Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1963)

THE NATIONAL FILM WEEKLY Published in Nine Sectional Editions BEN SHLYEN Editor-in-Chiel and Publisher BUSTING OUT ALL OVER DONALD M. MERSEREAU, Associate Publisher & General Manager JESSE SHLYEN Managing Editor HUGH FRAZE Field Editor AL STEEN Eastern Editor CHRIS DUTRA Western Editor I. L. THATCHER. . .Equipment Editor MORRIS SCHLOZMAN Business Mgr. Publication Offices: 825 Van Brunt Blvd. Kansas L'ity 24, Mo. Jesse SBlyen. Managing Kditor: Morris ScUiozman, Business .Manager; Hugh Fraze, Field EWitor; 1. U Huitcher, Editor The Modern Theatre Section. Telephone CUestnut 1-7777. Editorial Offices: 1270 Sixth Ave., Uockefeller Center. New York 20, N. Y. Donald .M. Mersereau, Associate Publisher h Ceiieral Manager; A1 Steen, Elastern EMllor. Telephone COlunibus 5-6370. Central Offices: Eiditorlal — 920 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 11, 111., Frances B. Clow, Telephone SUperior 7-39T2. Advertishig — 5809 North Uncoln, Louis Dldier and Jack Broderick, Telephone LOngbeacIi 1-5284. Western Offices: Editorial and Film Advertising— 6362 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 28, Cal., Chris Uutra. manager. Telephune Hollywood 5-1186. Euuipment and Non-Film Advei Using — New York Life Bldg., 2801 West Sixth St., Los Angeles 57. Calif. Bob Wettstein, manager. Telephone Dunkirk 8-2286. London Office: Antliony Uruiier, 1 Woodberry Way, E’iiichley, No. 12. Telephone Hillside 6733. The .MUDEIIN THEATllE Section Is hicluded ill Uie first Issue of each month. Atlanta: Jean Mullis, 1*. 0. Box 1695. Albany: J. S. Conners, 140 State St. BalUmoie: George Browning, 119 E. 25th St. Boston: Guy Livingston, 80 Boylstoii, Boston, Mass. CliarloUe: Blanche Carr, 301 S. Church. Chicinoatl: Frances Hanford, UNlverslty 17180. Cleveland: W. Waid Marsh, Plain Dealer. Columbus: E'red Uestreicher, 52 W. .North Broadway. Dall^: .Mable Oulnan, 5927 Wlnton. Denver: Bruce Marshall, 2881 S. Cherry Way. lies Moines: Pat Cooney, 2727 49th St. Detroit: H. F. Iteves, 906 Fox TTieatre Bldg., WOudward 2-1144. Hartford: Allen M. Wldem, CH. 9-8211. Indianapolis: Norma Gera^ty, 436 N. Illinois St. Jacksonville: Bobert Coinwall, 1199 Edgewood Ave. .Memphis: Null Adams, 707 Spring St. .Miami: .Martha laimmiis, 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. Oklaboma City: Sam Brunk, 3416 N. Virginia. Omaha: Irving Baker, 5108 Izard St. ITiiladelpiiia: Al Ziirawski, The Bulletin. I'ittsbuigh: II. F. Klingensmitb, 516 Jeanette, Wllklasburg. 412-241-2809. I’ortland, Ore. : Arnold .Marks, Journal. Providence: Guy Langley, 388 Saylcs St. St. Louis: Joe A Joan Pollack, 7335 Shattsbiiry, University City, PA 5-7181, Salt laike City: II. Pearson. Deseret News. San Francisco : Dolores Barusch. 25 Taylor St., (Midway 3-4813; Advertising: Jerry Nowell. 417 Market St., YUkon 29537. Washington: Virginia It. Collier, 2308 .Vshmead Place, N. W., DUpnnt 7-0892. In Canada .Montreal: Boom 314, 625 Belmont St., Jules Liroclielle. St. John: 43 Waterloo, Sam Babb. Toronto: 2675 Bayview Ave., Wlllowdale, Ont. W. Gladlsb. Vancouver: 411 Lyric TTieatre Bldg. 751 Granville St., Jack Droy. Winnipeg: The Tribune, Jim Peters. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Second Class postage paid at Kansas City. Mo. Sectional EdiUon, $3.00 per year. S'vtional Eriltlon, $7.50 FEBRUARY 11, 1963 Vol. 32 No. 16 Theatre construction in the United States surged forward during 1962, with 242 netv theatres, representing an investment of $90,706,500, opened, placed under construction or announced during the 12-month period. Construction of indoor theatres set a new 12-year record, with 170 theatres costing some $68,739,000. Drive-ins accounted for the remainder of the year’s construction picture with 72 new theatres, costing approximately ,$21,967,500. The continuing survey of the theatre market, conducted by BoxoFFiCE, revealed in last week’s issue, that of the new indoor houses, 41.2 per cent are located in suburban shopping centers. Indoor theatre construction surpassed all fourwall construction since 1950, when 452 new theatres were built. But, for money actually spent, 1962 topped even 1950 by some $13,000,000. Sixteen of the new indoor theatres were in the $1,000,000 or more category. Eighty of the theatres — 53 indoor houses and 27 drive-ins — were opened during the year, and the remainder placed under construction or announced. Most of the indoor construction centered in New York, with 35 new theatres, and California, with 28 new projects. Florida ranked in third place with ten new theatres and New Jersey held fourth place with nine. In addition, motion picture exhibitors renovated and remodeled 759 existing theatre properties, investing $24,684,266. Another 196 theatres, representing a property investment of about .$13,620,000, were reopened during the year. Fifteen per cent of these reopened theatres had been closed from two to 15 years. It is noteworthy that exhibitors, again, are giving considerable attention, not only to the decor of their theatres but, also, to the comfort of their patrons. And, of course, to improving the sight and sound in their operational facilities. This is especially noted in the updated properties. New seating and rebuilding and recovering old cbairs reflected substantial exhibitor attention to this comfort factor, with 22.1 jier cent of the updating jobs. New carpeting was installed in 38..3 per cent of tbe houses. Screens were replaced in 34.6 per cent of the houses; and projection equipment in 29 per cent. Significant, also, is the fact that 196 reopenings of closed houses took place in 1962, some of which had been out of operation for as much as 15 years. This trend is exjiected to continue, particularly as more and better product comes along. And, of course, so is new construction. which is on the upswing, particularly in shopping center areas. Many new houses are reported on the drawing boards for new residential sections, which have been developed as a result of the burgeoning populations that have shifted from urban areas. This has been foreseen for a number of years, but only comparatively recently has it gotten underway. A new development that is expected to expand such activity is the Cinerama All-Purpose Dome Theatre, which is announced in a news story in this issue, and of which 300 are expected to be erected in the next two years. This all is encouraging news and, once more, evidences a mounting confidence in the future on the part of exhibitors and others. The more outlets available for the industry’s product, the better for the business as a whole, naturally. But, while in the process of expansion through new building, there is need to preserve and build up existing outlets. Increases in the output of product, (|uantity-w ise and quality-wise, will assure that. ★ ★ 'Money in the Bank' Several letters to Boxoffice, published in this issue, deal with the subject of theatrical films, both old and comparatively recent releases, that have been sold to television. Two of the letters make justifiable complaints over the practice. The third takes the view that such competition can be overcome by exhibitors who put forth aggressive showmanship. Pertinent thereto is the comment by Bob Sublette, amusement editor of the New Orleans StatesItem, regarding a TV “spectacular, titled “Hollywood, the Fabulous Era,” about which he said : “It was a passably entertaining hour, but the fascination for the Fabulous Era is gone. The reason is you can see any of those movies any night on television. Some, from which film clips were used on the ABC show, are the hardiest TV perennials. Imagine the legends that would have grown up around those old films, if Hollywood hadn’t sold them to TV! They would have gotten better every year, until, in the minds of old moviegoers, they would have all been stupendous. Their revivals in movie houses, not on TV. would be money in the bank. It would, indeed, be money in the bank, both for exhibitors and distributors. But, as it is, exhibitors are only left bolding the bag.