Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

TOA CONVENTION . . Cont d He’s a square from Nebraska... Success of Hollywood Preview Plan For 'Baby Jane Lauded by Fabian MIAMI BEACH — The boxoffice success of “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” i through the Hollywood Preview Plan was described a s lightning that was producing a chain reaction felt by every segment of the industry in an address by S. H. Fabian at the concluding banquet of the Theatre Owners of America. The president of Stanley Warner Corp. said that the film’s success may be a sign which exhibitors had been looking for to alleviate the product scarcity in those periods of the year which had been discounted by distribution as of little or no value. He said that every industry which was associated with films would receive some benefit from the engagement, pointing out that “our concessionaire and equipment friends turned to their calendars and rubbed their eyes in amazement when it became clear to them that this was just a week in November and not a holiday.” WON’T WORK A MIRACLE Fabian said he was not asking his audience to believe that a picture taken out of the Hollywood vault for release in November instead of February was going to work a miracle. He said he could not visualize sales managers overnight rearranging playoff schedules because of the success of one picture, but, he declared, it could happen and would happen if exhibition followed through on this break-through in distribution policy. Under the promised TOA cooperation, Fabian said that Warner Bros, had racked up about 1,000 playdates before “Baby Jane” opened and that every other sales manager in the business wanted to know why he had not been given the same opportunity. As to those theatres which had lost the picture to a competitor, Fabian said that if exhibition vigorously pushed the preview plan, other distributors would fall in line and every theatre would have its day. “By the time we negotiate six or eight pictures for the plan,” Fabian said, “is there any man in this room who will not realize that by the law of averages, we will do more gross in the weeks we play those pictures than we would have done if the national Hollywood Preview Plan had not been devised and not supported by intelligent showmanship?” DELAY LOAN REPAYMENTS Fabian said that when a distributor held up the boxoffice liquidation of a multimillion dollar picture because he fancied a few holidays and two summer months as the only prime playing time, he not only delayed the repayment of the producer's loans but built up heavy and unwarranted interest charges for the producer as well. The Stanley Warner president said there was a profound change in the field of production which seemed likely to increase the product flow. He singled out as examples the activities of Samuel Bronston, the new firm of Max Youngstein and his associates, Joe Levine, the plans of MCA, A.S.E. Films, Cinerama and the program planned by Darryl Zanuck for 20th Century-Fox. He said he hoped that his old friends at the major studios would not feel that exhibition welcomed the new activity to their detriment, but that increased competition would cause them to re-examine their policy of scarcity to see if they could produce more films. Fabian said he had been shocked at Sumner Redstone’s advocating the complete and total obliteration of the entire system of distribution. He quoted Redstone as saying the revolution was upon us. Fabian said he did not see revolution, but a transition; not the wholesale destruction of the distribution system but something scientific — trial and error. 'Baby Jane' Will Pay Off In Two Weeks: Aldrich NEW YORK — The “Hollywood Preview Engagement” of the Warner Bros. -Seven Arts production of “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” will recoup its entire negative cost within two weeks of its release in November, according to Robert Aldrich, producer-director. Aldrich attributes this fast pay-off of the picture, which cost approximately $825,000, to the saturation bookings, including 168 in the New York area during the first week of release, and to the huge advertising and publicity campaign, including Bette Davis’ personal tour of the RKO circuit houses playing the picture. The boxoffice gross for the first eight days of “Baby Jane” in some 300 theatres throughout the country was $1,245,000 and Warner Bros, had 400 prints working by mid-November. In the majority of firstrun dates (in New York City it was a saturation neighborhood booking) , “Baby Jane” held over for a second week and at least 100 of these will hold for a third week, Aldrich pointed out. Thus the picture, including the cost of advertising, prints, etc., will be “in the black” when it reaches a $1,700,000 figure. While this proves that the Theatre Owners of America’s preview engagement plan was a success with “Baby Jane,” Aldrich said this was due mainly to the star value of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford while other films might have needed time for a word-of-mouth buildup. Both Miss Davis and Miss Crawford took moderate salaries, far below their usual figures, plus a percentage of the profits. Aldrich is now discussing with Warner Bros, an 18-day European tour with both Miss Davis and Miss Crawford in January, a sort of “18 Days Around the World.” He believes that “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” will be a greater critical success in Europe and an equally strong boxoffice winner there. I' I BOXOFFICE November 19, 1962