The Exhibitor (1950)

EXHIBITOR 11 This Was The Week When . . . Herbert J. Yates, president, Republic Studios, told a special meeting of studio executives, producers, directors, and tech¬ nicians that “confidence in ourselves and our ability to meet today’s unsettled con¬ ditions with courage and showmanship is essential to our future,” and that Republic will produce 55 pictures in the new season, backed by a council made up of those responsible for the success of each pic¬ ture, with each man given a chance to express his ideas. . . . Audience Research, Inc., reported a “noticeable decline” in the penetration of pictures, with alleged resultant effect on U. S. boxoffices. . . . Gael Sullivan and other TOA executives announced that they would be present at the annual convention of the Kansas Missouri Theatre Association on Sept. 26-27 at the Hotel Phillips, Kansas City. . . . Siam was revealed as the winner in U-I’s “Blumberg 1950 World-Wide Sales Drive.” . . . U-I revealed that “Curtain Call At Cactus Creek” would have its wcrld premiere in Atlanta on June 15 in a saturation premiere. The Bureau of Reclamation at Coulee Dam, Wash., announced that commercial leases are available for a theatre to be built in Block 45 under a permanent building plan, with applications received by the district manager, United States Bureau of Reclamation, Coulee Dam, until July 31. . . . Contributions of American newsreels to public welfare projects were pointed up in a report of the MPAA showing that during the 12-month period ending on April 30, they devoted 118 sequences to humanitarian and charitable causes. S. Charles Einfeld, vice-president, 20th Century-Fox, returned from an eightweek tour of Europe in the interests of the company’s greater showmanship drive. . . . Realart’s board of directors reelected all of its officers, headed by board chair¬ man-treasurer Norman Eisenstein, presi¬ dent Jack Broder, vice-president Budd Rogers, Si Lipson, secretary Alex Alendar, and Milton Sivek. . . . The U. S. Supreme Court denied permission to intervene in the “Hollywood 10” case to three groups representing various Southern California organizations. . . . 20th-Fox revealed that it would abandon its sliding scale per¬ centage policy in favor of a “more equit¬ able” sales plan where a “fair return” on film rentals is not forthcoming to either exhibitor or distributor as a result. . . . TV station KTTV purchased the Nassour Studios in Hollywood for $2,250,000, with the Nassours still remaining in indepen¬ dent production. TOA Retains Veto Right New York — Gael Sullivan, TOA execulive director, reported last fortnight the TOA veto of regional units within COMPO. The veto, however, is expected to be inoperative in the event the COMPO committee on organization adopts pro¬ visions restricting COMPO to national organization status, or to regional opera¬ tion only where circumstances require. Mohrstadt Elected Allied Mid-South President MEMPHIS — The Independent Allied Theatre Owners of the Mid-South last week elected John Mohrstadt, Hayti, Mo., president and national board member. Also named were vicepresidents Roy Cochran, North Little Rock, Ark.; Dwight Blissard, Oklona, Miss.; Ed Cullins, Memphis; Lyle Rich¬ mond, Sr., Senath, Mo.; Whyte Bed¬ ford, Hamilton, Ala., and Lyle Rich¬ mond, Jr., secretary-treasurer. The board of directors includes Louis Weaver, J. A. West, Tom Balias, Law¬ rence Landers, C. W. Tipton, Warren Moxley, and Grady Cook. Arthur Rush is general manager. RKO Profit Drops In First Quarter New York — Consolidated net profit of Radio-Keith-Orpheum Corporation and subsidiary companies for 1949 announced last week was $1,710,944 after taxes and all other charges including profit of $1,389,690 on sale of capital assets, and losses on investments in independent pro¬ ductions of $1,660,400, equivalent to ap¬ proximately 44 cents per share on the 3.914.914 shares of common stock out¬ standing at the end of the year. This compares with consolidated net profit for 1948 of $504,044 after taxes and all other charges, including losses on in¬ vestments in productions, stories, and continuities of $3,357,371, equivalent to approximately 13 cents per share on the 3.899.914 shares of common stock out¬ standing at the end of such year. Consolidated net profit for the first quarter of 1950 was $105,957 after taxes and all other charges, equivalent to ap¬ proximately three cents per share on the 3.914.914 shares of common stock out¬ standing at the end of the first quarter, as compared with consolidated net profit for the first quarter of 1949 of $1,037,480 after taxes and all other charges, equiva¬ lent to approximately 27 cents per share on the 3,899,914 shares of common stock outstanding at the end of such quarter. _ _ "The Men" _ Stanley Kramer has done it again. In “The Men” he has given the indus¬ try another film which will provoke considerable discussion, and which, if merchandised to the limit of the qual¬ ity which is present, should be potent boxofficewise for UA and exhibitors. “The Men” concerns itself with paraplegics, and it is the credit of the producer and director Fred Zinneman that they have emphasized the human relationships as well as the medical problems involved. This is not a pic¬ ture for those who like sweetness and light in their entertainment. On the other hand, it fills every quota of the trade’s current “Movies Are Better Than Ever.” While the theme is more important than the people involved, a deserved nod should go to Marion Brando, Teresa Wright, and a host of featured players. They help make “The Men” a film well worth playing. — J. E. Nat. Allied Board Asks Research Project Memphis — The directors of National Allied last week voted unanimously to petition the Council of Motion Picture Organizations to begin a research project to determine the causes and remedy for declining theatre attendance. Meeting at the Hotel Gayoso, the board, received a report from its tax committee headed by Abram F. Myers, general counsel. The board voted to lend the tax committee more money to speed up its program, and adopted a resolution congratulating the committee for its work. President Trueman Rembusch’s report on the Chicago COMPO meeting was ap¬ proved. Colonel H. A. Cole, Texas Allied, head, committee on forced percentage, made his report, but discussion of it was postponed. A television study by the board is under way with the advisement in using trailer advertising on TV being considered, and a resolution was passed congratulating producers and distributors for voluntarily not licensing their films for television, Phonevision, and 16mm. In connection with all-industry arbitra¬ tion, Myers said no invitation had been re¬ ceived by the Allied board to join The¬ atre Owners of America in instituting such a system. The board okehed a motion to take up with producers and distributors the prob¬ lem of releasing so many pictures con¬ taining the same subject matter at the same time. Myers was authorized to draft a resolution of protest to Paramount over the film rentals on “Samson And Delilah.” A telegram of congratulations was sent to Marc Wolf, first Allied member to be elected Chief Barker, Variety Club In¬ ternational. The board reaffirmed its long standing policy of opposition to theatre audience collections regardless of cause, but indi¬ cated its was leady to reconsider should the united industry agree upon a single collection for all purposes, providing COMPO’s program and planning com¬ mittee, headed by Allied’s Nate Yamins, Fall River, Mass., so ordained. Among others attending were: E. C. Shriver, Cincinnati; Charles Niles, Anamosa, la.; Stanley D. Kane, Minneapolis; Irving Dollinger, New York; W. H. Hoff¬ man, Arthur, Ill.; Wiban Anderson, Co¬ lumbus, O.; Wilbur Snaper, New Jersey; Elmer Nolte, Baltimore, Md.; W. A. Carroll, Indianapolis; Lavitz Garman, Balti¬ more, Md.; W. C. Allen, Lawson, Md.; Ray Freeley, Boston; Maurice J. Artigue, New Orleans; P. J. Wood, Columbus, O.; Wally Allen, Pittsburgh; Benjamin Berger, Minneapolis; C. F. Fister, Tracy, O., and Sidney E. Samuelson, Philadelphia. While the meeting did not result in any unexpected development, it is understood that a lot of ground was covered by the National Allied directors who were present. California Theatre Sues Los Angeles — Allen Theatres Corpora¬ tion, owner, Avon, South Gate, Cal., last fortnight filed a $1,419,600 anti-trust action against the eight major distributors as¬ serting that an arbitrary zoning system outlawed by the U. S. Supreme Court has been continued in effect against plaintiff. May 31, 1950