The Exhibitor (1960)

IFIDA Hails Growing Foreign Film Appeal NEW YORK — The board of directors of j the Independent Film Importers and Distrij butors of America, Inc. ^FIDA) last week hailed the growing popularity of foreign films in the United States as a clear indicaj tion of the increasing interest of Americans in the cultures and ways of life of all peo¬ ples. The board noted that numerous foreign films are listed high in the ranks of the out¬ standing pictures of the past year, as rei ported by critics and national publications. I Despite the successful efforts of IFIDA in I connection with importing and distributing I foreign films, the board said they were con¬ tinually and unfairly attacked by various groups as sponsoring offensive material. They added that they are violently opposed to obscenity in films, advertising, or any other medium and pledged themselves anew to continue the policy of not distributing or advertising obscene motion pictures. Under Federal Law, no foreign motion picture can be legally imported into the United States if it is obscene, IFIDA added, and imder New York Law both obscene mo¬ tion pictures and advertising are banned. In¬ deed, the American newspaper publishers are exceedingly vigilant, perhaps to a fault, in their refusal to accept various advertise¬ ments. IFIDA added, “What some admire others abhor, and what some deem of great social value others minimize. This is implicit in the American way of free competition in the market-place. We welcome this diversity of views, and we are always anxious to hear all facets of responsible opinion as to the nature of our pictures and their exploita¬ tion. We pledge ourselves to meet in good faith at any time with any responsible party seeking to discuss and clarify these matters.” Columbia Profit Dips NEW YORK — A. Schneider, president, Columbia Pictures, announced last fortnight that it was estimated that the company would have a net profit of $1,193,000 for the 26 weeks ended Dec. 26. Earnings are equal to 85 cents per common share compared with $1.29 per share earned in the same period of 1958, when net profit was $1,752,000. Profit in the 1958 half year included $2,662,000 representing profit on the sale of Columbia’s laboratory facilities on the west coast. Para. Cuts Clearance BOSTON — In response to widespread ex¬ hibitor urging. Paramount last week was re¬ ported reducing local clearance. Although the film company refused to com¬ ment, it is said that the following clearance is now in effect: If a picture plays downtown three or four weeks, clearance is reduced to 14 days; if a picture plays five or more weeks downtown, the clearance becomes seven days. New UA Office In Capital WASHINGTON, D.C.— United Artists’ new exchange headquarters here was unveiled recently by William J. Heineman, UA vicepresident, at ceremonies attended by leading exhibitors and sales personnel. The new UA branch office is located at 1411 Kay North West. Heineman presided at the tape-cutting ceremonies. Observations by Jock MacGregor AFTER A LONG LULL things are buzzing around London Town and it has been a seven day week for your observer. Over the week¬ end, the Asso'ciation of Cine and Television Technicians held their annual conference. While the industry has clashed with this body, it can but applaud the stand it is taking in the TV field. The results can be highly bene¬ ficial. The tone of President Anthony Asquith’s opening address, resolutions, and speeches must make the TV companies, if not actually quake, take heed. The general lines of attack were against the buying of backlogs of product instead of TV producing its own programs aimed at the little screen, the Americanization of programs (even those of British origin) and the effect of the material on youngsters. Speakers made it clear that the last thing they wanted was to keep outstanding classics off TV, but that any old picture should not be used. No one suggested that the technicians should benefit from sales to TV. The Union wants to insert a clause in its agreements for¬ bidding the films concei’ned ever to be televised, a policy of production and finance of genuine British TV films by British program contractors instead of the package deal ac¬ quisition of old cinema films and — the sting — those TV companies with cinema interests to undertake not to televise films. Not even a TV technician spoke against the suggestions. Television, however, provided for me the answer of the age old question of how to be in two places at once. Rank’s glittering annual showmanship lunch clashed with the Variety Club’s star studded Show Business Awards lunch. The BBC, appreciating the national in¬ terest in the latter, produced a 30-minute recording for televising in the evening when the folks got home from work. IT’S LIKE OLD TIMES with Warner Pathe trade showing eight features in the past 10 days. With the Warner, Allied Artists, and Associated British product, they offer a really strong program. . . . Joseph Levene visited town to discuss a saturation booking of “Her¬ cules in Chains” and was surprised not to find the opposition he had anticipated. He was de¬ lighted with the hearing he got. He is talking about working with 100 prints, which is about double the normal order. The attitude seems to he “let him do it if he wants to.” This a strange rigid market and he may have trouble with established bars. Others point out that even with half the number of prints, some distributors, once the London release is completed, send some used prints overseas to keep down overheads. CANADIAN Highlights By Harry Alien, Jr. SO GREAT HAS BEEN the reaction to Telemeter that the company has decided to set an objective of 40,000 sets, which is 25,000 more than was originally set for installation in the west Toronto suburb of Etobicoke. This was announced in full-page ads in each of the three Toronto newspapers. No date is known for the new objective although the fall should see the objective of 15,000, said Eugene Fitzgibbons, president, Trans Canada Telemeter. Presently there are something over 1,000 subscribers receiving the Telemeter service, with perhaps 2,000 others who have paid their $5 attachment fee and are waiting for the installa¬ tion. The ads were the largest one-shot taken by the Telemeter operation to tell their story. The ads are headed “Our phones have gone crazy.” They explain that Telemeter has had a “flood of phone calls requesting service since we inaugurated Telemeter.” The ad is signed by John Fitzgibbons, president. Famous Players Canadian Corporation Ltd., which holds the Telemeter franchise. The ads state that the public’s response was beyond any¬ thing expected. The whole program is being accelerated, “expanding every phase of our operation.” Thus far, no accurate figures on how many people have viewed the pictures offered — “The Nun’s Story,” “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “FBI Story,” “Career,” and “Big Cir¬ cus” — are available. And these won’t be available for at least another two weeks when the tapes are taken from the Telemeter attachments. There is no indication that the Tele¬ meter offerings have hurt the local theatres. The Westwood, located in the same area where the experiment is being carried on, did $500 on opening night of Telemeter and $1,200 the second night. The Westwood was playing “Journey to the Center of the Earth” simulta¬ neously. The first live show, other than the news, was offered by Telemeter. Cliff McKay and Priscilla Wright put on an early-evening performance. OF 360 FILMS screened by the Ontario Board of Censors in the first nine months, only one film, made in Mexico, was rejected. And that film might be appealed. The report, a preliminary one, was tabled in the Ontario legislature. It indicated that 84 of the feature films were treated or classified. Admission to six films was restricted to persons 18 years of age or over. Classifying films, the board considers an adult to be a person over 14 years of age. Most of the films, 116, came from the United States. There were 68 from Italy, 30 from Britain, 16 from Greece, 13 from West Germany, eight from Japan, etc. March 16, I960 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 17