Motion Picture Herald (1954)

mKim Short in Length — Long in Appeal Despite a degree of neglect in some exhibitor quarters, short subjects and newsreels continue to hold and to expand their following among the paying customers. At least half the indoor theatres and drive-ins maintain a single feature policy for the majority of their showings. This is a tremendous market to be served by shorts. In keeping with past tradition, short subject producers have been alert to trends in the industry. The new look in shorts is the tailor-making of subjects of topical interest rather than complete concentration on so-many of such a type in order to make up a series. In a sense the short subject has taken on some of the characteristics of a good magazine while maintaining the dramatic assets of screen entertainment. That is a good development. The continued growth of the drive-in as a favorite recreation of the whole family has enhanced the popularity of the color cartoons. These fit in ideally with the mood cultivated by drive-in theatres. A large number of driveins book a group of cartoons regularly. These usually open the program as soon as darkness permits. Adults as well as children always like the cartoons. So far as the future is concerned it is inevitable that more shorts will be made in the new techniques. Some of CinemaScope’s best qualities were shown in shorts. VistaVision created a visual sensation with its first scenic short. Newsreels in color, CinemaScope and in other new processes would seem to be on the horizon. Now, more than ever, careful selection and booking of shorts will be rewarding to the exhibitor and his customers. — Martin Quigley, Jr. TODAY’S SHORTS TIMELY AND TECHNICALLY NEW by MANDEL HERBSTMAN THE short subject, like its big sister the feature film, has been undergoing a dramatic change. The trend generally has been toward fewer in number and greater in quality — and the growing use of all the new screen techniques. Color still predominates. As one short subject executive expressed it last week, the short field has become a highly competitive one. "The whole market is changing, and we have to give them something that is different." In that effort, the short subject producer is finding himself in a position analagous to the feature editor of a magazine or newspaper. The tendency is in the direction of themes that are unorthodox, fresh and unusual in appeal, and diversified in content. For example, 20th Century-Fox the coming year will have 26 CinemaScope shorts, generally greater in running time than the standard shorts, and dealing with a variety of themes. Topics will range from a carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the rebuilding of Israeli, air force subjects, and others on Hong Kong, Formosa, etc. Walt Disney has been coming out with the highly successful TrueLife Adventure series, plus CinemaScope shorts, and a variety of novel, trend-setting styles. It also has been getting out complete program packages of features and shorts. Oscar Morgan, Paramount short subject sales manager who this week marks his 40th anniversary in the motion picture business, is firm and enthusiastic that the short subject is just now coming into its own. “We have gone through an era,” he says, emphasizing his theme that the time is ripe now for top quality shorts, on topical themes, made with every production care, in the new techniques and in color. The coming year UPA, which won the Academy Award with its Columbia release of “Gerald McBoing Boing,” will move forward with its first CinemaScope cartoon, “When Magoo Flew.” The attempts made this past year to get timely, entertaining subjects lias been stressed by Irving Sochin, short subject sales manager of Universal Pictures. The company’s tieup with Decca Records is making it possible, he said, to anticipate the rise of entertainment personalities and to feature them in short subjects. He cited the case of Eileen Barton, and recalled that Nat “King” Cole was originally featured in one of the company’s musical shorts. He also stressed the timeliness of tworeel color specials released by the company, recalling that “The Hottest 500,” dealing with the 1953 Indianapolis Memorial Day auto race was released at the time of this year’s race and by coincidence, Bill Vukovich was again the winner. Columbia’s Maurice Grad Explains His Views Columbia’s short subject sales manager, Maurice Grad, explains that “bringing the program — all of the program — to the public . . . has been, is and always will be the only way Mr. Exhibitor can capture as large a portion as possible of the amusement dollar.” He declares that for this reason “Columbia has and will continue to provide ways and means with which theatres can benefit to the fullest extent when they play Columbia short subjects and/or serials that can and should be show and audience builders. “Just as a feature has to be sold to moviegoers in the manner that will bring about top results, so the short and/or serial must be sold in full proportion to the part it can play in deriving the very most from the complete program. “To this end, the pressbook, publicity, advertising and exploitation material provided by Columbia on short subjects and serials with the ‘something extra’ that can help to substantially build better shows and greater audiences, are in direct proportion to that provided on Columbia features.” For the season of 1954-55, RKO Pathe has announced a program of 70 short subjects. This compares with a program of 80 subjects for the preceding year, two of which were both 2D and 3D. Also one was not released in Canada and another was released in Canada only. Mickey Mouse Cartoons In RKO Lineup Further the 1954-55 RKO program includes six Mickey Mouse reissues under the main title of Mickey Mouse Birthday Cartoons and six re-releases under the heading of Disney Marquee Musicals. The series will include RKO Pathe Specials, My Pal (re-releases), Ray Whitley (re-releases), Edgar Kennedy (re-release), Leon Errol (re-release), Specials, Sportscopes, Screenliners and the Disney Cartoons (16th series). In commenting on the releases, Sidney Kramer, shorts manager, stated that “prospects during the coming season are as bright as ever. Smart showmen everywhere know ( Continued on page 46) 44 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 23, 1954