The Exhibitor (1959)

Facts aiso seem to point to a continuing increase in the ratio of color productions as compared to black and white. This change became evident just before the middle of 1959 and the trend in this direction has become more pronounced since that time. The most heartening phase of our industry’s status is a pronounced atmosphere of optimism backed by a decided resurgence of courage and faith in an industry which intrinsically is basically as secure and as important as any industry that constitutes the social and economic life of this country of ours and for the entire world as well. TV Enemy Can Be Blessing CHARLES J. MAESTRI, vice president and General Manager, Electrovision, Inc. (Lippert Theatres) In reviewing the results for the past year, we find our business at a healthier level than we have experienced in the last decade. My observation is that the motion picture business has reversed the down¬ ward trend of the last several years and that the upswing reflected during this year is the start of a resurgence of this still very virile industry. The reasons, in my opinion, are twofold. First, I believe that television has reached the saturation point. It has taken several years for television to completely blanket the country. Its effect on movie attendance was of a gradual nature. The first to feel its effects were the larger metropolitan areas where television was first installed. Coverage was completed to the smaller communities only within the last two years. Tele¬ vision is no longer a novelty in any community in the coun¬ try. The impact of this medium has reached the point today where it is accepted as a household necessity, in the same category as any other household appliance. This is not to infer that television has lost any of its tremendous appeal, but it does mean that it is no longer a novelty, and its constant and repetitious use has diminished its grasp on the leisure time of its viewers. This process was a gradual one, and in its culmination was born the resurgence of seeking other means to satisfy the entertainment demands of the public. The movies were still there to fulfill this demand, and the people responded, particularly to the multi-million dollar productions. Secondly, the producers of motion pictures became aware of the increased interest in their product and have learned in the last several years that the big picture is the big attraction. Consequently, they devoted themselves to the production of fewer but costlier films. The results justified their policies to a greater degree than they anticipated. As a result, United States movie makers plan to increase the output of top motion pictures by 20 percent. It is anticipated that the investment in 1960 will be 430 million dollars up from 340 million dollars in 1959. Unprecedented in recent times, several large studios have just announced releases of completed, or near completed pictures covering the entire year of 1960. Certainly, this is a large step in the right direction, and without question the year of 1960 should show a greater increase than 1959 showed over the preceding year. While television cannot be blamed entirely for the attend¬ ance drop in motion picture theatres, its impact contributed more than any other factor to decreased attendance. With the recent upsurge in business, and with the optimistic outlook from the production end, television on certain type of pic¬ tures can be used as an extremely important advertising media in the exploitation and sale of certain type of pictures to our audiences. This definitely has been proven, and I believe that TWICKENHAM FILM STUDIOS, THE BARONS, ST. MARGARETS, TWICKENHAM, MIDDX, ENGLAND Telephone popesgrove m3, (9 lines) Telegrams twickstudio, Twickenham. 58 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR December 23, 1939