Joan Pollack, 7335 Shaftsbury, University City, PA 5-7181. Salt Lake City: II. Pearson, Deseret News. Sod Francisco: Dolores Barusch, 25 Taylor St., ORdway 3-4813; Advertising: Jerry Nowell. 417 Market St., YUkon 29537. Washington: Virginia R. Collier, 2308 Ashmead Place, N. W., DUpont 7-0892. In Canada Montreal: Room 314, 625 Belmont St.. Jules Larochelle. St. John: 43 Waterloo, Sam Babb. Toronto: 2675 Bayvlew Ave., Wlllowdale, Ont. W. Gladish. Vanoouver: 411 Lyric Theatre Bldg. 751 Granville St., Jack Droy. Winnipeg: The Tribune, Jim Peters. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Second Class postage paid at Kansas City, Mo. Sectional Edition. $3.00 per year. National Edition, $7.50. DECEMBER 16, 1963 Vol. 84 No. 8 THE FLIGHT of time is indicated by the fact that Columbia Pictures is celebrating its fortieth anniversary. It has, indeed, been a colorful forty years, plus the several preceding from which Columbia incubated when it was known as CBC Film Sales Corp. We could recall some interesting bits of nostalgia dating back to those beginning days and from time to time thereafter. But, perhaps, it is more pertinent to the present to reflect only on the past five years, for this ushered in a new regime and a new, longrange plan of operation. “A program for progress,” it was called by A. Schneider, who, in 1958, acceded to the presidency of this continually growing company. In December of that year, Boxoffice published a series of articles setting forth the Columbia plan that incorporated a close teamwork among its executives and other personnel, a new concept in production, an upbuilding of its sales force domestically and globally, and a comprehensive and sustained plan of picture promotion. That Mr. Schneider’s goals have been achieved is implicit in Columbia’s accomplishments in each of the four parts of its program, as evidenced by the numerous production successes that have been brought forth in the past five years. And, of course, Columbia is not stopping at this milestone. Its “program for progress” is extending not only into next year but well beyond, as witness just a few of the attractions that are upcoming: Carl Foreman’s “The Victors,” Otto Preminger’s “The Cardinal,” Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,” Irving Allen’s “The Long Ships,” Robert Rossen’s “Lilith,” Fred Zinnemann’s “Behold a Pale Horse,” Richard Brooks’ “Lord Jim” and Charles H. Schneer’s “First Man in the Moon,” among others. We congratulate Mr. Schneider and the rest of Columbia’s “first team” — Leo Jaffe, executive vice-president; Rube Jackter, vice-president in charge of sales; M. J. Frankovich, first vice-president of world production; Sol Schwartz, senior vice-president, and Robert S. Ferguson, vice-president in charge of advertising. ★ ★ Imagination, New Ideas “If we forget the past and use our imagination, we can retain and even expand our business. Too much of the industry’s operation lacks imagination and new ideas.” So said John Davis, chairman of the Rank Organization, in an address to the theatre division’s managers, recently, at a meeting in London. This admonition can aptly be applied right here in the U.S.A. And, if heeded both by theatremen and by other branches of the industry, it would have a salutary effect. New ideas and imagination are highly essential to good, profitmaking productions. This has been proven over and over again, particularly where the new ideas and imagination lend themselves to provocative promotion. That, of course, takes in exhibition where the capitalizing on these ideas take effect. Distribution, too, has been coming up with new ideas in the marketing of films. Some have proved out well, others not; but the experimentation is continuing. New conditions, not only within the industry but those on the outside which affect the industry, have to be countered. And that calls for an entirely new approach and, in many cases, the drafting of an entirely new pattern of operations. Some of these new patterns will work in one area, but not in others. So, in those others, imagination and experimentation must, again, be put to work. This is not to say that many a good old idea cannot be adapted to present needs; or that old ideas, per se, should be discarded. In fact, it might be well to look over the packets of old ideas, sift out the better ones and, with imagination, develop them for highly successful and continuous use. ★ ★ “December is the month when business activity is at its most frantic pace. So, it is the month when good customer relations practices tend to become most sorely neglected. Yet, at no time of the year is it more important for a forward-thinking businessman to show his customers that their business is truly appreciated. “Time and again, it has been proved that indifference is business’ chief customer killer. Otherwise, resourceful businessmen frequently spend thousands of dollars to create a favorable public image, but fail to create a warm feeling in the hearts of existing customers. The result often is that old customers fade away almost as fast as new ones are brought in, thus inhibiting business growth.” — Customer Relations Research Foundation Quotable Quote: j