Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1963)

THE NATIONAL FILM WEEKLY Published in Nine Sectional Editions BEN SHLYEN Editor-in-Chief and Publisher DONALD M. MERSEREAU, Associate Publisher & General Manager JESSE SHLYEN ....Managing Editor HUGH FRAZE Field Editor AL STEEN Eastern Editor I. L. THATCHER. . .Equipment Editor MORRIS SCHLOZMAN Business Mgr. Publication Offices: 825 Van Brunt Blvd. Kansas City 24. Mo. Jesse Shlyen. Managing Editor; Morris Schlozm&n. Business Manager; Hugh Fraze, Field Editor; I. L. Thatcher. Editor The Modern Theatre Section. Telephone CHestnut 1-7777. Editorial Offices: 1270 Sixth Ave., Rockefeller Ceuter, New York 20, N. Y. Donald M. Mersereau. Associate Publisher & tieneral Manager; Al Steen, Eastern Editor. Telephone COlumbus 5-6370. Central Offices: Editorial — 920 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 11, 111., Frances B. Clow, Telephone Superior 7-3972. Advertising— 5809 North Lincoln, Louis Didier and Jack Broderick, Telephone LOngbeach 1-5284. Western Offices: Editorial and Film Advertising— 6362 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 28, Cal., Syd Cassyd. Telephone Hollywood 5-1186. Equipment and Non-Film Advertising — New York Life Bldg., 2801 West Sixth St., Los Angeles 57, Calif. Bob Wettstein, manager. Telephone Dunkirk 8-2286. London Office: Anthony Gruner, 1 Woodberry Way, Finchley, N. 12. Telephone Hillside 6733. The MODERN THEATRE Section is included in the first issue of each month. Atlanta: Jean Mullis, P. 0. Box 1695. Albany: J. S. Conners, 140 State St. Baltimore: Geoige Browning, 119 E. 25th St. Boston: Guy Livingston, 80 Boylston, Boston, Mass. Charlotte: Blanche Carr. 301 S. Church. Cincinnati: Frances Hanford, UNiversity 17180. Cleveland: W. Ward Marsh, Plain Dealer. Columbus: Fred Oestreicher, 52% W. North Broadway. Dallas: Mable Gulnan, 5927 Winton. Denver: Bruce Marshall, 2881 S. Cherry Way. Des Moines: Pat Cooney, 2727 49th St. Detroit: H. F. Iteves, 906 Fox Theatre Bldg., WOodward 2-1144. Hartford: Allen M. Wldem, CH. 9-8211. Indianapolis: Norma Geragbty, 436 N. Illinois St. Jacksonville: Robert Cornwall, 1199 Edgewood Ave. Memphis: Null Adams, 707 Spring St. Miami: Martha Lummus, 622 N.E. 98 St. Milwaukee: Wm. Nichol, 2251 S. Layton. Minneapolis: Paul Nelson, 3220 Park Ave. S. New Orleans: Mrs. Jack Auslet, 2268% St. Claude Ave. Oklahoma City: Sam Brunk, 3416 N. Virginia. Omaha: Irving Baker, 5108 Izard St. Philadelphia: Al Zurawskl, The Bulletin. Pittsburgh: R. F. Klingensmlth, 516 Jeanette. Wllklnsburg. 412-241-2809. Portland. Ore.: Arnold Marks, Journal. Manchester. N.H.: Guy Langley, 320 Pine street. St. Louis: Joe & Joan Pollack. 7335 Shaftsbury. University City, PA 5-7181. Salt Lake City: II. Pearson, Deseret News. San Francisco: Dolores Barusch, 25 Taylor St.. ORdway 3-4813; Advertising: Jerry Nowell, 417 Market St., YUkon 29537. Washington: Virginia R. Collier, 2308 Ashmead Place. N. W., DUpont 7-0892. In Canada Montreal: Room 314, 625 Belmont St., Jules Larochelle. St. John: 43 Waterloo, Sam Babb. Toronto: 2675 Bayvlew Ave., Willowdale Ont. W. Gladlsh. Vancouver: 411 Lyric Theatre Bldg 751 Granville St., Jack Droy. Winnipeg: The Tribune, Jim Peters. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Second Class postage paid at Kansas Citj Mo. Sectional Edition, $3.00 per veat National Edition, $7.50. 8, 19 6 3 No. 24 A GIANT STEP UNIVERSAL is taking a giant step to relieve the product shortage by its program announced last week by Edward Muhl, vice-president in charge of production. That step calls for the upbuilding of its talent roster in every phase of motion picture production, providing opportunities, not only for “new faces” among actors hut, also, for writers, directors and producers. The plan calls for the making of pictures from a wide range of subject matter that will fit into the needs of small, specialized, long-run theatres, carrying up to the requirements of such notable operations as the Radio City Music Hall. In other words, the range will be from socalled art house and program pictures to productions of major proportions. In making the announcement, Mr. Muhl made it clear that the plan “is intended to serve among its purposes as an answer to the mounting demand by theatres throughout the world for suitable product,” and, at the same time, “to tackle in a concrete and practical manner the problem of development of major new picture-making talent” with an eye to the future of picture-making in America. As experience, long past and in recent years, has shown, there is a continuing and constant need for a variety of types of motion pictures; that a production’s size or budget does not alone make it a boxoffice success; that many a modest-budgeted picture, even with unknown players, can become a distinct success. In one current instance, two promising new stars and a writer-director team have been the result. One of the players had never before been in a picture and it also was a first effort for the writer and director. Universal has, through the years, had to its credit many a similar instance with socalled “little” pictures scoring big successes and bringing forth talent that merited a course of development into stellar values. All the while, LIniversal continued to bring forth top-quality attractions, with noteworthy and significant success. Exhibitors have, from time to time, made known their views about their product needs, from the standpoint of totality as well as quality. S. H. Fabian and other leading exhibitors have said that the greater the number of opportunities through a larger supply of pictures, the greater would be the number of successes. In other words, the more times one “goes to bat,” the more the chances for scoring a “home run.” In recent months, a number of “new faces” have made their appearance, many of them worthy of grooming for stardom. But the inability to give these new, young talents the necessary exposure on theatre screens, and in suitable and, perhaps, varied roles, has thwarted their progress and denied the benefit of their potentials to the industry at large. That can take on a far better look under the Universal plan, which, if emulated in other production quarters, will refill the industry’s reservoir of talent and product output so necessary to its progress and well-being — for the immediate, as well as distant, future. ★ ★ "Indestructible" Indeed! An editorial in the March 27 issue of the Arkansas Gazette has been brought to our attention by Miss Mona White, secretary-treasurer of the Independent Theatre Owners of Arkansas, to which she refers as “seldom received unsolicited favorable publicity.” The editorial: The movies will never again know the grandeur of the great days before television, but the record continues to indicate that the motion picture industry can and will survive anything short of nuclear attack, even pay TV. When the industry has something good, the crowds show up just as in the old days. The movies don't have to depend, either, on the boundless charms of the inimitable Italians, Sophia Loren and Gina Lo'lobrigida. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is currently packing 'em in in Little Rock, with a faithful and moving treatment of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee. A few weeks ago GWTW was back for the umpteenth time, catching the Older Generations for the second, third, or fourth time around, even while picking up the latest crop of grade school patrons. The big screen, and no commercials — C'esf formidable. TV can't beat it; TV can't tie it. That is a favorable article. We especially like the conclusion: “The big screen, and no commercials — C’est formidable. TV can’t beat it; TV can’t tie it.” And for that reason, among many others, we disagree with the negativeness in the first part of the opening sentence, for we firmly believe that The movies WILL again know the grandeur of the great days before television! APRIL Vol. 82