The Exhibitor (1966)

| The NEW YORK Scene By Me/ Konecoff MO ROTHMAN, VICE-PRESIDENT IN CHARGE OF WORLD-WIDE DISTRIbution at Columbia, is a man who holds very few press conferences and then only when he’s got something to say. Last week was that time. He, advertising and publicity vice-president Bob Ferguson, general sales manager Norm Jackter, and assistant general sales manager Milt Goodman took delight in reporting that Columbia has 278 playdates or 36 per cent of all theatres in the New York area playing their product over the Christmas-New Year period. This figure represents the highest total of Columbia bookings in the New York area during a single two-week period in the company’s history. Rothman predicted that the engagements will bring in more than three million dollars in theatre grosses. There are 773 theatres in the city and surrounding area. Films involved were “The Professionals,” “Murderers’ Row,” "The Wrong Box,” “Georgy Girl,” “Born Free,” and the recently opened “A Man For All Seasons.” The latter, incidentally, is doing such a business that officials find it difficult to keep an accurate up-to-the-minute tally on the tickets sold. Predicted Rothman — this will be the hardest ticket in town to obtain. During the holiday period, the number of performances is being increased to 16 per week, and the demand warrants continuing the upped schedule of shows after the holidays. Incidentally, 1967 will see 22 to 24 films released by the company, and Rothman expected that the high level of business will be continued as the following make their early bows — “The Night of The Generals,” “The Taming of the Shrew” (roadshow in March), and “The Deadly Affair.” DOLLARS AND SENSE DEPARTMENT: FRED GOLDBERG, UNITED ARTISTS vice-president in charge of advertising and publicity, thinks the company has a real winner in the upcoming western release, “A Fistful of Dollars,” but only if backed by the proper planning and campaign. There is a feeling in many areas that this could mark the start of a “James Bond” type of western series. Clint Eastwood is the star, but at the moment, his “name” isn’t enough. What will happen after the film starts to play off will be interesting to watch. The picture reached fantastic heights in Europe, where the business is second only to “Thunderball,” Goldberg reported. The type of campaign he is pushing starts out with a series of one column page-size teasers which, after several days, culminate in a full page announcement which hints that because the film is so good, a sequel is already in the works. This was the pattern for Toronto, where the film was to have opened last week, and of course, there was a teaser type of posting in the subways as well. A section at a time was posted three days apart until the full color poster made its bow. Television and radio again had the teaser treatment with blanket coverage come the opening date. Goldberg and staff were most anxious for the screen to be used to its fullest potential, and they tried to get exhibitors to play several trailers to set the mood for the hard-hitting western and to arouse curiosity. To top things off, records based on the theme will get full play in music shops and on disc jockey shows. FLOWERS AND SCENTS DEPARTMENT: “THE POPPY IS ALSO A FLOWER,” which w'as shown on the ABC television network, has played over 350 situations to date and is expected to gross over two million dollars in domestic film rentals, according to Harold Roth, president, and Milton Platt, vice-president and general sales manager of Comet Films. The tv version w’as 21 minutes shorter, and they reported despite its exposure in that medium only a handful of people asked for refunds. Only a few exhibitors had any reservations about booking the melodrama that is loaded with a solid “name” cast. They expected that it will have played 5,000 dates domestically by the end of next year. Roth opined that he would like to release about six pictures per year at the outset, and that goal is well in sight. His company’s distribution policy requires them to return the maximum net dollars possible to the producer and the maximum net dollars to the distribu¬ tor. This is accomplished through keeping a minimum number of prints working area by area across the country, and by dealing with the top 5,000 theatres across the country instead of trying to service the small flat-deal type of situations. Large-scale campaigns are concen¬ trated in local areas to be effective at the point of sale come release time. Active and strict control is maintained over expenditures, over the independents w'ho service the films in the area, and over their 1 1 field representatives. It takes them much longer to distribute a picture, but the pair figured their profits should be much greater than that of a major company over a similar period. By the end of 1967, Roth and Platt expected that Comet will be “the biggest little company in the business.” OF DOGS AND BONES: WE HAVE A MUTT WHO HAS BEEN TAGGED WITH the name of Brandy Alexander, and this was done even before he acted like he had been drinking. Anyhow, the other day, in walked a messenger bearing a sack containing a ball, a rubber gizmo with a bell in it, a strip of chewy glop, and a tooth-breaker of a bone. The message read — “Merry Christmas to your favorite tailwagger from ‘The Spy With A Cold Nose.’ ” Gee, but that Joe Levine is all heart. THE METROPOLITAN SCENE: MORE SEASON’S GREETINGS IN FROM Harold Rand, Steve Ellman, Jim Watters, Fred Herkowitz, the Ernie Shapiros, Fortunat Baronat, the Jeff Livingstons, the Milt Livingstons, A1 Boyars, Joe Levine, Marie Hamilton, Stuart Byron, Carol Martin, Mike Kaplan, John Springer, the A1 Floersheimers, Eve Siegel, the Milt Londons, the Jerry Levines, Charles Rossi, Sam Kestenbaum, Bea Ross, the Bob Steuers, Bob McKeown, Dan Terrell, Si Seadler, the Ed Finnerans, Howard Newman, the Jerry Sunshines, Jack Goldstein, Joe Brenner, Vince Liccardi, Arthur Rubine, Dorothy Leitstein, Joe Friedman, Mike Hutner, Ed Feldman, Sid Ganis, Bob Dorfman, Harvey Chertok, Phil Gerard, Paul Kamey, George Nelson, Jim Gould, Jack Levin, Ev Callow, Jim Katz, John Dartigue. HAPPY NEW YEAR Reynolds Exits CBS Post To Head Para. TV Firms NEW YORK — John T. Reynolds has joined Paramount Pictures Corp. as president of Paramount Television Productions, Inc., and Paramount TV Enterprises, Inc. Reynolds has resigned as president of the CBS television network to accept the new post. The 45-year-old executive will be elected a senior vice-president of Paramount Pictures >| Corp. and will headquarter in Los Angeles. 1 He will head up all of the company’s television production and distribution activities. The appointment of Reynolds marks a largescale entry by Paramount into all phases of television, and is its first expansion move in ' the leisure-time field since its merger with Gulf & Western Industries, Inc. Paramount’s tv operation will be separate from its theatrical production operations, which are headed by Robert Evans, vice-presi¬ dent in charge of production; Bernard Donnenfeld, vice-president of production adminis¬ tration and studio operations; and George H. (Bud) Ornstein, vice-president in charge of European production. Reynolds has been in the broadcast and entertainment field for the past 20 years. He has been associated with CBS since 1959 in various management positions, including vicepresident, administration, Hollywood; vicepresident and general manager, network pro¬ grams, Hollywood; senior vice-president for the network; and president of the CBS Tele¬ vision network since February of this year. New Detroit Theatre DETROIT — Plans for construction of a I new 850 seat house to be called the Towne Theatre were announced. It will be built in the suburb of Oak Park by Ben Etkin, with d construction to start in the spring. Richard ! j and Eugene Sloan, Suburban Detroit Theatres, will operate the house. They have opened four new theatres around Detroit in the past year. Barf To Para. Post NEW YORK — Peter Bart has resigned from the New York Times to join Paramount Pictures effective Jan. 2, 1967. He will func¬ tion as an executive assistant to Robert Evans, vice-president in charge of production. Here, at the special screening of "Arrivederci, Baby!" at New York's Forum Theatre for the bene¬ fit of Italy's flood victims, are radio personality Barry Gray, whose late hour "talk show" is heard nightly over WNEW, and two airline hostesses from Alitalia. Under a special arrangement with Para¬ mount, 100 per cent of all admission-contributions went to the relief fund. 20 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR December 28, 1966