Boxoffice (Jan-Mar 1963)

LETTERS (Letters must be signed. Names withheld on request) WOMPI's 'Movie Week' Promotion My Boxoffice came today and I thoroughly enjoyed your editorial, “Wake UP, Show Business!” It held double meaning for me, the very thing you advocate in your editorial is what WOMPI is trying to get over to the men in the home offices. As you will recall, the tenth anniversary of WOMPI will be celebrated in Dallas this September. We have big plans for a most outstanding affair to make the public in this vicinity motion picture conscious. We have asked the men to cooperate with us by making this the most outstanding industry eye-opener of the century. It is om‘ hope and dream to have a torch parade on Thursday evening with floats from the various studios depicting a current or coming attraction from their company. We have received the permit for the parade, the merchants are overwhelmingly happy to know we are anticipating such an event. The Dallas Retail Merchants Ass’n has pledged their wholehearted support with a full-page ad welcoming WOMPI to Dallas and urging the public to come to town, shop and see the Hollywood spectacular — the big parade. The merchants have agreed to give us available window display space for costumes, props or other interesting material from the pictures. They will advertise specials for the week with a plug for the parade each day. The mayor has agreed to proclaim it “Motion Picture Week.” We have a number of wonderful school bands and drill teams who will gladly participate. What more could we ask? We have a firm where beautiful floats can be made locally at a cost of $1,000 or more, depending upon their float. Yet we know for $1,000 they can have a beautiful float. We have seen them in our Cotton Bowl parades. The radio stations, television stations and everything will cooperate with us and the merchants to make this a big parade because, not only does the theatre business need a shot in the arm, the downtown merchants do want to bring people to town, all of which means we will have city-wide cooperation. Even though we contacted the local branch managers and they have written their home office, we have not heard one way or the other. It is not our thought to advertise WOMPI, but to do that for which we are organized — to be of service to our industry and bring about a better feeling toward the motion picture industry. Thanks again for your wonderful editorial and I do hope this will help these men see the need of the very thing for which we are asking their support. MABLE GUINAN Women of the Motion Picture Industry, Dallas, Texas. Again, Films on TV vs. Theatre As a newcomer in the theatre business, I have only been booking on my own for the last five years, but have been with a theatre for the last ten years, the last two and a half as owner and operator at the Granada in Oxford, Neb. I have been receiving Boxoffice since I took over the theatre at Elwood and the Granada at Oxford. I have read where the film companies have been selling to TV films that should still be in use for the theatre, but I never thought it could happen to me until now. The Granada had United Artists’ “Trapeze,” booked for February 28-March 1, 2. ABC-TV showed this on February 24. Patrons have asked, “How come you are having the same show as Channel 13 on the same week?” Good question. What is the answer? I went home, picked up the phone and called the exchange in Omaha. They informed me that it was true. I cancelled every picture that I had booked from United Artists and assured them that no other United Artists film will ever be shown on my screen. What is United Artists trying to do, close all little theatres? I know of no better way, do you? “Trapeze” I knew was a reissue, but a good family picture; one you could stand in the lobby at the end and not go hide when your patrons came out. We need more of these. But it was sold to TV. Why? I enjoy Boxoffice very much and do not want to miss a copy. You are doing a good job in keeping us little guys informed. Thank you for your time in reading this. I had to let off steam to some one. MILTON H. BUCK Granada Theatre, Oxford, Neb. 'Free Previews of Coming Films The exhibitor’s letter in the February 18 issue of Boxoffice brings back many a happy memory. At some expense, we installed a conventional type 16mm rear-screen projector in connection with the Trans-Lux Theatre’s opening of Columbia’s “Mein Kampf” in Washington, D.C. The cabinet measured around four feet square and had a screen of about l'x2', with speakers in its base. The cabinet was placed in front of the Trans-Lux Plaza Theatre which faces Washington’s busiest interesction. An immediate crowd gathered. They even congregated into the street to get a glimpse. 'The rush-hour traffic was slowed as motorists came to a halt to see what was going on. However, this triumph was short-lived as squads of police began arriving to investigate reports of bombs bursting, machine-gun fire, and Nazi marching songs in the downtown area. Politely, but firmly, we were requested to move the machine into our lobby. For the balance of the campaign, the projector chugged along in relative silence, but it still attracted a large group. Some watched the trailer several times in a row. Try that on your theatre audience and see what happens. The engagement of “Mein Kampf” was a tremendous success, a lot of which I felt was due to the public preview presentation. We are now in the age of flashing neon. gigantic “Cleopatra” and “Boccaccio ’70” signs all aimed at getting the attention of the person on the street. Why not free previews of coming attractions? JACK D. BALLARD Manager, The State Theatre, Boston, Mass. A Different Point of View I am very amused by Walter Bell’s prosperity (see letter in February 11 issue). I take note that he brags about being a resident of the midwest, but I note that he is located on the edge of the old dust bowl. I came to the conclusion that he knows little, if anything, of real competition. I wonder if he realizes that, in the real midwest, every small town is covered by at least three television stations, each of which delivers to the public two or three full-length pictures per day, plus scores of free cartoon shows. And all the pictures come in with the quality of the theatre screen. Each summer, I go south on vacation. I note the television programs that are displayed there are not even competition with the pictures of the real midwest in either quality of programming or clarity of reception. I also note that Mr. Bell is at least 35 miles from anything that could be called more than a village in the greater midwest. I doubt if he has to do much worrying about a larger town’s seven-day clearance. I note that he takes great delight in telling how dirty and dingy most small-town theatres are, but in my travels I discover that this just isn’t so. You will find that your big chain theatres are in about the same condition. You can’t spend more than you take in for very long, large or small. All this baloney about pay TV is a joke. People just aren’t going to pay for something they already get for nothing. It will be interesting to see how folks who are so worried about theatre conditions and pay TV stack up when colored TV sets get in the $300 bracket. That will be free, too, you know. Many sets are being sold right now at $600 to $700 and I note that every time a customer buys one, I lose a few more customers. I believe that it will take almost four or five years to get good coverage. Then it will be interesting to see how big a bag Mr. Bell takes to the bank each day then. I was always of the opinion that boxoffice receipts determined what one could afford to pay for pictures. Only a fool would pay more than the returns. In the real midwest, you won’t even find a theatre operating in a town of 1,600 people, if there is a larger city within 20 miles. Everyone likes to go to the larger center when shopping; that goes for pictures also. Your larger cities will demand a seven-day clearance on any picture. That leaves you with kids, kids, and more kids and you better pray for 800 to get $200.00. Can you do it? Of course, there is one bright spot. While the parents are in the beautiful bowling alleys and (booze clubs) basking in luxury, you can take care of the kids at 25 cents a head. LEROY WILDEN Clinton, Iowa 18 BOXOFFICE :; March 4, 1963