Boxoffice (Jul 7, 1951)

Fewer Day-Date.Bookings To Be Tried in Detroit NEW YORK —Detroit is the first city in which a definite plan has been worked up by 20th Century-Fox and subsequent run exhibitors to reduce day and date subsequent run playing. The plan was discussed at the recent 20th-Fox sales gathering in Los Angeles, and division and exchange managers were instructed to discuss the proposals locally. Some progress has been made on these discussions in Washington, and future developments are expected shortly in other exchange areas. In Detroit a house-to-house inquiry was made to learn patrons’ ideas on the plan. As a result, it will be started August 5, with about 200 theatres included. Under the present Detroit play-off about 40 theatres play films simultaneously on a dual bill basis. Under the new plan, the bills will be shifted so that at least one feature will play in half of the 40 houses while the other is playing the other half. At the 20th-Fox convention, Lichtman contended that pictures were being played off too fast, to the detriment of both the patron and the film industry. Receipts, as a result, were being cut for the exhibitor and the distributor, he said. Too often, in metropolitan centers too few pictures are being played day and date and patrons are given little choice of product. MPEA Okays British Plan To Subsidize Production NEW YORK — Formal approval for the Eady plan under which admissions will be increased in Great Britain and part of the added income will be used to subsidize British production was given Thursday (5) by the board of directors of the Motion Picture Export Ass'n. The plan had previously been approved by British producers and exhibitors. A heavy proportion of British theatre receipts comes from American films and it is expected that the MPEA decision to go along with the plan will ease the path to concessions on the remittance agreement. John G, McCarthy, MPEA vice-president, left Friday (6) on the Queen Elizabeth to Start the talks. On a six-week tour he will also visit Madrid, Paris, western Germany, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm and possibly Oslo and Helsinki. Exhibitors Show Interest In 20th-Fox 24-Sheets NEW YORK—The 20th Century-Fox free offer of 24-sheets to all exhibitors contracting for billboard space has brought in more than 100 letters from showmen. Many are preparing to accept the offer and set up billboard campaigns in their areas. The 24-sheets offer was made as part of the Greater Showmanship drive which aims at helping exhibitors to get the greatest possible boxoffice from each 2t0h-Fox release. It was decided upon at the Los Angeles sales convention, 16 27 Theatres Duplicate Bookings in Cleveland Cleveland—Seventeen subsequent run houses in the greater Cleveland area, including one drive-in, played “The Great Caruso” over the weekend. Ten houses played “The Mating Season.” Result was that only two pictures were exhibited in 27 of the 67 subsequent run houses in this area. Five out of seven in Cleveland Heights played “The Great Caruso,” which had already played four weeks downtown to a record attendance. The breakdown ‘on “Caruso” was five theatres in Cleveland Heights, six theatres on the east side and five on the west side, with the Northfield Star DriveIn bringing “The Great Caruso” day-anddate showings in 17 theatres. “The Mating Season” was shown in four east side and six west side theatres simultaneously. Southern Calif. Ass‘n Protests Sales to TV LOS ANGELES—An extremely guarded protest against the sale and/or lease of theatrical films to television—patently aimed at Republic’s recent announcement it is undertaking such a venture, but without mentioning that company by name—was made public by the Southern California Theatre Owners Ass’n following a meeting of that organization’s board of directors. The SCTOA charged that producers disposing of films to TV are “destroying the present and future boxoffice dollars by accepting TV pennies today,” and said that the decision of “several producing companies” to release features to video “will put exhibitors all over the country on guard to avoid the exhibition of current and future pictures with stars who appear repeatedly on TV screens.” Continued the SCTOA statement: “It should be remembered that the motion picture industry owes its very existence and success to the boxoffice whose dollars have made possible lavish productions with star personalities. The only reason motion pictures are now available to TV is because of the fact that their original cost and profit has been paid for by the motion picture theatre boxoffices. “Curtailing boxoffice revenue with TV competition can only reduce the motion picture industry to a state of mediocre entertainment.” The SCTOA action followed an earlier blast by another exhibitor group, Allied, which recently wrote letters of protest to Herbert J. Yates, president of Republic, after that company had announced it would displose of a block of 78 westerns—26 each with Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and “Red Ryder’’—to television. Chairman of the SCTOA board of directors is G. A. Metzger, partner of William Srere in the Metzger-Srere circuit here. NPA Drops Allowance For Installations Cosi WASHINGTON—Theatre owners no longer can install fixtures and equipment in theatres up to a value of $2,000 per year over the National Production Authority ban on amusement construction costing more than $5,000. Under NPA's order M4, fixtures, equipment and personal property were in a special category which allowed the extra $2,000. An NPA action on Tuesday (3) removed fixtures and equipment, defined as such items as radiators and plumbing fixtures. Personal property, defined as “to be physi ‘cally attached to a building, for example, the atre seats,” continues to get the special treatment. The amended order provides that, commencing July 1, no person shall use, in or in connection with the construction of any building, structure or project, any copper or aluminum controlled material (as defined in CMP Regulation 1) for solely decorative or ornamental purposes, or use any copper controlled material, whether fabricated or prefabricated, adapted or fitted on the site of the construction, for any of 17 specified purposes, among which are theatre marquees. Boston Antitrust Complaint Asks $2,000,000 Damage BOSTON—A civil action involving damages of several million dollars has been filed in district court here by the Ideal Theatre of Milford, Inc., Leon Task, president. Defendants are Interstate Theatres Corp., operating the State at Milford and the State at Stoughton, and the eight major film companies. The complaint alleges conspiracy to restrain and to monopolize interstate trade and commerce in motion picture films. It alleges that all the defendant distributors have refused to allow their films to be exhibited second run in Milford by the plaintiff, except with clearance of at least 30 days in favor of the State. It also alleges that the plaintiff has been grievously injured and damaged in its business and property, being prevented from showing films that were essential to the proper operation of a first run in Milford and has been unable to compete on a fair basis with Interstate Theatres. The action is on four counts and seeks sums up to $500,000 and total joint damages up to $2,000,000. The suit was filed through the office of George S. Ryan, Boston antitrust attorney, Mayer Sells 1,500 Shares Of Loew's Stock in May WASHINGTON—Louis B. Mayer sold 1,500 shares of Loew’s, Inc., no-par common stock in four blocks during May, leaving him with 10,400 shares, the Securities and Exchange Commission reported Thursday (5) in its monthly roundup of security transactions by corporation officers and directors. Other film industry security transactions in May announced by the SEC were: Loew's Inc. acquired 547 shares of Loew’s Boston theatres $25 par common, in six transactions, bringing its total holdings to 128,195 shares. R. L. Huffine jr. bought 100 shares of United Paramount common, and now holds 1,000. Albert Warner disposed of 2,450 shares of Warner Bros. $5 par common. He retained 431,550 shares in his own name, and a ’ no 9 in a trust. ther 21,000 BOXOFFICE :: July 7, 1951 db) @)