Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Friday, March 30, 1951 Claim Video Cuts Filmgoing a Third The impact of television on the leisure-time activities of the American people has hit motion picture theatre attendance harder than any other media, according to a national survey made by Batten, Barton, Durstine and Osborn, advertising agency. It finds that film attendance is cut by one-third. •'Without detracting in the least from the impact of television," BBDO points out, "we can conclude that other activities are far from dead. If this study does nothing else, it demonstrates again the amazing capacity of the American public to take a new medium in stride without any other activity taking the full brunt." The survey, conducted last November among 5,657 persons in urban homes in 48 states, shows that on a typical day, 18 per cent of the persons in non-television homes attend films; for television homes the figure is 12 per cent, a 33 per cent difference. Other Activities Other leisure-time activities show the following comparisons : Radio listening drops from 87 per cent in nonTV homes to 67 per cent in TV homes; 69 per cent of the persons in non-TV homes read magazines as compared to 60 per cent in TV homes, while 32 per cent of the people in non-TV homes read books against 23 per cent in TV homes. Reading of daily and Sunday newspapers remains about the same in both TV and nonTV homes. The average viewer in the home " spends three hours and 24 minutes in front of the video set, according to the findings. In future studies, BBDO plans to examine the effect of the length of television ownership on other leisuretime activities. In 43 per cent of the television homes in the panel, the sets had been installed within six months when the survey was made. 20th-Fox Reports Net (Continued from page 1) uted in part to one less week (over $1,700,000) and the extensive devaluation of foreign currencies in the fall of 1949 which reached their full impact in 1950, according to 20th-Fox. It is estimated that foreign rentals were reduced by approximately $6,600,000 by the devaluation. Attendance at comparative theatres declined about 12 per cent compared with 1949, the report said. This decline and the disposal of certain theatres in accordance with an order of the Federal Court in the pending antitrust suit were the principal causes of the drop in theatre receipts, it was said. In a letter to stockholders accompanying the report, Spyros P. Skouras, 20th-Fox president, said that a reduction of $10,842,255 in expenses and $2,225,000 in income taxes offset m part the decline in film rentals and theatre receipts. Skouras reported on the arrangement whereby the Swiss Eidophor theatre TV system will be available to the company upon the completion of a satisfactory model projector, adding that "We look forward to the simultaneous and exclusive transmission to a great number of theatres of popular priced shows of the ^ highest quality embracing the world's most talented artists as a supplement to the best motion pictures it is possible to produce. "Your officers believe that theatre entertainment of the future can reach great heights of public service through television, with motion pictures as the basic element of this entertainment, and that television in its turn can attain its greatest development through the theatres," he concluded. Yesterday's report was a preliminary for the annual stockholders' meeting to be held on May 15. Remington Loses Aniline-Film Case FCC Says (Continued from page 1) censes to firms involved in violation of the anti-trust laws, but would judge such applicants on a case by case basis. The Commission's report stemmed from a hearing held last April, at which several of the major companies opposed any blanket policy. In its re; port today, the Commission said, it was setting forth what it considered "the primary principles which should guide us in making a case-to-case determination of these applications." The Commission took no action todday, however, in placing on a permanent basis those television station li censes belonging to industry firms involved in anti-trust violations which it has kept on a temporary license for the past two-and-a-half years. In cases where industry companies are applicants for television stations, the report said, "A* serious policy question is presented as: to whether the Commission fulfills . its .obligations to encourage the largest and most effective utilization of television in the public interest when it licenses the station to a person with an obvious conflict of interest which can prevtej him from utilizing television to the utmost." The report stated that it has come to the Commission's attention that many motion picture companies refuse to make copies of their films available for use by television stations and that these companies restrict the use on television of actors under contract to them and of stories and plays whose rights they have acquired. FCC Statement "We express no opinion at this time as to whether such practices are or are not in violation of the anti-trust laws," the report said, but went on to point out that "Whether or not these practices are a violation of any law, they are considered by the Commission to be relevant in determining the qualifications of applicants utilizing such practices." Where a television station is not owned by a motion picture company, the report said, it will "compete vigorously with the motion picture companies to secure the best available films, talent and stories for use over the stations." Where a television station is owned by a motion picture company, the report continued, "which imposes restrictions on the use of films, talent or stories on television stations, obviously a conflict of interest is created." The conflict is likely to be resolved against the television station, the report said. US-Italian Meet (Continued from page 1) plore American market conditions as they relate to Italian pictures and then report back to their government preparatory to the opening of official ItaloAmerican negotiations, are: Dr. Eitel Monaco, president of the National Association of Motion Picture and Allied Industries (ANICA) ; Italo Gemini, president of the Italian Film Exhibitors Association; Dr. Francesco Penotti, president of the Italian Film Distributors Association, and Dr. Renato Gualino, president of the Italian Film Producers Association. They were invited here by the MPAA when it became apparent that the Italian industry was seeking a quid pro quo deal with the U. S. industry. Present at the reception, which was sponsored by the MPAA, were : Russell Downing, George Weltner, Marcello Girosi, Bernard Kreisler, McCarthy, Levy, William Piper, Phil Reisman, Carl Milliken, Arthur Mayer, Alfred Daff, Taylor Mills, Theodore Smith, Alfred Corwin, Harry Stone, actress Carmel Myers, and scores of others from the MPAA, distribution and the trade press. Washington, March 29. — The U.S. Court of Appeals here today upheld a District Court decision that Remington Rand does not have a legallybinding agreement to buy governmentheld stock of General Aniline and Film Corp. for $25,000,000. Ansco is a division of General Aniline. Remington Rand will probably appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The stock was seized by the government during the war under the Tradingwith-the-Enemy Act. Remington Rand is seeking the stock "if and when" it is returned to the Swiss Corporation that owned it prior to its seizure. It said it had a "gentleman's agreement" with the Swiss firm to buy the stock. The Swiss company said a gentleman's agreement is not legally binding under Swiss law and it intended to make other disposition of the stock now, should it be returned. The District Court and the U.S. Appeals Court upheld this view. April Release List Is Tops for 20th Six features, said to be the largest number ever to be released during a single month by 20th Century-Fox, will go out to theatres during April, it was announced by Andy W. Smith, Jr., sales vice-president. The pictures are : "I Can Get It for You Wholesale," "Fourteen Hours," "Half Angel," in Technicolor, "You're in the Navy Now," the full-length news feature of the Kefauver Crime Investigation, and "Of Men and Music." FCC Reports Half of U * S. TV Stations 'in the Black' Washington! March 29.— Half of the nation's 107 television stations operated in the. black last year, the Federal Communications Commission reported here today. FCC figures showed thai the television ^broadcasting industry's 1949 lossybf $25,300,000 was cut in 1950 to a loss of V$7,900,000. The loss persisted despite the fact that TV industry revenue tripled — soarinf from $34,300,000 in 1949 to $105,800,000 last year. The FCC jsaid that the four TV networks accounted for $55,000,000 of total TV revenues in 1950 and had a net operating loss of $9,000,000. Their stations had a $1,500,000 profit .but network operations accounted for a $10,500,000 deficit. . r Of the 107 stations Operating _ last year, 54 had profitable operations, with more than half of these reporting income of $100,000 or more, before taxes, and eight stations reporting earnings in excess of $400,000. Para. Earns (Continued from page 1) 929, not including $136,000 representing Paramount' s net interest from partially owned non-consolidated companies. Consolidated earnings for the fourth quarter represent 81 cents per share. Purchases by the corporation of its capital stock in 1951 for retirement has reduced to approximately 2,303,000 the shares presently outstanding. Drive to Save Copper In an effort to aid the government in the conservation of critical materials the Independent Theatre Owners Association of N. Y. has passed a resolution in which its theatre members unanimously agreed to salvage and make monthly collections of copper drippings from projection carbons, in the manner as it did in World War II. Martin Levine, Brandt Theatres executive, has been appointed chairman of the ITOA committee to coordinate the effort. Universal Ad Lists 437 Local Theatres Universal claims an industry "first" with its two-page ad on "Up Front" in the current issue of Life magazine, which lists 437 theatres across the country playing the picture during April. Universal cites the ad as the first "dealer listing" type to be used by the industry, giving each theatre the advantage of the national advertising. The same ad is scheduled to appear in the April 7 issue of Saturday Evening Post. Two New Theatres For Crescent Group Nashville, March 29. — The Crescent Amusement Co. has secured an NPA permit for the construction of, the Princess Theater at Columbia, Tenn., which was destroyed by fire several months ago, according to Manager A. E. Shortly. The necessary steel has been obtained and work will begin Monday. The Princess, new Crescent house here has opened. It will follow a regular schedule of two first-run pictures, plus shorts and newsreels. Russell L. Parham is manager. Ask Attendants for N.J. Child Patrons Trenton, March 29— A bill which would require supervision of children under 12 years of age attending theatre matinees was endorsed by the New Jersey Federation of Women's Clubs.