The Exhibitor (1966)

u The Trade Paper Read by Choice— Not by Chance Founded in 1918. Published weekly except first issue in January and first issue in September by Jay Emanuel Publications, Incorporated. General offices at 317 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107. Publishing office at 10 McGovern Ave., Lancaster, Pa. 17604. New York field office: 1600 Broadway, Suite 604, New York 10019, West Coast field office: William M. Schary, 818 S. Curson Ave., Los Angeles, Calif., 90036, London Bureau: Jock MacGregor, 16 Leinster Mews, London, W. 2, England. Jay Emanuel, publisher and gen. mgr.: Albert Erlick, editor; George Frees Nonamaker, feature editor; Mel KonecofF, New York editor; Albert J. Martin, advertising manager; Max Cades, business manager. Subscriptions: $2 per year (50 issues); and outside of the United States, Canada and Pan-American countries, $5 per year (50 issues). Special rates for two and three years on application. Single copy 25tf. Second class postage paid at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Ad¬ dress all official communications to the Philadelphia offices. Telephone: Area Code 215, WAInut 2-1860. CHANGING ADDRESS? Please send old and new address. If possible include address portion of old mailing wrapper. Volume 76 • No. 12 November 2, 1966 Our 48th Year SARGOY motion picture industry from time to time, it is evident that chiseling (the polite term is under-reporting) by certain ex¬ hibitors is on the upgrade today. That’s an unhappy conclu¬ sion, but a factual one. We presume it is a result of the inability of theatres to cope with 50 and 60 per cent film rentals and forced extended play¬ ing time and still stay alive economically. We don’t attempt to justify such criminal actions, but some exhibitors will maintain privately that under-reporting is the only way they can stay in business. It is a sorry situation when cheating and lying are accepted business practices, recognized by both buyer and seller. It is a sorry situation when a so-called businessman steals, is caught, and pays his penalty, with the men who caught him generally knowing very well that he fully intends to steal again. The motion picture industry is faced with just such a situation, and if it weren’t so serious it would be laughable. At an informal luncheon recently attended by several ex HOW TO GET RID OF SARGOY AND STEIN The two gentlemen pictured here are well known in the motion picture industry and throughout the legal profession. They are men of intelligence and integrity and a credit to their profession and to the industry they serve so well. Why then does the headline on this editorial sound like a call for action against them? On the left is Ed Sargoy and on the right is Joe Stein. That’s right — Sargoy and Stein. Everyone in the industry knows that Sargoy and Stein represent most distributors when it comes to checking theatres. Their record is impressive when it comes to actions against theatres accused of under-reporting grosses. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred they win their case — and even that may be a conservative statement. It would be nice if there were no under-reporting, and the industry could send Sargoy and Stein away and let them con¬ centrate on more rewarding legal problems. It would be nice — but it isn’t in sight yet, unfortunately. From conversations we have had with sales executives in the hibitors, one experienced theatre operator who had never un¬ der-reported and who would quit the business before he would lie, was heard to remark: “I’ll tell you how I would stop under-reporting. Let each distributor if he has the guts take an ad in the trade papers advising those theatremen caught under-reporting that for one year no pictures will be sold to that theatre.” Of course, some cynical distributors may well answer that if they tried to enforce such a provision, there would be a more limited clientele to buy their film, but we think the idea still has merit. Many years ago, Bill Scully of Universal did just that, and we would venture to say that he put an end to a considerable amount of under-reporting. It takes guts to set such a policy and see it through, but it’s the only way we can think of to “get rid of Sargoy and Stein.” If things continue as they are, our lawyer friends will just be busier than ever. STEIN THE BANDWAGON OF COOPERATION Cooperative action pays the best dividends in the long run— that goes for the motion picture industry too. There are any number of causes that compete for an exhibitor’s energy and attention, but we can think of three at least that deserve every theatreman’s wholehearted support. First is NATO, exhibition’s noble effort at unity. Support your local branch and your national organization. Support them with your dollars and with your time. Second is the Will Rogers Hospital. It’s hard to believe that there are still many, many theatres that do not join in collections for this magnificent institution. There is simply no excuse for not cooperating. Here is a great medical center providing the best possible care for stricken industryites and involved in medical research projects that benefit all humanity. Third is the Motion Picture Pioneers and that organiza¬ tion’s Foundation. Industryites who have served for 25 years or more are eligible to join. It‘s a wonderful fraternity, meet¬ ing each year to honor an industryite who has made his mark and working quietly throughout the year to help those who have devoted their lives to the motion picture industry. Let’s all get on the bandwagon of cooperation with presi¬ dents Sherrill Corwin, Richard Walsh, and George Dembow. Sometimes, it may be admirable to be a loner, but not when it comes to backing these worthy causes.