Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

■ I i 1 I( il !i li 1 THE NATIONAL FILM WEEKLY Published in Nine Sectional Editions BEN SHLYEN A NEW ERA AT HAND Editor-in-Chief and Publisher 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 City 24. Mo. Jesse Shlyen. Managing Editor; .Morris Schlozman, Business Manager; Hugh Fraze, Field Editor; I. L. IMatcber, Editor Itie Modern Theatre Section. Telephone CHestnut 1-7777. Editorial Offices: 1270 Sixth Ave., Rockefeller Center, New York 2U, N. Y. Donald M, Mersereau, Associate Publisher & General Manager; -A1 Steen, Eastern Edltor. Telephone COlumbus 5-6370. Central Offices: Editorial — 920 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 11, Hi.. Frances B. Ciow, Telephone superior 7-3972. Advertising— 5809 North Lincoln. Louis Didier and Jack Broderick, Telephone LOngbeach 1-5284. Western Offices: Ekiitorial and Film Adverlising— 6362 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 28, Cal., Chris Dutra, manager. Telephone Hollywood 5-1186. Equipment and Non-E'ilm Advertising— New York Ufe Bldg., 2801 West Sixth St., Los Angeles 57, Calif. Bob Wettstein, manager. Telephone Dunkirk 8-2286. London Office: Antlrony Gruner, 1 Woodberry Way, Finchley, No. 12. Telephone Hillside 6733. The MODEItN THEATltB Section is included in the first issue of each month. .Atlanta: Jean Mullis, 1*. 0. Box 1695. Albany: J. S. Conners, 140 Slate St. ^ BaiUinore: George Browning, 119 E. 25th St. Boston: Guy Livingston, 80 Boylston, Boston, Mass. Cliarlotte: Blanche Carr, 301 S. Church. LTncinnati : Frances Hanford, UNiversity 17180. Cleveland: W. Waid Marsh, Plain Dealer. Columbus: F’red Oestreicher, 52\^ Vi. North Broadway. ' Dallas: Mable Guinan, 5927 Winton. Denver; Bruce Marshall, 2881 S. Cherry Way. Des Moines: Pat Cooney, 2727 49th St. Detroit; H. F. Reves, 906 Fox Theatre Bldg., woodward 2-1144. Hartford; Allen M. Wldem, CH. 9-8211. Indianapolis: Norma Geraghty, 436 N. Illinois St. Jiutksonville: liobert Cornwall, 1199 Edgewood Ave. Mempiiis; Null Adams, 707 Spring St. Miami: Martha Lummus, 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. Oklahoma City: Sam Brunk, 3416 N. Virginia. <■' Omaha: Irving Baker, 5108 Izard St. ' Philadelphia: A1 Zurawski, The Bulletin. Pittsburgh: R. F. Kllngensmitb, 516 Jean s ette, Wilkinsburg. Cllurchill 1-2809. Portland, Ore. : Arnold Marks, Journal. ' ' Providence: Guy Langley, 388 Saylcs St. St. Louis: Joe & Joan Pollack, 7335 Shaftsbury, University City, PA 5-7181. Salt Lake City: H. Pearson, Deseret News. San Francisco: Dolores Barusch, 25 Taylor St., ORdway 3-4813; Advertising: Jerry Nowell, 417 Market St., YUkon 29537. Washington: Virginia R. Collier, 2308 P Ashmead Place, N. W., DUpont 7-0892. gS In Canada p Montreal: Room 314, 625 Belmont St., Jules Larochelle. ii:| St. John: 43 Waterloo, Sam Babb. ip Toronto: 2675 Bayview Ave., WUlowdale, p Ont. W. Gladlsh. p Vancouver: 411 Lyric Theatre Bldg. 751 P GranvHle St., Jack Droy. P Winnipeg: The Tribune, Jim Peters. || Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Second Class postage paid at Kansas City, p Mo. Sectional Edition, $3.00 per year. National Edition, $7.50. !i| NOVEMBER 26, 1962 Vol. 82 No. 6 I The recent convention of Theatre Owners of America in Miami Beach might be considered the threshold to a new era in the motion picture industry. There were proposals which, if adopted, could bring about some revolutionary developments, although some were not completely on the new side. Mentioned before, but not pushed so diligently, were pleas for exhibitor participation in picture financing and a “share the risk” policy. Such pitches were made by Max Youngstein and Spyros Skouras. Youngstein, heading up the new Entertainment Corp. of America, laid it on the line when he told the convention that a “production pool” must be formed to assure a flow of product. And Skouras, board chairman of 20th Century-Fox, asked that a formula for “guaranteeing” the producers’ return on their investments be created. Neither Youngstein nor Skouras went into specific details in regard to their proposals, but they aroused enough interest to cause TOA president John Stembler to announce that he would appoint a committee to delve into the recommendations and come up with a plan which would not involve legal complications. Another possible development of the so-called new era could stem from an authorized study of an American version of Britain’s Eady Fund, as outlined by Ellis Pinkney, head of Cinematograph Exhibitors Ass’n, who came over from London to address the convention. The plan, which has been in operation in England for more than ten years, calls for the allotment of a percentage of theatre receipts to a fund for the financing of British production. Considerable interest in the Eady Fund was expressed by the TOA conventioneers who admitted, however, that, because of different laws in the two countries, the Eady plan could offer only a pattern on which a formula could be created. A deeper realization that distribution methods were changing, and had changed, was stamped on the convention delegates. Sumner Redstone of New England called it a revolution and advocated the discarding of archaic practices. S. H. Fabian, president of Stanley Warner Corp., favored a more tempered approach, preferring the retention of the good points and separating them from the bad. Nevertheless, the apparent success of United Artists’ Premiere ShoAvease Plan and the TOA-sponsored Hollywood Preview setup made profound impacts on the conventioneers. There was a definite feeling that the old system of clearance and runs was passing into limbo for both the hardtop and drive-in theatres. Perhaps the only dark cloud on the horizon, as presented to the convention, was the progress made by pay television and the legal setbacks suffered by tbe medium’s opponents. And yet, Philip Harling, chairman of the Joint Committee Against Pay TV, was not downhearted. He told the convention he Avas confident that, if exhibitors continued their grassroots activities in arousing Congressional opposition to the medium, there would be ultimate victory. The TOA convention and the concurrent conclave of the National Ass’n of Concessionaires will go doAvn in the industry’s annals as unqualified successes. The sessions were well attended, sometimes capacity, despite the lure of the pool, surf and neighboring golf courses. Exhibitors and concessionaires went there to learn more about their business and they returned to their homes with a Avealth of information. And hats off to those Avho Avorked so hard to put both conventions over with a bang. ★ ★ The curtain has come doAvn on the Theatre OAvners of America convention and a neAv curtain will rise next Monday (3) in Cleveland, where Allied States Ass’n Avill stage its annual conference. It cannot be denied that the Allied of today is a much different Allied from that Avhich existed a decade ago. The old Allied, it must be conceded, achieved many goals Avith noise, soapbox oratory, appeals to tbe government, figbts on tbe convention floor and stampeded resolutions. But Allied today has neAv leadership and it has a different kind of distribution leadership to contend with. Both segments have changed. Ben Marcus, chairman of the board of Allied, gives a very clear picture of his association’s present policy in the forthcoming convention. His entire plea for peaceful coexistence appeared in last week’s issue of Boxoffice, but one paragraph hears repeating: “Ever since a new, young and vigorous leadership came into National Allied, a distinct change has taken place in our relationship with distribution. Where bickering, mistrust and confusion formerly prevailed, this new leadership has created an atmosphere of serenity in our relations Avith distribution in the hope that on this groundwork a sound basis Avould be built for mutual understanding and cooperation.” Perhaps some of the old Allied Avarriors who have passed on Avould shake their heads in disbelief if they could read brother Marcus’ statement. But it has been proven that more problems can be solved by such an attitude than with brickbats. That doesn’t mean, hoAvever, that Allied has gone soft; it can be interpreted thal a new approach is the order of the day. Allied has a constructive program lined up for its Cleveland sessions. In addition to industry affairs on the agenda, exhibitors Avill be offered the opportunity to get a first-hand look at neAV equipment developments through the TESMATEDA trade show. Boxoffice urged exhibitors to attend the TOA convention and is repeating that advice in regard to Allied’s affair. The price is an investment — not an expense. —AL STEEN