Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1962)

NT&T Now National General Corp.; Firm Preparing for Diversification To Mail 'Oscar' Kils Starling on March 5 NEW YORK — Kits for the promotion of Academy Awards night on April 9 will be mailed to exhibitors beginning on March 5 and the committee hopes that the material will be in the hands of at least 4,000 participating exhibitors by March 16. This was announced last week by Charles Levy, chairman of the advertising and publicity directors committee of the Motion Picture Ass’n of America, at a press meeting. Levy explained that 300 film salesmen, branch managers and bookers were ready to promote the sale of the kits which will contain all new material, including an eight-page pressbook, nine posters in various sizes, a trailer featuring Bob Hope, ad mats, still mats and details for an Academy Awards contest. Price of the kit is $3, which is said to be less than cost. Philip Gerard of Universal and Fred Goldberg of United Artists pointed out that the industry would be “on parade” on Academy Awards night and that distribution wanted to be sure that every effort be made to help build the largest possible audience for the program. Gerard said recordings of the five nominated songs would be supplied to key radio stations throughout the country. Goldberg said that the Academy Awards promotion committee looked to the industry’s tradepress for the full support and backing of the Awards preliminary activities as well as its coverage of the nominations and final awards. Joseph Alterman of the Theatre Owners of America said he was certain exhibitors would give their support in ordering kits and stressed that the joint TOA-MPAA promotion was for the benefit of all exhibitors and not confined to TOA members. A1 Floersheimer, TOA director of public relations, announced that the first order for kits had come from Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Metropolitan Washington, D.C., for 52 kits, although the kits were still in preparation. KTTV of Los Angeles Gets 60 MGM Post '48 Films HOLLYWOOD — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has sold 60 of its outstanding post-1948 films for more than a million dollars to KTTV, Los Angeles station of the TimesMirror Broadcasting Corp. Among the films are “Mogambo,” “Scaramouche,” “The Bad and the Beautiful,” “The Last Time I Saw Paris,” “Forbidden Planet,” “Royal Wedding,” “Don’t Go Near the Water,” “Madame Bovary” and “Summer Stock.” Original production cost was $132,000,000. Richard Hapner, director of syndicated sales for MGM-TV, was here to conclude negotiations with Dick Wooten, vice-president and director of KTTV programs. Drive-In Sold to School Board LITTLE ROCK, ARK.— Rowley United Theatres has sold its Razorback Drive-In, located at 21st and Barber, to the school board, which will use the land for a new school or a school office building. At the same time, Robin Wightman, Rowley manager here, said the Riverside Drive-In would be enlarged to a twin-screen operation. Martin to Build Six Cinerama Theatres NEW YORK — Martin Theatres of Georgia will build Cinerama theatres in Honolulu, St. Louis, San Antonio, Phoenix, Seattle and New Orleans under an agreement signed with Cinerama, Inc., and, in Left to right, above: B. G. Kranze, E. D. Martin and Sid Cooper. addition, will renovate the existing Cinerama house in Atlanta. The contract will bring to 27 the number of Cinerama theatres which have been contracted for and, at the rate that new theatres are being signed, the target of 60 for early summer will be in sight, according to Cinerama spokesmen. The Martin contract provides for the expenditure of approximately $1,000,000 each for the new Cinerama theatres and $500,000 to renovate the Martin Theatre in Atlanta. The Seattle site is midway between the downtown area and the World’s Failgrounds. In New Orleans, the theatre will occupy a full block on Tulane Ave. B. G. Kranze, vice-president of Cinerama, said the company’s theatrical expansion plans abroad were proceeding rapidly and that he expected to have the same number of theatres showing Cinerama films overseas in July as will have been set in this country and Canada. The Martin deal was negotiated by Kranze and E. D. and Roy Martin of Martin Theatres, assisted by Sid Cooper, Cinerama’s domestic sales manager. Theatres now set for the exclusive showing of Cinerama films are the Cinerama, Providence; Eckel, Cleveland; Capri, Dallas; Cooper, Oklahoma City; Music Hall, Detroit; Indiana, Indianapolis; Century, Minneapolis; Capitol, New York; Imperial, Montreal; Palace, Milwaukee; Monroe, Rochester, N.Y.; Capri, El Paso; Cooper, Denver; Rialto, Louisville; Palace, Tampa; Martin, Atlanta; Cooper, Omaha, plus projected theatres in Houston, Syracuse and San Diego and the just-announced Martin theatres. The concept for the “super Cinerama” theatres developed by Nicolas Reisini, Cinerama president, calls for the entire fourth wall becoming the screen. The first was opened in Denver last March. BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.— Diversification activity was the chief concern of stockholders of National Theatres & Television in their annual meeting held February 20 at the Fox Wilshire Theatre, at which time it was voted to change the corporate name to National General Corp., effective March 1, and to reduce the board of directors from 12 to seven. Following the shareholders meeting, directors of the corporation re-elected President Eugene V. Klein to his office and gave him the additional office of chairman of the board. Klein was first named president on March 9, 1961. The chairmanship has been vacant. DIVERSIFICATION COMMITTEE In accordance with a diversification program, the board established a new committee on diversification, with Lloyd Drexler of Chicago and Edward Patterson of New York, who are newly elected directors of the company, and Klein, who serves as ex-officio. Drexler, a partner in Northern Steel Co. and chairman of the acquisitions committee for Victor Comptometer Corp., was named the new committee’s chairman. Patterson, an associate of Allen & Co., investment banking firm, serves as a director of Jersey Printing Co., Pennland Printing Co., Allied Capital Corp., Policy-Matic Corp. of America, Montgomery Printing Co., and American Univend Corp. In addition to Klein, other national officers re-elected are; Irvin H. Levin, vicepresident; Alan May, vice-president and treasurer; Robert W. Selig, vice-president; Laurence A. Peters, secretary, and Paul F. Scherer, assistant secretary and assistant treasurer. At the shareholders meeting, Klein, Joseph Benaron, Levin, May, and Jack Ostrow were re-elected to the board, along with new members Drexler and Patterson. In his report to the shareholders, Klein emphasized that National is firmly entrenched in the motion picture business and that the company's theatres “provide the cash flow strength by which we can diversify and they will contribute their share to future dividends.” He stressed that National is searching out new theatre sites, and pointed out that a number of new theatres have been opened by the company, which has also acquired several other houses to increase the circuit to 223 theatres. At the close of its fiscal year on September 26, National had 213 theatres. CONSENT DECREE RESTRICTS “However,” Klein stated, “progress through the motion picture houses must still be slow. Under restrictions of the consent judgment of 1951, we cannot expect to dramatically expand our theatre operation.” Consequently, Klein declared that National will capitalize on its real estate, merchandising and vending experience and will channel some of its diversification into those related areas. He added that real estate can be sold for theatre lease-backs to obtain added finances for expansion. BOXOFFICE ;: February 26, 1962 5