Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1963)

COMPO Holds Annual Executive Meeting NEW YORK — A new drive for dues collections will be launched by the Council of Motion Picture Organizations in January, it was decided at the annual meeting of COMPO’s board of directors and executive committee here November 1. As in the past, film salesmen of the member companies of the Motion Picture Ass’n of America will solicit dues from exhibitors, the money to be matched dollar for dollar by the MPAA. All officers of COMPO were re-elected for another year at the meeting, which was attended by 22 members. Censorship occupied an important part of the session and the seriousness of the censorship threats was stressed. Regarded as the “hot spots” were New York, Maryland, New Jersey and Kansas, where censorship legislation is in the hoppers. It was emphasized by Charles E. McCarthy, COMPO executive vice-president, that the No. 1 necessity was the organization of all segments of the industry to combat censorship legislation wherever it arose. It was pointed out that back of all the drives for censorship was the goal of barring children from theatres. Emanuel Frisch of New York reported on the Bill of Rights campaign and it was voted to continue the committee in charge of it as a public service. COMPO also will continue its pressure for the elimination of the entire federal admission tax even though it appeared that there would be no changes in excise taxes in this session of Congress. COMPO’s tax committee will be retained until the tax has been repealed or until it is deemed advisable to dissolve it. Although Theatre Owners of America had voted to pursue an audience awards project at its recent convention, COMPO will not be active in it unless requested by TOA. McCarthy explained that COMPO had worked on the idea in prior years, but when it was found that insufficient talent could be obtained for a TV spectacular, the matter was dropped. McCarthy said COMPO now had no part of the plan. Prior to the opening of the meeting, the members stood in silence for one minute in honor of the late Herman Robbins, former COMPO treasurer, and Eric Johnston, president of the MPAA. The re-elected officers were Samuel Pinanski, Ben Marcus and Eugene Picker, who comprise the governing committee ; Russell Downing, treasurer; Sidney Screiber, secretary, and McCarthy. Para. Sets Thanksgiving Dates on Presley Film NEW YORK — Paramount has set 500 Thanksgiving holiday engagements for Hal Wallis’ “Fun in Acapulco,” following the successful pattern established with Elvis Presley’s previous Wallis pictures, “G.I. Blues,” “Blue Hawaii” and “Girls! Girls! Girls!” according to Charles Boasberg, general sales manager. Paramount’s largest print order for a Presley picture will facilitate a nationwide saturation in 28 key exchange areas. Paramount’s merchandising campaign for “Fun in Acapulco” includes a music promotion with RCA Victor Records. Paramount Year , Says NEW YORK — Paramount Pictures opened the first of three sectional sales conventions on a high note of optimism Monday (4) when George Weltner, executive vicepresident, told the sales executives that the company was on the threshold of its greatest year in history. A similar session was held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans Thursday and Friday (7-8) and another scheduled for Chicago on November 11-12. Weltner said he was expressing not only his personal enthusiasm, but also the enthusiasm of exhibitors, declaring that Paramount was the “talk of exhibitors throughout the world because of its unusually strong product position.” He said that exhibition had acknowledged that Paramount was the “hot” company. “Paramount is spending time, money, effort like there’s no tomorrow — because we believe there is a tomorrow,” Weltner said, adding that it was traditional in the industry for people to “respect you for what you are” and that was why alliances had been made with the world’s outstanding producers. He said the studio was “bubbling” harder than ever and that the domestic sales organization under Charles Boasberg, the overseas branch under James Perkins and the marketingadvertisingpublicity department under Martin Davis were “unparalleled.” Barney Balaban, president, cited what he called a “very substantial third-quarter performance” and said that this “momentum will carry us into one of the biggest years in the history of Paramount.” He said the promises of bigger and better pictures had been fulfilled and “we are prepared to shoot our bankroll on a continuing product supply because we are completely confident of the future.” The Paramount president said the company’s capital structure was the “envy of the industry” and that whatever the company wanted to do it could do “because we have the money.” Charles Boasberg, general sales manager, urged the sales force to deliver the most concentrated and thorough selling effort ever expended. He said exhibitors could be assured of “at least one blockbuster monthly.” Martin Davis, vice-president, said the search for and the utilization of the best available tools to reach potential theatre patrons was a constant one and one that would continue to cast credit on the company. Also participating in the promotion discussions were Joseph Friedman, assistant to Davis; Bernard Serlin, exploitation manager; Jerry Levine, advertising manager, and Hy Hollinger, publicity manager. Boasberg conducted the meetings and was joined by Tom W. Bridge, assistant in Greatest Weltner general sales manager; Hugh Owen, eastern sales manager; Alfred Taylor, western; Edmund C. De Berry, southern; Jack Perley, playdate manager; Ben Shectman, contract manager; Arthur Dunne, assistant contract manager; Martin Schank, branch operations manager; Fred Leroy, sales administration; Mario Ghio, print manager, and Joseph Moscaret, non -theatrical manager. Regional sales managers were John G. Moore, Boston, and Herb Gillis, Washington; branch managers: Myron Sattler, New York; Daniel Houlihan, Buffalo; William Meier, Cincinnati; Harold Henderson, Cleveland; Henry Germaine, New Haven; Don Hicks, Philadelphia, and Kip Smiley, Pittsburgh. ADL Human Relations Award to Balaban NEW YORK — Barney Balaban, president of Paramount Pictures, was honored for his contributions to the fight against racial and religious prejudice and discrimination at the 50th Anniversary luncheon of the Anti-Defamation League, amusement division, in the Imperial Ballroom of the Hotel Americana Friday (1). Dore Schary, national chairman of the League, presented Balaban with the Human Relations Award for “his services to the advancement of democracy and understanding.” In his acceptance speech, Balaban said, “If I have worked hard for ADL, I’ve been more than repaid — not only by this wonderful tribute but, even more important, by the knowledge that in some small way I helped bring this wonderful country of ours a little closer to that better, freer world our fathers wanted for us, and we want for our children.” Recalling the early days when, with Dick Gutstadt, Harry Brandt and Jack Cohn, he helped to rejuvenate the work of ADL in New York, Balaban said that “Today the League enjoys tremendous stature — such prestige that West Germany only recently turned to it; as you and I might turn to a doctor. This powerful government called in ADL to check it over, to see whether its young democracy was in good shape, whether its youth were getting the kind of education they needed to appreciate the democratic way, to grow up as free men in a free society. ADL sent in a team of ten experts who spent six weeks at hard, close study. The result — a report and recommendations that West German officials and educators will soon be using as a blueprint for democratic education.” Bess Myerson, stage and TV personality, who won the “Miss America” crown in 1945, was the keynote speaker at the luncheon, of which Harry Brandt, president of the Independent Theatre Owners Ass’n of New York, was chairman. Benjamin Melniker, vice-president and general counsel of MGM, who is this year’s chairman of the amusement division of the League, introduced the speakers. George Weltner BOXOFFICE ;: November 11, 1963 7