International projectionist (Jan-Dec 1948)

THE wh:stling-in-the-dark attitude of movie toppers whenever Tv's effect on the box-office is discussed was brushed aside recently in a surprisingly frank statement by Paul Raibourn, Paramount official, before the National Industrial Conference Board meeting in N. Y. City. Raibourn laid it on the line, as fallows: "Motion picture-going decreases from 20 to 30% when Tv sets go into a home." Asserting that this high stay-at-home percentage was subject, to revision downward when the Tv set was installed for several months, Raibourn saw small comfort for the movie business in that fact. "A real jolt to those who prattle about Tv's novelty wearing off within a few months is the fact that once the Tv listening habit is established it takes a terrific counter-attraction to get people out of their homes," was the Par executive's summation. Other Raibournslants: Cessation of Spending tor Amusement "We are now seeing inflation causing cessation of spending in recreation and amusement areas, especially in higher-priced elements. Economic change was first felt in night clubs. This change has followed through various high-price elements until it is now reaching lower-cost elements. I place radio and motion pictures in these latter elements. "Hours of work have gone down since 1850 to a minimum of 35 hours a week, and amusement and recreation now absorbs 30 to 35 hours per week of the 168 hours in the week. It takes 20% of the total income. The motion picture business absorbs but two to three hours out of the 25 given by the average individual to recreation. "Economically, things commenced slipping 18 months ago. How far this will go may be a political instead of an economic story. The new and major element in the recreation field is Tv, which is the greatest cultural, educational and entertainment medium of the future. When we have a saturation of Tv sets, the demand for other forms of amusement will decrease proportionately." Use Tv or Fight Ir— FCC Head Support for the stand of those who view Tv as "poison" for the movie theatre boxoffice was seen in the recent address of Wayne Coy, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission before the annual convention of the Theatre Owners of America. Coy warned that exhibitors had better learn to live with Tv and he advised either "cooperation or aggressive, imaginative competition." Coy stated that the movie industry missed the boat when Tv was still only a gleam in radio engineers' eyes, and is still missing it. Few movie interests went after channels in the early days, he said, and most available channels are held by radio broadcasters, who also have the bulk of applications pending for more channels. Pointing out that Tv is putting vaudeville, motion pictures, newsreels, musical comedy and sports events into the nation's living rooms, Coy said: "You are wondering who will stand in the queue buffeted by the wind, the rain, and the snow to see your show when he can see all that without stirring from his easy chair. In the coming battle between celluloid and electronics, you theatre men are going to give your customer's a bigger money's worth than they have ever gotten before — pictures with better writing, better acting, better directing, better photography." He suggested a study of Tv content and told the movie men they had an opportunity to present local talent, as radio broadcasters have done, and could bring current news to their screens through Tv. Movie houses could use their stages for broadcasting top Tv attractions, and use local Tv stations for advertising current feature films by making the films available for local broadcasting. "The employment of Tv may well result in making the movie theatre a more creative force and more important community leader than it has been heretofore," said Coy. Paramount Tv Transcription Offer Paramount's television transcription service, with no restrictions placed on use of film by purchaser, is announced. Service is aimed at networks, sponsors, ad agencies and package producers. All negatives and prints produced on order become the property of the client, a radical departure from usual custom, and sponsor may make Tv transcriptions available to whatever outlets he wishes. The system, which makes a 35-mm film recording of a Tv program available within 60 seconds after the program is off the air, has been successfully demonstrated on numerous occasions. "Paramount recordings are designed to meet the competitive test of theatrical 35-mm pictures," said Paul Raihourn, in charge of Tv for Par. "This means that the quality has to be good when the image is enlarged 117,600 times as it is when enlarged for projection on a screen 18 x 24 feet. When projected to a smaller screen, the quality is even better." Rates for the service range from a recording fee of $200 for 10 minutes to $500 for 60 minutes. Prints on 16-mm film were listed from $18 for a 10-minute reel to $108 for an hour-long film; while 35-mm prints are $45 and $270 for each 10 and 60-minute show, respectively. Shown here is the projection room at the Chicago television station WGN-TV, manned 100% by members of Local 110. Reading, left to right: Rowland Long, Elmer Enke, and James Starbuck. INTERNATIONAL PROJECTIONIST October 1948 .19 -m