The Exhibitor (1956)

14 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR SW Net Profit Rises ; More Product Urged New York — S. H. Fabian, president of Stanley Warner Corporation, reported last week that the combined operations of the theatre circuit and the Cinerama and International Latex divisions showed a net profit for the year of $3,194,200 after all charges. This compares with a profit of $3,065,800 earned during the prior year. The net profit for the year is equivalent to $1.47 per share on the 2,166,800 shares of common stock outstanding on August 25. The earnings for last year were equiv¬ alent to $1.39 per share. Theatre admis¬ sions, merchandise sales, and other in¬ come totalled $96,234,200, an increase of $3,823,700 over last year. Fabian said that the outlook for im¬ proved box-office receipts in the near future is brighter than it has been for several months. “There has been much talk about the lost theatre audience, that TV has detoured the public away from going to the theatre. The fact is clear that America still loves to go out and see a movie. This audience is not lost but waiting for the pictures of its choice. . . . We believe the decline in attendance FCC Won't Rule Yet On Toll-TV Question WASHINGTON— The Federal Com¬ munications Commission stated last week that it was still not ready to rule on subscription television and that it was still analyzing testimony and exhibits taken in hearings many months ago. The Commission also stated that the Mangnuson Committee has not re¬ ported on its probe covering the wis¬ dom and the legality of toll broad¬ casting, and therefore the regulatory body is without legislative guides. arises to a large extent from the existing shortage of acceptable motion pictures. Hollywood, while successfully meeting the challenge of quality production, is cur¬ rently limiting the number of features produced. Action must be taken by the industry to reverse this trend and to in¬ crease the supply of box-office product. Your company intends to help alleviate the shortage, either by participating in production itself, or by sponsoring addi¬ tional production by others.” U-l ( Continued from page 9) More than $50,000 in prizes will be dis¬ tributed to the company’s division, dis¬ trict, branch and office managers, sales¬ men, and bookers for the best billing re¬ sults achieved during the drive period. In addition to the overall prize money, the branch managers will vie for 18 different “Man of the Week” awards in the form of special gifts and prizes. The 13 pictures being featured in this year’s Feldman Drive are “Everything But The Truth,” “Written On The Wind,” “Four Girls In Town,” “Rock, Pretty Baby,” “The Great Man,” “Istanbul,” “The Night Runner,” “Gun For A Coward,” “Battle Hymn,” “Mister Cory,” “Kelly and Me,” “The Incredible Shrinking Man,” and “The Tattered Dress.” Pre-Selling Power Stems From Point-Of-Sale Effort “The real power of the national pre¬ selling of motion pictures is directly link¬ ed to the effectiveness of the point-ofsale campaign,” David A. Lipton, Universal vice-president, told participants in the sales executives conference. “No matter how deeply pre-selling pen¬ etrates our potential audience,” Lipton pointed out, “it cannot pay off completely at the boxoffice unless the point-of-sale campaign effectively reaches the identical audience — and at the time the picture is playing.” Large-scale national advertising cam¬ paigns will be accorded many of the com¬ pany’s pictures, said Lipton, pointing out that the national magazine and Sunday newspaper supplement campaign current¬ ly breaking on “Written On The Wind” is one of the largest in the 45-year history of the company with 19 publications with an estimated readership in excess of 125 million being used. “Battle Hymn,” sched¬ uled for Washington’s Birthday pre-release openings, will reach an even larger audience through an all-time UniversalInternational record national magazine ad¬ vertising campaign. In all campaigns in¬ volving national media, increased empha¬ sis will be directed to the specialized readership of the individual publications. Television and radio will also be util¬ ized on the pre-selling campaigns on pic¬ tures in key cities, and the personal ap¬ pearance tours of stars and featured per¬ sonalities to both key and sub-key cities will also receive continued emphasis in implementing point-of-sale campaigns. Lipton reviewed the increasingly im¬ portant aspect of music as a link between the pre-selling and point-of-sale cam¬ paigns on motion pictures and pointed out its current effective role in the pro¬ motion of “Written On The Wind,” where the Four Aces have recorded the theme song. Music will also be used extensively to help sell “Four Girls In Town,” where Alex North’s original rhapsody, based on the picture’s musical background, is being recorded by Decca. The exciting rock and roll score of “Rock, Pretty Baby” is also being aggressively exploited to help in the promotion of the picture via disc jockey and teen-age activities. The territorial saturation kickoffs of pictures with large scale integrated tele¬ vision, radio and newspaper advertising and promotion campaigns will also be used on pictures during the coming year where they lend themselves to this type of exhibition and promotion. The New York Scene (Continued from page 9) The hundreds of press and guests were greeted by Eddie Cantor, who in a recorded message welcomed the throng and related how he first discovered Eddie Fisher at the very resort and gave him a helping hand because he thought he deserved it. The result was another fine talent added to the bright cluster of stars in the entertain¬ ment sky. While we are on the subject of Eddie Fisher, leave us report here and now that the lad comes off very well in the film, which is his first. He handles himself well in the non-singing portions of the film and carries the story along with the best of them. In person, he is a fine youngster, friendly, a good singer, down-to-earth, and wonderful company. After the film all adjourned to a night-club type of room, where in addition to dancing there was entertainment by Fisher and others, with Eddie knocking himself out in a variety of numbers and gags. Everyone seemed impressed with his abilities. We were only sorry that Mrs. Fisher, alias Debbie Reynolds, wasn’t able to be there, but she had her own bundle of joy recently and was busy tending same. The next morning, Eddie was on hand bright and early to greet everyone, even those with two heads, and to thank one and all for coming. The press took off for their bases in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, while Eddie took off for the coast for the resumption of his twice-weekly telecasts. He will be back in town for the premiere of the film at the Capitol on Dec. 19. Short Notes: Some of the celebs on hand for the festivities were Cleo Moore, Don Rondo, Barney Ross, Hugo Winterhalter, Myron Cohen, Lee Ann Merriweather, etc. . . . Mrs. Jennie Grossinger was a fine hostess and made everyone feel right at home. . . . Martin Starr set up an interview session in the lobby of the theatre following the film and recorded same on tape and film. ... A special giant personalized postcard will be set up in the lobby of the Capitol for the premiere with fans signing same. . . . Fisher will be honored by the Philadelphia Variety Club on Dec. 17 at a luncheon. . . . Incidentally, the film has been selected by Parents’ Magazine as the outstanding family movie for the month of February. Let it be recorded that the publicity department under the direction of A1 Stern did a fine job on all phases of the operation, and we have kind words as well for George Bennett, Grossinger press agent extraordinaire. THE METROPOLITAN SCENE: Congrats to A1 Fisher, who was finally named assistant exploitation manager at United Artists. A good man and we wish him all the best in his new spot. . . . That fine attorney, Walter J. Klein, can now be reached at Fassler, Klein, Rindsberg, and Harte at 200 West 57th Street. There’s a counsellor who knows his stuff. . . . The AMPA Christmas party, the 40th, promises to be the biggest yet. Mark it down on the calendar for Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the Picadilly Hotel. The Roxy’s Bob Rothafel will emcee and some suprises are in store. . . . 20th-Fox looking for an authentic “droshky” to publicize the opening of “Anastasia” at the Roxy. Any¬ body got a specially-designed, low, four-wheeled, open carriage with long bench on which passengers ride as on a saddle with their feet resting on bars near the ground? The publicity boys may yet have to convert an old horse-drawn fruit wagon. Incident¬ ally, horses are getting scarcer and scarcer around these parts these days. . . . The current issue of Collier’s has a piece illustrated with photos on Marlon Brando in Japan while making “Teahouse Of The August Moon.” . . . U-I took over the RKO 86th Street last night to show its forthcoming "Battle Hymn” to an audience consisting of repre¬ sentatives of stage, screen, radio and television, in addition to members of the press and leading exhibitors. The film is the story of Colonel Dean E. Hess, the celebrated “fighting parson” of World War II and Korea. December 12, 1956