The Exhibitor (1951)

8 EXHIBITOR Met Konecoff's NEW YORK IN for a sales meeting, Steve Broidy, president, Monogram, and Allied Artists, took occasion to introduce John C. Flinn, the company’s new advertising, publicity, and exploitation head, to the trade press, and wel¬ comed the opportunity to report that Monogram was operating in the black and intended to re¬ main there. One reason for the present successful operation is due to the company turning out films consistent with what the market affords, and these are in good demand by exhibitors everywhere, he declared. Broidy said that this success followed the recommendations of the distribution staff as to what type of film should be made, and similar advice was being sought now for next year’s program. These fea¬ tures have basic entertainment value and full exploitation possibilities, and serve their designated needs. The company has progressed to its present point thanks to the wholehearted cooperation of exhibi¬ tors everywhere as well as to the diligence of the staff. Broidy paid tribute to the company salesmen, saying that the com¬ pany can’t get along without them, and discounted selling via any other medium. Future plans of the company include not only some moderate priced features but some in the higher price category. As for more expensive films, Broidy opined that just spending money was not enough but rather there must be a quality and story that must justify such expendi¬ ture.. Color will play a more important part, and certain subjects will get color so that the public will receive its full meas¬ ure of entertainment value. June or July will finally see the company starting its co-production pact with a British produc¬ tion organization with the filming in Technicolor of the novel by Stephen Zweig “24 Hours in the Life of a Woman,” which will see release as “Just For A Night.” It will be jointly financed, and will have two American stars and an American director. Monogram’s last program year saw 22 Monogram features delivered, 12 westerns, and one Allied Artists feature, while this year will see 28 Monogram features, 12 westerns, and six Allied Artists films. The year runs from October to October. Flinn announced plans to pay special attention to drive-in bookings this year via special ads, pressbooks, and promo¬ tional material. He will also get out and meet exhibitors and branch personnel throughout the country, and expects to institute closer relations between the east and west. He expects to experiment with supplementary campaigns on different pic¬ tures for different sections of the country. Another subject to be investigated, Flinn said, is the focussing of advertising and exploitation on an exhibitor level, which ( Continued on page 18) UA Purchases Entire ELC Stock ; Deal Becomes Effective April 28 New York — Arthur Krim, president, United Artists, last week announced upon his return from Hollywood that United Artists had purchased the total stock of Eagle Lion Classics. UA now has all rights to all ELC product, but has assumed none of the liabilities of Eagle Lion Classics nor its leases, personnel, contracts, etc. All ELC exhibitor contracts as well as agreements with producers will be honored by United Artists. This deal will in no way alter the com¬ pany’s plan to seek out only top-A pic¬ tures to release exclusively in 1952 nor will it affect negotiations initiated along those lines. Instead, the ELC product, which will all go into release this year, will put UA in the black immediately since it brings to UA a volume of distribution rentals which will turn a loss operation into a profit one. This arrangement will give UA toppers more time to work on the 1952 goal. Matty Fox, UA executive who worked on the deal with ELC representatives along with Seymour Peyser, revealed that the entire negotiation period was 48 hours, from the time that they sat down at the conference table to when the final papers were signed. Rights to all films purchased, new as well as old, included television rights wherever ELC contracts so specified. ELC will cease to function as of the close of business on April 28. Fox reported that no cash was involved in the deal but he could not reveal the terms of the purchase. Part of the contract calls for UA to use the facilities of Pathe Laboratories for a period of 10 years for the processing of UA films. However, it was specified that the terms and prices charged UA must be competitive, and must compare with prices charged by other laboratories. The money part of the deal should be concluded at the end of three years, according to the contract terms. It was estimated that the lab deal would bring in about $1,200,000 annually to Pathe Industries. UA officials said that they were still awaiting a product breakdown from ELC before they could announce the number of films that they would acquire by the deal but it was thought that the 20 films originally scheduled for release by UA this year would probably be doubled. To take care of that expanded activity, it was thought that a number of people presently on the ELC payroll would be shifted to UA, and these would consist in the main of some salesmen, branch man Einfeld Expounds Views In Trinidad PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD— Charles Einfeld, vice-president, 20th Century-Fox, currently on a tour of Latin and South America to discuss showmanship methods and techniques with exhibitors located in the South¬ ern hemisphere, met last week with members of the Roodal Circuit. Ein¬ feld was joined by Louis Millan, 20th Century-Fox manager for Trinidad, in outlining advertising, publicity, and exploitation plans for the industry as a whole as well as 20th Century-Fox pictures. The Roodal Circuit operates the nine principal theatres in Trinidad. Broidy Reveals Mono., AA Production Plans New York — Fourteen films will go into production within the next three months for Monogram and Allied Artists release, Steve Broidy, president, announced last fortnight at the companies’ regional meet¬ ing. Three pictures are in the final produc¬ tion stages, while seven others are awaiting release. Films which will get the green light within the next three months are Allied Artists’ “Disk Jockey” and “The Police Story.” Monogram’s three films in Cinecolor will include: “Flight To Mars”, “Rodeo”, and “The Big Top.” Nine black and white pictures will include: “Let’s Go, Navy”, “The Sea Tiger”, “Yukon Manhunt”, Submarine School”, “The Ottawa Story”, “Elephant Stampede”, “Stagecoach Driver”, and “Marshal Law.” Broidy launched the eastern regional sales meeting with the highlight an¬ nouncement that he has signed a long¬ term contract with “Wild Bill” Elliott for from four to six top-budget outdoor pic¬ tures annually. The first two of Elliott’s major starrers for Monogram will be “Cattle King” and “The Maverick,” to be produced by Vincent Fennelly. agers, bookers, billers, etc. William Heineman, UA vice-president in charge of sales, opined that there would be no separate department established to handle English films or other product which might con¬ ceivably be slotted for art or specialty houses. Later, it was learned that Bernard G. Kranze, ELC, will become executive as¬ sistant to Heineman, and that Milton Cohen, ELC, will become western division manager, succeeding Fred Jack. Lige Brien, ELC exploitation manager, will join UA as assistant to Mori Krushen, and, in addition, handle the New York metropolitan area exploitation. Ruth Cos¬ grove, ELC publicist, is also expected to join UA. When questioned as to whether the com¬ pany would release “Oliver Twist,” it was reported that since a number of contracts had already been signed for the film, these would be fulfilled. While UA will now have enough product for the rest of the year, Krim opined that this would not preclude signing for additional product. Pathe Industries will henceforth con¬ centrate its motion picture activities in Pathe Laboratories, Eagle Lion Studios, 16mm. distribution through its subsidiary, Pictorial Films, and the promotion of its inventory of feature films. Pathe will shortly announce plans for entering the television industry. ABC Vending Profit Drops New York — ABC Vending Corporation last fortnight reported a net profit of $924,858 in 1950, compared to $1,251,546 in 1949. Sales last year increased to $34,579,972. April 18, 1951