Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

Thursday, October 13, 1960 I Motion Picture Daily 5 PEOPLE , Abraham M. Ellis, head of Ellis Theatres, Philadelphia; Jack Beresin, jpresident of Berlo Vending Co. there, jand David Supowitz, theatre architect, have been elected to the board jof directors of the Federation of Jewish Agencies of Greater Philadelphia for three-year terms. □ I ' Dr. Jonas E. Salk, recipient of the Variety Clubs International Award for 1959, has been presented his heart-shaped medallion in Pittsburgh by International chief barker Edward Emanuel. Dr. Salk was honored for ibis work in developing the Salk Vaccine for the prevention of polio. ' □ Harry Alexander, former branch nanager in Albany, N. Y., for 20th Century-Fox and Eagle Lion, and -riore recently associated with the Vliddletown (N. Y.) Drive-in Theatre, las been named Albany-Buffalo sales epresentative for Citation Films. Raphael Klein, who with his brother, Morris, operates the Highway Drive-in Theatre at Coxsackie, >J. Y., has been appointed a Greene bounty member of the Businessmen's Council of the Democratic State Comnittee, of which Harry Brandt, of kandt Theatres, is chairman. □ Charles Skouras, Jr., one of the ounders of the new Triton Prods., 1 vill produce the "Journey of Jules i/erne" for 20th Century-Fox release. Another member of the Triton team, 'lato Skouras, is now in Rome with lirector Michael Curtiz on the filming of "Francis of Assisi," also a 20throx release. Myers Warns of Adult Films; Hits ACE 'Sterility' in Selling ( Continued from page 1 ) poke at the convention of the Ohio j/alley Indoor and Outdoor Theatres. I The advertising-exploitation execute, who has appropriated $3,000,^00 in selling three films the past /ear, asked the attending theatre iwners how much they are spending o sell their merchandise valued at (>x>re than $100,000,000 over a year's ieriod. Weekly change houses carry his amount of inventory over a year, ae explained. "I've been in cities throughout Inliana," Solomon continued, "and I an't recall a business in any city that ( Continued from page 1 ) of governmental pre censorship," Myers said, "add, as a necessary foundation to their contention, that the public will be adequately protected by the prosecution of exhibitors under local statutes and ordinances for the showing of improper pictures. "In other words, the shift in responsibility is from the producers to the exhibitors. And so, if the Supreme Court rules, as many observers believe it will, the onus will be on you exhibitors. And if the only public redress for objectionable pictures is the prosecution (fining and/or jailing) of the exhibitors showing them, then I earnestly hope that the other great branches of the industry will view very seriously their obligation to police themselves and not force every exhibitor to make a hazardous guess concerning the pictures he shows. "It is to the interest of all exhibitors except, perhaps, a few located in the shadowy sections of the large cities, that the Production Code be dusted off and enforced, and they should speak out on this point." Referring to the current problem of increasing numbers of adult films, Myers said he does not "see how a carries merchandise approximating one hundred million dollars, unless it's the bank. But," he added, "everyone of you do." The Embassy vice-president went on to say that the motion picture business is really a sophisticated business and "all of us engaged in the industry, whether it be production, distribution or exhibition, are the knowing people of the community." "We're in a glamorous business but what good is glamour if it doesn't pay off, and it only can pay off, or if you please, survive, if the showmen do the job on the front line via the boxoffice." Fears Sophistication "Maybe our trouble is too much sophistication," Solomon said. "Maybe as sophisticates we have forgotten that it was our sweat and the sweat of our contemporaries who rolled up their sleeves and built this business into the great economic force that it was." Solomon pointed out that John Wanamaker, the department store tycoon, said, "Fifty per cent of the advertising dollar is wasted, but I don't know which 50 per cent." And he added that just as Wanamaker didn't take a change neither can the motion picture exhibitor. meeting devoted to business building (the convention's theme) can get anywhere unless it deals with trends which threaten to destroy the business." "You must be appalled, as certainly I am," he said "by the assaults being made on the industry because of the kind of pictures that are being made. Even when the Production Code was being adequately enforced and film standards were high, there were always a few zealots, usually professionals, taking potshots at the movies. Points to Critics' Influence "Nowadays you can scarcely glance at a paper without seeing that someone is taking the industry to task for objectionable films. Often those critics are of such standing as to exert influence over large segments of the population. I do not need to remind you that the dire effects of this mounting criticism will be visited first and mainly on the neighborhood and small town theatres." "What is the attitude of the organized industry toward this threatening storm of outraged public opinion?" Myers asked. "If any industry spokesman of any standing has voiced any concern over present trends, or has wagged an admonitory finger at the Code Authority, it has escaped my attention. On the contrary, the Motion Picture Ass'n., directly and through Compo, is waging total warfare against all manner of pre-censorship of films, and has enlisted the cooperation of many exhibitors in the effort." 'Must Have Something to Sell' Discussing the convention theme of business building, Myers said: "First you must have something to sell," and launched an attack on product shortages and delayed availabilities of important films, particularly the increasing number of those released as road shows. As for the product shortage, Myers said it is the direct "result of the inroads into the business of television and is not the fault of anyone, except as it has been aggravated by making pictures available to this rival medium." However, he noted, "someone is doing something about increasing the supply." The American Congress of Exhibitors and Theatre Owners of America are working on projects designed to inaugurate new production. "Those who are in a position to help, should do so," Myers said. "The others can only wait and hope." Sales Offices and Warehouses ;e^5^ 321 West 54th Street New York 19, N. Y. 6601 N. Lincoln Ave. Lincolnwood (Chicago), 1355 Conant Street Dallas 7, Texas He added, "It has seemed to me that much of the wailing about the film shortage was rather futile and I have been surprised that some who have wailed the loudest have not raised their voices to protest the manner in which the few pictures available, more especially the top quality pictures, are being marketed." He said he feels "strongly about current trends in the industry which are recreating the conditions of restraint and monopoly that Allied organized to oppose and which it was thought had been outlawed by the Paramount decrees." He criticized the Department of Justice for refusing to act against exclusive run licensing of road show and other top attractions, terming the result a "territorial monopoly of the exhibition of particular films." Decries ACE Inactivity Myers also scored the American Congreses of Exhibitors for inactivity and lack of results on its early program for conferences with Motion Picture Ass'n. directors and company presidents on exhibitor distributor problems and complaints. "Whatever other effects ACE may have had," Myers said, "it certainly had the effect to derail the (Allied) White Paper campaign special. The prospect that ACE might obtain for them the relief they so ardently desired caused some exhibitors to lose interest in the movement." Allied's "white paper" campaign called for another airing of industry problems before a Congressional committee. Myers asserted it was impossible to interest such a group in a "detailed and extensive investigation" while there was a prospect of ACE and the company presidents getting together to settle their differences. Asks Skouras 'Explanation' Myers said Spyros Skouras, 20th Century-Fox president, whose appearance at Allied's 1958 convention led to the formation of ACE, "owes an explanation to the exhibitors who abandoned their own program in order to follow him." "If there is to be no summit conference, if the temporary revival of conciliation exhausted the possibilities of reform in trade abuses, then the exhibitors should be so informed." Trade observers pointed out, however, that Allied specifically reserved the right on repeated occasions to pursue its "white paper" strategy while entering into ACE membership and participating in its activities. A COMPLETE LINE OF PROFESSIONAL CINE FILMS Quality photographic materials . . . backed by more than half a century of experience. THE GEVAERT COMPANY OF AMERICA, INC.