Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1954)

Monday, February 15, 1954 Motion Picture Daily 3 Goldenson on Product (Continued from page 1) TOA-TESMA (Continued from page 1) come up at the TOA board meeting in Washington recently and whether Kansas City, which was semi-official ly designated as the 1954 convention site, will be the host this year has not been determined. It is reported that TESMA still is holding out to make Chicago's Conrad Hilton Hotel the site of not only this year's trade show and convention but those to be held every year, because of the facilities. This would indicate that if TOA wants to tie up with the equipment branch of the industry, it will have to again convene in Chicago, the locale of last year's meet. Allied States Association has stated it will not switch its plans to hold this year's convention in any city except Milwaukee, which was selected at last year's Boston conclave, regardless of what TESMA decides to do about its trade show. Indiana Suit Against Loew's, Others Filed CHICAGO, Feb. 14. — Attorneys Sheldon Collen and Seymour Simon filed a suit here Thursday on behalf of Louis Philon and the Liberty Theatre, Michigan City, Ind., against Loew's, Inc. ; Indiana-Illinois Theatres, Inc. ; and Indiana-Illinois executives Alex Manta and Jack Rose, asking for an injunction to prevent the defendants from continuing an alleged conspiracy to monopolize first-run pictures in Michigan City. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court, further alleges a history of past efforts on the part of Indiana-Illinois to take pictures away from the Liberty, including bidding so high for the pictures in their Tivoli and Lido theatres that losses on the engagements were certain. The present action came about as the result of Indiana-Illinois informing the distributors that the circuit no longer wanted to split product with the Liberty and preferred bidding. Inasmuch as Loew's is the only company to accede to this request, no other distributors are named defendants. The case will be heard by Federal Judge Julius Hoffman, but no date has been set as yet. ence by referring to his November address to the Theatre Owners of America convention in which he urged exhibition to keep "alert" on the product situation, advocating exhibition to get into production if the shortage is "acute." He said that he still feels there is a "need for more product today," but "there are enough signs that the decline in the number of quality pictures is leveling off and is on the way up." The AB-PT president also expressed his sentiments dealing with low-budgeted pictures, stressing the need for them, maintaining that there is currently a market for them. The thought that "only big pictures can make money is silly," declared Goldenson, referring to his circuit's success with such pictures as "Wicked Woman," "Vice-Squad" and the double-bill reissue of "Public Enemy Number 1" and "Scarface." Goldenson said that while in Hollywood he outlined his sentiments to Edward Small and received an enthusiastic response. Exhibition, he went on, is a 52-week a year business and there is room for both big and small pictures and the latter can be successful, he went on, with off-beat themes, an accent on action, or with other ingredients. Balaban Tells of Studio Activity Balaban joined with Goldenson in pointing out that all the studios were enveloped in programs to develop new talent, stars, directors, writers and others. Balaban told how warmly he, Goldenson, and R. J. O'Donnell, vicepresident of Texas Interstate Circuit, another AB-PT affiliate, were welcomed at the studios. He said one of the reasons for such a reception was that since divorcement the studios are not as aware as formerly of exhibi Holds Theatre TV A Public Service Theatre television in booking outstanding sports events is supplying a "public service" and is not the "villain" portrayed by opponents of the medium, Nathan L. Halpern, president of Theatre Network Television, declared here at the weekend. Halpern spoke of theatre TV's role at a panel discussion at the Hotel Roosevelt sponsored by the Radio and Television Executives Society. The panel had as its moderator James L. Fly, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, who, in his introduction, acknowledged that there were two sides to the issue of sports on free and paid TV. The TNT president forecast that more sporting events would be seen on theatre TV in the years ahead, although he pointed out that there will be a large number of sporting programs which will continue on home radio and TV. He said theatre TV supplied an economic vehicle for sport promoters who found that home radio and television are cutting heavily into their gate. Ned Irish, another panel speaker, told of the experience of Madison Square Garden, the sports arena of which he is executive vice-president. He, too, told of decreasing gate receipts because of home TV. He said, however, that the Garden will continue to sell to radio and TV as long as it is profitable. tion's needs and they welcome information that exhibition can give them. The Balaban and Katz president said that the visiting delegation relayed the experience of AB-PT theatres in regard to home television competition, which Balaban said declined as a competitive factor over a two-year period with theatre attendance spurting ahead after the TV novelty wears off. Goldenson, saying that the industry after hitting "rock bottom" in the past three or four years, will now move ahead, observed that there is room for every medium of entertainment. Cites 'Added Value' of Stereo Goldenson called stereophonic sound "an added value" to a picture and told of his talks with Darryl F. Zanuck, 20th Century-Fox vice-president in charge of production. The AB-PT president said that it is wrong to expect perfection in stereophonic sound at this early stage and added that Zanuck is well aware of the stereophonic sound problems and is seeking to solve them. Goldenson put the number of CinemaScope installations in the AB-PT circuit at from 250 to 300. While acknowledging that AB-PT has no plans to engage in film production, he said exhibition still should consider production on its own and keep alert to the product situation. He said he intends to make a number of Hollywood visits during the year, possibly every four or five months to keep abreast of developments. Balaban held out hope for exhibitors faced with the introduction of TV in their areas, claiming that it has been his experience that it takes a shorter time for theatre attendance to bounce back today than it has in the past, when home TV moved into an area. Finalize Plans for Variety Convention DALLAS, Feb. 14.— Final details are being completed here for the Variety Clubs International convention which will start five days of activities on March 21. John Rowley, general chairman of the convention, has announced that the program for the conclave has been finalized. Chairmen and the committees which they head are : Albert Reynolds, registration and hotel ; C. A. Dolsen, greeters ; Meyer Rachofsky, financial ; Ronald Martin, transportation ; Mrs. John Rowley, ladies ; Charles Darden, Boys Ranch program, and Kendall Way, club rooms. In addition to the business sessions and luncheons, entertainment by top talent will be featured every evening in the club rooms and at the Hotel Adolphus roof garden. Special programs have been arranged for the delegates' wives. Among the events scheduled are a frontier festival, sponsored by Pepsi Cola ; a Boys Ranch roundup and barbecue, sponsored by Coca Cola, and the Humanitarian Award banquet, which will climax the convention. Murphy Reelected HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 14. — The Hollywood Coordinating Committee board directors on Thursday re-elected George Murphy president for the ninth year. Seek Big Property And Top Star for 3rd in Cinerama A big story property, coupled with talent of star caliber, is being sought for the third Cinerama production, it is learned, as Stanley Warner executives continue talks with major studio representatives and independents on production plans. The reasoning behind looking for a "big" property with top story and talent values is that it is felt that the third Cinerama production must open a new path for the medium, relying less on the travelogue aspect as contained in "This Is Cinerama" and to a lesser degree in the forthcoming "Holiday Parade." Another factor weighing in the decision, it was pointed out in trade quarters, is that Cinerama will have to meet the competition of the new Todd-AO 65mm. medium, the first production in which will be "Oklahoma !" Contracts Up for Review Meanwhile, with Cinerama Productions, Inc. no longer in the production and exhibition field, having sold its rights to Stanley Warner, the contracts of Louis B. Mayer and Merian C. Cooper are up for review. Mayer, who is board chairman of Cinerama Productions, has a contract calling for the payment of $1,000 per week as "consultant," while Cooper, now a director in the company, has a contract calling for the payment of $1,100 weekly to him and Argosy Pictures as production head for Cinerama. As stated in the last annual report of Stanley Warner, the salaries of Mayer and Cooper are in arrears. Mayer, who is expected in New York within the next two months, is slated to confer with Cinerama Production officials on the status of his contract. FPC Installing 'Scope At 1-a-Week Rate TORONTO, Feb. 14.— CinemaScope is being installed in units of Famous Players Canadian Corp. at the rate of one theatre each week. The latest Ontario theatre with CinemaScope is the 955-seat Paramount at Peterborough. Loew's with installations here and at London, Out, is the only other Canadian circuit with CinemaScope equipment. Claim New Speaker For 'Scope Drive-Ins DALLAS, Feb. 14— A single drive-in speaker which, it is claimed, will competently reproduce high fidelity sound for CinemaScope or other new processes was disclosed here by the International Drive In Theatre Owners Association. The speaker will be available through the association, according to its president, Claude . Ezell. Officials of 20th Century-Fox said in New York that they knew nothing about the new speaker for drive-ins announced in Dallas and that, therefore, it had not been approved for presentation of 20th-Fox CinemaScope productions. Industry 'Comeback' Lauded in Editorial CHICAGO, Feb. 14,— An editorial praising the film industry for its new vigor after a period of gloom has been published by the Chicago "Daily News." "The days of despair induced by television are now forgotten by an industry which got a glimpse of handwriting on the wall and decided to do something about erasing it," the editorial said. "Bigger pictures and new film dimensions have been used by Hollywood to meet and conquer the threat of television," the editorial stated in pointing out that an Associated Press story from Hollywood reports that "after five years of gloom the film industry is enjoying good times again and looking forward to better ones."