Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1956)

jdnesday, November 28, 1956 Motion Picture Daily future of Independent Exhibitor Seen Secure "alver Urges daptation to hanging Era (Continued from page 1) (our competition's) maximum onjght," Kalver told the convention, i while unfortunately there will ' casualties, through reappraisal readjustment of our business and thinking to meet changing condis. most of us will survive. However," he continued, "we are > going to remain upright very long fes we start fighting back. We ; to start telling people how much e enjovable it is to enjoy fine new ^i ures in the theatre than to see the of-mine television entertainment lie home: It is here that the mopicture business has fallen down Iv. In the effort thus far we have little or no support from the film panics. Now they are displaying test in promoting theatre atten~* e, as witness the proposal for an ar Derbv, and that is good news fed." Cites 'Changing Conditions' i re " hi he i alver (fever, fging reminded the exhibitors, that "it is inevitable that conditions must bring iges to our mode and philosophy theatre ) operation. The public ■ v demands the best of everything we cannot lag behind modern : :handising by presenting our in unattractive and obsolete Dimdings— our housekeeping must 11 immaculate; our sound and pro ill Text of Shor Mement on Merger Special to THE DAILY he full text of Rube Shor's state'it on the possibility of a merger ,een Allied and TOA follows: °rior to discussion of a possible ger between Allied and TOA, the •d had approved a policy of cobating with TOA in matters of mon interest concerning which ! two organizations hold a similar IT" I friendly relations between Allied TOA leaders have existed for e time and the board has auized explorations looking to an lange of information and, when ually agreeable, coordination of 3n with TOA, on particular sub tn the circumstances the board ded that the time was not ripe for action looking to amalgamation i any other organization. Mean!e, explorations in search of coml ground and experiments with perative action will be continued." Men in the News at Allied Convention Julius Gordon T. T. Rembusch Wilbur Snaper Abram Myers jection impeccable; our service efficient and courteous." Kalver suggested that many longestablished exhibition practices may Jiave to be changed— length of runs, number of weekly changes, types of programs, admission prices— "there must be an intelligent reappraisal of all these to keep flexible and up-todate," he said. He predicted that the drive-in will "loom larger in the entertainment picture" of the future. Wants 'Sanity' in Selling The address called for a "return to sanity" in film selling, and charged that some selling methods are "illegal and immoral" because terms that cannot be fulfilled are entered into knowingly. The "most reasonable solution," Kalver said, "will be the return of autonomy to branch managers, so they will be cloaked with authority to make deals based on their customers' ability to pay/'1 . The Allied official quoted from Motion Picture Daily's Nov. 5 interview with Al Lichtman, in which the former 20th Century-Fox distribution head termed present distribution methods "archaic" and in need of "radical revision." Points to Senate Meetings Discussing exhibitor efforts to get outside aid in their differences with distributors, Kalver referred to last summer's hearings before the Senate Small Business Subcommittee, saying he thought them "extremely effective in bringing to the attention of our senators the seriousness of our manifold problems." Kalver added that "the evidence presented by Allied leaders to this Senate Committee, in the opinion of many, was one of the most potent motivating factors in the recent tax relief granted by Congress." He termed the manner in which the subcommittee's report dealt with pertain trade practices was "disappointing. " The speaker reviewed Allied efforts to follow up on the subcommittee's suggestion that exhibition and distribution get together and try to settle their differences, saying that Allied president Rube Shor's attempts to arrange meetings with company heads were "brushed off." "Nothing has come of the Commit tee's recommendations," he said, "except shameful reprisals heaped upon the exhibitors who dared appear as witnesses." Kalver's address referred to Allied's willingness to discuss its objections to being a COMPO member with a COMPO committee in Washington, Dec. 10. It also cited Allied efforts made through its own representative Hugh McLachlan "to attempt to induce the producers to arrive at some pattern of standardization of projection techniques." In this connection Kalver made the claim that organized exhibitor protests caused 20th-Fox to abandon its anounced plan to end standard trailer production for its CinemaScope releases. Decries Sales to TV He termed recent sales of film backlogs to television "the most unkind cut of all," asserting that "the best surveys indicate that theatres suffer a 15 to 25 per cent decline in gross when pictures of the calibre of '30 Seconds Over Toyko' and 'Mutiny on the Bounty' are shown on local TV stations." "We cannot understand the thinking behind this stupid policy," Kalver said. "The fast-buck boys are not only dissipating the reissue value of these great properties but surely they must realize the great damage they are doing to the theatres flaying their current releases, most of them on percentage." He asserted there is a continuing need for an increase in production of "family type" pictures, saying that many of the low budget films being produced now lack public appeal. Lauds 'Pure Entertainment' "In small situations experience tells me our people are not as much attracted by sexy themes, boudoir Olympics, swishing deviationists and violence as they are by the corny, lighthearted, pure entertainment type of offering." Kalver suggested production of more films for the youthful patron, asserting that the story field of country music hasn't been touched by Hollywood producers. He urged that more advertising be keyed to the availability of the films advertised in theatres. The Motion Family-Type Pictures Called Most Valuable Picture Association was commended for its current efforts to develop business building programs and exhibition was said to be ready when called upon to aid in this project. Kalver was critical of some film advertising, saying its needs change because the public "is bored and unimpressed" with the sameness of the language and approach, with the result that "they don't believe our ads any more." He said that placing of theatre ads off the amusement pages of local newspapers also needs to be considered by exhibitors. Interested in Jerrold Plan Kalver referred with interest to the projected Oklahoma testing of films sent by cable from theatre to homes via the Jerrold Electronics Corp. plan. "If we are to survive and succeed," he concluded, "old differences must be resolved, old antagonisms eradicated. There must be created a true tolerance and sympathetic understanding for each other's problems." Warns N.J. Drive-ins On Screen Placement ATLANTIC CITY, Nov, 27 — A top Federal highway official has suggested that tight licensing of drive-in theatres might be necessary to control screen placement if the drive-ins "don't police themselves better." The warning came from C. D. Cur^ tiss. Federal Commissioner of Public Roads, in an address before the an-; nual meeting of the American Kssociation of State Highway officials. He did not make clear whether he was. talking about Federal or state license ing, but presumably he was referring to state licensing since he was addressing a group of state officials. Name COMPO Committee To Meet with Allied The Council of Motion Picture Organizations committee, which will meet on Dec. 10 with representatives of Allied States Association, is composed of Emanuel Frisch, chairman, William C. Gehring and Sam Pinanski, it was reported yesterday. The meeting will be to discuss ways and means of bringing about a reconciliation between the two organizations. The Allied committee is composed of Abram F. Myers, Trueman T. Rembusch, and Wilbur Snaper.