Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1951)

keymen face the convention. From left, Charles P. Skouras, board chairman; Mitchell W'oljson, president, and S. H. Fabian, conientioi Theatremen Talk Television 4\ CxcluMDe $L BULLETIN Oeature Bv Leonard Coulter ive you heard the one about the woman ;e car stalled on the highway and held long line of following vehicles' ter a raucous ten minutes the irate :r immediately behind her got out, le up to her car and let forth a violent :ntof sarcasm. le lady stopped fiddling with the ignition :h, fixed him with a glassy stare, and "W ell, it you're so smart, you come and this motor running, while I go back ean on your horn." lis little yarn illustrates the state of 1 into which many folk in the motion ire business (not you, of course) have n in viewing the problem of television. know the sort of thing: a bitter delation of TV, a groan or two about its :ts on boxoffice revenues, and a total sal to do anything about it beyond conning it. Some of us have even been ling that the boxoffice decline hasn't i due to television at all. And one or experts have even produced figures to •e it. et's stop kidding ourselves, he best thing to happen in this industry a long time was the recent Xew York vention of the Theatre Owners of erica. Compared with some other or 70A Contention fcefrteJ DUelj Jc The J>n4uJtHf J Iflc&t Preying Problem — TV ganizations in the business TOA is a fledgeling. It only came into existance at the back end of 19-47. A good many exhibitors still look down their noses at it because it represents the major circuits — businesswise, that is. And admitedly, despite divorcement, many of its members retain — as is only human — a soft spot for the production-distribution interests with which their theatres were once linked. We don't want to pursue this unprofitable line of debate just now. What this magazine feels it must do is to tip its hat to TOA for putting the horse before the cart where television is concerned. The boys at its top table have given exhibitors everywhere — not merely their own members — an object lesson in cold realism and ruthless logic. For out of a wearying, week-long talkfast at the Astor Hotel emerged this undeniable fact: television is here to stay; we can use it to our advantage, but don't waste any more time just sneering at it. TV didn't, of course monopolize the TOA's deliberations. There was plenty of good roundhouse slugging in the closed sessions. Names were named: grievances were aired. Distributors were blasted on the question of multiple runs and print shortage. Competitive bidding was attacked as basically legal but morally indefensible. There was a call for more prints, for industry arbitration. Opposition was registered to the Pennsylvania proposal of a $1,500 annual license fee for theatre television. A test case will be fought on this issue, and on Xew Jersey's proposed 5% TV tax. Smalltown exhibitors voiced their resentment about rentals being especially critical of Paramount and Warner Bros. Movietime USA and Compo were praised. Immediate purchase of supplies and equipment was urged before the shortages problem worsens, as seems likely. A truce in the Drive-In war was demanded. All these and a score more vital industry matters were fully ventilated. But they were dwarfed by the over-riding topic of the day: Television. And rightly so, for TV provides, as was pointed out, the greatest opportunity which this business has had for many a year; certainly since the advent of sound film. The stage was set by Alfred Starr of Xashville, Tennessee, whose keynote speech carried this passage: "We have consistently urged that television produce its own pictures separately and apart from those pro CTOBER 195 1