Harrison's Reports (1962)

Entered ae second-class matter January i, 1921, at the post office at 'Cow York, New York, undor the act of March 3, 1879. Harrison's Reports Yearly Subscription Rates: Published Weekly by United States $17.00 Harrison's Reports, Inc., U. S. Insular Possessions... 19.00 Canada and Mexico 19.00 A MotIon Plcture Reviewing Service 1«00 Broadway Other Cwmtnes 19. SO New York 19, N. Y. 45c a Copy Devoted Chiefly to the Interests of the Exhibitors COlumbus 6-4434 KrtablUhrd July 2, 1919 Martin Starr, Editor A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XLIV SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 1962 No. 16 Tv and the Week-End B.O. Probes D.J. Action For nearly a month, the Week-ends have belonged to television no matter what spring's inviting weather outside. Unable to horn in on the Saturday night stay-at-home habit which the National Broadcast' ing Company has been promoting for a goodly number of months, through the simple (if costly) process of showing post '48 films, the American Broadcasting Company had to content itself with taking over Sunday night. The implement, once again, is some of the better films not many of which are more than a decade old. The N.B.C. "stay-at-home, and see-a-movie" campaign was backed by a buy of about 50 films from the vaults of 20th Century-Fox. The Spyros P. Skouras company had many urgent needs for the millions this brought in. The features were enough for a year's supply, not counting the re-runs, for which provision is usually made. If some of the network's programming shows weakness on certain weekday nights, then the time slots will give way to movies, leaving room for a re-run on Saturday night of the better product which constituted the film package. The N.B.C. tallies were in long ago, and the network was quite happy with the results. Meaning, the huge number of movie-goers who stayed home to see the not-so-old films instead of getting more out of life by going out to see a movie. Network's Campaign ot Mesmerism N.B.C. 's entry into the Saturday night movie sweepstakes had the mesmerism of a Delilah in its campaign. Full page advertisements teased the moviegoer into staying home and seeing it all from a soft seat within the comforts of one's living room. The first few Saturday nights were frightening at the box offices of the nation. With each passing week, tne fears of the exhibitors were dispelled a little more. The enterprising showmen rolled up their sleeves and, many of them, went back to the business of creating business on this threatening night. Today, we're told, if the picture is there, the audiences will be there, too! That is, if they know what's going on in their favorite theatre. Which means a job of stronger, harder selling than ever before. But, that's show business, these days. It is yet too soon to say what A. B.C. has done to the box office on the few Sunday nights the network has come up with the "movies-in-your-homc" inducement. The Tv people are using United Artists product, post '48, with some of the releases nearer to circa sixtees in vintage. ABC-Tv begot iself 30 fea' (Continued on Bac\ Page) There will be no hasty, half-cocked journey to the nation's capitol to see Attorney General Robert Kennedy and his assistant, Lee Loevinger, who is in charge of the Anti-Trust Division of the department, according to the latest blueprint of operation of the Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey. The unit will move only if its legal ground is sound. Explained its battling president, William Infald, the other day to Harrison s Reports : "We will exhaust every peaceful approach to the majors, possible. If there is an understanding, give-and-take way of resolving many of the irregular trade practices that are costing us the loss of big money in the operation of our theatres, we will seek that road. But, if we fail to find that peaceful way, then we will be compelled to take every legal step open to us to deal with the matter of availabilities even if it means going to the Department of Justice." (Continued on Bac\ Page) Immoral Films Attacked By DAR Concerning itself with motion pictures as never before in its distinguished history, the Daughters of the American Revolution have sounded the war drums that the product of Hollywood, as well as the imports, will be watched with an ever-increasing care for the smoothly camouflaged indecencies and immoralities in film stories. . . . Making its stand known from the nation's capitol, where the DAR met, mothers and grandmothers were prevailed upon to go into action as a measure of safeguarding the morality of motion pictures. It is in the protection of the young that members of the DAR are concerned with. . . . Through its published film reviews the ladies' patriotic organization has begun to reach out to better film councils, public health hospitals, Consumer Research Bureaus, schools, public libraries, etc. All this vast circulation in addition to the members of the DAR. . . . That many newspapers carry the film reviews of this elite society, was attested by its national chairwoman of the all-embracing film committee. Many radio stations have voiced the DAR film reviews, it was reported. The DAR is dedicating itself to an all-out fight on films leaning toward immoralities that would wreak its harm on the young of the nation.