Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1946)

4 motion Picture Daily Wednesday, November 13, 1946 Richey Hits (Continued from page 1) Cadallac Hotel, here, today, and will last through Wednesday. Richey will point to "the chaos that comes with Government interference," when he addresses the convention, holding the present division of exhibitor groups into a haTf dozen separate camps in connection with the results thus far achieved in the New York equity suit to support his contention that the three segments of the industry will reap "no lasting benefit" from controls which are expected to stem from court action. The M-G-M executive will "deny that motion pictures are a public utility, like the railroads, or that it .is now or ever has been necessary to put a control over this one branch of the amusement business." "You can't legislate success in film industry, nor create a box-office attraction by an act of Congress. Some of the demands of the Government today are contrary to every known precedent in this business. For instance, a ban against road-showing. Every top film through decades of motion picture history has been of road-show calibre, and if the Government succeeds in this prohibition, it will level off production below any present standards of quality," according to Richey. Likening a possible "motion picture commission" with the Interstate Commerce Commission, which was founded to supervise American railroads "on much the same basis of industry chaos that now obtains in motion pictures today," Richey will hold that "given a commission form of Government in motion pictures, you'll see admission prices fixed, along with the wages you pay your employes. The ICC encourages deluxe trains at extra fares, but they also specify what you pay on your neighborhood bus," Richey contends. More Theatres "It is probable." Richey will tell the group, "that within the next few years, for every three theatres now operating, there will be one new one." In this connection, he holds, "last year, the War Activities Committee listed 1 6,©00 operating theatres," and predicts that by 1950, "there will be 20, 000 theatres." That will mean new competition in every trading area, Richey holds. "The Government has been asked to insure 'free competition.' It was never necessary to 'restore' it, for the film industry has always been highly competitive. New theatres are therefore apt to fall into new classifications. They won't all be top-bracket, in fact, 1 look for a majority of new small theatres, and this may be the 16mm. competition that has been threatening. There is great likelihood of a separation between those theatres that run new, modern films at top prices, with superior showmanship, and the And, oh yes, if you are a user of special trailers, you knov, FILMACK'S service nod I quality can't be 1 I b<*at! ft " pRtVUt Filmack's new prevue service isn't ready ye! . . . but il isn't loo early lo think about it. II you want to know more about il, write FILMACK 1327 S. Wabash Ave.. Chicago 5. II). October Grosses (Continued from page 1) peared most frequently during October as leading box-office attractions in the correspondents' tallies, with "Holiday in Mexico" next. This was the second consecutive month that the Cary Grant-Ingrid Bergman film has been in top place. Other films showing strength throughout the nation were : 1946 Average 1945 Average Week No. of Total Per Week No. of Total Per Ending Theatres Gross Theatre Ending Theatres Gross Theatre 4-5 142 11-12 144 Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. March 1-2 March 8-9 March 15-16 154 18-19 .. 25-26 .. 1-2 .... 8-9 ... 15-16 .. 22-23 156 ... 164 ... 163 150 158 157 158 159 March 22-23 .. 165 March 29-30 167 April 5-6 170 April 12-13 165 April 19-20 161 April 26-27 164 May 3-4 162 May 10-11 144 May 17-18 150 May 24-25 152 May 31-June 1 .. 130 Tune 7-8 152 June 14-15 154 June 21-22 140 June July July July July Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Nov. 28-29 159 5-6 167 12-13 154 19-20 163 26-27 2-3 . 9-10 16-17 23-24 . 157 . 165 . 162 . 157 .• 167 30-31 166 6-7 13-14 ... 20-21 ... 27-28 ... 4-5 11-12 ... 18-19 169 25-26 177 1-2 174 171 170 169 168 172 169 $3,304,300 2,940,100 2,706,300 2,800,100 2,777,000 2,798,300 2,755,400 2,638,200 3,106,000 2,926,600 2,818,800' 2,981,100 2,810,300 2,908,100 2,845,300 2,694.600 3,187,000 3,025,400 2,409,700 2,526,500 2,406,500 2,058,200 2,803,000 2,541,800' 2,406,900 2,559,000 2,737,500 2,944,200 2,599,300 2,702,700 2,856,600 2,919,700 2,852,000 3,078,800 2,984,500 3,469,600 3,015,600 3,944,800 2,804,900 2,995,300 2,740,800 2,701,000 3,093,000 2,925,000 $23,270 20,417 18,040 17,722 18,390 17,756 17,330 16,918 18,939 17,955 18,304 18,067 16,828 17,106 17,244 16,737 19,433 18,675 16,734 16,843 15,832 15,855 18,506 16,506 17,092 16,094 16,392 19,112 15,928 17,215 17,193 18,023 18,165 18,435 17,979 20,290 17,739 17,425 16,696 17,409 16,218 15,982 17,475 16,810 "The Big Sleep," "Three Little Girls in Blue," "My Darling Clementine," "Till the End of Time," "Cloak and Dagger," "The Kid from Brooklyn," "Make Mine Music" and "Mr. Ace." Composite key-city box-office reports for 1946, compared with the cor Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. March March March March March April 6 April April April May May Mav May June June June June June July July July July Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Aug. Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept. Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct. Nov. 5 6 12 13 ... 19 20 .. 26 27 ... 2 3 9 10 ... 16 17 ... 23-24 .... 2-3 ... 9-10 ., 16-17 23-24 . 30-31 . ■7 '. 13 14 ... 20 21 ... 27 28 ... 4 5 11 12 ... 18 19 ... 25 26 ... 1 2 8-9 15-16 ... 22-23 ... 29-30 ... 6 7 ..... 13 14 ... 20 21 . . , 27-28 .... 3 4 10 11 ... 17 18 ... 24-25 ... 31-Sept. 7 8 14 15 ... 21 22 ... 28 29 ... 5 6 12 13 ... 19 20 ... 26 27 ... 2 3 136 133 136 149 148 144 141 143 134 144 152 144 137 129 138 123 137 132 123 141 127 119 128 136 125 119 132 143 131 123 136 120 129 147 146 139 141 143 140 146 136 137 139 134 ,828,300 ,393,400 ,289,400 ,543,400 :,534,300 ,506,700 ,491,800 ,448,000 ,462,100 ,448,700 ,530,500 ,248,900 123,100 ,293,900 ,268,600 ,893,700 179,500 141,000 166,400 ,390,000 ,052,800 ,902,700 ,020,800 266,600 ,903,400 ,952,800 ,248,900 586,800 ,271,300 156,100 ,395,400 ,316,100 ,367,500 ,699,200 ,676,100 ,689,600 ,484,600 ,535,700 ,360,100 ,512,400 ,475,200 454,100 ,476,700 ,331,300 $20,796 17,995 16,826 17,069 17,123 17,407 17,672 17,118 18,373 17,000 16,648 16,687 15,446 17,872 16,349 15,395 15,908 16,219 17,613 16,950 16,153 15,989 15,788 16,666 15,227 16,410 17,371 18,089 17,384 17,529 17,613 19,300 18,352 18,362 18,334 19,350 17,621 17,732 16,858 17,208 18,200 17,913 17,818 17,400 lesser runs. Admission prices may level off in two grades of amusement value, the better and newer films will go up while the lesser and cheaper runs will go doivn in price at the box-office. They do it that way now' in Mexico." Richey will tell the group that although some companies have made 16mm. available through the past 10 years or more, M-G-M has been "a hold-out against making M-G-M pictures available" in the lower gauge. "Not only have we refused to allow old pictures to be made or sold in this dimension, but we have no present plans or intention to issue any 16mm. film whatever in the continental U. S.," he will say. Myers Attacks In an address winding up yesterday's session of Allied Theatres of Michigan's twenty-seventh convention, Abram F. Myers, Allied's general counsel, attacked President Truman for failing to declare hostilities officially over so that the present emergency 10 to 20 per cent increase on theatre admissions could be abolished. Myers said "The President should have issued such a proclamation long ago, but he seems reluctant to give up the war powers which are dependent upon a theoretical state of war." Myers also attacked Congress for its failure to act, since the emergency wartime measure could be abolished by a Congressional resolution. Myers said : "Both Chairman Doughton of the Ways and Means Committee and Chairman George of the Senate Finance Committee promised to re consider the excise rates at the last session of Congress, but both appear to have defective memories." Myers said that an effort should be made to bring to the attention of the new Congress, not merely the necessity of dropping the war rates, but of repealing the admission tax altogether. Myers said he thought the new Congress would act promptly to end the President's emergency war powers. Slap at ATA Although not specifically mentioning American Theatres Association, Myers took a slap at the ATA in its attempts to gain repeal of the admission tax by direct action. He said that "exhibitors and all leaders who have had experience in legislative work must be genuinely disturbed by the announced purpose of an exhibitor organization composed of and financed by the great chains to seek repeal of the admission tax by direct action. The activity of such a group, boasting a $250,000 budget, will drive from the congressmen's minds the recollection of the modest, home-owned neighborhood and small-town theatres with which he is familiar and supplant it with visions of the great, chain-operated metropolitan first-runs which, on the basis of their -financial statements, have small claim to the sympathy of the tax collectors." He urged Allied members to work through their local legislative representatives, rather than through paid Washington lobbyists, to attain their ends. Myers also spoke at great length on the New York court decree and urged Selznick (Continued from page 1) which Selznick representatives regard as probable, Miss Pickford and Chaplin interests reportedly feel UA, as distributor, will find itself concentrating on "Duel" at little or no return to itself and perhaps to the detriment of other product. Selznick's representatives, however, take another view. They regard it "curious" for this situation t(C velop on the eve of formal deliveia i "Duel" at which tjme Selznick will have arrived within* two film units of his 10-unit deal on completion of which he acquires full possession of his UA stock. They don't say so positively but they intimate clearly and strongly the latest squabble has its roots in the old, and thus far unresolved, court action filed by Chaplin over Selznick's "package" deal with 20th-Fox including "The Keys of the Kingdom" and "Jane Eyre." They also say they are inclined to believe the proposed negotiations on new distribution terms are less significant than an alleged move on the part of the Pickford and Chaplin groups to "weaken" Selznick's position on the approximate eve of its culmination. Miss Pickford and Chaplin are the only other two member-owners of the company. Selznick's Position This is Selznick's position, filtering through a brief statement issued late Monday night by Daniel T. O'Shea, president of Vanguard : "If perchance the United Artists board supports this weird and suicidal manouevre, we shall have much to say of great interest to the trade, and it will not be limited to our plans concerning 'Duel in the Sun'." A spokesman for Miss Pickford admitted UA stockholders will ask the board to seek a revision of Selznick's contract and to decline to accept any further pictures until such revision has been effected "without prejudice." A spokesman for Chaplin coincided on the proposal to refuse acceptance of further Selznick product, and also" indicated a brand new legal action to terminate Selznick's relation with UA is contemplated and, perhaps, a second new action lo cancel the original agreement providing for UA stock transfers under the original 10-unit agreement. President Edward C. Raftery declared UA, per se, had no statement "as the matter is between the com pany and its partners." M-G-M Shorts {Continued from page 1) written to circuit heads around the country with the aim of promoting increases. Higher production costs necessitate the increases, he said. Rodgers said that there will be no blanket percentage rise in the rentals and to this added that increases will be made only to the extent which best suits each situation. He said that in some cases there even may be reductions. The shorts representatives in the exchanges are working under E. W. Aaron, assistant general sales manager. exhibitors to watch the final provisions carefully since, he said, the distributor defendants woud try to twist the final verdict to their own advantages.