Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1953)

Advice To Producers A pat on the back to the distributors for releasing quality product during May and June, and a series of recommendations on 3D and wide screen to all branches of the industry was delivered bv vice president Edward L. Hyman at a special news conference in the American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, Inc. offices, presided over by AB-PT president Leonard H. Goldenson. Business generally is up and movies reflect this trend, said Goldenson. He estimated that the second quarter of 1953 would top last year's period by about 20%. Gratified by the distributors' response to pleas for boxoffice product during the hot weather months, Hyman urged they tackle the remaining "stepchild" period, the month of December, to make 'he industry a 365day-per year business. The chain toppers advocated to producers: (1 ) Make pictures in any ratio to make the picture impressive, with color preferably. (2) Cut out 2D black and white quickies; their market is dead. (3) Broaden scope of 3D. (4) 21) in 1.33 to 1 ratio should leave sufficient space at top and bottom for adaptability to wide screen. (5) Don't dub in stereophonic sound Oil pictures already made just to advertise it as a stereosound picture. It can prove a boomerang to the public and unnecessary cost to the exhibitor. Single film stereosound carrying all four tracks on the image film is imminent, Hyman said, rendering the separate magnetic reproducer obsolete, reducing stereosound costs about one-third and eliminating intermissions. He urged producers to cooperate in standardizing the single strip development. Wait for stereosound standardization before equipping was his advice to the smaller theatres. Hyman revealed that United Paramount anticipated a drastic reduction in the price of the anamorphic lens. He said one manufacturer, unnamed, had quoted a price of between $400 and $500 a pair. The 20thFox CinemaScope lens costs $2875 a pair. Cost of the CinemaScope Miracle Mirror screen was also described at about double that of similar all-purpose screens, running about $3-$3. 50 per square foot The Walker screen, used in most of the chain's installations is $1.25 per square foot. Money Talk Universal Pictures Co., Inc., net for the 26 weeks ended May 2, 1953, with $1,346,000, topped the comparable six months last year by $126,000 despite a hefty increase in the tax bite this year. Tax provision was $2,310,000 compared with $1,550,000 for the 26 weeks ended May 3, 1952. Earnings are $1.27 per share on the 961,698 shares of common stock outstanding May 2 this year. At the same time last year, earnings were equivalent to $1.14 per share on the 960,498 common outstanding. Page 18 FILM BULLETIN July 13. 1953 Balaban Stooc Sale? Rumors were current last week that Barney Balaban was planning to dispose of a large part of his stock in Paramount Pictures Corp. The New York Times financial section attributed a decline in the stock to the report. In filing the registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission of his stock holdings as of June 30, the Paramount president revealed his intention to sell portions of his holdings from time to time, either through brokers or directly. Balaban holds 26,500 shares in his name and 10,000 shares are held by his wife, Mrs. TilHe Balaban. Fifteen hundred shares of the Balaban stock were sold in June. Cinerama Goes to S-W The Stanley Warner chain revealed big plans for its Cinerama production and exhibition, according to terms of the deal detailed last week by S-W president Si H. Fabian. The agreement, subject to Justice Department approval, calls for the circuit to open Cinerama in 20 theatres here and abroad; to operate the theatres in Detroit, Los Angeles and New York where the initial feature, "This Is Cinerama", is currently playing, and in Chicago, due to open July 29. Openings are also slated for London, Paris and Berlin. The S-W chain already has turned over $1,600,000 to Cinerama for equipment and installations in the 20 houses. The 700,000 shares of Cinerama, Inc. stock are yet to be paid for. The pact also calls for S-W to produce at least one picture a year for the next five years and gives the chain an option on "Blossom Time," "Paint Your Wagon" and "Joseph and his Brethren." properties owned by Louis B. Mayer, chairman of Cinerama Productions. (Mr. Mayer subsequently denied in Hollywood that his story and play properties were include', in the deal, and stated that no options on them were granted.) The status of Mayer, production head Merian C. Cooper and board vice chairman Lowell Thomas was left hazy. Fabian was enthused over the acquisition of the services of Cinerama inventor Fred Waller, president Hazard Reeves and vie --president Herbert Barnett. COMPO Asks Tax Letters COMPO held pep meetings around the country to speed up the campaign against the 20% admissions tax. Exhibitors were urged to attach a letter to Treasury Secretary Humphreys with their tax check protesting the tax and setting forth the relationship which the tax money bears to their theatre's profit or loss for the period involved. A copy of the letter was to be sent to the exhibitor's congressman. At each of the meetings a 16mm print of the film shown by the Tax Committee at the April 20 hearing on the Mason Bill by the House Ways and Means Committee was screened. 'The Robe' Opens Aug. 26 Not sparing the horses in rushing completion of the first CinemaScope feature film j 20th Century-Fox now expects to hold th<j world premiere of "The Robe" on August 2(| at the Roxy Theatre in New York. It it understood that the famous showplace hail guaranteed a minimum 12-week run for th< film and that it will be presented without tin theatre's usual stage show. Many trade leaders believe that the pano i ramie screen spectacle, adapted from Lloya C. Douglas' best-seller, will prove to be thJ greatest film grosser in history, outstrippinj "Gone With the Wind." The premiere will be one of the most gala ever held. Production chief Darryl Zanucij will head a large contingent of stars who wi!i come from Hollywood for the festivities. New Theatre TV Deal Just when everyone thought that theatr television was a dead dodo, pushed into ob livion by 3D and wide screen technologic^ developments, it bounced back into the newlast week with a bang. Milton N. Mounc president of the newlv minted Box Offic Television, Inc., revealed he had signed five-year contract with Notre Dame Univei sity for televising home football and baske' ball games, and a six-year deal with th Harlem Globetrotters. Mound said his company is presently n<' gotiating for TV rights to the Rocky Ma: ciano-Roland La Starza heavyweight fi^ht i September, and the proposed Bobo Olsoi Randy Turpin middleweight title bout. Equipped to handle ;ts programs, sa Mound, are 110 Theatres in 62 cities. He r vealed that admission prices will be kept : low as practicable, "possibly in the range •) $1.25 or $1.50 for football " Of Men and Things Leon Roth, UA assistant publicity ma ager, was sent to Hollywood as publici coordinator in a move described by vit president Max E. Young^tein as designed i broaden UA's services to independent pr ducers and strengthen promotion collaboi tion between the indies and the distribut . . . Two members of the board of Dec Records, Samuel H. Yallance and Harold Thorp, were named to the board of Univ sal Pictures Co., Inc. . . . Mrs. Theresa Ba>| berger, mother of RKO's Leon Bamberg died June 30. She was 87 . . . Robert Co moves from Des Moines to head the 20> Fox Dallas branch. Dave Gold repla«< Conn as Des Moines branch manager . L Archie Cohen is new branchief for Warn I in Montreal, replacing Grattan Kiely, f signed . . . William C. Hames, UA brarji manager in Indianapolis, has been promo 1 to Dallas head. Ed Bigley goes into Harr spot in Indianapolis . . Max E. Youngst l left New York last Monday (6th) fori (Continued on Page I)