Harrison's Reports (1954)

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879. Harrison’S Reports Yearly Subscription Kates: United States $15.00 U. S. Insular Possessions. 16.50 Canada 16.50 Mexico, Cuba, Spain 16.50 Great Britain 17.50 Australia, New Zealand, India, Europe, Asia .... 17.60 35c a Copy 1270 SIXTH AVENUE New York 20, N. Y. Published Weekly by Harrison’s Reports, Inc., Publisher A Motion Picture Reviewing Service Devoted Chiefly to the Interests of the Exhibitors P. S. HARRISON, Editor Established July 1, 1919 Its Editorial Policy: No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor. Circle 7-4622 A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XXXVI SATURDAY, JULY 31, 1954 No. 31 DEBUNKING THE BUNK Ever since Paramount first introduced VistaVision to the trade last March, it has been carrying on a desperate publicity campaign to build up the process for more than it actually means to exhibition, and in doing so it has frequently restorted to the publicizing of misinformation. As an example of the type of misinformation handed out by Paramount, its publicity releases frequently quoted different industry people who referred to VistaVision as a “wide-screen process” and who made comments that misled exhibitors to believe that it was anything from a process like CinemaScope to something like Cinerama. Paramount itself occasionally referred to VistaVision as a “wide-screen process,” even though it knew that it is no more than an advanced photographic technique that improves the quality of motion picture photography, and that the end result, as Jack Kirsch, head of Illinois Allied recently stated, “is merely a clearer, better motion picture of the conventional type.” This paper can cite many other examples of the methods employed by Paramount to create the impression that VistaVision is a startling new widescreen process that is competitive to CinemaScope, and even to Cinerama and the ToddAO process. But we need go no further than the latest bit of misinformation handed out in a recent Paramount publicity release, which stated that, as a result of a “highly successful” demonstration of VistaVision in Tokyo, “all of the Army Motion Picture Service’s 1,500 theatres will be converted for VistaVision presentation.” The release further states that “AMPS chiefs in the Far East have started to equip each theatre with the largest screens they can accommodate in order to present VistaVision.” Aware that previous publicity releases put out by Paramount about VistaVision were not exactly models of veracity, this writer telephoned the Washington headquarters of the Army Motion Picture Service to check on the statements made by Paramount. A spokesman for theAMPS stated that, outside of scattered 16 mm. units, there are only about 135 AMPS theatres in the Far East and that he does not know where Paramount got a figure of 1,500. Moreover, this spokesman denied the Paramount claim that the AMPS had decided to equip its theatres for VistaVision following the demonstration of the process in Tokyo. He stated that plans to equip the AMPS theatres with anamorphic lenses and wide screens for CinemaScope had been formulated some time ago, and that when such installations are made the theatres, being equipped with the highest and widest screens possible, will be enabled to present also VistaVision pictures. This spokesman further revealed that, within the continental United States, the AMPS operates ap proximately 400 post theatres. Of these, 100 have already been equipped for CinemaScope and stereophonic sound, and that 150 more are in the process of being so equipped. The policy of equipping with the highest and widest screens possible will enable these theatres, too, to play pictures of all dimensions, including VistaVision. Paramount, of course, has tried to create the impression that enthusiasm over VistaVision is responsible for the AMPS decision to equip its theatres with the largest screens possible, but like many other Paramount claims this one, too, turns out to be just so much bunk. THE CLAMOR FOR ACTION A National Allied committee made up of Abram F. Myers, Ben Marcus, Jack Kirsch, Nathan Yamins and Wilbur Snaper is tentatively scheduled to meet with the major company sales managers in New York around the middle of August to discuss rising exhibitor complaints against high film rentals, the print and product shortages, and other problems that are plaguing theatremen today. Just what will result from these talks remains to be seen, but before entering these discussions the sales managers will do well to heed the words of warning expressed recently in a bulletin issued by Mr. Myers, who said that the “responsible heads of the film companies can make no more serious mistake than to ridicule or ignore the complaints now being voiced by exhibitors in all parts of the country concerning their present day pricing and distributing methods.” In that bulletin, which was published in the July 17 issue of this paper, Mr. Myers pointed out that the tempers of the exhibitors is unmistakable, and that he could not predict how long National Allied could hold to the view that there should be no Government regulation of the industry. That Mr. Myers knew what he was talking about is evidenced by the fact that, since he issued his bulletin, several of the Allied regional organizations have made it clear that they favor Government intervention if the distributors will not see the light. Last week the board of directors of Wisconsin Allied passed a resolution urging that National Allied take immediate steps to seek Government intervention in the event that the committee appointed to meet with the heads of the distributing companies “fail in its attempts to persuade the distributors to return to a ‘live and let live’ policy as it relates to film terms.” Wilbur Snaper, head of New Jersey Allied and former national president, told the trade press recently that his members were fighting mad over current distributor abuses and that his organization will insist at the forthcoming National Allied board meeting in (Continued on bac\ page)