The Exhibitor (1955)

Poll Award Sketches Studied By Judges 10 MOTIONPICTUREEXHiaiTOR Southern Exhibitors Launch Four Suits Seeking $9,000,000 Balm Atlanta — Four anti-trust cases, each claiming the same charges, that the dis¬ tributors have refused to license first-run films to the plaintiffs, that the distribu¬ tors maintained a uniform system of runs, clearances, and admission prices, and that unreasonable clearances are demanded by the distributors, have been filed in Federal District Court. The first suit, claiming damages of $3,000,000 has been filed by Ellis Blumenthal of Charlotte, N. C., operating the Tryon, Charlotte; the Hollywood, Win¬ ston-Salem; the Astor, Durham; and the State, Florence, all in N. C., against Wilby-Kincey Service Corporation, Rob¬ ert B. Wilby, and the eight majors. Para¬ mount, 2Cth-Fox, Warners, Loews, Inc., United Artists, U-I, and Columbia. The second suit, also claiming damages of 5 3,000,000 has been filed by B and B Theatres Corporation, operating the Peachtree Art here. The defendants are Atlanta Enterprises, Inc., Georgia Theatre Company, Publix-Lucas, Inc., WilbyKincey Service Corporation, Robert B. Wilby, Evans Amusement Corporation, Tenth Street Theatre Company, West End Theatre Company, East Point Amusement Company, Rhodes Theatre Operation Company, Loews, Inc., of Georgia, Loew’s. Inc., of Delaware, Evans Theatre Cor¬ poration, and the same eight majors. The third suit, claiming damages of $1,500,000, is filed by William Greene, operating the Palmetto, Palmetto, Ga. The defendants are Lam Amusement Com¬ pany, Newman Theatres Company, Oscar C. Lam, East Point Amusement Company, and the same eight majors. The fourth suit, claiming damages of $1,500,000 is filed by William Greene and his wife Lavada Ann Greene, operating the Glenn, Decatur, Ga., against Atlanta Enterprises, Georgia Theatre Company, Publix-Lucas, Inc., Wilby-Kincey Serv¬ ice Corporation, Robert B. Wilby, Rhodes Theatre Operating Company, Storey The¬ atres, Inc., Loew’s, Inc., of Georgia, Evans Theatre Corporation, Earl Howard, Earl Hathcock, Gecrge Gaston, and the same eight majors. In all four suits, attorneys for the plaintiffs are George S. Ryan and W. Bradley Ryan, Boston. In the first and second suits, Maurice Weinstein, Char¬ lotte, N. C., and Morris Abram, Atlanta, are also attorneys for the plaintiffs; in the third and fourth suits, Swift Tyler, Atlanta, is also an attorney for the plaintiffs. Times License Renewed New York — The film theatre license of the Times, Eighth Avenue and W. 42nd Street, was renewed by City Commis¬ sioner Bernard J. O’Connell last fort¬ night. O’Connell, in effect, put the house on probation, warning that he would re¬ voke the license in short order if the management did not refrain from using the outdoor displays which recently caused neighborhood complaints. Florida Exhibitor To Oppose Loew's Circuit Expansion NEW YORK — An unidentified ex¬ hibitor of Coral Gables, Fla., was to appear at the Aug. 29 hearing on Loew's Theatres’ petition to acquire a new suburban house in Coral Gables, pending in the New York Statutory Court, it was learned last week after the fheatrenian had given notice. It was to have been the first time an “outsider” attended such a hearing since National Allied received assurance from the Justice Department that exhibition would be given notice on proposed acquisitions by divorced circuits. Allied called on Justice a few months ago to insure theatre owners who might he affected by such acqui¬ sitions adequate notice to appear in court and he heard, if they so desired. A Justice spokesman, questioned about the Government’s position on the Loew’s petition, declined comment. COMPO Ad Hails Poll As Major News Beat New York — Declaring that “The Audi¬ ence Awards election is one of the big news stories of the year,” the 51st in the series of COMPO ads in Editor and Pub¬ lisher, which appeared last week, points out to newspaper editors how they may profitably participate in the promotion. “For news, for advertising, for circu¬ lation,” the ad says, “the Audience Awards campaign is one of the year’s best news¬ paper bets.” Captioned, “We’ll need 3,500,000 ballots,” the ad says: “That was the reply of one movie theatre circuit when asked how many ballots it would need for the Audi¬ ence Awards election next November 17-27. “This is more than the total vote cast in any of 43 states in the national election of 1952, being exceeded only by the total votes of California, Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. “One circuit, mind you. Many other theatre circuits have indicated they will need ballots in numbers far exceeding the total 1952 vote of a surprising number of states. When you realize that theso circuits represent cemparatively few of the movie theatres that will hold Audi¬ ence Awards elections you can see that this movie poll stands an excellent chance of rolling up the biggest vote ever cast in the country’s history. “The Audience Awards election is one of the big news stories of the year. Many newspapers have shown they are aware of this by the way they have handled the stories on the campaign’s early activities. “The Audience Awards campaign, more¬ over, is more than a good news story. It is a promotion in which newspapers themselves can take part. New York — Reproductions of nine sketches of suitable design for the trophy to be presented to winners of the Audi¬ ence Awards Poll were mailed by COMPO last fortnight to members of ex¬ change area poll and public relations committees, who were asked to vote by number for the one they preferred. The sketches were among 56 submitted by the major companies’ art directors serving on COMPO, and were selected by a jury ap¬ pointed by the Art Directors Club of New York and by advertising-publicity directors of the 10 majors. In a bulletin accompanying the sketches, COMPO suggested that exhibitors dis¬ play the sketches in their lobbies, or pub¬ lish them in local papers to solicit the opinion of the public. Votes should be mailed early, it was urged, because con¬ siderable time is required to have the finished trophies ready for presentation after the close of the poll on Nov. 27. Southern California exhibitors participation in COMPO's Audience Awards Poll recently got underway in Los Angeles with a mass rally at the Fox Boulevard with representatives from 509 independent and circuit theatres in attendance. Speakers included Y. Frank Freeman, chairman, Motion Picture Producers Association; Elmer C. Rhoden, national chairman. Audience Awards Committee; film starlet Lori Nelson; actor Ronald Reagan; and Harry C. Arthur, Jr., chairman. Southern California Audience Awards Committee. Members of the COMPO committee which prepared the original 56 sketches were Oscar Krauss, Monroe Greenthal and Company; Sam Roberts, 20th-Fox; Bill Gold, Warners; L. A. Metzger, Bu¬ chanan and Company; Lou dayman, Mon¬ roe Greenthal; Henry Marcus, Loew’s Theatres; and Tcny Gablik, free lance. The second group of exhibitors’ Audi¬ ence Awards nominations will be an¬ nounced on Sept. 7 by national chairman Elmer C. Rhoden, it was revealed by COMPO special counsel Robert W. Coyne. Photographs and press material concern¬ ing them will be made available in advance to the exchange area committees. The second nominations have been made by exhibitors from films released during April, May, and June, and these nominations in each category will be awarded to nominations in each category already announced. Five nominations re¬ main to be made based on pictures re¬ leased in July, August, and September, to be announced shortly after Oct. 15, closing day for the receipt of ballots. August 31, 1955