Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

THE NATIONAL FILM WEEKLY Published in Nine Sectional Editions BEN SHLYEN Editor-in-Chief and Publisher DONALD M. MERSEREAU, Associate Publisher & General Manager JESSE SHLYEN ....Managing Editor HUGH FRAZE Field Editor AL STEEN Eastern Editor I. L. THATCHER Equipment Editor MORRIS SCHLOZMAN Business Mgr. Publication Offices: 825 Van Brunt Blvd. Kansas City 24, Mo. Jesse Stalyen, Managing Editor; Morris Schlozman, Business Manager; Hugh Fraz*. Field Editor; I. L. Thatcher. Editor The Modern Theatre Section. Telephone CHestnut 1-7777. Editorial Offices: 1270 Sixth Ave., Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Donald M. Mersereau, Associate Publisher & General Manager; A1 Steen, Eastern Editor. Telephone COlumbus 5-6370. Central Offices: Editorial — 920 N. Michigan Are., Chicago 11, 111., Frances B. Clow, Telephone Superior 7-3972. Advertising— 5811 North Lincoln, Louis Didier and Jack Broderick, Telephone LOngbeach 1-5284. Western Offices: Editorial and Film Advertising— 6362 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood 28, Calif., Syd Cassyd. Telephone Hollywood 5-1186. Equipment and Non-Film Advertising — New York Life Bldg., 2801 West Sixth St., Los Angeles 57, Calif. Bob Wettsteln, manager. Telephone Dunkirk 8-2286. London Office: Anthony Gruner, 1 Woodberry Way, Finchley, N. 12. Telephone Hillside 6733. The MODERN THEATRE Section Is included In the first Issue of each month. Albany: J. S. Conners, 140 State St. Atlanta: Mary Charles Watts, 205 Walton St.. N. W. Baltimore: George Browning, 208 E. 25th St. Boston: Guy Livingston, 80 Boylston, Boston, Mass. Charlotte: Blanche Carr, 301 S. Church. Cincinnati: Frances Hanford, UNiverslty 17180. Cleveland: W. Ward Marsh, Plain Dealer. Columbus: Fred Oestreicher, 52% W. North Broadway. Dallas: Mable Gulnan, 5927 Wlnton. Denver Bruce Marshall, 2881 S. Cherry Way. lies Moines: Pat Cooney, 2727 49th St. Detroit: H. F. lteves, 906 Fox Theatre Bldg., WOodward 2-1144. Hartford: Allen M. Wldem. CH. 9-8211. Indianapolis: Norma Ceraghty, 436 N. Illinois St. Jacksonville: Robert Cornwall. 1199 Edgewood Ave. Manchester, N. H. : Guy Langley. P.0. Box 56. Memphis: Null Adams, 707 8pring St. Miami: Martha Lummus, 622 N.E. 98 St. Milwaukee: Wm. Nichol, 2251 S. Layton. Minneapolis: Jon Pankake, 729 8th Ave. S.E. New Orleans: Mrs. Jack Auslet, 2268% St. Claude Ave. Oklahoma City: Sam Brunk, 3416 N Virginia. Omaha Irving Baker. 5108 Izard St. Philadelphia: A1 Zurawskl, The Bulletin Pittsburgh: R. F. Klingensmltb, 516 Jeanette, Wllkinsburg. 412-241-2809. Portland. Ore.: Arnold Marks, Journal St. Louis: Joe 4 Joan Pollack, 7335 Shaftsbury, University City, PA 5-7181. Salt Lake City: II. Pearson. Deseret News San Francisco: Dolores Barusch. 25 Taylor St.. ORdway 3-4813; AdvertisingJerry Nowell, 417 Market St., Yukon 29537. Washington: Virginia R. Collier. 2308 Ashmead Place. N. W., DUpont 7-0892 In Canada Montreal: Room 314, 625 Belmont St.. Jules Larochelle. St. John: 43 Waterloo, Sam Babb. Toronto: 2675 Bayview Ave., Wlllowdale, Ont. W. Gladish. Vancouver: 411 Lyric Theatre Bldg. 751 Granville St., Jack Droy. Winnipeg: The Tribune, Jim Peters. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Second Class postage paid at Kansas City, Mo. Sectional Edition, $3.00 per year. National Edition, $7.50. NOVEMBER 4, 1963 Vol. 84 No. 2 ON THE IN STRONG EVIDENCE at the Theatre Owners of America convention, held in New York this past week, was the upbeat spirit that prevailed throughout its business session, resounding also at the meetings jointly held by the National Ass’n of Concessionaires, the Theatre Equipment Manufacturers Ass’n and the Theatre Equipment Supply Dealers. Exhibitors and distributors displayed a most confident attitude toward the future of this business, and while not minimizing the severity or seriousness of some problems, they didn’t exaggerate them either. There was a general feeling on the part of exhibitors, distributors and suppliers that cooperation could overcome any deterrents to their progress and this was borne out by the programs that each offered— highly constructive and loaded with practical use-values. Showmanship pervaded the atmosphere at each and every gathering and added inspiration to the information dispensed that exhibitors could carry back home and profitably adapt or wholly implement. Richard A. Smith, who delivered the keynote address, sounded an optimistic note when he told of the increased activity in the building of new theatres and in his analysis of why this “boom” would continue. He foresaw the building of a minimum of 200 new shopping center theatres each year for the next five years, at least, and cited “an immediate 2,000 possible new theatre locations without even considering the possibilities in urban-renewal areas.” To this, he added, there are also 5,000 or more smaller centers to provide an additional pool of potential locations. Mr. Smith saw in this an opportunity to, once again, establish the theatregoing habit and he pointed to the growth in number of theatres as the means of adding substantially to the industry’s revenue, both for exhibition and production-distribution. Somewhat like our observation on this page last week that “there is strength in numbers,” Mr. Smith declared that, if only 1,500 of the potential 2,000 theatres were built, the industry would realize a possible $175,000,000 a year in added theatre receipts, from which producer-distributors would gain more than $60,000,000 in film rent UPBEAT! als. This, in turn, he said, would lead to a greater supply of pictures produced exclusively for theatres. Stating that every basic economic indicator pointed toward an uptrend in motion picture business, and specifying five of these reasons, Mr. Smith concluded with “there is a tremendous opportunity and there’s room for every exhibitor with courage and confidence in the future to participate.” In line with this favorable point of view was the statement by Ralph Hetzel, acting head of the Motion Picture Ass’n of America, who said a significant increase in motion picture business was indicated by the index of current business developments at the MPAA offices. The uptrend included the rising interest in motion pictures on the part of young people and “the determination of distribution executives to make the industry grow.” From the physical side of the theatre came an almost unfailing indicator of improvement that already has taken place, as well as of the expectancy of continuing progress. Not only was the attendance at the meetings and visits to the equipment and concession exhibits of NAC, TESMA and TEDA record-breaking, but the lookers were also buying. Improvements all along the line in theatre operation — “from the screen to the street” — thus were indicated. And, with about 150 equipment and concessions people pleased with this interest shown bv exhibitors — and the orders they left — this evidences a concrete example of “courage and confidence.” Enthusiasm — that essential to successful showmanship (and we don’t mean just in exhibition) — was in constant evidence at the convention. And the fact that an all-time high mark was set by the number of exhibitors in attendance, coming from just about every state in the Union, is another good sign. Doubtless, industry conditions have improved. But the important thing is to hold to the line of progress and, by putting forth extra measures of effort, perpetuate and extend it.