Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

JACK ARMSTRONG NEW PRESIDENT Allied Board Elects Officers, Creates Executive Committee CLEVELAND — Jack Armstrong, head of the circuit bearing his name with headquarters in Bowling Green, Ohio, was elected president of Allied States Ass’n by the board of directors here Sunday (2) on the eve of Allied’s 33rd annual convention in the Sheraton-Cleveland Hotel. He succeeds Marshall Fine of Cleveland who served two tenns. Fine was elected jack Armstrong board chairman. Armstrong operates approximately 30 theatres and has been active in the national organization and the Ohio unit for many years. Edward Johnson, president of the Wisconsin Allied unit, was elected secretary of the national body and Harry Hendel was reelected treasm-er. Johnson succeeds Jack Clark of Chicago. Harrison Wolcott, secretary-treasurer of Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, was elected a regional vice-president, joining Jack Whittle of the Maryland unit and George Stern of western Pennsylvania who were re-elected to the regional posts. Wolcott succeeds Sig Goldberg. An executive committee was created at the board meeting for the first time. Allied never had an executive committee before. The group consists of Ben Marcus, Marshall Fine and Armstrong. Marcus was re-elected chairman of the new executive committee. The board also voted to expand its category of associate members. From now on, all members who have retired or sold thentheatre or theatres will be eligible to be associated members. The board gave considerable attention to the Eady Fund plan as it operates in England and as explained to the recent Theatre Owners of America convention and to the Council of Motion Picture Organizations by Ellis Pinkney, executive secretary of the Cinematograph Exhibitors Ass’n of England. A committee was appointed to study the plan and make a report to the board at a later date. This committee consists of Alden Smith of Michigan, Irving DoUinger of New Jersey, George Stern of western Pennsylvania and Sidney Cohen of New York State. Buffalo was selected as the site for the 1966 annual convention. The 1963 conclave will be in New York, October 21-23; 1964, Detroit, October 20-22, and, 1965, Pittsburgh, on dates not yet selected. The board will meet in Detroit next March. ARKOFF URGES EXHIBITORS: 'Support Independents To Aid Product Flow' CLEVELAND — Exhibitor support of independent film companies, such as American International, as a means of alleviating product shortage and providing for orderly, year-around release patterns was urged at the Allied States convention here Wednesday (5) by Samuel Z. Arkoff, AIP executive vicepresident. Arkoff spoke at the AIP convention luncheon along with Leon P. Blender, AIP sales chief, and Milton L. Moritz, publicity-advertising head. Arkoff noted that many exhibitors had recognized and supported his company’s growth and efforts to alleviate critical product shortage and to solve the problem of lack of orderly release of films. But, he added, there are many exhibitors who “while giving lip service of support, merely sit back and choose product at their whim. Lack of support for AIP’s efforts and solutions to exhibitors’ problems will stymie the company’s growth and eventually prove “fatal” to botlj Arkoff said, adding that AIP “will not be content with — nor stand for — being relegated to a comfort station source of product for some exhibitors.” Trade Practices, Cutbacks (Continued from preceding page) the elimination of block booking. Pointing up that this was a sellers’ market, Berger said that pictures should be sold on the basis of an exhibitor’s ability to pay and that, when overcharged, the exhibitor had a legal right to demand and get an adjustment. As for reissues, Berger said that basically they were second-hand merchandise and yet the distributors asked firsthand prices, a situation that should be corrected. Prior to the first business session, Marcus described how Allied had been going through a re-birth since that hectic convention two years ago in Miami where the permanency of the association was tottering because of divisions of opinions within the directorate. He said there now was a “new order” within Allied, spearheaded by young leadership as evidenced by the work done by the retiring president, Marshall Fine, and Milton London, executive secretary. Marcus stated that “nobody wants to fight” and “there should not be any fights.” But, he added, nobody should be denied the right to speak on a subject if he believed he was right on the matter and, at the same time, a person should agree with his opposition when proven wrong. He said constructive criticism was best and that everybody should work for the prosperity of the industry. At a tradepress conference following the pre-convention board meeting, some of the Allied leaders were asked for comment on suggestions that there should be one national exhibitor organization. The question stemmed from a remark made by Marshall Fine at the recent Theatre Owners of America convention in Miami Beach where Fine was an invited guest. Fine had said, as strictly a personal opinion, that one association might be preferable because there no longer was a wide divergence of opinion and policy between Allied and TOA. He ventured the opinion, too, that the time would come when there would be one organization. At the press meeting, London said in the case of Allied and TOA, “two heads were better than one,” and while there might be some duplication of effort, the competition was healthy and served to the advantage of the industry. Marcus expressed the opinion that there were areas of incompatibility between the two national associations and that the areas were too great to make a merger feasible. Each organization, he said, had its specific purpose and it would not serve any purpose to even discuss a consolidation at the present time — and he underscored the words “at the present time.” In a formal resolution, Marshall Fine was commended for his two years of service as president and thanked for his devotion to the organization and to the cause of independent exhibitors “beyond the call of duty.” STEMBLER IS A GUEST John Stembler, president of Theatre Owners of America, was an invited guest at the final luncheon meeting of the convention. He was returning the visit made by Fine to the TOA convention in Miami Beach in November. At a morning session, Charles McCarthy, executive vice-president of the Council of Motion Picture Organization, reviewed the activities of COMPO and made a report on the recent annual meeting. He asked that exhibitors pay their dues when called upon after January 8. The convention closed with a banquet sponsored by Charles Okun and Coca-Cola. Joseph Levine was cited as “producer of the year” and Sophia Loren, who was not present, was given the “star of the year” award, which was accepted by Mrs. Levine. Ed Finneran and Pepsi-Cola were the hosts at a champagne supper Tuesday night. Luncheon hosts were Motion Picture Advertising Service and National Screen Service. A full length natm-al mink coat, contributed by Movie Guide as a prize, was won by K. R. Roberts, Associated Theatres, Lynchbm'g, O. Edward Hyman to Detroit To Meet With Exhibitors NEW YORK— Edward L. Hyman, vicepresident of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, accompanied by his assistant, Morris Sher, will go to Detroit, December 10-12 to meet with officials of the affiliated United Detroit Theatres Corp. Following the pattern he has set for himself in the past, Hyman will also meet with opposition exhibitors in the Detroit area to acquaint them with the details of his recently concluded talks with distributor sales heads on the product outlook for the first half of the coming year, particularly the April-May-June period. 6 BOXOFFICE :: December 10, 1962