Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

TOA-NAC CONVENTION . . . Cont'd Ellis F. Pinkney Recommends Adoption Of England's Eady Plan in the U.S. Proposes Three Ways To Combal Pay TV MIAMI BEACH — Legal setbacks in the sphere of pay television have not dampened the spirits of the Anti-Pay TV Committee of Theatre Owners of America although recent decisions have been disheartening, Philip F. H a r 1 i n g, committee chairman, told the Theatre Owners of America convention here Thursday (8). Speaking at the session on “exhibition and the law,” Harling said that where public opinion had been probed, the overwhelming majority was loud and clear in its opposition to paying for programs that now were free. He accused the Department of Justice of “stacking the cards” when it told the film companies that pay TV must have a true test. Harling proposed a three-point program for combatting the pay TV invasion: 1. A concentrated grass roots campaign directed to every member of the House and Senate, urging him to prevail upon the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committees to act favorably on bills which would outlaw pay TV as being contrary to the public interests. 2. The continued retention of legal and other counsel to oppose every serious application in any court or tribunal, so as to gain every minute of time possible, as well as provide exhibitors with a forum to further acquaint the public with the costs and empty promises of pay TV. 3. Immediate contributions be made by all exhibitors to the Joint Committee Against Pay TV on some equitable basis, not only to meet past obligations for legal fees and disbursements incurred, but to enable the committee to carry out the two above recommendations. Harling reviewed the recent court cases in which the anti-pay TV groups lost out and stressed that the committee had no quarrel with community antenna services, but that it was concerned about instances where CATV, by wiring up homes, would be all set to convert to pay TV. He pointed out that the committee had been instrumental in having an applicant for a franchise in Waterbury, Conn., agree that his system never would be used for pay television. Harling said he was convinced that the final showdown on the issue did not rest with the courts or federal bureaus but with the “practical thinking public” who will convince Congress that pay TV is not in the public interest. 'White Slave Ship' Openings Set LOS ANGELES — American International’s sea thriller, “White Slave Ship,” has been set for major openings in Los Angeles and Chicago, according to Leon P. Blender, AIP sales chief. “White Slave Ship” will open a multiple run on November 14 in over 40 Los Angeles area theatres, with the Chicago date consisting of a showcase run at Balaban and Katz’ State-Lake Theatre. MIAMI BEACH— England’s Eady Plan was placed before the Theatre Owners of America convention here Thursday (8) by Ellis F. Pinkney, general secretary of the Cinematograph Exhibitors’ Ass’n of Great Britain and Ireland, who said he had no hesitation in recommending the adoption of a similar plan in the United States. Pinkney first summarized the Eady formula in brief terms. He explained that the Eady Fund was a plan under which exhibitors, with the assistance of both distributors and producers, made weekly payments, known as the Eady levy, into a central pool. The funds then were disbursed to producers, with the aim of encouraging and supporting the production of British films. He said the scheme had been in operation for more than ten years and was one which, except for occasional minor irritations, now received the complete support of British exhibitors generally. Because there were limited outlets for spending immediately after World War II, theatre attendance reached its peak in 1946, but with the revival of television and other possibilities for spending, attendance dropped and producers were in difficulty because their films could not earn enough in the home market. Slowly the plan evolved. Officials of the various film trade associations in London were summoned to the Treasury by Sir Wilfred Eady. It was proposed to the exhibitors that the admission tax scale should be altered in such a way that, while the tax was reduced on the cheaper seats, the Exhibitors Like Berns' Industry Newsreel MIAMI BEACH — Exhibitor reaction to Samuel Berns’ industry newsreel, “Hollywood Film Report,” which he presented at the opening session of the Theatre Owners of America convention Wednesday was highly favorable. The short subject, which will be sold at the level of comparable shorts, is designed to have a pre-sell impact, since it was intended to create images of forthcoming product, titles and personalities, Berns said. He added that it was a device by which competitive theatre operators could help each other stimulate a “want-to-see-a-greaternumber-of-pictures” reaction among the captive audiences attending their theatres. Presented in newsreel style, the demonstration reel showed behind-thescenes activities during the filming of “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” a chat with Jerry Lewis, new star Tommy Bull and the beachhead sequence from “The Longest Day” among other episodes. Berns said he needed 2,000 theatres to put the project in motion. He has almost 400 theatres signed up. higher admission prices could be increased without an undue proportion of the increase being taken away in tax. Pinkney said that it was, however, a condition of the suggestion that from the resulting benefit to exhibitors, one half — amounting to $4,200,000 in American money in a full year — should go into a fund to help producers. After many meetings and debates, the basic points of the plan emerged as follows : 1. On each ticket sold, exhibitors were to pay into the pool the equivalent in American money .0029 of a cent. 2. Exhibitors whose gross takings in any week did not exceed $350 were exempt from payment for that week. 3. It was agreed by the Revenue Department that payments to the Eady Fund would be deductible from income tax purposes. 4. It was agreed with the distributors, including American companies, that in the case of percentage films, Eady Fund contribution payments were to be a deductible item in calculating film rental. Inasmuch as the overall average film rental had been approximately 35 per cent, this in effect meant that two-thirds of the Fund was paid by exhibitors and the remaining onethird by the producers and distributors. 5. The plan was to be for one year and then subject to review. There have been some changes and amendments to the overall plan, but, despite some crises, exhibitors now appreciate what has been made possible through more product of the highest quality, Pinkney said. NSS Role in the Industry Outlined by Martin Starr MIAMI BEACH— The role that National Screen Service has played in helping to make “tomorrow a better day at the boxoffice” was outlined at the opening luncheon session of the Theatre Owners of America convention here on Wednesday (7), by Martin Starr, director of exhibitor relations for NSS. The veteran trailer and accessory company, in its 43 years of service, has made it an accepted fact that it symbolizes a service that stands for greater progress, bigger boxoffice returns and a better image in the mind of the public, Starr said. “An industry as mammoth as the movies does not progress alone by getting out films and moving them on to the screens of the theatres throughout our land,” Starr said. “There must be integral services to help tie together this annual billion-dollar-plus package of entertainment that makes its bid for the free spending dollar of the public. Ours — the films, that is — is a business that calls for an integration of many forces and services to make it operate smoothly, efficiently, profitably.” Starr concluded, National Screen Service, as in the past, will not be found wanting “by the tripod upon which rests the destinies of the motion picture business — pi'oduction, distribution and, more importantly, exhibition.” Philip F. Harling BOXOFFICE :: November 12, 1962 11