The Exhibitor (1957)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 7 UA 1 9-Week Gross llo 1 6 Per Cent Over ’56 Krim Optimistic On Future In First Report Since Public Stock Issue; New Production Plans Outlined New York — United Artists president Arthur B. Krim last week announced in his first report since the company be¬ came nuhliel v-owned last month that the UA world gross from theatrical distribution for the first 19 weeks of 1957 totals $20,761,692, compared with $17,889,799 for the sim¬ ilar period of last year. This represents an increase of $2,872,163, or 16 per cent over 1956 for 19 weeks. Krim was highly optimistic about the company’s prospects for the final six months of 1957, stating that the grosses for that period will be substantially greater than those realized last year for the six months starting July 1, 1956. United Artists world gross revenues for the 12 months of 1956 were $64,771,784, an all-time high for the company. The United Artists president also pre¬ dicted additional revenues of $5,090,000 from the syndication of UA films to tele¬ vision during 1957. Last year the com¬ pany realized $2,000,000 from TV film sales. Krim emphasized that United Artists will distribute its strong program on the regular basis of not fewer than four films a month. The company president underscored the fact that UA will release during the final six months of 1957 as many block¬ busters and top “A” pictures as were released throughout the entire past sev¬ eral years. Turning to the production program thait will be launched in June, Krim stated that in the next four months alone UA will place before the cameras more bluechip features than the company had previously produced in any 18-month period. Among the films that will go into pro¬ duction from June through September of this year are “Witness For The Prosecu¬ tion,” starring Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, and Charles Laughton, to be directed by Billy Wilder, with Arthur Hornblow, Jr. and Edward Small produc¬ ing; Bryna’s Technirama production of “The Vikings,” to be filmed on location in Norway with Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, and Ernest Borgnine starred; “The Big Country,” to be produced and directed by William Wyler with Gregory Peck starred; a film version of Commander Edward L. Beach’s best seller, “Run Silent, Run Deep,” a HechtHill-Lancaster production starring Burt Lancaster; Security Pictures’ filmization of Erskine Caldwell’s all-time best seller, “God’s Little Acre,” to be directed "The Heart Of Show Business" It should be every exhibitor’s obli¬ gation to show this great 40-minute featurette about Variety Clubs Inter¬ national and the work of the various Tents. Produced by Ralph “Screen Snap¬ shots” Staub in Technicolor and re¬ leased by Columbia, profits go to VCI, local Tents, and our own Will Rogers Memorial Hospital. On this count alone you owe it to yourself to find running time for it. It is not only a great plug for VCI, but also top entertainment. Some 61 stars' appear either in person or as commentators. As Abe Montague, general sales manager, Columbia, says, "Thousands of handicapped needy children the world over will bless you” if you play it. And play it you ^hould. In fact, you should be proud to play it as a member of the industry, whether you are a Variety member or not. — J. E. UA Renews Italian Deal New York — United Artists has entered into a long-term agreement with D.E.A.R. Film of Italy, whereby UA releases will be distributed throughout the Italian market by that organization, it was an¬ nounced last week by Arthur B. Krim, president. The deal, renewing a previous UAD.E.A.R. distribution arrangement, was finalized in Rome by Arnold M. Picker, United Artists vice-president in charge of foreign distribution. by Anthony Mann and produced by Sid¬ ney Harmon; Hecht, Hill and Lancaster’s screen version of the stage hit, “Separate Tables,” starring Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, David Niven, and Rita Hayworth; and Stanley Kramer’s production of the Broadway hit, “Inherit The Wind.” With regard to the company’s position and TV, last year saw 39 features re¬ leased for a total gross of two millions, and in 1957 that figure will be upped to 52 pictures on a syndication basis which is expected to gross a minimum of five millions. Only those films will be re¬ leased whose theatrical potential has been exhaused, probably dating back to 1953. He didn’t look to TV to retard the growth of the company but rather as an addi¬ tional source of revenue. The reason given as to why the com¬ pany is not turning out smaller pictures at such a furious rate is because other companies have started to produce these in ample quantities which will now free UA so that they can concentrate on “A” productions. William Heineman, vice-president in charge of distribution, admitted in re¬ sponse to a queston that UA is supplving feature films for testing for the TV cable experiment being conducted at Bartlesville, Okla. Caution On Telemovies Urged By Wolfson New York — Mitchell Wolfson, presi¬ dent, Wometco Theatres of Florida, who was here last fortnight to plan the 1957 annual convention of Theatre Owners of America, of which he is honorary chair¬ man, stated that he believed cable the¬ atre is “economically unsound unless they can get first-run films for it and destroy motion picture theatres.” “Even then,” he continued, “it is ques¬ tionable whether the cost of this kind of distribution for motion pictures will be acceptable as compared to the present system. For example, the cost of equip¬ ment, the cost of sending out signals, the cost of leasing cables from the telephone company, the cost of providing one’s own poles, maintenance, the regulation of profits by the public utility commission, and others. All of this would be higher than the present overhead. “In addition to the cost, ‘cable the¬ atre’ has a questionable income. The big problem to the producer-distributors is to make sure that they attain a fair rental based on a portion of the admis¬ sion charge each person will pay to see the product. The higher the charge for this cable service, which is reported to cost around $9.50 per month, the more ‘free loaders’ will be viewing the pic¬ tures in the homes, halls, or public places without paying to view the program. “I advise all exhibitors to adopt a watchful waiting regarding ‘cable the¬ atres’,” Wolfson concluded, adding that producer-distributors should follow the same course. He said that most likely the revenue which a film will get from cable theatre will be dissipated after its first run, as the producer “had better make sure that he gets a fair return.” He declared that “Wometco has no in¬ tentions of engaging in this system as we believe it is not practicable for dis¬ tributing entertainment as compared to motion picture theatres and free tele¬ vision. Our present policy in our territory is to fight for the principle of no mon¬ opolies. In other words, ‘cable theatre’ should be open to anyone who wants to use a public utility or municipal street, telephone or power pole.” Self-Regulation Urged Cincinnati — Industry self-regulation, not censorship, was proposed last week in an “action program” aimed at raising the standards of motion pictures, televi¬ sion, radio and comic books by the Na¬ tional Congress of Parents and Teachers meeting here. Dr. Kenneth E. Oberholtzer is chairman of the action com¬ mittee. Raibourn's Mother Dies El Dorado, III. — Funeral services were held last week for Mrs. Ida Caswell Raibourn, 85, mother of Paul Raibourn, vicepresident, Paramount Pictures Corpora¬ tion. Survivors include another son, Claude Raibourn, of Sarasota, Fla. May 29, 1957