The Exhibitor (1956)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 9 BROADWAY Future Productions, Ad Policies GR®??„E5. Make Up Agenda A t U! Sales Meet Pre-Holiday Slump New York — Both adverse weather and the pre-Christmas slump contributed to the slip in all Broadway first-run busi¬ ness, with the exception of Radio City Music Hall and the Roxy. According to usually reliable sources reaching Motion Picture Exhibitor, the breakdown was as follows: “Love Me Tender” (20th-Fox). Para¬ mount ($45,000)* — This one slipped to only $15,000 on the fourth week. “Giant” (Warners). Roxy ($40,000) — This proved a giant all the way with $41,000 reported for Thursday through Sunday, and $58,000 estimated for the ninth, and last, week. Ice show on stage. “The Teahouse Of The August Moon” (MGM). Radio City Music Hall ($144,000) — Thursday through Sunday accounted for $108,000, with the second session sure to top $170,000. Christmas stage show. “The Opposite Sex” (MGM). Capitol ($49,000) — Down to $15,000 on the fourth week. “Teenage Rebel” (20th-Fox). Globe ($14,800) — Only $8,000 in sight for the fourth week. “Oklahoma!” (20th-Fox). Mayfair ($15,000) — Held at $10,500 for the sixth session. “The Mountain” (Paramount). A^tor ($29,000) — Fourth, and last, week dropped to $10,000. “The Solid Gold Cadillac” (Columbia). Victoria ($20,400) — Down to $14,000 for seventh week. “Julie” (MGM). Loew’s State ($28,700) — Third week dropped to $19,000. *Figures in parentheses are 1955 weekly o.verages based on Motion Picture Ex¬ hibitor reports. Producers Hear Sindlinger Hollywood — Albert E. Sindlinger, head of the research organization bearing his name, told members of the Screen Pro¬ ducers Guild last week that if the product backlogs of the majors had been bought by television networks, instead of individual stations, and shown at prime time periods instead of at odd hours, the vast majority of the nation’s theatres would have closed. He said that the industry’s biggest prob¬ lem is merchandising, adding that 105 million people in the U.S. are either going to the movies, talking movies, or watching movies on TV. This, he said, proves movies are not dead. He added that less than one-fourth of the daily newspaper readers turn to the amusement pages and advocated display ads for movies on other pages of the papers. / N D i x Volume 57, Number 7 December 12, 1956 Section One Editorials . 7 The New York Scene By Mel Konecoff 9 Showmanship Sweepstakes 15 The International Scene 20 News Of The Territories 21 Extra Profits EP-1 EP-6 Section Two The Servisection SS-1 -SS-4 (The Pink Review Section) Hollywood — With Universal scheduled to mark its 45th anniversary in 1957, the company’s faith in the future of the mo¬ tion picture industry throughout the world was enunciated in separate statements last week by Milton R. Rackmil, president; N. J. Blumberg, chairman of the board; and Alfred E. Daff, executive vice-presi¬ dent, at the opening sessions of the weeklong sales executives conference presided over by Charles J. Feldman, vice-president and general sales manager. Each of the three top executives em¬ phasized the company’s sense of responsi¬ bility for its exhibitor customers through¬ out the world in providing a steady flow of important box office pictures capable of producing grosses which spell mutual success and which will enable Universal to reach even greater heights than in its previous record-breaking years. U-l Will Release 12 From January-April, 1957 Marking the company’s 45th year of continuous production, Universal will re¬ lease 12 pictures during the first four months of 1957, representing the strongest group of boxoffice attractions ever as¬ sembled by the company, Feldman an¬ nounced. Seven are in CinemaScope, and eight are in color. The company’s first black and white CinemaScope production, “The Tattered Dress,” will be released in April. Stressing the company’s plans for an even flow of top product to serve exhib¬ itor customer needs throughout the year, Feldman pointed out that 33 pictures would be released in 1957. January releases will be “Written On The Wind” in Technicolor, starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack and Dorothy Malone; “Four Girls In Town” in CinemaScope and Technicolor, starring George Nader, Julie Adams, Marianne Cook, Elsa Martinelli, and Gia Scala; and “Rock, Pretty Baby,” starring Sal Mineo. John Saxon and Luana Patten. February releases are “The Great Man,” starring Jose Ferrer, Dean Jagger, Keenan Wynn, Julie London, and Joanne Gilbert; “Istan¬ bul” in CinemaScope and Technicolor, starring Errol Flynn and Cornell Borchers; and “The Night Runner,” starring Ray Danton and Colleen Miller. “Battle Hymn,” CinemaScope and Technicolor film starring Rock Hudson, Martha Hyer, Dan Duryea, Don DeFore, Anna Kashfi, and Jock Mahoney, heads the list of March releases, followed by “Gun For A Coward,” in CinemaScope and Eastman Color, star¬ ring Fred MacMurray, Jeff Hunter, Janice Rule, Chill Wills, and Dean Stockwell, and “Mister Cory” in CinemaScope and East¬ man Color, starring Tony Curtis, Martha Hyer, Charles Bickford, and Kathryn Grant. “The Incredible Shrinking Man” will be released in April, starring Grant Williams and Randy Stuart. “Kelly and Me” in CinemaScope and Technicolor and starring Van Johnson, Piper Laurie, and Martha Hyer is the other April release. 45th Anniversary Marked By Feldman Sales Drive Universal will mark the beginning of its 45th anniversary year with its “Seventh Annual Charles J. Feldman Drive,” start¬ ing Dec. 30, 1956, and running for 18 weeks to May 4, 1957, it was announced by Daff. Noting that Universal’s annual sales drives in honor of its vice-president and general sales manager, Charles J. Feld¬ man, have now become a tradition with the company and that exhibitor response during the past six years has enabled the company to keep topping each preceding year, Daff called upon the sales executives to make Charlie Feldman’s Seventh the greatest and an auspicious beginning of the 45th anniversary celebration of the company. ( Continued on page 14) The NEW YORK S cene By Mel Konecoff THERE WE WERE sitting in the office one day taking a breather by dreaming how nice it would be to holiday briefly in the country when lo and behold in walked an invitation sup¬ ported by legs to spend a day and a night at the famous Grossinger Country Club, home of the famous rye and pumpernickel breads. Since the RKO release, “Bundle Of Joy,” was to be pre¬ viewed there, we considered this as business and forced ourselves to go. A warm welcome awaited the fourth estate and allied fields, to say nothing of fine food, a chance at strenuous activity such as ice skating, touring the hotel facilities, watching boxer Gene Fullmer train for his fight with Sugar Ray Robinson, or learning how to do the cha cha cha. Following all this was a cocktail reception which came in handy about this time. Then came a multi-course dinner. For dessert, everyone was treated to the film, starring Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, which was a Technicolor delight. Its plot was light, its music gay, its people were fun, and everyone seemed to be enjoying himself. It was screened in the newly renovated Grossinger Theatre on the fabulous grounds, and for a week prior, technicians, carpenters, and designers had been working feverishly to make it come out as pro¬ fessional as a first class theatre; by gum, they did it, all except for the seats which were still of the folding variety. ( Continued on page 14) December 12, 1956