Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1962)

THE NATIONAL FILM WEEKLY Published in Nine Sectional Editions BEN SHLYEN Editor-in-Chief and Publisher DONALD M. MERSEREAU, Associate Publisher & General Manager NATHAN COHEN. .Executive Editor JESSE SHLYEN Managing Editor HUGH FRAZE Field Editor AL STEEN Eastern Editor WILLIAM HEBERT. .Western Editor I. L. THATCHER. .Equipment Editor MORRIS SCHLOZMAN Business Mgr. Publication Offices: 825 Van Brunt Bird. Kansas City 24, Mo. Nalban Cohen, Executive Editor; Jesse Shlyen, Managing Editor: Morris Schlozman, Business Manager; Hugh Fr&ze, Field Editor; I. L. Thatcher, Editor The Modem Theatre Section. Telephone CHestnut 1-7777. Editorial Offices: 1270 Sixth Ave., Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Donald M. Mersereau, Associate Publisher k General Manager; A1 Steen, Eastern Editor. Telephone COlumhus 5-6370. Central Offices: Editorial — 020 N. Michigan Ave., Qilcago 11, 111., Frances B. Clow, Telephone Superior 7-3972. Advertising— 5809 North Lincoln, Louis L) Idler and Jack Broderick, Telephone LOngbeach 1-5284. Western Offices: Editorial and Film Advertising— 6404 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 28, Calif. William Hebert, manager, Telephone Hollywood 5-1186. Equipment and Non-Film Advertising — 672 S. Lafayette Park, Los Angeles, Calif. Bob Wettstein, manager. Telephone DUnklrk 8-2286. London Office: Anthony Gruner, 1 Woodberry Way, Finchley, No. 12. Telephone Hillside 6733. The MODERN THEATRE Section Is Included In the first Issue of each month. Atlanta: Jean Mullls, P. 0. Box 1695. Albany: J. 8. Conners, 140 State St. Baltimore: George Browning, 119 E. 25th St. Boston: Guy Livingston, 80 Boylston, Boston, Mass. Charlotte: Blanche Carr, 301 S. Church Cincinnati: Frances Hanford, UNlverslty 17180. Cleveland: W. Ward Marsh. Plain Dealer. Columbus: Fred Oestrelcher, 52% W North Broadway. Dallas: Mable Outran, 5927 Wlnton. Denver: Bruce Marshall, 2881 8. Cherry Way. Des Moines: Pat Cooney, 2727 49th St. Detroit: H. F. Reves, 906 Fox Theatre Bldg.. WOodward 2-1144. Hartford: Allen M. Wldem, CH 9-8211. Indianapolis: Norma Geraghty, 436 N. Illinois St. Jacksonville: Robert Cornwall, 1190 Edgewood Ave. Memphis: Null Adams, 707 Spring St. Miami: Martha Lummus, 622 N.E 98 St. Milwaukee: Wm. Nlcbol, 2251 8. Layton. Minneapolis: Don Lyons, 72 Glenwood. New Orleans: Mrs. Jack Auslet, 2268% St. Claude Ave. Oklahoma City: Sam Brunk, 3416 N. Virginia. Omaha. Irving Baker, 911 N. 51st 8t. Philadelphia: A1 Zurawskl, The Bulletin. Pittsburgh: R. F. Kllngensmlth, 616 Jeanette, Wilkinsburg. CHurchill 1-2809. Portland. Ore.: Arnold Marks, Journal. Providence: Guy Langley, 388 8ayies St. St. Louis: Joe & Joan Pollack, 7335 Shaftsbury, University City, PA 5-7181. Salt Lake City: 11. Pearson. Deseret News. San Francisco: Dolores Baruscb, 25 Taylor St., ORdway 3-4813; Advertising: Jerry Nowell, 417 Market St., YUkon 29537. In Canada Montreal: Room 314, 625 Belmont St., Jules Larochelle. St John: 43 Waterloo, Sam Babb. Toronto: 2675 Bayvlew Ave., Willow dale, Ont. W. Gladlsh. Vancouver: 411 Lyric Theatre Bldg. 751 Granville St.. Jack Droy. Winnipeg: 93 Albert St, Barney Brookler. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Second Class postage paid at Kansas City, Mo. Sectional Edition, $3.00 per year. National Edition, $7.50. JANUARY 1, 1962 Vol. 80 No. 11 A VIEW FOR '62 AS IN every year since the beginning of this industry, 1961 saw many changes take place, yet much remained the same. Progress was evidenced in a number of directions, but where the industry stood still, as it were, there were retardent effects that will continue, unless these “drawbacks” are overcome. A new year provides a fresh start for the build-up of business all along the line and an opportunity to profit by mistakes of the past. Thus, what not to do plays as important a part as knowing what to do. Two years of the decade of the Sixties have seen new policies introduced that were designed to keep pace with the times and their demands. So doing meant acceding to the public’s wishes for improvement in the industry’s entertainment offerings and catering to tastes indicated by what types of pictures they patronized. Thus, the trend toward spectacles of roadshow caliber, which went far beyond any similar moves made in the past. Two-a-day showings at advanced prices reached new high points in number; resultantly, the long-extended runs had a bearing on total product output, and policies and practices, long in vogue, were deemed outmoded. This had both good and bad effects. The good was that the public would pay top prices for the bigger, better pictures and that the high-powered productions and the big promotions that attended them attracted new, as well as high volume, patronage. The bad was the upsetting of orderly releasing patterns and the effect this had on regular theatre attendance. Plans, of course, were designed to overcome this condition, among them the saturation booking scheme but, successful as this was, it, too, had an adverse effect when product irregularity cut into the steady flow of patronage. The experience of the past two years has taught that the public will respond to the appeal of good pictures, regardless of type, and to good campaigns put forth in their selling. When the offerings are judiciously spaced and paced and they are made more widely available, an accrual of values is provided, with a resultant increase in public interest and patronage. However, when good pictures are bunched in release and given fast play-offs, followed by long dry spells in which exhibitor^ have virtually nothing to sell, the continuity of patronage so much desired — and needed — is thus destroyed. The task of the atre operation then becomes more difficult and the profits derived from the bigger attractions are dissipated. Production and distribution also are affected thereby. Further examining of the record of the past year reveals that, on the whole, it was better than the previous year. There were marks of progress in a number of directions. Despite the drawbacks, there was an upsurge of confidence, particularly on the part of exhibitors who made substantial investments in updating and refurbishing their properties and in new theatre building. The attendance draw in these instances was most encouraging, indicating that interest in moviegoing still was very much alive — it needed only to be rekindled. The quantity of quality productions had increased and was generally giving good accounts at the boxoffice. Several film companies had attained all-time high incomes and net profits. Dollar intake for the industry as a whole also had shown marked improvement. On the debit side, the production output, although up a bit, still was below the need. Attendance is reported to have shown a rise over that of the previous year, but it was markedly short of paralleling the percentage of increase in overall gross intake. Therein lies the crux of the problem which the collective industry must solve in 1962 in building solidly for its future. And with that, of course, must come a fair return for those putting forth the effort. The triumvirate of production, distribution and exhibition must work more closely together than ever before — as a team. It must seek not only the high dollar, but also the high volume of attendance, remembering that there is “safety in numbers.” It must vigorously proceed in a unified effort to increase the margin of safety that strong attendance provides; to consolidate the gains made in the past year and to keep advancing along every line of public contact, the prime point of which is the boxoffice. The industry’s progress in 1961 can be added to in considerable measure in 1962 and throughout the rest of the decade of the Sixties, if each of its principal components will unbend a little, be more willing to give as well as take and work more diligently — hand-in-hand with the others — for the common good.