Motion Picture Daily (Apr-June 1956)

4 Motion Picture Daily Thursday, April 19, 19 PEOPLE Walter Wanger, who suffered a mild heart attack on March 26, left Cedars of Lebanon Hospital yesterday. The RKO producer will spend several weeks resting at home before returning to the studio. Ernie R. Wilson, 61, who joined the National Film Board, Ottawa, Ont., 36 years ago as motion picture photographer, has retired. Estelle Steinbach is the general manager for the presentation of "Oklahoma!" to be shown at the FoxStrand Theatre, Milwaukee, starting on May 4. Fred L. Warner, who had 35 years of service as projectionist at New Haven's Paramount Theatre and who has been ill for some time, is retiring to the Masonic Home in Wallingford, Conn. Sheldon Kaplan has been appointed Eastern sales manager of Hollywood Film Co., manufacturer of motion picture supplies and editing equipment. Harry Tietelbaum, co-owner of the Hollywood company, will attend the SMPTE convention in New York, at which time he will open the New York branch office. Martyn Remy, formerly of Cleveland, is the new manager of the Empire drive-in near Rochester, N. Y. The out-door theatre was acquired recently by the Smith Management Co. For the past 15 years, Remy has operated and managed drive-ins and restaurants in Ohio and Florida. He has been associated with the Smith organization for five years. Arthur M. Dorsner, administrative manager of the ABC-TV program department, has been nominated on the Republican ticket as mayor of Roselle Park, N. J. Numbered Seats Offer New Prize Gimmick Special to THE DAILY COLUMBUS, April 18.-An enterprising Ohio theatre owner has come up with an idea which he uses instead of Bank Night, according to Robert A. Wile, executive secretary of the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio. Wile said that the exhibitor has numbered all of his seats and on one night a week, he puts a card, representing each seat, in a box. One card is drawn and whoever is sitting in that seat gets a prize. At Washington Convention Sindlinger Warns of Drop In Patronage; Cites Facts Special to THE DAILY WASHINGTON, April 18. -Industry statistical expert Albert E. Sindlingei said theatre grosses for the past six months were 20 per cent below those ol a year earlier Sindlinger stated that the total U. S. gross in the 26 weeks from October, 1955, through March, 1956, amounted to $404,500,000, compared with $505,800,000 in the comparable 195455 period. Moreover, he added, Easter business this year was also 20 per cent below last year. He estimated that in the week before Easter, Easter week and the week after Easter this year attendance averaged 35,760,000 a week, compared with 44,750,000 in the comparable 1955 weeks. Outlines Three Trends Sindlinger made these and other estimates in an address to exhibitors attending the Washington motion picture exchange area convention. Other trends pointed up by Sindlinger were these: ^i A marked drop in attendance on mid-week nights. Cfl More men in theatre audiences and fewer women. {J Continued good business on Saturday and Sunday nights. Sindlinger said that during the October, 1955-March, 1956, period, when theatres were grossing $404,500,000, their actual expenses were $412,600,000. This means, he said, that theatres had an overall loss of $8,100,000 on admissions, and that many of them would have been out of business had it not been for concession receipts. 30 Million in Taxes During this period, he also pointed out, the theatres paid $30,400,000 in admissions tax, underlining the need for further tax relief. Sindlinger again attacked the practice of major film companies of showing current film clips on television, declaring that the frequent theatregoer has discovered that he can now stay home on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights and still satisfy his desire to see a "movie-type of entertainment" by watching these programs on television. He said the shift away from midweek night theatre-going had been growing steadily since October, with only about 7.4 per cent of weekly theatre-going now on Wednesday nights compared to 10 per cent a year ago. 188 Tickets Per Theatre Last Wednesday night, he said, only 2,600,000 tickets were sold in the 14,000 theatres open in the U. S. —an average of 188 tickets per theatre. This is the night, he said, that three major companies have television shows. He predicted that midweek attendance would pick up in six or seven weeks, when these shows go off the air, but would slump again in the fall when they go back on. "The motion picture industry," Sindlinger said, "has to make a decision where its pictures are going to go," and he added that it was up to exhibitors to force the right decision. He asked why the distributors couldn't spend the large amounts they're spending on the TV shows to promote these films in other ways. Saturday, Sunday Heavy About half of all theatre business is now done on Saturday and Sunday nights, Sindlinger said. Of the 35,760,000 weekly average attendance during the three Easter weeks, about 17 per cent was accounted for by drive-ins, the meeting was told. Sindlinger said about 35 per cent of the total tickets was sold in first-run theatres. LETTERS TO THE EDITOl Sir: Allow me to compliment y< on your editorial, "Exhibitioi No. 1 Problem," in Motion Pi< ture Daily of Tuesday, April 1 You are entirely correct in sa ing our most immediate probk is dwindling attendance. If had the attendance commensur:, with the increased national pop lation we would be able to affo the film rental the film compan are asking. We all know of o declining attendance. Here in W; ren and Niles, Ohio, our attendar in the past three years has dropp up to 60 per cent in some of 0 theatres. We all need now a national p motional campaign to get peoj out of their homes and into t theatres. . . . Both COMPO a the Motion Picture Daily shot use every means available to soli other opinions from the exhibit as to the necessity of such an v dertaking and method for arriv at a campaign fund. I feel the time is now. — LEC ENKEN, JR., Vice-President, R< ins Amusement Co., Warren, O New Mass. Bill (Continued from page 1) each license issued. He may require structural changes of any building or drive-in, including exits and entrances before issuing the license." The sole change in Bill No. 2834 from Bill No. 608 is the request for the $25 payment. A public hearing on Bill No. 608 was held early in March, strongly opposed by Carl Goldman, executive secretary of Independent Exhibitors, Inc., of New England, and Frank Lydon, executive secretary of Allied Theatres of New England. The amended bill has not as yet been set for a public hearing. At present, there is no requirement for a license or a payment of money to the commissioner of public safety by theatres in the Commonwealth, as each city and town has its own jurisdiction. 'Swan' Is Scheduled At Music Hall Apr. 26 "The Swan," film version of the Ferenc Molnar comedy with Grace Kelly, Alec Guinness and Louis Jourdan in the starring roles, will open at the Radio City Music Hall on Thursday, April 26th. The film, in which Miss Kelly appears as a princess who marries a prince, will be accompanied by a new stage spectacle, "Merry Minstrels." Buffalo House Damaged BUFFALO, April 18.-Two firefighters were felled by smoke while battling a two-alarm fire in the Roxy theatre here early today. The fire caused $20,000 damage to the balcony projection booth and second floor. Eastman to Sponso, TV of National Ope Eastman Kodak Company sponsor the exclusive NBC-TV ti cast on Saturday, June 16, of National Open Golf Tournament Rochester, N. Y., it was announ yesterday by W. B. Potter, Koc director of advertising. The prog will be presented from coast to cc over 56 stations from 4 to 6 P (EDT). Mexico Industry Says, 'Circus, Stay Home9 Special to THE DAILY MEXICO CITY, April 18.-The I industry and theatre personnel uni are bringing pressure on the govt ment to refuse an application fo. permit by Ringling Bros.-Barnun Bailey to bring the famous circu Mexico. Theatre people believe the si would be "ruinous competition' pictures. They point out that P mount's "The Greatest Show Earth" was a box-office chamj here in 1953 and 1954 and that show itself would crush their b ness. Grumblings still are heard the $200,000 which "Holiday on grossed here last May. The ice si is due here again, but there 1 been no protests.