Variety (December 1950)

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Wednesday 9 December 6, 1950 Price Hike vs. Attendance Dip- Continued from pago 3 their theatres. And/in Seattle, i the southeast section of town. The there have been several price | Sidney Lust chain Iws Us boosts effected, following the fold- » j eroo of 25 theatres. Survey also revealed many ex- hibs again going in for bank nights and other giveaway projects in an attempt to lure back their custom- ers. to insure himself of his $6,000 re- turn. « 3 X JSssaness, contrarlly, risked out* bidding the 3&K neighborhood command houses arid acquired “Mister 880“ (2Qth) for its north- side Sheridan theatre for two weeks. Gross on the 14th day of Ten near completion and Kogod-1 the run barely made $97. This in- Burka have two houses under con- | stance observers will quote as a struction, the Langley and the On- i reminder that the nabes will not tario, latter a 1,300-seater. do business despite the strength ot In addition, Virginia, Which has the product. 60 drive-ins, has another six being built. $500,000 Lost by L. A, Exchanges by 91 Folds Hollywood, Dec. 5. Estimated $500,000 yearly has been pulled out of distribution cof- fers in the Los Angeles exchange area by the shuttering of 91 thea- tres since the first of the year. Essaness Switches, Set most of necessity rules out any price hikes as an attempt at re-, couping losses. Only example of ^ 1 « TT ■ admission jackups here occurred To Close Only 3 Houses just recently when Loop first-run Chicago, Dec. 5. ' houses unobtrusively changed its * marquees.to 55c, before 1 a.m., ad- mission, a hike of 5c* The silent admissipn hike thereby Teceived in smaller towns, have advanced slightly over the past few months. Advances are generally from 4c to 10c, this including first-runs, sub- sequents and nabes. All the drive-in houses, some 30 of them in this state, are closed, ' but this is seasorial. Late figures show around 388 theatres (regular picture houses) in Washington state. But of these an estimated 25 have shuttered the past two or three months. Naturally the reason prmhcity of nabe shutdowns al- j is unprofitable operation. Some Essaness circuit, in a last-minute switch, cancelled plans last week to shutter nine of its nabe houses, _ comulaints as prexy Edwin Silyernian had in- B^ptcy. dicated earlier. Circuit head re- pnllo*: Bros circuit which owns i early, as folks buy gifts Along with complete closing, film vealed plans are underway to close Bros, 'ti- w*^*^ *^®st of their fi^^^ rental loss is further increased by only the Julian, Byrd and Embassy, «o^ses Firstruns in Seattle went from upwards of 50 houses shifting from that the remaining six houses will g^ns of panKrupicy^ta ^ ! 84c to 90C. a few weeks ago, the houses in Smaller burgs have cut down number of nights they are open. But at that, informed sources indicate that grosses are not far from a year agO; In many cases here^ business is up Trom 1 to 10%; in some, it is down a little* •Defense jobs have greatly Upped, for this is the home of Boeing. The job picture is steady and good. • j Presently the holiday .season is be- full week to weekend operation only. Theatres that ha., shuttered are largely “fringe” operations that never figured in the top coin. Nev-1 merely a feigning action to receive remain open. Silverman’s initial announce- ment was looked upon slyly by observers, who felt the move was. business. routhsMe” theatres. ‘cirSit "attor. j ney, Norman Nachirian, explained that television had driven them out crthele.ss, the average film rental returned by the group ran better than $100 weekly, so closings have been costly to exchanges, as w-ell as to .‘^uch service outfits as Nation- lowered film rentals. Trade sources also aver that with a threat of a nine-house folderoo and the ultimate necessity of a mass layoff of union help, local operators union al Screen, which supplied exhibi-1 would be forced to meet terms of tion adjuncts for normal theatre ; the Silverman circuit, operation. Silverman had previously an- Only theatres of importance that nounced that tHe reason for the Nachman requested the court ap- prove a plan to pay 50% of put- standing debts to unsecured cred- itors. Those boarding are the Midway, Woodlawn, Ark, Ray, Victory, and Langley, all of which have been opr a triple-feature policy, showing inferior product almost exclusively. Chi film companies are reportedly I first to do so. Evergreen followed, i Sterling Theatres upped its nabes ; from 59c to 65c. Smaller towns generally went from 65c to 75c, or j l50cto6Gc. I The grapevine has it that about ; 10 sub.sequerit suburbans here are , “Oil the verge” of closing. house began operations. Stiefel’s manager, Frank O. Ackley, said the end of vaude wfis "‘an experi- ment” and not “due to the depres- sion in business.” The Carman has switched to double features. In contrast to the general bear- ish trend, William Goldman this year put up the $1,000,000 Ran- dolph theatre in the first-run sec- tor and is now occupied with a big remodeling job on the Mid- town, formerly the Karlton the- atre. in the nabe field, Goldman has spent heavily in remodeling the Esquire, formerly the Grange, in North PhiUy. A.new trend in luring audiences into the screen houses debuts this week here, with the Weatherguard Co. (storm window manufacturers) buying matinees outright and hav- ing their salesmen distribute tick- ets to potential customers. The theatres being used for the test are the Colonial, Warner nabe in Germantown, and the Nixon, Para- mount’s West Philly house. Free filmgoers are treated to a demon- stration and spiel abdut \Yeather- guard products, aS their only price for viewing films. ha\ e boarded up the past year • boardings stemmed from a failure I ^ot numbered among the circuit’s J t ^ A. 1 • 1_ _1__ _ I A ^ A. ^ A.-A ^ AS. Am "U* i r.. ” . ' were the Carthay Circle, showcase' to meet operating expenses. He first-run which was unable to ob-' had claimed each house w'as doling tain top features to maintain a out more for overhead (including steady policy, and two neighbor- the average three-to-four pro- hood houses, the Forum and Man- : jectionists at each house, and other Chester. Others include some sub-' union help) than W'as coming in creditors, since most transactions on the local exchange are pre- sumed to have been on a cash-and- cai’ry basis. slantial, although not big, nabe op- erations that could formerly be counted on for a healthy bread- and-butter film rentals yearly. Only last week was the first step taken in this territory to bring ad- mission prices into a more realistic line with the times. Forefronting the move will be Fox-West Coast at the boxoffice. Other local circuits are finding survival equally hard in the hiuter- lands. Alliance Theatres has an- nounced that two of its three Chi classes. F-WC diike, the first since the wartime imposition of the 20% ad- mission tax, raises first-run mati- nee scale from 60c to 70c. Evening general admission will jump 5c to 90c from the present 85c. Decision to up prices was reached by F-WC after a number of ex- periments. Some months ago ticket tap was materially lowered in a selected group of nabes to see if business could be increased. Not 10 >[abe Boston Theatres Close ; Soioe Weekendere Boston, Dec, 5. Due to general slump in biz hereaboirts, at least 10 nabe houses j have closed recently, and while a few figure to reopen after Christ- mas, majority aro shuttered per- manently, or until such time as FHqrn Oakland TTnncPc ! industry gets back on its feet. Some 1 ribco, UdKiana Xioubes , nabes are operating on a weekend Shut; PWC Ups Prices basis, with not too solid results, but San Francisco Dec 5 i operators are hesitant to cease op- bam Francisco, Dec. 5. ! ^^ations altogether, figuring indus- ./X .VO i conditions /vere try is bound to come up with some houses are closing. The Roseland > 'sort of an answer, and the Parkw’ay, both southside 1 [ Survey indicates houses in south- houses, kave been found to be too lowjiers Joe Blumenfeld and Irving ) em and Cape Cod areas of state cosily to remain open in the face i originally an ; have been hit hardest, with latest folderoo (Dec. 2) the Provincetown theatre, ordinarily a year-round house. Rhode Island is also hit hard, but Maine, New Hampshire and been* ' only slightly affected by slumping b.o. Admission prices have not risen hereabouts, although there is be- ginning to be heard a rumble among some exhibs for price-tilt- ing. On the other side of the ledger, several houses have low- ered their kid prices, slanted at re- gaining some of the slumping mop- uc ... V..V. A h„iH mouses in the hrst-run and 21.day of way, opening w^eekends. until the death of Harris in 1942. AlliftiicG^s lndisns housps^ wliicli Roxy^ BtiiiTi 0 iif 0 l(l s ,l,15O"S0stGr auA bucking only local video, are ! Oakland, also shuttered. Lack of ; and Vermont, outside TV areas reportedly having smooth sailing, S®®d product w*as given as the rea-1 at best aloqg the fringe, have 1 w'hile the circuit’s houses in the i , . . . , „ , state of Washington, arc running i ^ The only pncc-raising locally has at a 15% decline over last year. been by Fox-West Coast. ®oly Allied Theatres of Illinois, m house raised Up to^ now is the Fox, pro.spect of the pre-YuIe biz de- ! “ 4,651-seater with low moved up Cline, is boarding six of its Chi ® evenings neighborhood houses, o.stensibly to ' ., , ,,, , . reopen after the first of the year.' Five United Nations, 1,100- only did money receipts take a big j garner Theatre^ Ukowise^te dos-1 oxpecjs^to TO next drop but, also, admissions tumbled. , ,,u^‘bly for remodeling. h’& E,! Prices would be 90c. to $1.20. The j pet trade. After several weeks, price cuts i Balaban chain, with 12 houses here,: 300-seat Cinema, also FWC, expects wei e lestored, resulting in more j , ^ to also jump into same groove as hiicinpcG anH oHtviioe-iAnc* i IS aiso iccung me prcbi oi uie uuuc . - business and admissions than be- fore the slash. Just recently cir- cuit upped scales In San Diego, Imperial Valley and Northern Cali- fornia. When cash take went up, admissions held level and no squaw'ks developed, decision w'as reached to raise prices in this area. decline, announcing that it will: , board two of its houses, the E.A.R. 1 , Other houses on Market street I and the Midway, until business contemplate ! perks. ' mkes. General opinion is that biz j Balaban & Katz circuit as well ' hard enough to corral without ; has not emerged unscathed in the j raising b.o. ' neighborhoods. Alba and Admiral Higher Prices for Mpls., But Closings Scarce Minneapolis, Dec, 5. This territory hasn’t been hit yet by theatre closings, but there has been a trend throughput the area to higher admissions, although this latter development has not been general in scope, and the major circuits, including Parainount The- atres Uhe Minnesota Amus. Co.), have riot participated in it except in a few isolated instances. However, Bennie Berger, presi- dent of North Central Allied, inde- pendent exhibitors’ organization, insists that because of higher oper- ating costs and declining grosses “we are on the eve in this terri- toiT of many smaller theatre shut- terings.” A considerable number of smaller theatres is operating now at a loss. i3ut, at the same time, paradox- ically it would seem, the boosting of scales continues to crop up fre- quently, and NCA is using its. in- fluence to advance admissions. As far as Minneapolis and St. Paul are concerned, the latest de- velopment in admission price- boosting W'as action last week by the two local RKO theatres, the Orpheum and Pan, in eliminating its “junior prices’’—a reduced scale for yourigstere from 12 to 16— which the Paramount Theatres Originally instituted and is still maintaining. When the loop Gopher, a Bennie Berger house, went bn an “A” pic- ture policy with VKing Solomon’s Mines” tW'o weeks ago it estab- lished a 20 cents children’s ad- ! mission price—8 cents higher than Trville^ to Hane* On : that generally in vogue. The loop Philadelphia, Dec. 5. j and late runs for the most The slump in film business has ( part, last w'eek upped its top from Most Philly Exhibs Theatres Keep Going In D. C. With Upped Pop. Washington, Dec. 5. While a few film houses in the j “wait and see.” St. Louis exchange territory, East boarded during the summer and are slated to remain closed. Cir- cuit recently closed the Park, Iris and Luna. Finally realizing that neighbor- p* ^ ~ hood business will not flourish any finiiAAni *4 bucking the ! longer under its own w'eight, many jern Missouri anfSouthernTninois miVcTAc toward higher ad-, indie exhibs are no longer sitting have shuttered in recent months, then-^ back and accepting the decline. Re- many operators not only in St. “ of thelcently enterprising operators have Louis but inthe smaller communi- rnnAiuL^ i commcnccd hooking up promotion jtles are seeking buyers and are tiihGtonH 1 so ideas with neighborhood mer-ionly staying open because of the ♦a ..11 ' chants. Store-owners, for exam-j p.sychological effect a shuttering . hit this city hard, but most of the I exbibs are hanging on trying to w'eather the storm. General feel- ing is that the trouble is due to Open as Sales Gimmick | tv and that there wiU eventually Ax T • n c ”® 50^10 merger betw'cen the tw'O, bt, Louis, Dec. 5. I ijyt until then the attitude is St. L. Area Keeps Houses 25 to 50 cents. Local neighborhood and suburban theatres getting ear- lier availability also have raised their admissions—going from 50 to 60 cents, for example, in the cases of 28-day clearance which is now the earliest. . The only report recently re- " There has been no attempt to j ceivCd by NGA of any theatre clos up prices here, from the first-runs j ing was the house at Elgin, Minn, right down the line. There has ! - - — been price - cutting in several ; K. C. Adttlission PricCS neighborhoods^' but it was gener- ally confined to balcony scats, or “early bird” evening show's. There have, been no wholesale closings although about a dozen theatres have shuttered or transferred into trPG tiAi ®’^|sting picture thea- pie, furnish wares (bicycles and ; would have”on a prospective sale, more iwake room for sports equipment, for the most; ’Th ere are at least 11 liabes in HnvvAVA,. *1 1 . ,x theatreovvners as St. Louis that are for i;aie’, but fhA iroffiANn K® ^^® 'vhat prizes for kiddie-day contests on many w'ith .scatiiig capacities rang- havA hAA^'V/l -5^^’ exhibs Saturdays, in return for which the ing from 350 to 550, in small towns in tlic iacp*'of*thi‘f **** businessman receives free ! in the territory, may be purchased- i bouses you can 'buy pretty tinich i P®ogn creast ot TVMf! ‘''emendous in- trailer adverUsing from the the-, In several of th-. smaller communi^j on your 6ivn te"-ms '^'-^^^ - ihcn th„ Now and : atre. _ Rapidly this form of sales ties weekly program changes havel ^ i'’‘■J.l’*’.' Maintain Status Quo Kansas City, Dec. 5. Admission prices have nvajn- tained a fairly static structure here over most of a decade. In prewar IhAn thA j' ' xvc»i,av*Ajr naxo xviaiax wx oexxx-o x,xv.i3 vrvxiXKXJf {.-xx ttlll XlUVtf talk technique is taking hold in the out- ; been switched from four to three, tiiAv Haa ’4 admissions but i lying houses, and observers hasten j three to two, and in one Missouri 1 ACC 4 anything about it. , to warn that without this ancient ' towm a film is helfi for an entire larcTon months ago, the ; art most exhibs wdll find their at ^®arby Baltimore ; tendance waning even more, ased m’lcco from 5c to 9c. j In Milwaukee, as an example, I 1‘xninitors look loncrin al: itc BO VimiGAc am nrtw iicim the film rental uiixiij i wn mnnthc art most cxliibs w'ill find their at-' week to . reduce charge. , ‘ j Several houses in Illinois bwmed 41,:. , --- longingly at of its 60 houses are now using by the Publix-Great States Circuit, ‘ X, don’t dare giveaways. This is an area whose j the Fox Midwest Amus. Co., and decline is far less than Chicago’s. ; those in Belleyille, III., 14 .miles Paradoxically, some indie houses from St. Louis, owned by the here appear to be functioning in | Bloomer Amus; Circuit, have good stead. Either that or they boosted the admish scale in recent still maintain faith in strong Holly- months but in no instance has the w'ood product. One exhibitor re-j hike been more than 10c. In most If 4 ' days the top was 40 g, but w as hy* fhZ -nv? Vine street that | to 65^ early in the defcn.se there aic about a dozen other program proceedings. With bin a variation, 65c has been the . .un top here since. Oldest House Closed | Recently a 75c top loomed into Largest houses to close w'erc two i the picture ; when Fox Midwest Stanley Warner theatres on low'er i opened its .refurbished Orpheum Mark®t street, th® Capitol and the in the downfow'ri loop. Policy is to to follow suit. The three-w'ook clearance hou.ses maintain a steady level of 50c at night. Baltimore saw the closing of two picture the- atres—the Pic and Nemo—in re- cent months; but none in WashiivT- ton or its suburbs folded, x. several new ones are being probably the last for the aria the federal ban on theatre eon- futurc.“2 Sam R Victoria. The latter w'as the old- est film theatre in the city and closed early this year. Recent indications Of a trend play only outstanding films (or re- main closed), and for these circuit gets 75c evening adinis.Sion. After- rioon price is 55c, against the 45c on first-sub-run. The operator has a 990-seat house on the westside. He faces the prospect of countless house fhA pin, midtown ai-t other indies in the same area grab- centlv n J J i f’^*’® first second-run Washington thea- nm two w'ceks later, overlapping •, nas a new neighbor.inn<I his three-weelr flAfllli efi { An '•pkir. were the conversion of the Cpn- [ which prevails in regular first-runs, cord into a roller-skating rink by |The little Kimo, art-film hou.se of the Melvin Fox interests. The ; the Dickinson circuit, usually also Upsal, purcha.scd at auction by , adheres to the 75c top, but uses a Morris Wax, has been converted ; 50c afternoon pricey Only other into a memorial building for use ' variation from the 65c scale is the of the. Police Athletic League., RKO Missouri, where the tariff to 74c on the advent of its oc- casional vaudfiim bills. Othenvise, _ . - -- fir.st-run front is .solidly 05c Christmas, but said the move w'as i top. for repairs/ - ' The stable situation in'admis.sion Biggest jolt locally was the end . prices is also.reflected in the fact Up Admish Prices In Seattle* 2^ Shlltt<«'rin<rc ' ®y shows at the Carman, the area has had relatively few closing!! ocaiue, 43 onuiunngs eity’s last vauder <29». The big; in the past few years. In fact, . , . . poattJe, Dec. 5. I North Philly house has played live' there are probably more theatres wc-i, lias a new neighboriiood bis three-week acarn\iiinn‘"'TMcat l]icatre.s shows; con since it was' in operation in the K. C. excluange bouse, the Park, nearly ready in i means the op has but two wpeir^ I ^in 1028. Present owner is ; area now than at any time in re- leaay in i means me op nas Put two weeks J exch.ange area, except some cases i Sam Stiefeii the eighth since the i cent years. /