Harrison's Reports (1954)

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HARRISON, Editor Established July 1, 1919 Circle 7-4622 A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XXXVI SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1954 No. 6 THE STEREOPHONIC SOUND TEMPEST The controversy over whether or not stereophonic sound is an essential factor in the presentation of CinemaScope pictures reached a boiling point this week, and, though 20th Century-Fox was the main target of those exhibitors who are opposed to the requirement that they install stereophonic sound equipment in order to license the company's CinemaScope pictures, many other exhibitors have aligned themselves with 20th Century-Fox in the firm conviction that the multi-channel sound is necessary to the proper presentation of such pictures. An unusual development in the controversy was the action by veteran exhibitor James E. Coston who, as head of three mid-west circuits operating 48 theatres (Indiana-. Illinois Theatres, Standard Theatres of Wisconsin and Coston Enterprises of Chicago), sharply attacked the opposition of both the Theatre Owners of America and National Allied to stereophonic sound and withdrew the membership of his theatres in TOA as a protest against that organization’s stand. Coston stated that similar action will be taken regarding membership of any of his theatres in Allied. Condemning the stand taken by Allied and TOA as “bhnd efforts to kill stereophonic sound,” Coston was particularly critical of the experiment made by Walter Reade, Jr., who is playing “The Robe” with a sound “mixerJ’ He revealed that a telegram sent to Reade by Jack Rose, one of his associates, castigated Reade, as president of TOA, for taking an action that not only jeopardizes his (Coston’s) tremendous investment in CinemaScope equipment but also endangers “the only invention and the first real technical advance since the advent of sound that has brought the people back into our theatres since the big slump began.” The wire went on to say: “We believe that such action is detrimental to the members of your organization and to theatre business in general and we do not wish to remain a member any longer.” Coston stated that 24 of his theatres are fully equipped for CinemaScope with stereophonic sound, that additional equipment has been ordered to complete installations in the rest of his theatres, and that the success he has had with different CinemaScope productions has left him convinced that full stereophonic sound is absolutely necessary for the proper presentation of such pictures. Alex Manta, another Coston associate and top executive of Indiana-Illinois Theatres, had this to say in a telegram sent to Spyros Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox: “As a small company having everything at stake in the theatre business as well as for old friendship sake we feel it’s time for other exhibitors besides such as Trueman Rembusch who successfully installed CinemaScope complete with stereophonic sound in theatres as small as three hundred and fifty seats to voice their support and appreciation of what you and Twentieth Century-Fox have done for our industry. After six complete stereophonic sound installations we feel that we are in a position to encourage you to hold fast to your determination to insist on proper presentation of CinemaScope the way it was developed and intended with four track stereophonic sound. To present CinemaScope otherwise is to present it with sound in anemic form and actually is an imposition on the public who have been sold to expect something new and different in sound and sound effects. You and your company are to be congratulated for your foresight, courage and what you have done to help revive a sick business and should not be harrassed in your efforts to maintain the high stndard of CinemaScope presentation so vital to its continued success.” That Mr. Manta's feeling are not shared by all exhibitors was evidenced on Tuesday at the opening session of the National Drive-In Theatres Association Convention in Cincinnati, where the 20th-Fox policy on stereophonic sound became a subject of hot discussion. The delegates voted unanimously to notify Mr. Skouras that they will not consider the installation of stereophonic sound equipment as a condition to licensing CinemaScope pictures. To some extent, no doubt, they were swayed by Philip Smith, drive-in circuit operator, who stated from the floor that he had been assured by A1 Lichtman, 20th Century-Fox’s director of distribution, that his contemplated investment of approximately $600,000 for new screen equipment in his drive-in theatres would not be endangered in the event that an acceptable method of reproducing stereophonic sound in drive-ins was not perfected. In such a case, said Smith, he had been assured by Lichtman that he would be permitted to license the company’s CinemaScope pictures without stereophonic sound. The following is the text of a telegram sent to Mr. Skouras : “The first National Drive-In Theatres convention convinced by the advice of experts and their own knowledge of the business that stereophonic sound cannot be adapted to drive-in theatres and that any attempt to do so would be prohibitive as to cost and futile in improving sound reception through car speakers, unanimously resolved that the pohcy of your company in requiring installation of such sound by drive-ins before it well sell them CinemaScope pictures constitutes an unfair and unfriendly attitude toward the drive-ins which are a large and important part of the motion picture business. The convention demands that 20th Century-Fox in fairness to its drive-in customers and for the preservation of its good will among them forthwith rescind this policy and inform the convention before it adjourns on Thursday that this has been done.” At this writing Mr. Skouras himself has not yet replied to the wire. Mr. Lichtman, however, issued the following statement on Wednesday; “In a trade paper report published today, Phil Smith, president of the Twi-Night Screen Corporation, stated that I had told him that should certain tests of drive-in sound fail, he would be able to get CinemaScope pictures without stereophonic sound. I would like to state categorically that at no time in any conversations with Mr. Smith did I make such a statement, and that the policy of Twentieth CenturyFox has been and is to provide CinemaScope pictures with four-track, magnetic stereophonic sound only. It is true that we have been working on the problem of drive-in stereophonic sound, and that at the time of my conversation with Mr. Smith I told him that Earl Sponable, our Research Director, was in Hollywood experimenting on a model drive-in erected for test purposes. I also told him that the major problem with CinemaScope for drive-ins was proper light and sound, with special emphasis on sound. 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