Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1957)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY /OL. 81, NO. 61 NEW YORK, U.S.A., FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 1957 TEN CENTS DITORIAL Trailers at Work By Sherwin Kane N times such as the present when the policies and practices a theatre employs in its day to day operaions can be as vital to the state of :s box office health as the attraction urrent on its screen, it behooves very exhibitor to pause now and len long enough to ask, "Am I lissing any shownmanship bets?" Housekeeping, the appearance of ne's theatre, both inside and out, is f great importance. So is the apearance of and the service provided y the theatre's employes. And so the )mfort, the atmosphere and the conition of the theatre's furnishings and [juipment. And, equally as importnt, if not more so, than any of iese, is the showman's advertising [id promotion. • How the showman sells his enterlinment commodity can be the difsrence between a successful and a eclining theatre. This simple fact bears repeating Ften because it is too important to e overlooked but it is so self-evident at it frequently is, nevertheless. In any program of theatre selling le trailer and accessories loom irge. Just how large has been raphically brought to mind once 'iore, this time by the results of an diaustive study by Sindlinger & Co., tdustry analysts, on "Exposure to oming Attraction Theatre Trailer," ;cently completed. * The study showed that in a recent J weeks period which it covered, 5.2 per cent of the week's adult paid [tendance was repeat attendance, ■id that 35.2 per cent consisted of arsons who said they were influenced : their attendance by trailers they id seen on previous visits to the jeatre. Translated, this shows that trailers :counted for $352 of every $1,000 rossed by the average theatre over le immediate 19-week period. More lan 120,000 interviews were made y the Sindlinger organization in the udy. It produced the highest rate ' trailer influence yet measured by le analysts. It is, indeed, something that every chibitor should keep in mind conantly. Most especially when he auses to ask himself that question: I missing any bets?" ied, TOA Leaders Plan Meet On Arbitration Before April 8 By LESTER DINOFF The leaders of Allied States Association and Theatre Owners of America will hold a joint meeting here "within the near future" and prior to their meeting with distribution on April 8, to formulate the rudiments of their plat form on an industry arbitration draft, according to Julius M. Gordon, president of Allied. Gordon, who left New York yesterday for his Beaumont, Tex., home following private confere nces here with comp a n y officials, said he "has already been in communication" with Ernest Stellings, president of Theatre Owners of America Condon Telling of 'Pride7 In Burton Holmes Manner Reports from our Walter Brooks in Philadelphia yesterday tell of a "Burton Holmes" type of promotion which Richard Condon has included in his two-month, 31 -city tour just launched for Stanley Kramer's "The Pride and the Passion" for United Artists. Lantern slides, it seems, form one of the many attractive ways in which Condon will prove his point right across the Continent. Brooks' report on yesterday's session in the Quaker City will be found on Page 3. Julius Gordon Fox Income 6,198,419 $ Twentieth Century-Fox had consolidated earnings of $6,198,419 for the year ( 52 weeks ) ended December 29, 1956, the company reported yesterday. This amounted to $2.34 per share on the 2,644,486 shares of common stock outstanding, as compared with earnings for the year ( 53 weeks ) of 1955 of $6,025,039 or $2.28 per share on the same number of shares. The earnings for the fourth quar( Continued on page 7 ) in regard to arbitration. The national Allied executive indicated that the meeting with Stellings may take place late next week or on the morning of April 8, prior to their luncheon meeting with the ( Continued on page 7 ) Radical Changes Urged In Canadian TV Setup Special to THE DAILY OTTAWA, March 28 The Royal Commission on Broadcasting report tabled today in Parliament recommends that the Canadian government eliminating present Board of Governors of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and instead appoint a ( Continued on page 7 ) Sweepstakes Acclaimed As Huge Success by Theatres The Academy Award Sweepstakes, in which 2,600 theatres participated, in reports from most of the key cities COMPO, which sponsored the contest. was acclaimed an outstanding success received here yesterday at the offices of The large majority of participating theatres expressed a desire to have the promotion made an annual affair. Several changes were suggested, however, in contest plans, the chief of which was a shorter and less complicated entry blank. Complete reports probably will not be available for two or three weeks until a questionnaire mailed to all participating theatres is returned and the answers tabulated, according to Charles E. McCarthy, COMPO information director. However, a spot check (Continued on page 6) Vogel Reports Loew's Board Names 4-Man Policy Group Ogden Reid Will Head Executive Committee The board of directors of Loew's Inc., yesterday elected a four-man executive committee, chairmaned by Ogden R. Reid, to carry out policies "which have been designed to restore the motion picture company to its former preeminent position in the industry," it was announced by Loew's president Joseph R. Vogel following the meeting. Named to the four-man committee were Reid, George L. Killion, Frank Pace, Jr., and Vogel. This committee met following the Loew's Inc. board meeting, which was attended by all directors except J. C. Keller. The executive committee, Vogel said, would take steps to improve the operations, structure and earnings of the company. The committee will seek to find a qualified man to succeed Charles Moskowitz, who has resigned as vice-president and treasurer; would look into the matter of securing the ( Continued on page 6 ) New Tenn. Law Removes All Sunday Film Bans Special to THE DAILY MEMPHIS, March 28 Sunday movies are now legal all over Tennessee without any restrictions under terms of a new state law just passed by the legislature. Local option elections or action of city councils have been necessary to permit them in the past. The legislature passed a bill to repeal this Sunday "blue law" for the (Continued on page 6) Television Today »r