Harrison's Reports (1962)

In Two Sections • • • Section One Entered as second-ekkas matter January 4, 1!j2j, at the po^t office at New York, New York, under 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 Votlm p,cture Revi6Wlng Service 1600 Broadway Other Countries 19.50 New York 19, N. Y. 45c a Copy Devoted Chiefly to the Interests of the Exhibitors COlumbus 6-4434 Established July 1, 1919 Martin Starr, Editor A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XLIV SATURDAY, JULY 21, 1962 No. 28 Brothers Grimm" Junket Itelease Issue Summary Call them movie junkets, invitational press premieres or as this latest one was referred to, the world premiere in whose sponsorship, the Governor of Colorado (the Hon. Steve McNichols) participated, these film launchings are as much a part of the motion picture setup as are the cameras and the film. In the case of certain multi-million dollar releases which involve drastic departures in either presentation, production, the final selling, a junket, invitational press preview, etc., becomes an economic necessity and operational "must.11 It's got to burst forth like a huge, exciting firecracker on the public and transform the stayaway er into a moviegoer. The latest in the series was the world premiere of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-Cinerama presentation of the George Pal production of "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm." Last week, when it took place in Denver, it spread itself out to be the talk of the whole film industry. M-G-M, through its presi' dent Joseph R. Vogel, and Cinerama through its bossman Nicholas Reisini, told their respective boys to do the best kind of a job possible. The M-G-M personnel, of course, had to carry the ball all the way down the line! Such a task falls on the distributor. M-G-M and Cinerama brought in those irrepressible, indispensable gentlemen of the press from foreign lands, in addition, of course, to our own reporters of these United States. Give a few thousand dollars, take as many, when we sat down with some of the experts of this kind of expense account, we couldn't see how the package (of nearly 400 guests) could have been wrapped up for less than $150,00. Some, who haven't got it to spend, may say that's quite a heap o' wampum. Those who believe in this kind of operation know that it can be like a bag of peanuts when the lineage, and air time (see special piece, elsewhere in this issue, in which the man from Harrison's Reports participated) is totaled up. Tight Agenda, Rapid Pave, IBappg Hours In not much more than a day, a whale of an agenda of events engulfed the guests. While there wasn't a moment open that you weren't on the "go, go!" you didn't have to hot-foot it around at the kind of breakneck speed that dosn't give you much of a chance to catch your second breath. Exhibitors out-numbered the lay and trade press. They were invited, in big number, from far and near, and they came! To many, this wasn't only a major event in the operation of their theatre, it was a deciding moment. Many we talked to, were already in the process of reconverting their theatres into Cinerama operation. (Continued on bac\ Page) This is the interlude, mid-year, when it is our custom to take time out and try to look ahead for the next six months to come. This is not a catch-as-catchcan game of playing Nostradamus. With the help of the executives of the home offices of the majors, and the independents, we tried to reduce to printed facts of what's ahead for that other part of the year at hand, the second half. We dealt strongly with the element of reality. We depended on our informants to do likewise. Take away the summer sluggishness and you haven't more than three full months in which to do enough business to help balance the first half which, in many quarters, wasn't too bad. In any event, our surveys have been made, our probings completed and accompanying this issue is the release summary of the remaining half of this year. The lessening number of domestic releases continues in ratio, while the imports continue to show increase. (Continued on Bac\ Page) Weak Majors Get Strong $ Support There is an indestructible financial strength to the motion picture industry that is the envy of every other business in America. The majors are almost bankrupt-proof. Let a Curtis Publishing Company, which it can be said is in the entertainment business because of the slant its magazines take, suffer a yearly loss of four million dollars and explosions rock the organization to its very foundation. Quick changes are made of the upper echelon. The financial structure weakens considerably from the blow . . . Yet, it's quite different in the film business. Take 20th Century-Fox, for instance. Right now the great major is taking its financial beating. The losses for the year gone by ('61) is five times as great as that of the Philadelphia publishers ($20,000,000). Yet, business goes on as usual. Yes, there'll be a new president and a few other changes will be made at the film company. But, you don't hear of the earthshaking goings-on that take over when other industrial giants lose a few paltry millions. The film industry still stands solid on a foundation the financial strength of which doesn't crumble easily ... As for the presidency of 20th-Fox, Darryl F. Zanuck is now a changed man. What he didn't want only a few short weeks ago, he desires very much right now. Enough to entail a costly proxy fight.