Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1962)

SKOURAS WARNS ON TOLL TV, PLEAS FOR DECREE CHANGES What appears to be a large poster in reality is a projected picture from a stereopticon and was flashed on the screen at the first day luncheon of Show-ARama V, during which time Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox, delivered the keynote address. In tribute to him on his 20th anniversary as president of the company many exhibitors signed the scroll and came through with playdates. Standing to the left of the picture are Richard Orear, president of the United Theatre Owners of the Heart of America; Moe Levy, 20th-Fox Minneapolis branch manager; Skouras; Martin Moskowitz, 20th-Fox assistant general sales manager, and Joe Neger, 20th-Fox Kansas City branch manager. 24 Releases for ‘Maytime Is Movietime’ The ten major distributing companies have scheduled 24 features for release in May this year as compared with only 14 last year. This is in response to exhibitor requests that such an effort be made to build up attendance in this “normally” slack month. In the company by company listing below, the May 1962 releases are in boldface; those released last year are in the parenthesis in lightface. Fears Effects of Pay TV If Industry Doesn't Take Active Steps KANSAS CITY — An appeal to showmen to intensify their efforts to preserve their investments from threatening technical advancements, particularly in the field of toll television, was made by Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox. Skouras, who was the keynote speaker at the luncheon Tuesday (6) of the fifth Show-A-Rama convention of the United Theatre Owners of the Heart of America, made one of the strongest warnings against pay TV yet issued by an industry leader. He took sharp issue with optimists, “particularly among exhibitors,” who believe that toll TV will not affect theatre attendance. AGAINST CODE LIBERALIZATION Skouras also made a renewed plea for modification of the consent decree, charging it “has become a terrible problem for the American motion picture industry.” He lashed out against liberalization of the Production Code and high costs of making pictures. Of various factors that have contributed greatly to the decrease in theatre attendance, Skouras declared, “we know that television has affected us substantially, and what effects toll television will have, no one can predict. “We have, therefore, an inescapable obligation at this time of uncertainty in international affairs to preserve a medium needed so vitally in the American interest. No other medium can inform the world so well of our ways of freedom, our manner of life, our products, and our unselfish policies of helpfulness. The motion picture, therefore, is a great American institution, and should be preserved. Its preservation is only possible through the theatres.” Television competition can be met, he said, with legislation to establish a minimum period of time before feature pictures are shown on television and after they have been released to the theatres. He pointed out that he “proposed a clearance of from five to seven years after theatrical release.” He then clarified that “this clearance should apply to all pictures, regardless of where they may be produced, including foreign pictures ... It would forestall the playing of feature films first run on toll television.” HARTFORD TEST FEARED In regard to toll TV, he said that if the Hartford experiment is successful, the Federal Communications Commission will grant licenses to many other stations. He feared the large theatre investments would then be in great jeopardy and said not to take this matter lightly. Skouras reiterated his belief that a great contributing factor to industry troubles is the federal consent decree, blaming it for (Continued on page 8) ALLIED ARTISTS Confessions of on Opium Eater. Vincent Price, Linda Ho. (Look in Any Window) (The Plunderers) AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL Premature Burial. Ray Milland, Hazel Court. (No releases) BUENA VISTA Moon Pilot. Tom Tryon, Brian Keith, Edmond O'Brien. (The Absent-M inded Professor) COLUMBIA Five Finger Exercise. Rosalind Russell, Jack Hawkins, Maximilian Schell. 13 West Street. Alan Ladd, Rod Steiger. In combination with Mothra. Science-fiction drama. Safe of Home! Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle. In combination with Don't Knock That Twist. Chubby Checker, Debra Poget. Experiment in Terror. Glenn Ford, Lee Remick. (Mod Dog Coll) (Mein Kampf) (The Warrior Empress) METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER All Foil Down. Eva Marie Saint, Warren Beatty, Karl Malden. Horizontal Lieutenant. Jim Hutton, Paula Prentiss. (Atlantis, the Lost Continent) (Cimarron) (Two Loves) PARAMOUNT The Counterfeit Traitor. William Holden, Lilli Palmer. Escape From Zahrain. Yul Brynner, Sal Mineo. The Man Who Shot Liberty Volance. James Stewart, John Wayne, Vera Miles. (One-Eyed Jacks) 20th CENTURY-FOX Adventures of a Young Man. Paul Newmon, Susan Strasberg, Richard Beyrner. Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation. James Stewart, Maureen O'Hara, Fabian. State Fair. Pat Boone, Bobby 'Darin, Pamela Tiffin. (The Big Show) UNITED ARTISTS Follow That Dream. Elvis Presley, Arthur O'Connell, Joanna Moore. Geronimo. Chuck Connors, Kamala Devi. Jessica. Maurice Chevalier, Angie Dickinson. The Miracle Worker. Anne Bancroft, Patty Duke, Victor Jory. (The Young Savages) UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL Cape Fear. Gregory Peck, Robert Mitcbum, Polly Bergen. The Day the Earth Caught Fire. Janet Munro, Leo McKern. (No releases) WARNER BROS. House of Women. Shirley Knight, Andrew Duggan. Lad, a Dog. Peter Breck, Peggy McCay, Lad the dog. Samar. George Montgomery, Gilbert Roland, Ziva Rodann. (The Steel Claw) BOXOFFICE March 12, 1962 5