The Exhibitor (1960)

ACE Plans Exhib Buy Of Post-48 Pix Exhib Contributions, Guaranteed Playdates Would Finance Program To Keep Films From TV NEW YORK — At a meeting of the Ameri¬ can Congress of Exhibitors last week at the Park Sheraton Hotel, action to establish an agency to negotiate for post-1948 pictures for re-release to theatres was taken by the na¬ tional committee. Si Fabian, chairman of ACE, said that to assure the success of the prop>osed agency’s program efforts would be made to “organize all exhibitors” to guarantee enough playdates to encourage the companies to make deals for the reissue of pictures in the post’48 libraries, and for the organization of “na¬ tional ad campaigns” to promote the pic¬ tures acquired by the agency in an effort to keep them off television. It was said that the acquisition of the pictrures would be financed by “exhibitor contributions.” A committee to formalize the structure of ACE was set up with Emanuel Frisch as chairman, and comprising Irving Bollinger, Albert M. Pickus, Max A. Cohen, and Willieun Forman. A sub -committee of ACE’s Committee on Industry -Government Relations was reported in Washington recently “to present the view¬ point of exhibition on the subject of film companies’ participation in toll iV to Robert Bicks, assistant attorney general in charge of the anti-trust division. This committee was headed by Sol A. Schwartz and included Frisch, George Kerasotes, Bollinger, Stuart Aarons, Sumner Redstone, and Herman M. Levy. Fabian accompanied the subcommittee on its visit to the Bepartment of Justice. The fact that Paramount is in the toll -TV field and that MGM and 20th-Fox are rumored to be planning to go into it was brought to Bicks’ attention. The producer-distributor-exhibitor rela¬ tions committee of ACE, headed by A1 Myrick, and comprising Eugene Picker, John B. Schuyler, and Bollinger, reported and stated, “Since conciliation has not been the success that it was hoped it would be, we trust that meetings between the ACE com¬ mittee and presidents and sales managers of the distributor companies will result in some method of rapid easement of local problems.” Fabian reiterated his “faith in the future” and predicted that “a profitable theatre busi¬ ness, changed though it will be, is ahead of us, and we as united exhibitors can protect and maintain ourselves imtil the revolution has run its course and we achieve the sta¬ bility of a new era.” He added, “Bespite the mirage of pay TV millions, the economics of Hollywood re¬ quire the theatre customer and the theatre revenue. We are willing to cooperate, but we are determined to have a voice in our own future. Although we will go it alone if necessary for self-protection, we still believe in cooperation between the basic divisions of the industry.” SW Declares Dividend NEW YORK — The board of dii’ectors of Stanley Warner Corporation has declared a dividend of 30 cents per share on the com¬ mon stock payable May 25 to stockholders of record May 9. Writers-AMPP At Impasse; Prolonged Strike Seen HOLLYWOOD — Negotiations between the Writers Guild America and the AMPP collapsed last week following a session which was expected to end the 15-week strike. Charles S. Boren, executive vice-presi¬ dent, AMPP, said, “We regret that our efforts to settle the writers’ strike and reach agreement on terms of a new con¬ tract have thus far not been successful. At the present time the differences are so substantial as to indicate a prolonged continuance of the strike.” Negotiations will continue, but no further meetings are scheduled. Fox Earnings Slip; Better Days Ahead NEW YORK — Twentieth Century-Fox re¬ ported consolidated earnings of $4,163,135 for the year ended Bee. 26, 1959. This amounted to $1.78 per share on the 2,338,536 shares of common stock in the hands of the public, as compared with earnings for 1958 of $7,582,357, or $3.30 per share on 2,293,186 shares. The above figures reflect a change in amortization policy relating to the cost of productions of participants. Heretofore, these costs had been written off from the receipt of film rentals as they came in throughout the world, and when insufficient, spvecial write-offs were provided from time to time. In order to place the cost of productions of participants on the same conservative basis which the company applies to its 100 per cent-owned pictures, the company ap¬ plied in 1959 the 65 -week period of write¬ off uniformly to such picture costs. The effect of the change was to reduce in¬ ventories as of Bee 26, 1959, by $4,442,000 in addition to $4,450,000 which had already been provided for during the yetu:. Included in the $4,442,000 was $1,919,000 applicable to prior years (or $879,382 after federal income taxes), which was charged directly to earned surplus. The charge to current earnings in the fourth quarter of 1959 was $2,523,000 in addition to $2,500,000 already provided for. The company estimates that earnings for the first 13 weeks of 1960 will be substan¬ tially better than the same period of 1959 when 41 cents a share was earned. Abe Dickstein, right, 20th-Fox New York branch manager, was recently inducted as president of Cinema Lodge B'nai B'rith at a luncheon at the Hotel Astor. He is seen here with Harry Brandt, chairman of the affair, left, and Alfred W. Schwalberg, retiring president. Fox Names Norris To Succeed Harrison NEW YORK — Pursuant to his own request, 20th Century-Fox general sales manager Alex Harrison has been relieved of his posi¬ tion, Spyros P. Skouras, 20th-Fox president, announced last week. C. Glenn Norris, assistant general sales manager, will assume the p>ost of general sales manager, effective immediately, Skouras also announced. Norris, a member of the sales staff since 1923, was termed by Skouras “a man who has served our company for the past 31 years in every phase of distribution and who, becaxise of his sincerity, fine qualities of showmanship and leadership has my com¬ plete and wholehearted support as well as that of each of our home office executives and Buddy Adler and his studio organiza¬ tion.” Norris first worked at 20th -Fox in the company’s Washington branch. He subse¬ quently served as manager of that branch, as Atlantic division and central -Canadian division manager, and was named assistant general sales manager in 1959. In his post as assistant sales manager, Norris has directed the sales policies for such specially-handled 20th-Fox attractions as “South Pacific” and the current “Can Can.” Skouras praised Harrison, the outgoing sales manager, calling attention to “the faithful service he has performed for the film com¬ pany over the past 25 years.” Harrison joined 20th-Fox in 1935 as a poster clerk in the San Francisco branch and sub¬ sequently served as San Francisco branch manager, Los Angeles branch manager, home office representative, and western division sales manager. Telepix Acquires 400 Shorts NEW YORK — National Telepix has ac¬ quired distribution rights to 400 Hal Roach comedy classics for television syndication, it was annoimced by Bavid Bietz, president of National Telepix. Featured in the group are such famous silent screen comedy stars as Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chase, Andy Clyde and Billie Bevan, Snub Pollard, Ham and Bud, Paul Parrot, Will Rogers, Lionel Barrymore, Slim Summerville, Jackie Cooper, Mabel Norman, Ben Turpin, Mickey McGuire (Mickey Rooney) , Harry Langdon, Billie West and the Keystone Cops. Each rmit will run 13% minutes. With the acquisition of the new properties. National Telepix is continuing its program of updating a growing library of early screen comedies for today’s vast new audience of youngsters who have never been exposed to them, Bietz declared. Ya. Trust Suit Settled WASHINGTON — The antitrust action of the Redstone Brive-In Theatres’ Lehigh Brive-In, Church Falls, Va., was settled last fortnight. The spot will henceforth have the same availability as two indoor theatres at Alexandria, Va., the Richmond and the Vir¬ ginia, both operated by Alexandria Amuse¬ ment Company. Settlement was reached after five days of trial in Federal Bistrict Court. May 4, I960 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 7