Motion Picture Herald (1954)

1953 Grass MPee lined* U.S. Says WASHINGTON : American moviegoers spent $1,252,000,000 on motion picture theatre admissions in 1953, the Commerce Department reported this week, a drop of $32,000,000 from the 1952 figure of $1,284,000,000. In 1946, $1,692,000,000 was spent on motion picture admissions and $1,594,000,000 in 1947. National spending in the overall category of recreation increased in 1953, however, the Department said, as did spending for radio and television receivers. Total 1953 recreation spending rose over $500,000,000, from $11,368,000,000 in 1952 to $11,892,000,000 in 1953. And Americans spent $2,176,000,000 on radio and television sets in 1953, as compared with $2,100,000,000 in the previous year. Spending for total recreation, including spending on radio and television sets, has increased steadily since 1946, with almost all categories except motion picture admissions within the overall recreation group showing a continuing rise. For the first time this year the Department did not release any corporate income and sales figures, which are usually made public at this time. Department spokesmen said they used the 1951 Internal Revenue Bureau figures as a basis for extrapolating income figures for 1952. They found, they said, that although this method was valid for figuring in broad categories of industrial income, it didn't work out accurately for breakdowns by industry. The department has consequently discontinued publishing annual figures on corporate income of individual industries. In addition, the Department has revised all of its consumer spending figures for the past ten or 12 years. The revised figures for motion picture admissions which the Department has just put out are slightly higher than those published each year for the industry. The trend down from the peak years, however, remains the same. The industry paid $711,000,000 in wages and salaries in 1953, compared to $721,000,000 in 1952, the Department rported. The number of persons working in the industry last year was the equivalent of 209,000 fulltime employes, a drop from the 1952, reported figure of 216,000. The industry’s fulltime workers earned an average of $3,244 in 1953, compared with an average of $3,190 the previous year. Some 220,000 people were engaged in production in 1953, a drop from 1952’s total of 227,000. Plan New Drive-in PHILADELPHIA : Application for zoning variances to build a 1,500-car drive-in on Roosevelt Blvd. has been made by A. M. Ellis Theatre Co. Proposed cost is $500,000. A member of the firm, Martin B. Ellis, told the Board of Adjustment that the company owns 20 conventional theatres. Advises Extension of City Tax Laws in Oklahoma Oklahoma cities and towns would be empowered to levy any type of local tax, except ad valorem, inheritance, estate or gift taxes, under a proposal submitted to the State Legislative Council by its committee on municipal government. Under the proposed state enabling legislation, no local nonproperty tax ordinance could become effective until approved at a local referendum. It also would be required that 25 per cent of all taxes collected must be deposited and credited to the local sinking fund so long as the city or town has sinking fund requirements. In its report, the municipal government committee noted that cities in other states are levying taxes on such things as sales, motor vehicles and motion picture theatre admissions. Roy Boomer Resigns TESMA Secretary-Treasurer Post HOLLYWOOD: Roy Boomer this weekresigned as secretary-treasurer of the Theatre Equipment and Supply Manufacturers’ Association due to ill health. He has held the post for the past eight years. Indications are that his successor will be named at the TESMA convention to be held in Chicago next week. Mr. Boomer has been in the industry as an exchange manager and theatre executive since 1922. Popcorn Association Reports 500 Advance Registrations CHICAGO : The International Popcorn Association reported here this week that its 500 advance convention registrations top by 50 per cent the total advance registrations of last year. The largest attendance in theatre history is expected for its IPA-Theatre Owners’ of America theatre concession forum, November 1-4. More Than $10,000,000 In "Hansel" Tieups Promotion tieups totaling more than $10,000,000 worth of national and local advertising have been set for “Hansel and Gretel,” it was announced by Walter Branson, RKO’s world wide sales manager, this week. All tieups will be ready for local level promotions in time for Christmas release of the Technicolor film. One of the tieups will be with the National Biscuit Company, which distribute 90,000,000 packages of a new “Hansel and Gretel’’ cookie. Film Among Top Cargo Items Carried by United Air Lines Motion picture film was among the 10 top cargo items carried by United Air Lines during the first eight months of 1954, according to a survey by the company. R. L. Mangold, superintendent of cargo sales, said 1953 marked the first year film was included in the top tonnage bracket. He attributed its high standing to the wider use of film by television stations throughout the nation and releases of many new feature films. Cinerama ta Be Exempted Fram Quata by PETER BURNUP LONDON : Cinerama screenings at the London Casino will escape the obligations of the Quota Act; the Board of Trade being satisfied that circumstances of screenings there make it impracticable to fulfill the conditions of the Act of Parliament. A certificate of exemption to that effect will be issued by the board. The authorities have only now got around to dealing with Quota defaulters in the year 1951-2. After taking the advice of the Cinematograph Films Council, the Board of Trade launched prosecutions against 25 exhibitors. Eight have already been heard in England and 11 are pending. Five are outstanding in Scotland. A spokesman at the board made it clear that lack of British CinemaScope features will not secure a Quota exemption for exhibitors who have installed CinemaScope. They can screen Quota pictures in conventional shape, the spokesman declared. V Returning from his Perspecta Sound demonstration at the Adelphi, Dublin, Charles Goldsmith, MGM’s London managing director, describes the occasion as “a sensational success.” Ninety per cent of the exhibitor interests of Eire and Northern Ireland attended the demonstration. “Orders for equipment have already been placed by Cork, Limerick and Waterford,” Mr. Goldsmith announced, “and there was a great number of enquiries in regard to the acquisition of equipment.” He said he did not think there was the slightest doubt that Ireland was highly in favour of Perspecta. V Twentieth Century-Fox reports that “The Robe” has now played to 6,926,714 paying customers in Great Britain and Eire in only 212 situations. That is claimed to be an all-time record. V London was subjected this week to an unprecedented example of high pressure' salesmanship in the Italian Film Festival promoted by Unitalia. On each day of the week a different film made in Hollywood-onthe-Tiber was screened in the Tivoli on the Strand, London. By some consummate diplomacy the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were persuaded to attend the opening performance Monday of “Neapolitan Fantasy.” Academy Names TV Liaison The .Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood on Friday selected a four-man committee headed by Young & Rubicam’s Bob Hussey to receive and study all proposals from television quarters regarding Academy operations and interests. 16 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 30, 1954