Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

MINIMUM OF 50 FILMS TO BE AVAILABLE FOR APRIL-MAY An Upswing at Boxoffice Is Noted by Balaban Orderly Release Edition By Ed Hyman Lists New Product for Spring NEW YORK — Ten national distributors have promised at least 50 pictures, including four rereleases, plus two roadshow attractions, for the spring period, Edward L. Hyman reported here Friday (20). Hyman, vice-president of American BroadcastingParamount Theatres, who has been the leader in fostering year-around orderly release of quality product, on that day issued his latest orderly release book, an interim edition designed specifically for the socalled April-May “orphan” period. This was a departure from his previous books which covered releases for six to nine months. 20TH-FOX SLATE LATER The figure reported will be increased inasmuch as deadlines prevented 20th Century-Fox from listing its spring releases, but it is understood that that company will add a number of features to the list. While Hyman had sought to obtain specifically the pictures that would be available from each company during April and May, some of the companies listed their entire spring lineups which, naturally, would embrace the April-May period. At a tradepress luncheon meeting, Hyman said that the strengthening of the April-May release schedules had brought forth exhibitor pledges of promotion support. The AB-PT president stated he believed the time had come to prove that the traditionally bad months of April and May could be as good as any other period if the exhibitors were given enough quality product. He said the very essence of orderly distribution was the spreading out of quality product throughout the year and thus provide for not only orderly distribution, but for orderly exhibition and orderly profits. LINEUP BY COMPANIES According to the spring listings in the interim book, Paramount will have four new features, one rerelease and two roadshow pictures; Universal, four plus two reissues; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, six; Columbia, seven plus one reissue; United Artists, six; Warner Bros., three; Buena Vista, one; American-International, five; Allied Artists, four, and Continental, four. Paramount lists two specifically for April and May: “Paris When It Sizzles” and “Lady in a Cage.” Also available in the spring will be “The Son of Captain Blood,” the reissue of "Hud” and two special roadshow engagements, “Becket” and “The Fall of the Roman Empire.” Universal’s springtime releases will be “Captain Newman, M.D.,” “The Brass Bottle,” “Nightmare,” “He Rides Tall” and the rerelease of “Operation Petticoat” and “Pillow Talk.” MGM’s spring lineup is not pin-pointed as to months, but the spring schedule calls for “Company of Cowards,” “Night Must NEW YORK — Starting last June, the boxoffice trend began to reverse itself and showed an upturn that was encouraging, according to Barney Balaban, president of Paramount Pictures. At a luncheon tendered by Joseph E. Levine, president of Embassy Pictures, to mark the signing of John Michael Hayes, screenwriter, to a three-year contract, Balaban, a guest, predicted a further increase in industry revenue next year. He was not certain as to the rise in net earnings, but he felt certain there would be a boost in earned film rentals. Asked what he believed to be the reason for the upturn, Balaban said there appeared to be a numerical increase in the type of pictures the public wanted to see, not necessarily an increase in production Fall,” “Seven Faces of Dr. Lao,” “Kissin’ Cousins,” “Tamahine” and “Rhino.” Columbia announced that the following would be available in the spring months: “The Cardinal,” “Dr. Strangelove,” “The Victors,” “Psyche 59,” “The Quick Gun,” “Devil-Ship Pirates,” “The Crimson Blade,” and the rerelease of “The Bridge on the River Kwai.” United Artists specifically listed its April and May releases. For April: “Tom Jones,” “One Man’s Way” and “Flight From Ashiya.” For May: “From Russia With Love,” “The Pink Panther” and “The Best Man.” The Warner Bros, lineup for April and May consists of “The Incredible Mr. Limpet,” “A Distant Trumpet” and “Act One.” Although Buena Vista cited only “A Tiger Walks” as its Easter release, the company will have other product, not yet specified, during the period. American-International’s five for April and May will be “Muscle Beach Party,” “Masque of the Red Death,” “Black Sabbath,” “House of Terror” and “Captive City.” Allied Artists has spotted four for April and May: “Soldier in the Rain,” “The Strangler,” “The Naked Kiss” and “Never Put It in Writing.” Continental will deliver, in April and May, “Mediterranean Holiday,” “The Love Goddess,” “Black Like Me” and “Time of Indifference.” Hyman noted that at this time of the year, there were more pictures available for holiday playing time than possibly could be handled by any city in this country and yet, “when we approach the so-called ‘orphan periods,’ we are faced with a lack of a sufficient amount of quality product.” He added that the entire industry suffered because of this, since not only did the distributors and exhibitors have to face lean periods, but the but more of the popular themes. Balaban said he had been informed of the upward trend at a meeting of the Motion Picture Ass’n. He declined to reveal other details. The Embassy deal with Hayes calls for three pictures, on one of which he will serve as producer. Hayes wrote the screenplays for “The Carpetbaggers” and “Where Love Has Gone,” both Embassy-Paramount properties, and currently is scripting “Nevada Smith,” also for Embassy and Paramount. Among his credits are “Rear Window,” “To Catch a Thief,” “Butterfield 8,” “Peyton Place” and, more recently, “The Chalk Garden.” George Weltner, executive vice-president of Paramount, also a luncheon guest, said that Paramount had first refusal on the three screenplays for Levine. public was caused to lose its movie-going habits which the industry was trying so hard to foster. Letters from exhibitors, following the issuance of the last orderly distribution book, proved that the time was right to start an April-May drive, Hyman said. The exhibitors who were contacted promised to go all-out on a grass roots level to publicize, promote and exploit the pictures to prove to distributors, once and for all, that quality product would bring as much revenue during the months of April and May as during any other period of the year. The April-May interim release book currently is being mailed out to exhibitors, distributors and producers, initially to those who had endorsed the orderly release platform. At a tradepress meeting, Hyman said he had thanked the distributors for their efforts in producing material contained in the book, as well as for their full support in furthering orderly distribution by making available to exhibitors quality product for the April-May period. Wisconsin Allied Endorses National Buying Plan MILWAUKEE — The National Allied buying plan was enthusiastically endorsed by the board of directors of Allied of Wisconsin in a meeting held at the association office Tuesday (3). The board further expressed hopes that mechanics for putting the plan into effect can be successfully concluded. COMPO’s drive on the Bill of Rights Day was also endorsed by the board, which has urged all its members to cooperate fully in giving wide coverage to the showing of the special Bill of Rights message delivered in the trailer by the late President, John F. Kennedy. 4 BOXOFFICE December 23, 1963