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Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1021, at the post office ;it New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.
Harrison's Reports
Yearly Subscription Rates:
United States $17.00
U. S. Insular Possessions... 19.00
Canada and Mexico 19.00
Other Countries 19.50
45c a Copy
A Motion Picture Reviewing Service Devoted Chiefly to the Interests of the Exhibitors
Published Weekly by Harrison's Reports, Inc.,
1600 Broadway New York 19, N. Y. COlumbus 6-4434
Established July 1, 1919
Mai-tiu Starr, Editor
A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING
Vol. XLIV
SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1962
No. 23
Showcase" Issue: Bidding Summertime Issue: Big B.O.
Within a fortnight (June 27) one of the more daring and challenging attempts to re-skein the motion picture release pattern will go into operation in 13 theatres stretching from upper Broadway all the way up to Peekskill, N.Y. In between will be participating independents in New York's five boroughs, Westchester County and Long Island.
Since the United Artists' distribution forces officially announced their plan, "Premiere Showcase" three weeks ago, exhibition, in New York, began lining up, taking sides. By now, the "for" or "against" is all according from which side of the firing line you happen to be aiming your reactions. Verily, it is still a long way off before "Premiere-" can be judged by what's showing up at the 1 3 box offices. But, already we have a modern-day "blue-and-the-grey" brotheragainst-brother situation in exhibition.
If you're one of the theatre operators lined up to try out the "Premiere--" idea, you're all for it. As several told the man from Harrison's Reports, "What can I lose! I'll raise the admissions (maybe 30%), get films that are playing Broadway day-and-date, cash in on the big, promised overall publicity, advertising, radio campaign and put a lot of local pep into my theatre!" The so-called neutrals have nothing to gain by taking sides either way. So, for the while, they're standing by waiting to see how "Premiere-" plays itself out. RKO Theatres9 Continued ~~Xo Comment"
One of the chains that is bound to be affected, RKO Theatres, still has "nothing to say" when you try to get a reaction from the upper-echelon decision makers. Loew's revealed, briefly, what it intends to do. We earned the reaction in the June 2 issue (No. 21). But, the experiment is not without its intensely disturbed dissenters. There is even bitter dissension within the ranks of some theatre organizations. Take the case of the Brandts.
Harry Brandt is willing to go along with United Artists' drastic change in release pattern via Brandt's Beacon (upper Broadway) and the Trans-Lux 85th Street Theatre. The William Brandt end of the massive Brandt operations feels altogether differently about "Preview Showcase." Through its fearlessly outspoken general manager, Martin Levine, came these reactions, opinions and objections.
"What United Artists is got in back of its mind with their idea of "Preview Showcase' is the prelude to a setup where bidding, once again, will come into strong play with the exhibitor the loser," said Levine. "For years, there's been an automatic setup ot playing (Continued on Bac\ Page)
The good old summertime is here and some theatres are showing how they feel about this gladsome season of the year. Clean, laundered covers drape the seats. The air-cooling system is operating quietly, refreshingly. From doorman, to cashier, to ushers and the rest of the house personnel everybody's dressed spankingly summery. The paint, drapery and the rest of the dressing-up job has been properly attended to. If summer is here, many of the more enterprising theatre operators have met it with that welcoming air of smart showmanship that beckons the movie-goer more and more during the torrid months when, not so long ago, movie-going was about the last thing you'd think of when trying to dodge the heat, the humidity, the discomforting dog-days of the year.
Of late, the neighborhood theatre has become a haven for moviegoers in the summertime. But, they won't come back too often if all you give them are neatness, coolness, freshness. You've also got to have the product up there on the screen. And that has been forthcoming in encouraging number in the past few years. This summer should be a big one releasewise. We've looked over what the majors have ready for the next few months. You've read our opinions of the JuneJulyAugust product. It adds up to an (Continued on Bac\ Page)
N.J.-N.Y. Allied Hold Convention
The Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey and their Allied colleagues of New York will team up for a convention that promises to make exhibitor history. ... To be held on Monday, August 6 thru Thursday, August 9, at the world's foremost country club resort, the Concord at Kiamisha Lake, N.Y., William Infald and Sidney J. Cohen (respective presidents of N.J., and N.Y.) promise a fun-filled, businessjammed four days that will leave the conventioneers with happy, wonderful memories for the year to come. . . . There is an economical "package deal" which will appeal to everybody's pocketbook. Before you'll know it, the dates will be upon us. So, don't lose any time in making your reservations for a truly great event,— better than any vacation you've ever spent, anywhere. . . . Depending in what territorial waters you sail your exhibitor ship, here is whom to contact and where. . . . Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey, 234 West 44th Street, New York 36, N.Y. or, Allied Theatres of New York, 3 10 Crosby Building, Buffalo 2, N.Y.