20th Century-Fox Dynamo (February 1960)

45 YEARS YOUNG -AND GROWING! Yields Of Progressive Action We Welcome A New Decade, Not Only With An Awareness Of Its Opportunities And Responsibility, But Also With A Program Keyed To Meet The Every Challenge Of A Changing Industry Continued from page 2 marks the 25th anniversary of the merger of that company with 20th Century Pictures, Inc*, to become the present 20th Century-Fox Film Cor- poration. But, this report is not one of hind- sight, but of foresight, of things that 1960 will bring, and of plans that are in operation to meet the demands, the responsibilities and challenge of a new decade. Those plans are based on a full awareness of the considerably changed world market in which this industry operates. The past is touched on only insofar as corporate achievements of the past relate to the present and future. In 1960 this far-flung organization will definitely make history anew. Significantly, the record shows that in time of stress, within and outside the industry, this company has made its best strides forward. Economic, sociological and other changes have had and continue having an unprecented influence on the status of motion picture entertainment. No longer is movie-going a habit. The me- dium is in greater competition not only from free entertainment supplied by television, but other factors as well. Today, according to U.S. government statistics, 91.4% of the homes in the domestic market have television sets. Hence, while this company will this year continue to utilize every communications medium to sell its pictures to the public, it will invest substantially more, both on the na- tional and local levels, in television exploitation of its wares. It will spend more also in radio advertising. Today, pleasure automobile own- ership reportedly is 53% greater than 12 years ago. This means a sub- stantially greater driving population. Thus, this company will spend more this year on outdoor advertising and other means to reach those itinerant millions. 1960 also will find this company in- itiating an intensive drive to accelerate family patronage of theatres by offer- ing at least one picture per month with potent family appeal. The record proves conclusively that the contemporary, discriminating pub- lic will patronize motion pictures of merit in larger numbers for longer periods of time than ever. This company’s 1960 comprises by far the largest number of “block- busters” it ever offered in any past year in its history. Moreover, it will release more feature attractions than ever, thus guaranteeing a continuous flow of CLARENCE A. HILL Branch Operations Director product to every type of theatre operation. It will continue to develop new talent in every segment of picture- making. But, ambitious as are its plans for this 45th anniversary year, this com- pany is planning beyond 1960. It will not rest on its laurels of either past or present accomplishment. The company that, in the early 1930’s, introduced sound-on-film, and the first theatre wide-screen (grandeur), and 23 years later brought about the prevail- ing CinemaScope era, has further ad- vancements that will benefit not only it, but the world industry as well. The world industry’s transition to CinemaScope in less than seven years has been acknowledgedly phenomenal, because the anamorphic system has be- come the virtual standard for film pro- duction and exhibition. Today 58,007 throughout the world are equipped to present Cine- maScope attractions: 16,224 in the United States, 1,452 in Canada and 40,331 in the rest of the world. Con- version to CinemaScope, both in pro- duction and exhibition, is spreading, too, in the U.S.S.R. But, popular acceptance of Cinema- Scope, while gratifying, is enabling this company to accelerate research for establishment of other advancements to promote a continuing increase in motion picture theatre patronage. For the past four years, under Mr. Skouras’ sponsorship, scientists and electronic engineers have been perfecting another medium that showmen eagerly await: Eidophor, theatre-large-screen-television — in De Luxe Color. Progress on its per- fection has reached a stage where it can be reported that its trade demon- stration will take place in the not distant future, Mr. Skouras states. Another indication of this company’s unlimited confidence in the future of this industry: streamlining of its dis- tribution and merchandising facilities, and procedures. Clarence A. Hill, manager of branch operations, has been supervising a pro- gram of adjusting the physical phase of film distribution to the requirements of a changed market. He has super- vised the construction of new branch buildings in 16 domestic distributing areas, set up two sub-stations and nego- tiated long-term leases for other ex- changes. This program of moderniza- tion has embraced every territory. To further reinforce the earning capacity of this company Mr. Skouras has led it into many diver- sified fields, some allied with the entertainment industry and others outside that area of business activity. Today on the payrolls of its 201 sales branches — 38 in the United States and Canada plus sub-offices at Butte, Mont., and Newfoundland in the Dominion, 171 throughout the remainder of the world — of its production centers here and abroad, and diversified operations, there are more than 18,000 daily employees. These speak 87 different foreign languages and dialects, in addition to English. Operating on a global scale are these subsidiary companies: 20th Century-Fox International and 20th Century-Fox Inter-America Cor- porations, of which Murray Silverstone is President. Movietonews, Inc., which produces Movietone News in seven languages, CinemaScope short subjects, United Press-Movietone Television News a$ well as industrial and government films. W. C. Michel is President and Edmund Reek Vice-President and pro- ducer of Movietonews, Inc. De Luxe Laboratories, Inc., with plants in New York, Hollywood and Chicago, with Alan Freedman (who, incidentally, is this year celebrating his 45th anniversary with the organiza- tion) as President. 20th Century Television, Inc., pro- ducing and distributing television ve- hicles for the world market, with Peter Levathes, President. 20th Century Record Corporation, manufacturers and distributors of re- cordings and music in all forms, with Henry Onorati, President. In addition to Movietone City in Westwood, Cal. (which, incidentally, is the first plant expressly built for the production of sound-on-film attrac- tions) this company also maintains filming facilities at its original Coast studio on Western Avenue in Holly- wood, Movietone News studios in New York and the Century Ranch, for out- door “shooting”, situated 31 miles from Movietone City. It also maintains a producing organi- zation in England, operating under the supervision of Vice-President Joseph Moskowitz with Robert Goldstein its managing director. It has theatre operating interests in England, South Africa, Israel, Austra- lia, New Zealand and Holland. It owns and operates Station KMSP- TV in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn., area, with Donald Schwartz its operat- ing head and President. It maintains, too, a studio at Johan- nesburg, South Africa, for the produc- tion of theatre entertainments and in- dustrial subjects in the Afrikaan lan- guage. Its other South African holdings in- clude the internationally famed Bos- well Circus, legitimate theatres and plays, a catering organization, concert and operatic presentations and other operations outside the amusement field. Last year 20th Century-Fox acquired a large interest in Todd-AO. The company also has oil and na- tural gas interests in California. In the television field, under the supervision of Peter Levathes, 20th Century-Fox Television, Inc., in the very short time it has been in opera- tion, has been making what leaders in that industry consider “amazing progress.” Movetonews, Inc., this year will be the beneficiary of the considerable in- crease in revenue anticipated from aug- mented manufacture of industrial films. Plans for a substantial expansion in this motion picture production field are now in operation. Buddy Adler, executive head of pro- duction, in 1958 produced the enor- mously successful musical, “South Pa- cific”, in Todd-AO. Jack Cummings has completed Cole Porter’s “Can Can” in Todd-AO, to be publicly presented on a road-show basis this year. For the future Mr. Skouras has an- nounced at least one Todd-AO produc- tion per year. “The Greatest Story Ever Told”, to be put in production late this year by George Stevens, and Adler’s tentatively titled “John Brown’s Body”, being prepared for filming in the Sum- mer by director Joseph Mankiewicz who is also supplying the screenplay, are the next Todd-AO attractions. ■ ' V . '■ • 1 ,v;;. // 'V-: ’■© ■ . - / ... COMING To Enrich Motion Picture Theatres Everywhere: EIDOPHOR 60