The Exhibitor (1959)

41 Years of Service to the Theatre Industry Founded in 1918. Published weekly by Jay Emanuel Publications, Incorporated. Publishing office: 246-248 North Clarion Street, Philadelphia 7, Pennsylvania. New York field office: 8 East 52nd Street, New York 22. West Coast field office: Paul Manning, 8141 Blackburn Avenue, Los Angeles 48, Calif. London Bureau: Jock MacGregor, 16 Leinster Mews, London, W. 2, England. Jay Emanuel, publisher; Paul J. Greenhalgh, general manager; Albert Erlick, editor; M. R. (Mrs. "Chick") Lewis, associate editor; George Frees Nonamaker, feature editor; Mel Konecoff, New York edtor; Albert J. Martin, advertising manager; Max Cades, business manager. Subscriptions: $2 per year (50 issues); and outside of the United States, Canada, and Pan-American countries, 55 per year (50 issues). Special rates for two and three years on application. Second class postage paid at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Address all official communications to the Philadelphia publish¬ ing office. VOLUME 62 . NO. 21 OCTOBER, 7, 1959 SHADES OF THINGS TO COME John E. Fitzgerald has always seemed to us to be not only one of the more literate of the by-lined writers in the Catholic press, but to be one of the more thoughtful and intelligent as well. Having followed for several years his “LOOKING AND LISTENING” column in OUR SUNDAY VISITOR, largest circulation in the Catholic weekly field, with an ABC of over 800,000, we have come to regard his clarity, his courage, and his obvious disinterest in vitriolic attacks directed at exciting reader interest. He seems to approach any problem with an honest intention to see and understand all sides, and seeing and understanding, to offer constructive criticism and sug¬ gestion. With tin's introduction, we think most theatremen will be interested in the following excerpt from the conclusion of his September 20 column: “You might well ask, ‘Where are toe heading ?’ . . . here’s a rough guess of what will happen in the near future. “There will he all sorts of rumblings in the magazines. Religious magazines will have a field day blasting the motion picture in general without mentioning which motion picture in particular. Certain films will be considered immoral and later writers will find that the Legion of Decency had pre¬ viously rated them perfectly moral, but suited for an adult audience. Editors will protest the subject matter of certain films, not bothering to ask whether it was treated responsibly or not. “ I’m afraid that things will get rougher before they get smoother. “It’s more pleasant to believe that the movies are persuading us toivard evil rather than mirroring an existing situation. “The Production Code will be blasted, and the leaders will answer back. The industry leaders will say that they stand behind the Code to the fidlest. New codes, all unofficial, will spring up for various groups. Cliches will be howled from CORRECTIONS . . . Elsewhere in this issue will be found MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR’S effort to correct some blatant and awkwardly colored statements by a contemporary. Such a correction is not a pleasant duty. In making such a correction, tedious and time-consuming work must be spent in the maintenance of pinpointed accuracy that in itself will withstand the most rigid investigation. More worthwhile constructive efforts must pulpit and print, but the sermons and editorials will sadly lack any research or mention of artistic value or scientific measurement of effect. If a movie plays a town ivhere a crime is committed, the movie will be adjudged the cause of the crime. Awards will be given (as awards always are in any controversy, each side praising itself). “New laws will be demanded from obliging ambitious politicians, and people will sit back in relief, hoping that the police will take care of those matters which schools, churches and homes have neglected. “ Little concrete action will be taken to discover what makes a movie immoral, distasteful, antisocial, etc., and there will be sound and fury generating more heat than light. “ It’s happe7ied before ... it will happen again. That is, unless we pause and tackle the problem of morals and movies in a serious thoughtful way. Our schools are a bit negligent in not teaching the values and judgments which can help students choose the best. The churches are negligent in their negative approach to entertainment not as something to be enjoyed as a possible aid to a fuller life, but as a possible occasion of sin to be watched only with great suspicion. The industry has been negligent in letting a few quick-buck boys give it a bad name. And maybe we’ve been negligent too in refusing to take our entertainment a bit more seriously and make our choices a bit more selectively. “ Let’s realize our personal responsibility in working for fine entertainment. It’s worth the effort.’’ Interesting, isn’t he? And all of his views show a keen in¬ sight into the successes and the failures, the strengths and the weaknesses, of our industry and of our relations with out¬ side groups. With such calm words, and with no whip in hand or in threat, it would be a pleasure to cooperate with the Mr. Fitzgeralds of this world, should the occasion arise. Theirs is an appeal to reason. FOR THE RECORD be temporarily shelved. But essential honesty and basic fair play requires that “the record” should be inviolate. We hope that our corrections have accomplished this. MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR backs these corrections with its nearly 42 year history of truthfulness. Anybody want proof? ANOTHER 'SHOWM ANALYSIS' Interested readers will remember the initial appearance of the “How I Would Sell . . .” SIIOWMANALYSIS on “North by Northwest” and on “It Started With a Kiss.” As two different skilled every-day showmen’s views on the sale¬ able qualities of two important features, they attracted more reader interest and more resultant letters to our mailbag, than anything else we have published in many months. In today’s issue there is a third, devoted in this case to the Warner Brothers biggie, “The FBI Story.” A showman from Wheeling, West Virginia, does the authoring honors. We recommend it as worthwhile reading. In subsequent issues we will similarly treat: Universal’s “Pillow Talk” (Oct. 14); Paramount’s “Career” (Oct. 21); and Columbia’s “They Came to Cordura” (Oct. 28). And we expect to maintain a similar one-a-week schedule right through the balance of 1959. So become a regular reader and follower of the weekly SHOWMANALYSIS. You will get many a worthwhile idea that you would otherwise miss. And such ideas are money!