Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1954)

Baesel Again A Contender H. G. Boesel, manager of the Palace theatre, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a Quigley Grand Award winner, is a contender in the fourth quarter with several campaign books, representing his showmanship. He gets superior publicity pictures in the Milwaukee Journal on “Sabre Jet” and an excellent lobby display of materials supplied by the Air Force. On "The Big Heat” he shows ads that we have never seen in any pressbook, mostly appearing in tall single column sizes. For “Pal Joey” the Palace theatre changed a policy of twenty years’ standing. For that length of time, the theatre had a straight picture policy; for “Pal Joey” they returned to the use of their stage — because ‘‘Pal Joey” was the stage version, the touringcompany, from Broadway, the Rodgers and Hart production. Knowing Milwaukee as we do, we think it’s about time there was another legit stage opportunity in that town, where stage plays have been under wraps for twenty years for lack of reasonable legit showmanship. If we are to have the opposition of the League of New York Theatres to any reduction in admission taxes for film theatres, it’s time for us to book their attractions on our terms; in available theatres. For “Crazylegs” he had a tieup with Miller Brewing Company, to provide a “High Life” treatment — it’s good beer and certainly a good picture, with plenty of football stunts to gag up the proceedings. R. E. Agle, district manager for Statesville Theatre Corporation at Boone, N. C., sends a throwaway which tells the kids that children are free, at the Car View (in case they didn’t know ! ) . Bob Helm, manager of the United Artists theatre, San Jose, Calif., introduces Duncan Renaldo to his audience and says he is one of Hollywood's most cooperative stars. Duncan appeared as Grand Marshal in the community's annual "Balloon Parade" with sponsorship of the Junior Chamber of Commerce. There” s More Than Ateets The Eye— in CinetnaScope Shareholders in 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation have received copies of (the company’s new issue of “Dynamo” — available to every theatre owner, anywhere in the world, telling the extraordinary story of CinemaScope, and how it has been sold and is being sold, as “the most forward step in the 59 years’ history of motion pictures. The common stock of the company has hit a new high, and coupled with the split-up whereby stockholders received a share of National Theatres for every share of the parent company, the total represents a new value in terms of appreciation. Our reason for this introduction is to convey the fact that CinemaScope is a really valuable contribution to film industry — to its stockholders and to theatre owners down the line who partake of the benefits of this new device. We review the substantial book which is offered to prove that the company is ahead of schedule in providing this benefit, and keeping up with its obligations to exhibitors in a sincere attempt to hold both quality and quantity to the proper level. We predict that the world revolution in motion picture practice will reach down to the smallest situations, because this is our protection against and fortification for the inevitible changes that will follow. Biggest in Film History A1 Lichtman calls it “a design for prosperity.” Darryl Zannuck says it is “an unparalleled new vista of entertainment potentialities.” A majority of exhibitor leaders have hailed it, and as this is written, 83 theatres in New York City alone, are playing “The Robe” simultaneously, in CincmaScope. The company’s letter to shareholders cites the fact that 260 theatres in the United States and Canada have been equipped' for the first-run of ‘‘The Robe” and that the picture has grossed more than $15,000,000 in these preliminary engagements. “The Robe” is expected to be seen by more people than ever witnessed any motion picture, and also to outgross any other picture in film history. In November and December alone, “The Robe” has opened in scores of cities abroad, on every continent, across the seven seas. A phenominal job has been done of reaching the world market with a new device, in the face of insurmountable obstacles, and making the result secure. There has been criticism of Spyros Skouras for his firmness is demanding uniform quality, and to that policy we subscribe, for all the benefit of CinemaScope in smaller houses could be lost. and the whole objective imperiled by permitting very small theatres to roll their own. The foretaste of 3-D was hurt as much by errors in projection as in production. We are faced with a crisis in our industry which must be met with a firm stand for quality ,and if anything so new is to run the risk of mediocre presentation, home-made and generally inferior equipment, then we will all face the loss of the benefits obtained. You may consider the present and future status of the equally new process, Cinerama, controlled by the Stanley-Warner Corp. This is one of the country’s largest circuits, operating more than 300 houses, but they move slowly in making absolutely perfect installations, thus far limited to less than ten, anywhere in the world. Cinerama .must be handled on a “legitimate theatre” basis, it requires a large staff and it cuts down on seating capacity in large theatres. But it has grossed $6,500,000 in its first year of operation, with only one attraction playing at advanced prices. There is no hurry to push it into situations where it cannot be maintained as pure Cinerama. We Can’t Afford to Miss We don’t believe that small theatres need or want too much stereophonic sound, which, after all, was a development of Walt Disney’s “Fantasia” a dozen years ago. But the CinemaScope screen can be installed in houses that seat 300 and be quite as effective as in a house seating 3,000. The public is highly sensitive of what the recording fans call “Hi-Fi” — for high fidelity, so sound is in the public mind. But wide-screen, properly handled is our true and most effective answer to television. We can lick ’em, our business adversaries, on these grounds, and we suggest that every Round Table member read up on CinemaScope, and be well grounded in a new art as it applies in their particular situations. The book, “Dynamo” is a textbook and forecast of things to come, in this industry. — W . B. MANAGERS' ROUND TABLE SECTION, JANUARY 2, 1954 41