The Exhibitor (1965)

AA Reports 26-Week Loss NEW YORK — It was announced by Allied Artists that its operations, including those of its wholly owned subsidiaries, for the 26 weeks ended Dec. 26, 1964, resulted in a net loss of $1,116,000, after including $352,000 write-off of story properties for which future production plans were abandoned. This loss compares with a net profit of $259,000 for ! the corresponding period in 1963. Due to prior losses, no provisions or credit for federal income taxes was made in either period. Gross income for the 26 week period in 1964 amounted to $5,495,000 and included $1,200,000 of minimum guarantees under license agree¬ ments covering television and theatrical rights in substantially all of the company’s pre-1963 features. Gross income for the com¬ parable period in 1963 was $8,304,000. WHO IS DOING WHAT TO WHO? Skouras-Matsoukas Firm Set HOLLYWOOD — Producer Plato Skouras • announced the formation of Navarino Pro¬ ductions in partnership with Nick John Matsoukas, New York, for the filming of “Forever Ulysses,” the C. P. Rodocanachi novel. Scheduled as the initial production, “For¬ ever Ulysses” is to be co-produced by Skou¬ ras and Matsoukas under the banner of Nava¬ rino Productions. In addition, Skouras an¬ nounced six other film properties, “The Bat¬ tle of Anzio,” “Miss Harriet,” a screen adap¬ tation by James Bridges of the classic short story by DeMaupassant; ‘“The Memoirs of a Coxecomb,” satiric comedy; “The Sergeant Must Die,” psychological drama; “The Woman,” science-fiction; “The Underclothes Man,” comedy-farce; and “The Wingate Story,” to be produced in Israel. Inflight's Flexer Answers Charges By Foreign Firms Against Showings MEMPHIS — Dave Flexer, former Memphis theatre owner who developed inflight movies four years ago, had some frank remarks to make regarding the International Air Trans¬ port Association’s proposed ban on visual entertainment aloft. Flexer’s Inflight Motion Pictures is pres¬ ently the only company supplying movies to international airlines. The International Air Transport Association has stated that 81 of the world’s airlines have voted to ban movies and closed-circuit television on their interna¬ tional flights. The move awaits approval of the governments of the airlines. Flexer states the IATA agreement came after foreign airlines exerted tremendous pres¬ sure to force lines showing movies to drop them. “Three lines had their governments threaten to refuse to allow our planes show¬ ing movies to land. One of them even threat¬ ened to put a $10 surcharge on each passen¬ ger landing from a plane showing movies,” charged Flexer. “Foreign airlines are merely using movies as a smokescreen in their bit¬ ter fight against lower fares and improved service.” In an interview by Edwin Howard, amuse¬ ment editor, Memphis Press Scimitar, the owner of Inflight said: “They want to make U. S. airlines pay for their inefficiency. If they had their way, some of these foreign airlines would have people paying higher prices for riding on wooden seats or even hanging from straps over the Atlantic. “Actually, international flights account for only 15 per cent of our business. Our serv¬ ice on TWA and United Air Lines’ domes¬ tic flights would not be affected. But if the IATA agreement were approved, it would prevent our expansion on international lines. We have five contracts awaiting the outcome of this.” Inflight’s service was formerly offered ex¬ clusively to TWA on transatlantic flights, but was recently opened up to other airlines. The foreign airlines opposing visual en¬ tertainment aloft, Flexer said, claim movies are forcing a fare increase. “This is simply not so,” Flexer said. “They are basing their cost estimates on the cost of installing closed -circuit television. The airlines using our motion picture service don’t have five cents invested in equipment. We own it all. We charge $150 per movie per flight, which figures out to about 27 cents per person. That’s not going to affect the price of a $500 plane ticket. “Adults Only” Film Policy Under Legal Fire In Mich, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.— A legal battle looms in the wake of recent anti-obscenity actions taken by local authorities. Arrested in connection with the exhibition of allegedly obscene film matter was John Whitman, manager of the Stardust D-I. The Paris Township Board, in an effort to curtail showings at the d-i, refused in another move to renew the theatre’s license, which ex¬ pired May 1. Whitman was required to post a $50 bond. Arresting officers seized prints of “Sexus” and “The Fourth Sex” at the Star¬ dust. According to Paris Township supervisor Peter Lambert, the action against the Star¬ dust was the result of nearly a year of com¬ plaints from residents in the area of the theatre, who claimed they could see the d-i screen from their front yards. Prosecution may be made under an ordi¬ nance adopted last August, which makes the selling, importing, or distributing of films that are subsequently shown to adolescents under 18 illegal. This marks the second time in two weeks that operator Fred Bloss, Hastings, Mich., has run into trouble. He has been operating not only here, but in Battle Creek and Hastings with a policy of “For adults only.” In Portage, a suburb of Kalamazoo, he applied for a building permit to erect a new house there to run on a similar policy. The Portage City Council was presented with a petition signed by 306 individuals asking it to withhold the building permit. At the same time, the Council of the Port¬ age Congregational Church also petitioned, stating that “establishment of this theatre would add to the general moral decline of the community.” WHO IS DOING WHAT TO WHO? May 5, 1965 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR 7