The Independent Film Journal (1952)

Editor: MORTON SUNSHINE HLM JOURNAL & • • • • DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE MOTION P I C T U R E I N D U S T R Y ; people attended local theatres than ever dreamed of attending all sporting events; that there are far more movie magazines with far greater circulation than all sports magazines; and that publishers treat movies as a business while treating sports as a public service. In rebuttal, Brown stated that sports generally dom¬ inate the discussion wherever men gather; that sports possess the public attention ingredients of conflict and controversy; and that, far from getting unlimited space, sports editors will agree that they are restricted I in space allotments. j Turning his attention to movie coverage. Brown states that, outside of Hollywood news, there is virtu¬ ally nothing to say about motion pictures once they have been reviewed. Yet, he adds, it is “malarkey” to charge, as Bruun does, that the amount of space de¬ voted to movies in newspapers is attributable to ad schedules. I Completely overlooked is the fact that movie edi i tors will also admit that they are severely restricted by space allotments and could put to good advantage several more columns daily; that, in fact, their columns f are squeezed off the movies pages by motion picture ii advertisements! Nor is mention made of the fact that j theatres are forced to pay premium rates for adver j tising, a practice dating back to the itinerant show era I which, publishers say, is because of the demand for j extra space for screen publicity. There is no acknowl ! edgment of the most important consideration^ — the } proven high readership interest in movie ads and i: movie news. r j There is a complete failure to point out that movies I are the subject of discussion wherever people, includj ing men, gather; no mention is made of the poor place¬ ment of movie news in some newspapers, nor is anyI thing said of the community interest between movies j and the press. Sluffed off is the fact that 50 million I people go to the movies weekly and their vast interest in movie personalities and movie features, j “Editor and Publisher” ought to be reminded. I In conclusion, we would like to point out that we do not agree with Bruun’s premise that the space given to sports news is entirely out of proportion to reader interest as a reason for giving more white space to the movies. While his comparisons give food for thought, this conclusion beclouds a basic issue. It is not a ques¬ tion of sports versus the movies — Peter should not be robbed to pay Paul. There is no argument to berate adequate sports coverage. There is a valid argument that movie coverage is given stepchild treatment. On The Alerf Acting on complaints from COMPO, a leading automobile manufacturer ordered the removal from its sales agencies’ windows of a sign displaying the legend, “See the Best Movies on TV.” The company’s executives had apparently been un¬ aware of the nature of the sign, presumably prepared by its advertising agency, and removed it promptly when advised of its nature. The sign had apparently been on display for sev¬ eral weeks all over the country and was finally brought to COMPO’s attention by some New York exhibitors. This has prompted COMPO to urge greater vigilance by the industry and to submit prompt reports on any future unfair or misleading advertising by competing media or even the unwitting action of non-competitors. There are v/ays and means of calling a halt to such practises. Join In Exhibitors are always eager to help a worthwhile charity cause, but too often they find their good hearts interfere with good business. An answer has been found for a way in which theatres can help in the present drive to collect $250,000 for the industry’s own charity, the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, with¬ out any cost, time, effort or embarrassment. Simple idea is to place a small colorful display card, with a small collection box, on the candy counter of all theatres. . . . That’s all! It couldn’t be easier. The Finance and Fund-Raising Committee of the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital and Anti-Tuberculosis Research Center will supply the display and coin can without any charge. Merely fill out and send in the coupon on page 21. National Screen Service has volunteered to distribute the collection display gratis. THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL. Published every other week on Saturday by ITOA Independent, Inc. Editorial Offices: 1515 Broadway, New York 36, N. Y. i Telephone Circle 6-6460. Editor, Morton Sunshine; Business Manager, Herman Schleier; Associate Editor, Alan Ames; Circulation Manager, Charlotte Gross. Coast I Bureau: Richard Bernstein, 42251/2 Lockwood Ave., Hollywood 29, Calif., Normandie 26494. Chicago Bureau: R. L. Farnsworth, 307 N. Michigan Ave., Financial I 6-2786. Washington, D. C. Bureau: A1 Goldsmith, 1365 National Press Bldg., Metropolitan 0149. i _ _ _