The Exhibitor (1962)

The Trade Paper Read by Choice — Not by Chance weekly except first issue in January and first issue in September by P^nsX?.n!i^M^w V ur Publishing Office: 317 North Broad Street, Philadelphia 7, M Broadway, Suite 604, New York 19. West Coast field office: M ^ ^i Drive, Los Angeles 19, Calif. London Bureau: Jock Albert F^rlJrl, ^ ?' England. Jay Emanuel, publisher and general manager; fdiw Me^^ir M '91'=*' ). Lewis, associate editor; George Frees Nonamaker, teafure York editor; Albert J. Martin, advertising manager; Max Cades, business ?on A^r^erlr^ 'ssues); and outside of the United States, Canada, and 'oyn^ries, $5 per year (50 issues). Special rates for two and three years on application. ,4 I P'"'* Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Address all official communications to the Philadelphia publishing office. Volume 67 • No. 26 JUNE 13, 1962 UNIVERSAL'S GOLDEN JUBILEE All over the world last week, theatres were saluting Universal on the company’s 50th anniversary. Some 15,000 theatres in the United States and Canada and another 30,000 throughout the world were saying thanks for the fine films during an eventful half century in the best of all possible ways —with screen time. This theatre salute highlights the Golden Jubilee celebration that will continue throughout this anniversary year. The first 26 weeks of 1962 has been devoted to a Presidential Sales Drive honoring Universal President Milton R. Rackmil, whose aggressive and inspired leadership has resulted in the com¬ pany rising to and maintaining a lofty place in an industry beset by problems and change. Already in 1962, Universal has released “LOVER COME BACK” and “FLOWER DRUM SONG,” well up among the all-time record grosses, and “SPARTACUS,” already the com¬ pany’s top money-maker, has gone into regular release. Sched¬ uled to hit the world’s theatres during the second half of the anniversary year are “THAT TOUCH OF MINK,” “THE SPIRAL ROAD,” “THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA,” and “IF A MAN ANSWERS.” Currently before the cameras and in final stages of production are “THE UGLY AMERICAN,” “TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD,” “IF A MAN ANSWERS,” “FORTY POUNDS OF TROUBLE,” and “FREUD.” Sched¬ uled to follow later and set for release in late 1962 or early 1963 are “A GATHERING OF EAGLES” and “THE THRILL OF IT ALL.” Here is real screen variety, sparkling with some of the biggest boxoffice names in the industry, including Cary Grant, Doris Day, Rock Hudson, Gregory Peck, Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Sandra Dee, Robert Mitchum, Montgomery Clift, and Susan Hayward. The lineup promises much for both Universal and its customers. It also provides a necessary shot in the arm to the industry generally for each company’s success serves the general good. A nostalgic look at the glorious past of this oldest company of them all, founded in 1912 by Carl Laemmle, an enterprising German immigrant, gives us an exciting, action-packed glimpse at the development of the motion picture industry as a whole. When Laemmle first set up his shop in the quiet Los Angeles suburb known as Hollywood, nickelodeons were experimenting with 10 cent admissions and one and two-reel attractions were giving way to longer features. It was a fast-growing young industry, and Universal quickly outgrew those first modest facilities, moving witliin three years to the San Fernando Valley studio it still occupies. Laemmle is credited with creating the first movie star, and many of the screen’s past greats toiled in Universal films. The company’s rolls are studdecl with such names as Wallace Reid, Lon Chaney, Mae Murray, Carmel Myers, and Rudolph Valen¬ tino. Later years brought such stellar performers to the U-I banner as James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Margaret Sullavan, Irene Dunne, Bing Crosby, Deanna Durbin, Abbott and Costello, and so many more. In 1952, Milton R. Rackmil, president of Decca, was named to head the film company, with Edward Muhl as vice-president in charge of production. Under their aegis was to emerge some of the outstanding films of recent years— such hits as “SPAR¬ TACUS,” “OPERATION PETTICOAT,” “PILLOW TALK,” “IMITATION OF LIFE,” and “COME SEPTEMBER,” to name a few. In 1959, following a pattern of modern management tech¬ niques, Universal sold the studio to Music Corporation of America, at the same time entering into a lease-back continu¬ ance of its film-making program. It’s a fantastic history in a fabulous, magical business, and perhaps Universal typifies it best as the oldest film company still doing business in a big way. MOTION PICTURE EX¬ HIBITOR joins in saluting Milton Rackmil, U-I’s talented ex¬ ecutive staff and film-makers on this, their Golden Anniversary. Universal has come a long way, and so has the motion pic¬ ture industry. They still have a long way to go. The company has been a vital part of an expanding, aggressive, and suc¬ cessful industry whose greatest tales are still to be written. It is certain that Universal will supply many of the most ex¬ citing chapters in that Golden Future. ONE MAN CAN SINK A SHIP We were shocked recently to read in a drive-in newspaper ad, “Intoxicating Beverages Prohibited In Theatre.” The reason became clear, however, after reading the complete ad. The theatre boasted a program of “8/2 hours of the best movies.” How silly can an exhibitor get? We’ll bet a plugged nickel to a shoelace that the exhibitor himself never stayed around his drive-in for 8/2-hours. No wonder the audience felt the need of liquid refreshment. The whole program must have been a lot easier to sit through with an alcoholic assist. Does this theatreman realize that his actions hurt the entire industry? Programs such as this five feature monstrosity can hardly be considered good showmanship. We hope at least the theatre was^ adequately policed. . , ■ It reminds us of a Bible teaching; “Shall one man sin and wilt thou be angry with the whole community?” Biblical teachers tell of a ship full of men. Suddenly one began to bore a hole in the bottom of the ship. Panic-stricken neighbors told him to stop, and he answered, “What does this matter to you? Am I not boring under my own place?” Let’s hope we don’t all drown in the flood created by short¬ sighted exhibitors looking for that fast buck. It could happen. Serving the Reader First — Which Serves the Advertiser Best