Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1961)

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 IVAN SPEAR Western Editor I. L. THATCHER. .Equipment Editor MORRIS SCHLOZMAN Business Mgr. Publication Offices: 825 Van Brunt Blvd. Kansas City 24, Mo. Nathan Cohen, Executive Editor: Jesse Shlyen, Managing Editor; Morris Schlozroan, Business Manager; Hugh Fraze, Field Editor; I. L. Thatcher, Editor The Modern Theatre Section. Telephone CHestnut 1-7777. Editorial Offices: 1?70 Sixth Ave., Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Donald M. Mersereau, Associate Publisher & General Manager: A1 Steen, Eastern Editor. Telephone COlumbus 5-6370. Central Offices: Editorial — 920 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 11, 111., Frances B. Clow, Telephone Superior 7-3972. Advertising— 5809 North Lincoln, Louis Dldler and Jack Broderick, Telephone LOngbeaeb 1-5284. Western Offices: Editorial and Film Advertising— 6404 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 28, Calif. Ivan Spear, manager, Telephone Hollywood 5-1186. Equipment and Non-Film Advertising — 672 S. Lafayette Park, Los Angeles, Calif. Bob Wettsteln, manager. Telephone DUnklrk 8-2286. London Office: Anthony Cniner, 1 Woodberry Way, Finchley, No. 12. Telephone Hillside 6733. The MODERN THEATRE Section Is Included In the first Issue of each month. Atlanta: Martha Chandler, 191 Walton NW Albany: J. S. Conners, 140 State St. Baltimore: George Browning, 119 E. 25th St. Charlotte: Blanche Carr, 301 S. Church Cincinnati: Frances Hanford, UNnlversIty 17180. Cleveland: W. Ward Marsh, Plain Dealer. Columbis: Fred Oestrelcher, 52% W. North Broadway. Dallas: Mable Gulnan, 5927 Wlnton. Denver. Bruce Marshall. 2881 S. Cherry Way. Des Moines: Russ Schoch. Register-Tribune Detroit: H. F. Reves, 906 Fox Theatre Bldg., WOodward 2-1144. Hartford: Allen M. Wldem, CH 9-8211. Jacksonville: Robert Cornwall, 1199 Edgewood Ave. Memphis: Null Adams, 707 Spring St. Miami: Martha Lummus. 622 N.E. 98 St. Milwaukee: Wm. Nlchol, 2251 S. 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 St. Pittsburgh: R. F. Kllngensmlth, 516 Jeanette, Wllkinsburg, CHurchill 1-2809. Portland. Ore. : Arnold Marks, Journal. Providence: Wm. Trambukls, Loew's State. St. Louis: Joe & Joan Pollack, 7335 Shaftsbury, University City, PA 5-7181. Salt Lake City: H. Pearson, Deseret News. Ban Francisco: Dolores Barusch, 25 Taylor St., ORdway 3-4813; Advertising: Jerry Nowell, 417 Market St., YUkon 29537. Washington: Charles Hurley, 306 H. St. N. W. In Canada Montreal: Room 314, 625 Belmont St., Jules Larochelle. St. John: 43 Waterloo, Sam Babb. Toronto: 2675 Bayview Ave. Willowdale, Ont. W. Gladlsh. Vancouver: 411 Lyric Theatre Bldg. 751 Granville St., jack Droy. Winnipeg: 300 New Hargraves Bldg., Kenneth Beach. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Second Class postage paid at Kansas City, Mo. Sectional Edition, $3.00 per year. National Edition, $7.50. 2 1, 19 6 1 No. 18 IMPORTANT 'LITTLE FELLOWS' FROM TIME TO TIME, the small theatre operators have contended that they are given scant consideration, let alone attention, by the major distributors; that film salesmen no longer call on them; that their business is not wanted; and that some sales executives have implied, if not actually stated, that they no longer have any value to the industry. Some of these charges have been made openly at exhibitor conventions; others have been privately made. They have not always been denied. Perhaps, there have been a few periods through the course of the industry’s cycles when a change brought about by the times and conditions caused attitudes toward the “little man” also to be changed. Perhaps, this could be attributed to a distributor’s new policy as a result of those changes. Opportunistic tendencies also have had a part in how sellers regard their customers. But, be that as it may, the fact remains that interest in the small theatre operators is lessened or increased by the economic state of affairs. And, often, even the much-bigger-than-the-little-man can be “included out” when a new avenue of prosperity seems to have opened up. That was the case back in 1928, when talking pictures began to click. These initial talkies were celluloid goldmines and, with only a few hundred able to play them turning in fabulous grosses, there came the prophecies that only 2,000 of the then 20,000-plus theatres would survive; that all the rest would pass out of existence, for they no longer would be needed. More recently, the advent of the blockbuster era, especially when the long-run roadshow policies began to look like the new phenomena that would fatten studio coffers, interest, again, was evidenced in nothing less than the big theatres in the big cities. But that phase also has passed. Another factor minimizing the small theatre accounts has been the economy-minded financial wizard who saw only red figures in servicing them. In order to reduce distribution costs, this element concluded not only that there was no profit in these accounts but that they incurred irretrievable losses. We question whether that, actually, has ever been proved on an across-theboards basis— when the total dollar volume of these small accounts was taken into consideration. But, even if it were absolutely true that bookings from this source resulted in a net distribution loss, it would serve as an investment that would be repaid many times over. For the value to the industry of these outposts of public contact and cultivators of movie patrons is inestimable. Happily, the adverse attitude attributed by exhibitors to distributors appears to have been dissolved— or, at least, is on the wane. As in the past, recognition is, once again, given to the fact that the small theatres, estimated at between 2,500 to 4,000, provide from 18 to 25 per cent of a company’s potential customers, whose rentals comprise the profit and more. So, it is obvious, the distributors need the business of these “little fellows,” who need the product they have to offer. Aside from the commercial aspects this entails, there is great public relations value in the consensus among sales executives that “no community, no matter how small, should be deprived of seeing quality pictures. ★ ★ Winning Formula Those in the industry who think they will find greener fields in television, take note: The big money still is to be derived from saleable theatrical motion pictures. Viz: The huge gain in profits reported by Walt Disney Productions for the nine months ending July 1, 1961. Three Disney releases, “Swiss Family Robinson,” “The 101 Dalmatians,” and "The AbsentMinded Professor,” brought a combined increase of 643.3 per cent to the profit side of the Disney ledger over the corresponding period of last year. None of these pictures is a so-called epic; nor was any marketed as a roadshow at high price scales. But each is strong in entertainment values — and in family appeal. And the Disney trend is continuing with “The Parent Trap” scoring top grossing marks in the current quarter. Make ’em good and sell ’em right still is a winning formula. ★ ★ Unusual Advertisement Mrs. Esther L. Green, owner of the Fepco company of Omaha, Neb., is to be commended for the patriotic spirit which motivated her placement of an unusual advertisement in the August 7 issue of Boxoffice. We liked its message, as did the many exhibitors who wrote for copies on parchment which Mrs. Green offered. “American Respect for the Dignity of the Individual” is the title of the message by Dr. John W. Gardner, president of the Carnegie Corporation, and this Mrs. Green called a fundamental “which will stand as our nation’s strongest bulwark against Communism.” The message also will serve as an inspiration for quality in whatever field of work the individual may be engaged. AUGUST Vol. 79