Harrison's Reports (1956)

entered aa second-class matter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 8, 1879. Harrison's Reports Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 SIXTH AVENUE Published Weekly by United States $16.00 M v ,,nNV Harrison's Reports, Inc.. r. ^ , , t> . ..... New York 20, N. Y. Publisher U. S. Insular Possessions. 16.60 ruu"8 ler Canada l«-50 A Motion Picture Reviewing Service It Sp^nnf^S°N' EdU°r Mexico, Cuba, Spain 16.50 Devoted Chiefly to the Interests of the Exhibitors ManVtrine Fdltor Great Britain 17.60 Managing Editor Australia New Zealand. Established July 1, 1919 India, Europe, Asia 17.60 its Editorial Policy: No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial 35c a Copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor. Circle 7-4622 A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XXXVIII SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1956 No. 49 MORE ON THE ALLIED CONVENTION A surprising development at the closing session of the National Allied convention, held last week in Dallas, was the unanimous adoption by the delegates of a resolution calling for the organization "to take proper and necessary steps in cooperation with Theatre Owners of America, if possible, or by itself if need be, to initiate with the film companies negotiations looking to the establishment of an arbitration system in the motion picture business in accordance with the recommendations contained in the reports of the Senate Select Committee on Small Business dated Aug. 2, 1953, and July 27, 1956." This unexpected move by Allied appears to be a reversal of its position in that up to now it has de' clined to join negotiations for any plan that did not include the arbitration of film rentals. Since the Senate Small Business Committee specifically excluded the arbitration of film rentals in its recommendations, the Allied bid for a new arbitration conference indicates that, like TOA, which adopted a similar resolution at its convention last September, it is ready and willing to carry out the SSBC's recommendation "that there is a vital need for a new spirit of cooperation between the various segments in the industry." Another resolution adopted by the convention expressed Allied's encouragement over the promotional plans now being considered by the film companies to combat the box-office depression. At the same time the resolution reminded the companies that "the theatres are the industry's immediate points of contact with the public" and urged them to "to consult and work out a joint long-range program of recovery with the exhibitors through their established organizations." On the subject of sex pictures and misleading advertising, the delegates adopted the following resolution : "We deplore the fact that a few exhibitors in their anxiety for a temporary financial gain have risked the good-will and lowered the standards of the business by running so-called 'sex pictures'1 and pictures glorifying sex, dope and other perversions which are offensive to the vast majority of theatre-goers. We also deplore the fact that so-called 'borderline pictures' are being promoted by film companies, and in some cases by exhibitors, by offensive and often misleading advertising which is being widely criticized by the press and by religious, civic and welfare organizations. We call upon all who have offended in these particulars to mend their ways before they do irreparable harm to our business, which is suffering under enough handicaps now without deliberately creating additional ones." Another resolution adopted by the convention con cerned the consolidation of film exchanges. It stated that Allied was "disturbed by reports of hardships imposed upon exhibitors in licensing and booking pictures by reason of the consolidation of film exchanges, reduction of sales forces, curtailment of services and other economy measures adopted by the distributors." The resolution recognized that it was necessary for all branches of the business to eliminate needless items of expense in these perilous times, but it declared that, in initiating economies, "all should proceed on the premise that this is a permanent business and should not be endangered by ill-considered or unnecessary changes." The resolution concluded with the suggestion that, "before making changes reducing the service rendered to, or imposing additional burdens upon the exhibitors, the distributors should in fairness consult the exhibitors through their organizations to the end that changes may be adopted as far as possible to the exhibitors' needs in each area, taking into account the distances involved and their minimum requirements as regards sales solicitations, bookings, etc." In still another resolution adopted by the convention, MGM was asked to change its "no look" policy on "I'll Cry Tomorrow" and "High Society," and all other companies were requested to give up similar policies and "to abandon rigid national policies in the licensing of films and to clothe their branch managers with authority and issue to them specific instructions to base film rentals upon the ability of individual exhibitors to pay." The resolution added that the insistence upon firm high percentage terms without adjustments was "an unfair and oppressive innovation in the customs of the business under which exhibitors cannot exist and one which they should resist in all proper ways." On the matter of print shortages, another resolution requested the distributors "to consider carefully the many complaints on this subject which make for ill-feeling and lack of confidence in the business, and to give open-minded thought to our contention that in the long run it would be more profitable for exhibitors and distributors alike to respect established availabilities, thereby making the picture more attractve to a greater number of theatre-goers." The resolution added that "the primary purpose and intent of an exhibitor contract is that the distributor will supply a positive print for exhibition by an exhibitor on a date to be designated by the exhibitor within a reasonable time after the print has been received in the exchange," but it pointed out that "this obvious purpose and intent is being defeated by the failure of distributors in many cases to fulfill their obligation to supply prints to exhibitors in time to play the pictures on their accustomed availabilities." (Continued on back page)