Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

EXHIBITORS fORUm Opinions Culled from Organization Bulletins PINPOINT TV OWNERS Allied Theatre Owners of Indiana Talk to eight different exhibitors and you might get eight different reasons why theatre business is off. Maybe most people try and oversimplify the problem and actually there is no one factor that is the main cause of bad business. Without any formal survey, it is our impression from the visitors to this office that 4 out 5 exhibitors feel convinced that TV at the least is a common factor that aggravates the results attributable to any other cause. The bad weather, the high cost of living or the parking problem may make a person ask "should we go out to a movie tonight?" but the TV set in the parlor is enough to make them decide "let's stay home". Now there is just nothing than can be done about a lot of the causes to which bad business is attributed. And there has been a lot of punching at air to lick the reason given by most exhibitors for bad business — TV. That is why we think you will be interested in hearing about a program that A. T. O. I. member Kenneth Law is starting on. He is preparing a series of sales letters and mailing pieces about his Cozy Theatre in Argos. The facilities the theatre has to offer, the great attractions that are on his screen, the greatest entertainment talent in the world that is available in Argos, and why only the motion picture has the resources to provide this entertainment. I he people who receive this advertising won't realize that they are on a selected mailing list — but the material will only go to those that the exhibitor knows are staying away from his theatre, the television set owners. Getting the mailing list will be easy for Mr. Law because he is in the TV repair business. We think this also gives authority to his ideas because he gets right into all the homes in his area that have television and has an opportunity to talk with the owner and learn how ownership has affected his entertainment buying. But maybe other exhibitors could buy such mailing lists from their local TV servicemen. Maybe in larger cities exhibitors could prorate the cost of a mailing list and a co-op letter to cover the entire area. Exhibitors who believe that TV is a major factor in the box office decline, if they believe they should try and do something about it, and if they believe it is best to plow in the most fertile fields, then they will like Ken Law's plan. QUICK FIGURING Allied of Indiana If every dollar spent last year by the sponsors of television programs was turned would still fall far short of the return the over to the producers of motion pictures it producers receive from the theatres. Last year the sponsors of television programs spent about 480 million dollars — the only revenue source for TV. We don't know how much of this was for network costs, line charges and station costs, but even if the major part went to program costs it would still fall far short of the 500 million dollar estimate of Motion Picture Almanac for the making of movies in 1951. But even if all the TV advertisers could bid the product of Hollywood away from the theatres it would still only provide them with one day of programming in each week. If we were looking for entertainment we'd guess that the movies had the wherewithall to give us the best. If we were a producer with theatre customers we wouldn't jeopardize their welfare by playing footsie with TV. THEY ASK THE 'CORPSE' ITO of Ohio The March of Time produced by the editors of TIME and LIFE ("the movie business is dying") announces the reissue of 205 two reel subjects which it has made in the last fifteen years. When you are solicited to buy these subjects it would be well to bear in mind the fact that they are produced by the \indertaker who buried you last spring. PICKLES SHOULD PAY ITO of Ohio Universal is now releasing HERE COME THE NELSONS starring Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and their sons. The Nelsons are sponsored on the radio every Friday night by the H. J. Heinz Company of Pittsburgh. In exchange for a tie up with Heinz, Universal has used a line "57 Varieties of fun" in all its ads. We suggest that irrespective of whether your theatre is big town, small town, first run, neighborhood or last run, that you write the H. J. Heinz Company in Pittsburgh anl see how they will help you, if and when yoj play this picture. If you don't get a satis actory reply change the figure in the ads f| 54 to 62 or what have you. TV COMPETITION ATO of New Jersey Jack Kirsch of Chicago addressed a lettej to the major film companies, asking them t state their position on films to be sold \ TV. As you all know, Jersey Allied hs been battling this problem since its incej tion. By our trade papers you find there wi be less releases for our theatres this comin year and, at the same time, we are advisa of new sales of pictures to television in terests. I believe distributors must fish a cut bait. At the same time that Monogram is I leasing East Side Kid pictures to exhibitoij all over the country, the same casts of Ea| Side Kids and Bowery Boys are being show! on TV. We repeat— we cannot sell wh;J others have given away for nothing. Til distributor says he has no control over theJ pictures; however, Republic has announcil the sale of 39 Republic pictures to televisiol A great percentage of television time ] taken up by films. This is direct oppositicf to your theatre — just as though a theati was planted next to yours. It is our since belief that this problem must be resolve Why the large circuits haven't protested tl use of films on television is beyond m Perhaps they are waiting until they a against the wall before they move or perha the organization strength of Allied will necessary to stop the greedy dollar bo from selling two ways against the middle W. PA. ALLIED MEETING The Allied Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Western Pennsylvania has scheduled a meeting for all exhibitors in Western Pennsylvania at the Allied headquarters on film row for Wednesday, February 13th. The meeting will start at 12:30 noon when a buffetlunch will be served. Every exhibitor or theatre manager, regardless of the fact that he is a member or not, is welcome. One of the principal speakers will be Martin Bennett, Manager of Theatre Equipment Sales for RCA, who will talk of theatre television as it is today and the prospects for the future. Bennett is in charge of all RCA theatre TV sales and installations. Morris Finkel, National Director, will report on the National Allied Board Meeting which is scheduled for February 5-6. Another feature of the meeting will be an open discussion by. exhibitors of their current problems in theatre operation and possible means to increase grosses. FILM BULLETI