The Exhibitor (1956)

MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 7 BROADWAY GROSSES (As of this Monday) Newcomers Strong, "Anastasia" Leads New York — Two newcomers opened strong on Broadway last weekend, while “Teahouse” at Radio City Music Hall continued in its third week with business way above average for the house. According to usually reliable sources reaching Motion Picture Exhibitor, the breakdown was as follows: “Love Me Tender” (20th-Fox). Para¬ mount ($45,000)*— Down to less than $15,000 for the last nine days of the fifth week. “Anastasia” (20th-Fox). Roxy ($40,000) — Opened Friday through Sunday with a bang up $68,051, and $114,000 estimated for the first week. Ice show on stage. “The Teahouse Of The August Moon” (MGM). Radio City Music Hall ($144,000) — Thursday through Sunday hit $110,000 with the third week sure of $171,000. Christmas stage show. “The Opposite Sex” (MGM). Capitol ($49,000) — Only $12,000 in sight for the fifth, and last, week. “Huk” (United Artists). Globe ($14,800) $10,000 expected for the opening week. “Oklahoma!” (20th-Fox). Mayfair ($15,000) — Dropped to $9,000 for the sev¬ enth, and last, week. “The Rainmaker” (Paramount). Astor ($29,000) — Claimed $36,000 for the opening session. “The Solid Gold Cadillac” (Columbia). Victoria ($20,400) — Down to $13,000 on the eighth, and last, week. “Julie” (MGM). Loew’s State ($28,700) — Fourth week dropped to $15,000. *Figures in parentheses are 19 55 weekly averages based on Motion Picture Ex¬ hibitor reports. Christmas Show For Hospital New York — Cinema Lodge of B’nai B’rith with the cooperation of the Ameri¬ can Guild of Variety Artists, sponsored for the third consecutive year, a special Christmas gift for the patients of the enertainment industry’s Will Rogers Me¬ morial Hospital at Saranac Lake, N. Y., in the form of a Christmas show presented at the hospital yesterday (Dec. 18). The idea of the Christmas show gift to the hospital was conceived three years ago by Burton E. Robbins, past president of Cinema Lodge, and it became a reality through the cooperation of Ned E. Shugrue, executive vice-president of Will Rogers, and Marge Coate, director of sick and welfare for AGVA. / N P e x Volume 57, Number 8 December 19, 1956 Section One Editorials . 3 Letters . 5 The New York Scene By Mel Konecoff . 7 The International Scene . 14 Showmanship Sweepstakes . 15 News Of The Territories . 20 Studio Survey — Anniversary Section . A-l — A-20 Section Two The Servisection . SS-1 — SS-8 (The Yellow Check-Up) Allied, COMPO Execs Meet, Agree In General, Stress Need For Unity Jayne Mansfield, star, 20th-Fox's "The Girl Can't Help It," just can't help wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year, a thought in which MOTION PICTURE EXHIBI¬ TOR joins. Warners Acquires Stock Washington — The Securities and Ex¬ change Commission reported recently that Warner Brothers Pictures has ac¬ quired 638,951 shares of stock at a cost of $17,921,112 since it extended an invitation to company stockholders to tender stock. The current amount of outstanding War¬ ner Brothers stock totals 1,843,296 shares. Washington — A conference here last fortnight between National Allied and COMPO leaders was believed to have resuled in the two groups agreeing “in general.” Attending the “get together” were Abram F. Myers, Allied’s board chairman and general counsel; two former national Allied presidents who have served as COMPO members as well, Trueman T. Rembusch and Wilbur Snaper; and repre¬ senting COMPO, Emanuel Frisch, San Pinanski, and W. C. Gehring. They will report back to their respec¬ tive boards, after which they will meet again. They issued a statement stressing “The approach on both sides was friendly and constructive; there was in evidence a unanimity of thought on general principles and some particulars; and there was agreement that the present state of the industry required maximum effort on the part of all to turn the tide.” Allied’s board is scheduled to meet on Feb. 1-2 in Cincinnati. No meeting of the COMPO board is scheduled at present. It appears that the way has been con¬ siderably cleared for the exhibitor group, which left COMPO charging mismanage¬ ment, to return to that all-industry organization. The NEW YORK Scene By Mel Konecoff VOICE OF WISDOM AND EXPERIENCE: George Schaefer, industry veteran and producer’s representative, had some obser¬ vations about business and audience taste today. Take for instance one of the films he represents, “The King And Four Queens,” which stars Clark Gable and Eleanor Parker as well as three shapely newcomers. Here was a case where Gable, an established marquee value, has been combined with a number of gals who are new. It was felt this combo might well intrigue the public, establish younger players, and help eventually, if others follow, to alleviate a growing star shortage. He opined that the industry was losing the women’s audience and that they should concentrate on attracting teen-agers via the presentation of fresh faces. Many women are staying at home watching TV, whereas the younger people will eventually revolt from being “chained to their electronic baby sitter” and welcome theatrical entertain¬ ment when they are old enough to shop for entertainment on their own. Today’s production picture is being aided and stimulated by the independent pro¬ ducer, who is injecting new creative vitality that would be lacking if all production were controlled by studios. Schaefer cited successful film ventures that made their bow under indie auspices over the past several years. With regard to Code revisions, Schaefer thought that the whole thing could be simplified if only a system of classifying films would be adopted for adult or family audiences. He called it illogical that plays or books be available to theatre audiences and readers while being denied motion picture patrons. This could be corrected via prior classifications. Schaefer reported that the reissue market today is at its lowest ebb, with the public knowing it can see them on TV if they wait. It was inevitable that companies sell their backlogs to TV because they have to satisfy the demands of stockholders who view the product in vaults only as money-producing assets. PRODUCER PARAGRAPHS: Paramount producer Frank Freeman. Jr., was in recently for home office conferences on his “Omar Khayyam,” which will probably he released next April. The negative cost of the film is three millions thus far, and it stars Cornel Wilde, Debra Paget, Michael Rennie, John Derek, Raymond Massey, Yma Sumac, Margaret Hayes. These people cost Paramount half a million. ( Continued on page 11) December 19, 1956