Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

Short Subjects THE FORTHCOMING tribute to Adolph Zukor, inspired by Texas theatreman Robert J. O'Donnell at Variety International's midwinter meeting, is reaching monumental proportions. Exhibition, distribution and production leadership have accorded their full cooperation to the around-the-globe celebration^ O'Donnell, who is chairmanning the affair on behalf of Variety, advises. It will begin in Hollywood with the movie pioneer's 80th birthday on January 7. Governor Warren and other high state and civic dignitaries, as well as Hollywood's famed figures, are due to be on hand for the occasion. To commemorate Mr. Zukor's 50th anniversary in the industry, a similar setup is scheduled for March 4 in New York. O'Donnell's action generated a landslide for an all-industry Zukor Golden Jubilee Celebration at the convention. From an industry standpoint, he said, it was "the most exciting and still dignified event that could possibly be thought of for the over-all good of the industry." He wired Paramount, whose toppers had originally been planning a company celebration of the anniversaries, that it would be "selfish" of the company to "confine not only Mr. Zukor's birthday, but also his Golden Jubilee, to merely a Paramount activity." The resounding echo to O'Donnell's sentiments from every part of the industry bodes a tribute that will surpass that of any honor paid to a man of moviedom. ANOTHER MILESTONE in large screen theatre television was reached last week when the first inter-city simultaneous business meeting was held in 18 theatres in 17 cities. Utilizing the same facilities that had carried previous theatre entertainment shows, the James A. Lees & Sons carpet company inaugurated this new use of theatre television in a nationwide simultaneous merchandising meeting on their products. With specially invited dealers, decorators, stockholders and the press in the various theatres, Lees brought its 1953 line of carpets into bigger than life-size reality for a full hour through Theatre Tele-Sessions, a division of Theatre Network Television. Reports from the various cities indicated that the inaugural was a success. The full line wasi displayed in still and motion picture form, selling methods were detailed, and the advertising campaign fully outlined. The theatres, with deals made on flat rental basis, were ready for their regular matinee showings in ample time. It was an auspicious beginning that opened another new vista for use of theatre television. The next TeleSession will be held by Bendix on December 30. UA's BERNIE KRANZE, formerly assistant to distribution vice-president William J. Heineman, is now the company's domestic sales manager for the United States and Canada. Kran/.e, who started his industry a career in 1921 at the Paramount studios in Ptg. II FILM BULLETIN D.r.mb.r 15, 1952 ADOLPH ZUKOR Honor For The Dean Astoria, has served in executive capacity with RKO, the J. Arthur Rank Organization, Film Classics and Eagle Lion Classics before joining UA last year. THE FILM companies' trend toward the local level was further emphasized when Paramount distribution head Al Schwalberg disclosed plans for division sales meetings adapted to the specific needs of each individual regional territory. The mountain will come to Mohammed in each of the division headquarters as Schwalberg, Ted O'Shea and ad-publicity veep Jerry Pickman trek to the regional offices for the meetings. "Individual division managers and branch managers' are so much more closely connected with the needs of theatres throughout the country than we can possibly be in the Home Office," Schwalberg declaimed. No program can have any value unless it provides a direct benefit to the exhibitor at his own boxoffice. This is our aim — to do everything we can to stimulate boxoffice revenue to the individual theatre." DAN S. TERRELL, Metro's ace exploitation director, was rewarded by Howard Dietz, veep in charge of ad-publicity-exploitation, with a promotion to Eastern publicity manager. He took on the new post last week. MONEY TALK: A $27,000,000 drop in admission taxes for the first 10 months of 1952, compared with the same period last year, still leaves the government with a take of $260,564,000 from the amusements industries. Considering that the tax revenue from movies represent approximately three-quarters, it's going to take an all-out fight by the industry to lop off that $150,000,000 that comes from moviegoers and represents many EDITORIAL Plug Shorts Theatremen who know programming realizo the value of attractive short subjects to round out a movie show. The realization, however, that so many of them are dissipating the potential boxoffice benefits from not letting the public know about their short subjects program was brought home forcefully by Oscar Morgan, Paramount short subjects and newsreel manager. All of us have heard, and most of us have participated in, the whoosh of delight when a "Tom & Jerry", a Pete Smith, or a "Popeye" subject flashes its title on the screen. It might be surprising to learn how many undecided moviegoers would be paying customers if they saw that "Little Lulu" was also on the show. Morgan, on his field trip throughout the two countries, conferring with exhibitors and branchmen on business conditions, has found more exhibitors emphasizing their shorts, with a resultant upswing in boxoffice when these subjects are advertised specifically, instead of using the line "Also Selected Short Subjects." Movie theatres must not "overweigh" their programs with features, says Morgan, and must advertise their added attractions to gain the utmost benefits from wise programming. Morgan's field work over the past years has been the basis for determining what short subjects Paramount will make, via talks with exhibitors and fieldmen. It will pay the theatreman to make an intelligent appraisal of his programming and the advantages to be gained from advertising the auxiliary reels. In that way he will et more and more of these subjects that elicit cheers from his audience and less and less of those that evoke groans. He could even get more and more of an audience. STEIN of the theatres' margin of profit . . . Monogram netted $125,897 for the 13 weeks ended Sept. 27, a dip from the $150,465 for the same period in 1951. President Steve Broidy points out, however, that last year's figures included income from licensing a group of additional pictures for TV showing, a policy which has since been discontinued. OF MEN AND THINGS: George T. Shup-j^ ert is the new UA veep and general managei of the wholly-owned TV subsidiary, United Artists Television Corp. . . . Edwin J. Smith, Jr., took over Dec. 8 as RKO's assistanl foreign sales manager, a new post created by the resignations of B. D. Lion and Ne< Clarke, foreign division managers . . . Ber Shlyen, publisher of Boxoffice, replaces Jack Alicoate, publisher of Film Daily, as tradi press representative on COMPO's executivi committee . . . Western Pennsylvania Alliecj ' has named Richard P. Morgan as executiv< secretary. THE GROSSERS: From all indications Allied Artists' "Flat Top" looms as a wird fall for theatres and the company, report: Morey Goldstein, AA distribution v.p Broken house records in the midwest ani (Continued on Puge 24