Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1948)

little heard in recent years. It has virtually passed out of existence, if one may judge from the types of pictures spotted, especially on dual bills, on Friday, the traditional family night of theatre business. And in neighborhood houses, catering to the family trade! Whether or not there is a shortage of the type of product suitable for these occasions, it would seem that better judgment would have been exercised to round out a I good program with shorts, when the right kind of second fea! ture was not available. As a matter of fact, such a program : for Friday nights— one feature and really "selected" shorts might prove a distinct novelty, for old as well as young, and j bring a healthy revival of that good old institution, the family night. + ■¥ See for Yourself Another kind of attendance that is far less than it should i be, is that of exhibitors, themselves, at trade screenings. Which ! is putting it mildly. Actually the pitifully small exhibitor "pai tronage" of trade shows is, as one distribution executive put : it, "disgraceful." j The tradepapers do a fine job of informing exhibitors and I keeping them advised about pictures — before, during, after j their making and even after their playing in key and subse S quent runs. Reliable as are these services, there is no sub stitute for exhibitors seeing for themselves the product they have to buy. For, in the seeing, they will have the first-hand I opportunity of better fitting the bookings to their particular I situations. Additionally, they will benefit from the merchandis 1 ing ideas that will suggest themselves as they view the films. If it's worth booking, it's worth looking. ¥ ¥ \ A Step Closer I With the big strides that television is making these days, it is of more than passing interest that the Supreme Court has ruled that Scophony, Ltd. is subject to the government's antitrust suit alleging monopolistic control of television patents. ' A British firm, Scophony, had been declared by a lower court to be out of the jurisdiction of the government's action. Other parties to the government's charges are Scophony , Corp. of America, Television Productions, Inc., General PreciI sion Equipment Corp. and Paramount Pictures, Inc. j The high court's ruling will now bring into the open the I; facts concerning the ownership of various television patents, j The final outcome is expected to accelerate the advancement of large-screen theatre television, which many have felt has j been held back by the pendency of this case. U.S. Expected to Produce 12 Yearly in England American filming will not hurt British production, says J. Arthur Rank on return to England; points out Hollywood has 28 ways to invest blocked currency in Britain. ¥ Korda to Step Up Filming; Will Make 12 in 1949 British producer, on arrival here, reveals production plans call for two more pictures next year than this; adding four new sound stages, to give company a total of ten. ¥ Monogram Considers Program To Produce in England Norton V. Ritchey, president of Monogram International, sails for talks with British Rathe to make a series of three films at the Associated British Studios. ¥ Paramount Tele System To Second Theatre Samuel Goldstein, president of Western Massachusetts Theatres, reports a largescreen television unit will be put into the Paramount Theatre, Springfield, Mass. ¥ DuMont Laboratories Net For 12Weeks in Rise Net income of $552,829 for the first 12 weeks of 1948 is reported, equal to 27 cents a common share; in same period last year, the company showed a net loss of $163,231. ¥ f Income for Four Majors Up Last Quarter in '47 Secm'ities commission lists total earnings of $63,942,000 for Columbia, RKO, Republic, Universal; an increase of $4,400,000 over third quarter, and $5,000,000 over same 1946 period. ¥ Fred E. Ahlert Is Elected President of Ascap Song writer and director of society since 1920 will start a one-year term this week, succeeding Deems Taylor who was not a candidate for re-election to the office. ¥ Carnegie Corp. in Grant To Film Council Group Two-year program costing $200,000 to finance organization of 350 local films councils throughout the country, to stimulate constructive use of motion pictures by citizens, ¥ Dr. Morris Fishbein to Aid In Making Health Films Reveals he has signed with Louis DeRochemont to make six health two-reelers, one dealing with cancer; medical association executive believes films hold great possibilities in health education.