Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

MOTION PICTURE HERALD oCetterS to the ^Jheraicl From the Beginning To The Editor: I have just come from Istanbul just in the middle of the “disjointed presentation” argument and decided to write after having read R. E. Schreiber’s argument (Motion Picture Herald, October 20) against your editorial (September 22, 1956). I think that the best and only decent way of seeing a motion picture or any material which tells a story is to see it from the beginning to the end, otherwise one will not get any pleasure at all. To have fixed shows at fixed times and later when the public gets used to it to have reserved seats, is not preventing the public from seeing motion pictures the way it wants to see. The public wants to get more pleasure out of movies and this can be done when it sees it in proper continuity. Nobody will prevent them from seeing the film twice if they came late by chance and did not see the beginning. But good showmanship, pounding with ads and posters will persuade the public to come at the right time. The reason the public converse, sleep or go out for refreshments in the middle of of the show is due to the fact that not having seen the film from the beginning they are not participating with the show and are getting bored, or the theatre is too hot, the seats uncomfortable, and there is not fresh air, so they want to get away. Movies should be special and different from homes and television screens, where one does not pay much attention to the TV show, converses, walks about the room and gets some refreshment from the kitchen. The public should know that nowhere else can it get the same kind of entertainment than a movie show, otherwise it better stay at home, watch the television while feeding itself and conversing or sleeping in the armchair. Theatres should have fixed times every day and every week, without changing it so that there will be no confusion; for single films two hours and two 'features three hours is convenient. By selecting the proper cartoons and short subjects the two or three-hour period should be filled so that two successive shows could be tied together, 2:00, 4:00, etc., 2:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M., etc. for single or double features are convenient and easy to remember times rather than to have fractional hours which cannot be memorized. Of course, for special long films scheduls will be subject to change. To have an intermission in the middle of the feature is good practice to give a chance to the audience to have some refreshments and chance to discuss about the film with others. During the evening show the best section of the seats should be reserved, and by proper advertisement many can be attracted to establish a night out for a movie show and movie-dating idea. In Istanbul all non-continuous performances are sold out at least a few days in advance. The maximum price is “200 krs.,” equivalent to 66 cents and the management gets 100 krs out of 170 krs ticket — that’s 70 per cent. Imagine that! One of the things about New York houses I found out is that some neighborhood theatres have better technique and showmanship than some Broadway first runs. Special congratulations goes to RKO’s Albee in Brooklyn. One more thing I want to mention, 20th-Fox should not let any theatre ruin its CinemaScope 55 pictures. The name of standard CinemaScope is already now becoming less meaningful due to bad techniques and too many CinemaScopes on the market. At least let’s not ruin the 55. — NICK A. OSGAN, Brooklyn, N. Y. • Hollywood and TV To the Editor: Business here has been dealt quite a severe setback this past year due to the advent of television. However, I’m happy to report that it seems to be wearing off slightly, but very slightly. Of course, Hollywood itself is to blame, in my opinion. All this talk of the marriage between Hollywood and TV seems ridiculous to me. Only when Hollywood divorces itself completely from television, keeps it’s players under strict contract, stops selling it’s pictures, no matter how old, to TV, etc. etc., will we be freed from the nemesis of the motion picture industry, television. After all, the public can now see all, or nearly all, their favorite stars, and movies, for “free” in the comfort of their own homes. So why should they pay hard cash to see them at a movie house? Hollywood is cutting it’s own throat, and ours as well. It would be much better if the big brass in the advertising departments decided to make their national magazine ads smaller, and place them for a longer period, at least six months, that way the public could not forget the pictures, and would still want to see them locally. Here at the Clarendon we use every means at our disposal to try and lure them in. And in a town of less than 1,500, that’s not very much. We have no newspaper or radio station, etc., but that is no deterrent to us. We’ve managed to land a program on one of the capital’s stations, we in turn run advertising for them on the screen. We use exploitation and ballyhoo extensively, a lot of which we get from your fine magazine. — LAURENCE G. BOURNE, The Clarendon Theatre, Clarenville, Trinity Bay; Newfoundland, Canada. November 3, 1956 TODAY'S talent agent is running the show in Hollywood 12 FABIAN hits production policy, reaffirms faith in industry 13 JOHNSTON announces MPEA plan to sell films behind Iron Curtain 23 MPA A to invite COMPO to meeting on business aid program 23 20TH-FOX planning to release fifty films in twelve months 24 GOOD product coming, Famous Players Canadian meeting told 24 MAGNA Corporation shows good gains, stockholders hear 25 JOINT effort needed to expand world film markets, says Italian 25 EXHIBITOR in small city cites trading stamp trial 26 NATIONAL SCREEN wins in trust case on appeals decision 30 JOHN DAVIS of Rank Organization sets plan for U.S. office 34 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS Film Buyers' Rating 42 Hollywood Scene 33 Managers' Round Table 55 The Winners' Circle 38 National Spotlight 43 What the Picture Did for Me 39 IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews 129 Short Subjects 131 The Release Chart 132 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, Marlin Quigley, Editor-in-Chiel and Publisher; Martin Quigley, Jr., Editor; Charles S. Aaronson, Managing Editor; Floyd E. Stone, Photo Editor; Vincent Canby, News Editor; Ray Gallagher, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager. Bureaus: Hollywood, Samuel D. Berns, Manager; William R. Weaver, Editor, Yucca-Vine Building, Telephone HOIlywood 7-2145; Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club; London, Hope Williams Burnup, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; William Pay, News Editor, 4 Bear St., Leicester Sq. Correspondents in principal capitals of the world. Member Audit Bureau of Circulation. Motion Picture Herald is published every Saturday by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., Rockefeller Center, New York City 20. Telephone Circle 7-3100; Cable address: "Quigpubco, New York”, Martin Quigley, President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary. Other Quigley Publications: Better Theatres and Better Refreshment Merchandising, each published thirteen times a year os a section of Motion Picture Herald; Motion Picture Daily, Television Today, Motion Picture Almanac, Television Almanac, Fame. 8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 3, 1956