The Exhibitor (1966)

Is The Star System Necessary? By MARK GIBBONS Most Say Yes! HOLLYWOOD — Is the star system vital to the success of the motion picture industry? Many say yes and a few say no. Be that as it may, a survey by MOTION PICTURE EX¬ HIBITOR unquestionably reveals the Holly¬ wood-invented practice of billboarding big names still is the vogue with both producer and exhibitor. The consensus among distribu¬ tors is only a trifle less starry-eyed. Jack Warner was asked if the monumental salaries the established stars demand — and get —might be an excellent reason for bypassing the Olympian performers. He shook his head negatively. “It would never work. We pay ’em, and it’s worth it, even if we complain a lot." How about the boxoffice successes of films without star names, of which there are more than a few with many more, especially among the independents, already in the works? “It's not going to change,” Warner insisted. “Picture making is still picture making, and the stars are part of it. You can’t do it with computers.” Marvin Schwartz is a young independent producer who was successful from the start after breaking into production with "Blind¬ fold,” with Rock Hudson, at Universal, and who is now producing “The War Wagons/’ with John Wayne and Kirk Douglas, also for Universal. Schwartz points out that obviously the power of star names is proven or disproven ultimately at the boxoffice. However, he be¬ lieves, the power starts working at the studio long before the film reaches the public. Exhibi¬ tors, he says, for the most part are strong for star names, and the presence of a star in a picture, regardless of its other merits, can make a difference of 1,000 or 2,000 and possibly more in the number of theatres that will dis¬ play the film. Schwartz believes the stars have a significant effect on the rental or boxoffice percentage of boxoffice receipts that the studio charges for the production. He indicated it is far better to have a high percentage of so-so business at 8,000 theatres than a percentage of strong business at 1,000 theatres. Schwartz invoked the word “bankability,” a word which seems to belong not to the bankers but to the exhibitors. For one thing, he says, bankability has a lot to do with the script. “You have to write for male stars,” he con¬ tinued. “I guess there are 20 bankable men, stars who’ll get you a deal, but probably only five bankable women. The women are fairly distinctive. If you write a picture for Doris Day, for instance, and you don’t get Doris Day, well, then you’ve had it. On the other hand, if you write for a male and you don't get Newman, maybe you get Brando, and if not Brando maybe McQueen, and if not McQueen ... ad infinitum. You’ve got perhaps as many as 20 chances . . . and the best dramatic situa¬ tions are between men anyway. It’s a truism in our society that men are active and women reactive.” The youthful producer believes every studio should have a separate executive just con¬ cerned with low budget pictures, adding, “You could even get stars for them, on per¬ centage deals. But it’s tough to change an industry’s way of thinking.” Dassin Says No! HOLLYWOOD — “The star system used to be the great Hollywood institution . . . (but) . . . it’s dying in part because the stars are dying. Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Marilyn Monroe — they’re all dead. I think it is a very painful thing that Charlie Chaplin is 77 and will never act again. And how many more films will Cary Grant make? Or Spencer Tracy?” Jules Dassin, who made the above state¬ ment, is believed to be by many movie-goers (and probably by some exhibitors) a foreign movie maker, but this brilliant American-born producer-director-writer, who has an imposing string of successful films made abroad to his credit, started his career in Hollywood. His “10:30 P.M. Summer” has just been released after being filmed entirely in a village in Spain and on the actual locale of the story. Asked if he encountered many difficulties, Dassin said : “The question is obsolete. Maybe 10 years ago it merited being asked, but I have met technicians in Spain who have the same quali¬ ties, the same high level of workmanship one finds in Hollywood or Paris or London. It’s becoming true everywhere. Within five years, I’m quite sure one will be very able to make a good film in an African studio. Actually, it’s been easier for me to direct in Europe than in America. And I’m not talking about physical advantages. In terms of administration, one can’t match Hollywood. Yet, with all of this spending, the enormous plants, the huge over¬ head, the herds of executives — where are the stars?” Declaring the Hollywood studio was once a machine dedicated to create product for a stable of stars, he continued: “One paid for this in terms of new thoughts, new ideas, new manners of film making. Now, the kind of story is beginning to be told that not only doesn’t need a star, but that some¬ times can actually be hurt by one. More and more, the producer and director are becoming important figures, and very often they have no intention of merely serving a star. Also, actors move from studio to studio so there is little incentive in spending the time and money to develop stars. With all that, one might think the studios could excuse themselves. But they can’t. They have to be considered remiss inso¬ far as they haven’t found replacements.” Dassin readily agrees that there are some new stars coming up, but he adds this wry comment : “They seem for the moment to be coming out of England. Julie Andrews, Albert Fin¬ ney, Peter O'Toole, Sean Connery, Tom Courtenay, Julie Christie, Vanessa Redgrave, Samantha Eggar are just a few who come to mind. There has been an upheaval in the whole English way of thinking and living, which has produced a new kind of film de¬ manding a new kind of actor. “In America, there are rumblings of up¬ heaval, too, and I think it’s inevitable. I’ve been struck by the great amount of talent I’ve seen on U.S. television. That force is so strong that it must eventually be liberated.” Favorite Promotes Leach SAN FRANCISCO — Bob Leach has been promoted to Favorite Films’ San Francisco branch manager by Newton P. Jacobs, presi¬ dent of the distribution company. Leach was San Francisco’s Favorite salesman for six years and replaces Hal Gruber on Jan. 1, 1967. Martin H. Newman Elected Exec V-P 01 Century FLORAL PARK, N.Y. — Leslie R. Schwartz, president of Century Theatres, announced that the board of directors has elected Martin H. Newman as executive vice-president of the company. Newman has been as¬ sociated with Century for over 30 years. He is a graduate of New York University, a certified public accountant, a World War II Naval officer in the Pacific, treasurer of the Brook¬ lyn Jewish Hospital, a director of the National Association of Theatre Owners, chairman of the executive committee of the Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Association, and re¬ cently elected president of the Inwood Coun¬ try Club. Schwartz also announced the election of Leon Greenberg as treasurer, in addition to his present duties as comptroller. The board of directors also reelected the following officers for the coming year: Henry C. Miner, Jr., chairman of the board; Leslie R. Schwartz, president; Joseph G. Wickham, secretary; Charles W. Call, assis¬ tant vice-president; Walter E. Dunn, assistant vice-president; Harold H. Newman, assistant vice-president; Sylvan Schein, assistant vicepresident; Ruth B. Gronert, assistant secre¬ tary; and Arthur Blume, assistant secretary. N. E. Variety Elects BOSTON — All the 1966 officers of Variety Club of New England Tent 23 were reelected to serve for the coming year. They are James M. Stoneman, chief barker; William M. Kumins, first assistant chief barker; Benjamin Sack, second assistant chief barker; Reuben Landau, dough guy; and Irving Shapiro, prop¬ erty master. Crew includes Douglass Amos, Nathan Buckman, Malcolm C. Green, Roger Lockwood, Sumner Redstone, Julian Rifkin, Arnold Van Leer, Henry Weiss. International canvassman is Edward S. Redstone. Silverstein Exits “Catherine” HOLLYWOOD — Director Elliot Silver¬ stein returned to Hollywood and disclosed that he will not direct “The Great Catherine” for Peter O'Toole’s independent production com¬ pany, Keep Films Ltd. Actor will also star in the screen adaptation of the George Bernard Shaw play. Silverstein’s commitment with Keep Films was terminated as an aftermath of the inability to resolve conceptual differences with O’Toole. Director returned from London where he had been involved with pre-production activities on “The Great Catherine.” Fryer To Produce At Fox HOLLYWOOD — Robert Fryer, Broadway producer, has entered into a multi-picture producing arrangement at 20th Century-Fox, it was announced by Richard D. Zanuck, vice-president in charge of production. Za¬ nuck also announced the acquisition of the current London comedy hit, “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,” starring Vanessa Red¬ grave, as one of the first film properties to be produced by Fryer. 8 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR December 21, 1966