Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1962)

Industry 'True Leadership In Exhibition: Dollinger TESMA Technical Data Cited by L. W. Davee (XEVELAND — Because of the very specialized nature of all phases of theatre operation, there must exist a close coordination among producers, theatre owners, prospective owners, dealers and manufacturers, L. W. Davee declared at the joint luncheon of exhibitors and equipment men during the Allied States Ass’n convention here Tuesday (4). Davee, president of Theatre Equipment and Supply Manufacturers Ass’n, said that TESMA was dedicated to see that all phases of the industry were aware that opportimities did exist for expansion of expression and enlarging the scope of the theatre presentations for more profitable operation through technical advancement. But, he continued, nowhere else in the industry were there provisions for systematizing the transmission of relevant information and communicating it to the theatre or the industry; nor nowhere were there ways and means of sensitizing the theatre owner to the kinds of opportunities presented in the expanding boundaries of science and the kinds of effort and creative response required to adapt them. “We hope,” Davee said, “that we can count on other segments of our industry to take those steps which we believe are so necessary to make the motion picture theatre a profitable operation and a way of life.” Geissler, Other Officers Re-Elected by TEDA CLEVELAND — Officers of Theatre Equipment Dealers Ass’n re-elected its officers at its meeting held here last week in conjunction with the Allied States Ass’n convention. E. H. Geissler, Wil-Kin, Inc., Atlanta, was renamed president and J. E. Miller, vice-president of John P. Filbert Co., Los Angeles, was re-elected vice-president. Returned to the post of secretary-treasurer was L. Phil Wicker, secretary-treasurer of Standard Theatre Supply Co., Greensboro, N. C. Elected to the board of directors were Bob Tankersley, Denver; George Hornstein, New York City; Tom Shearer, Seattle; C. C. Creamer, Minneapolis; Louis M. Wutke, Los Angeles; J. H. Elder, Dallas, and Lloyd C. Pearson, Toronto. A1 Boudouris. Theatre Equipment Co. of Toledo, was named chairman of the committee on membership and liaison. The organization reported that its membership had increased 100 per cent in the last year. Martin Starr Resigns National Screen Post NEW YORK — Martin Starr, who joined National Screen Service when Harrison’s Reports, which he edited, ceased publication in September, has resigned his exhibitor relations post with NSS, according to Burton E. Robbins, president of the trailer and accessory firm, effective December 14. One of Starr’s assignments with NSS was the publication of a news letter intended for the exhibitors of the U. S. but a suitable format for the letters has been unable to emerge after several home office trial runs, Robbins said. CLEVELAND — -True leadership in the film industry is, and always has been, in exhibition because the exhibitor has vision, foresight, courage, guts and brains, Irving Dollinger stated in his keynote address at the opening session of Allied States Ass’n’s 33rd annual convention here Monday (3). Dollinger, chairman of the board of Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey and a national director, asserted that it was exhibition which had made progress possible through taking advantage of new developments and keeping up with the times. On the other hand, he said, distribution had lacked vision and understanding on several fronts. He pointed out that when the industry was reeling from the impact of TV’s original onslaught, the “gimmick” known as 3-D came on the scene and exhibition invested heavily in it. But, he added, production did not have the vision to see the great future in 3-D if properly handled. Instead, Dollinger said, the producers glutted the market with inferior 3-D pictures, going after the “fast buck” and sounding its death knell. He said exhibitors still would be playing the pictures to good business if the distributors had released only one 3-D picture a month. In regard to Cinemascope, Dollinger criticized production for bringing out all improvements in one year and then doing nothing for the next ten. All in one year, he said, the industry “shot the works” with widescreen, stereophonic sound, surround speakers, magnetic recording, when each one of these could have been a business booster by itself. “Then to top it all off, some producers didn’t like Cinemascope, or Skouras, or something, and brought out VistaVision,” L. H. Geissler, left, president of TEDA, and Larry Davee, president of TESMA, at opening session of their combined meetings in the Sheraton Cleveland Hotel, Cleveland. Dollinger said. “And what have they done since? Have they had men working to bring out new gimmicks — to improve our equipment— and to possibly standardize it? Of course, they had the vision and the brains and the courage to stop supporting the Motion Picture Research Council.” Dollinger described the companies’ disposal of pictures to television as “suicidal action” and yet top product now is on television on Saturday nights and Sunday, he added. FIRST TO ACCEPT CHANGES The exhibitor, Dollinger said, was the first to see the changes taking place in the business and the first to take advantage of them or prepare himself for them. “He knows,” Dollinger said, “that never has he had to be sharper, more agile or more alert just to keep abreast of the changes. On the other hand, keeping up with the changing times to distribution means just one thing — going from 40 per cent to 60 per cent with less pictures and less prints. Now that exhibition realizes that although the theatre still belongs on Main Street, Main Street has moved. Moved to the shopping center. Many new theatres are being built and will be built where the public will come: in the suburbs, in the shopping centers, and it is the exhibitor who will be putting up his money and effort to once again lead this industry ahead to new heights. Of course, distribution’s answer to this increase in theatres is to cut down on prints, fire personnel and close exchanges.” SEX POINTS OUTLINED Dollinger listed six points which exhibition should do to “make the motion picture industry successful in spite of itself.” They were: 1. Build new theatres where people are. 2. Always keep all theatres in such condition that the public has a reason for leaving a comfortable home. 3. Even more important is to render service to patrons in every possible way: nearby parking, courteous employes and all the niceties that will make a customer want to come back to “your” theatre. 4. Try to convince distribution that if all sales to TV were cut off now, that the millions of new fans made by showings on TV would be breaking down the doors to the theatres. 5. If the market stays in its present short condition, then exhibitors should get together and buy the best of the European output. This will not require as much cash as might be imagined because “we have the theatres and playing time.” 6. Always let the customers know what is playing. In the case of point No. 5 above, there was some speculation on whether Dollinger and/or Allied had a definite plan in mind for the acquisition of foreign product. Dollinger told Boxoffice that he had no specific plan, but merely had tossed the thought on the table for consideration. Irving Dollinger BOXOmCE :: December 10, 1962 7