Harrison's Reports (1962)

24 HARRISON'S REPORTS February 17, 1962 It a ili « (Continued from Front Page) but failing to bring to any one of them results that are measurable at the box office. Unfortunately, when radio must be handled on some very special campaign, most of the boys don't know their way around a studio. Their best (and only) point of contact are the disk jockeys. No matter what the nature of the film, (drama, mystery, serious, religious) the thundertoned Titan of the turntable handles the chore in the style best suited to him. No matter how hard he tries to be different, the pitch still comes out as if a new hepcat meow had screamed its way out of the diskery. For some, it creates a "stay-away" sell. itadio Seeds Experienced Handling Right now, from what we've learned, there isn't one home office that prepares special material for the radio stations. Neither in script form, nor on tape, is Hollywood serviced on a weekly basis. True, some radio stations may not find it profitable to devote even a fivc-minute Hollywood-news segment if it were completely on the cuff. But, in the very recent past, when at least one home office took its radio coverage seriously, local exhibitors were always willing to buy one-minute participating spots on these daily news programs dealing with the big names of Hollywood, their drama, romances, what film's they're making, what they'll be seen in. Hollywood as a news center still continues to be only second to the nation's capitol, Washington. The people get most of their movie news from the syndicated columns, the gossip brigade, and the fan magazines. The latter 's news value is lost to the reader because it sounds like old hat by the time the magazines reach the movie fan. But, radio is as timely as today's newspaper. It can be even as fresh as tomorrow's edition if the proper advances are made to the networks. It wasn't so long ago when at least one network carried a daily news program devoted exclusively to Hollywood. Today, Hollywood has given radio the brush-off, and radio takes it for granted that that's the way the film industry feels about its medium. True, every now and then, the advertising and publicity heads of the company members of the Motion Picture Association of America, through its committee on radio and Tv, sit down in solemn session to see what can be done to harness the communicative power that is still radio. A series of jingles may result, or some institutional approach to the lost movie audience. But it is hardly enough because it fails to sustain itself over a long period of time. Box Office Needs This Helpful Medium Radio rides the kilocycles every day, in every week of every month. The theatres of the nation are open every day, in every week, of every month. Plenty of exciting, dramatic, romantic news is generated in our industry by names that make the front pages of our newspapers. These names (the property of the films) their goings and comings, their exciting lives are the skeins out of which a pretty powerful pattern of radio journalism can be woven. We have the knowledgeable men who know it. Nor are they without appreciation of such values to the progress of our industry and their worth at the box office. To harness these air-time producing potentials is not some 17 nii; er sal... (Continued from Front Page) there were clamor and outcry for early release of the blockbuster. To be sure, the exhibitors were also calling forth from the floor for the general release of other spectacles holding to their hard-ticket policy. Exhibitors Can Expect Orderly lleleases But, from Universal exhibitors can expect at least one major production a month during 1962. The showmen can expect big campaigns to make these vehicles known to the movie-going public and bring the "must see" status to them. "Flower Drum Song" and "Come September" are already on their way to big returns, said Henry H. "Hi" Martin, the company's vice president and general sales manager. Other hopefuls that the company is banking on are: "Lover Come Back," "The Outsider," "The Day the Earth Caught Fire," etc. Looked upon as another of gigantic proportions (revenue-wise) is "Phantom of the Opera," which will open the 1962-63 season in September. 3be jHontague (Continued from Front Page) simple man be missed. Throughout the years the accolades, the honors, the salutes poured down on him like the gentle rains of spring. Never did a man say so much in so few words in his acceptance speeches. We speak as a reporter who has covered so many of these Abe Montague testimonials. It seemed only a few yesterdays ago when he stood up to acknowledge the thunderous ovation of the assemblage on the occasion of the testimonial given Abe by the Motion Picture Pioneers as "the pioneer of the year." How it must have gladdened his heart to know that these veterans of the business, risen to their feet loved, revered, respected deeply this symbol of an industry's proven, time-tested greatness blessed with God-given humanities reserved for but few on this earth. If there was moisture ridging his eyelids, that night, and this wonderful man was so happy that he could have cried, it's another touching manifestation of the man's inner sentimentalities and profoundlyfelt feel for his fellowman. Yes, there indeed was a truly great man, Abe Montague, one year short of the Biblical three-scoreand-ten! What a beautiful memory he will leave in the hearts of those who were fortunate to know him. What a lesson the young of today (especially in our business) can learn from the life he lived. His will be an enduring imprint in the glorious history book of an industry he helped to bring so much dignity, decency, distinction to. Lest we forget! Lest we forget! thing beyond the reach of the men who are empowered to chart the radio destinies of our public relations. If they're looking for further guidance as to the inspiring Tightness of such a move let us quote this from our Wise Men who seemed to be playing Nostradamus as we square yesteryear's passage with today's radio: "Except ye utter by the tongue words easy to understand. How shall it be known what is spoken. For, ye shall speak it into the air."