Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

Stanley Shows Year Profit of Trading Stamps for Theatres Were Used to Promote Business More Than 20 Years Ago $3,194,200 S. H. Fabian, president of Stanley Warner Corporation, reported last week that the combined operations of the theatre circuit and the Cinerama and International Latex divisions showed a net profit for the year of $3,194,200 after all charges including deductions of $4,722,800 for depreciation and amortization of fixed assets, patents and good will; $1,908,200 for amortization of the cost of Cinerama presentations and $2,816,400 for Federal and foreign income taxes. This compares with a profit of $3,065,800 earned during the prior year, when depreciation and amortization totaled $4,759,200, Cinerama amortization was $1,037,500 and Federal and foreign taxes amounted to $3,650,000. The net profit for the year is equivalent to $1.47 per share on the $2,166,800 shares of common stock outstanding on August 25, 1956. The earnings for last year were equivalent to $1.39 per share on the common stock then outstanding. Theatre admissions, merchandise sales and other income totalled $96,234,200, an increase of $3,823,700. In discussing the theatre division, Mr. Fabian said that the outlook for improved box office receipts in the near future is brighter than it has been for several months. “There has been much talk about the ‘lost’ theatre audience,” he said, “and that TV has detoured the public away from going to the theatre. The fact is clear that America still loves to go out and see a movie. This audience is not ‘lost’ but waiting for the pictures of its choice. The outstanding pictures of today are playing to capacity audiences, although there is an over-all decline in attendance. TV competition cannot be ignored as the major element in this reduced patronage, but it is not the only factor, nor is it the decisive factor in determining the future of our business. We believe the decline in attendance arises to a large extent from the existing shortage of acceptable motion pictures.” Big Newspaper Campaign Set for "Four Queens" A heavy national newspaper advertising program comprising $100,000 worth of large-space displays in 59 newspapers with a combined circulation of 21,390,000, has been set by United Artists for RussField’s “The King and Four Queens,” it was announced last week by Roger H. Lewis, U.A.’s national director of advertising, publicity and exploitation. The campaign is scheduled for 21 cities as a curtain-raiser for Christmas premieres of Walter Brooks’ informative article in the October 20 issue of the The HERALD on the current trading stamp situation continues to elicit a widespread pro-andcon reaction among readers, who appear to be rather evenly divided between the damners and the praisers of this decadesold business-building expedient. Last week was published the observations of F. P. Gloriod, who cited his experience with the controversial stamps. Now comes word from Ohio exhibitor Martin G. Smith, an industry veteran who numbers himself among the nay-sayers. He told Mr. Brooks that back in 1930 and 1932 his exhibitor firm had scant success with them. Mr. Smith also sent several exhibits from his files as corroborating evidence. These include newspaper ads and actual booklets of 1932 vintage. Printed in St. Louis, the booklets were issued by such typical houses as the Moon theatre, Vincennes, Indiana, and the Lyric theatre, Syracuse, N.Y. And 1932, as the old-timers remember well, was the rock-bottom year of the Great Depression. People were still going to the film houses in great numbers but they didn’t have as much money to bring along with them; accordingly, admission prices were down to a minimum everywhere. The pink cards carry the legend: “Our policy is always to give you the best there is in entertainment, and to do this costs money. Our prices are already on a very low schedule and cannot be reduced, but we have worked out this profit-sharing plan which will help you get free admissions to our theatre and afford much fun. Get your friends to save the stamps for you. Save them yourself. Teach the children to save them. Be thrifty. Paste the stamps in the books as soon as you get them. Loose stamps do not count.” the film. Cities include Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Kansas City, Houston, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington. The CinemaScope film stars Clark Gable and Eleanor Parker and was directed by Raoul Walsh. Legion Approves 9 Of 16 New Films Of the 16 productions reviewed last week by the National Legion of Decency, two have been put in Class A, Section I, morally unobjectionable for general patronage; seven have been put in Class A, Section II, morally unobjectionable for adults; six in Class B, morally objection FREE THEATRE TICKETS East Side Amusement Stamps Will admit you FREE, any time except Sundiys and Holidays, to the Eo»l Auditorium and Garden Theatres, and to the new Eastwood Theatre, when completed EVERY TIME YOU SPEND TEN CENTS OR MORE ON THE EAST SIDE, ASK FOR EAST SIDE AMUSEMENT STAMPS. GET ONE STAMP FOR EACH TEN CENT PURCHASE. Thirty stamps are good lor Ten Cents on the price of admission when presented at the ticket office of any of our theatres East Auditorium Theatre Japanese Garden and Garden Theatre Eastwood Theatre Our magnificent New Motion Picture Theatre, now under construction on East Broadway, near Woodville 8treeU (Will be opened on or about February 1st.) Shown above is a typical newspaper advertisement for trading stamps, circa 1920, and sent in to us by Ohio exhibitor Martin G. Smith. As can be seen, the showmen of 1920 weren't slow when it came to merchandising. The legend of Mr. Smith’s pink booklet go on to offer a profit-sharing stamp for each 10 cents spent on admission. A 20cent admission brought two stamps, and also two were offered for a 25-cent admission; three for a 35-cent admission, and so on. Patrons were enjoined by the exhibitor to “paste these in the booklet given you. When filled present at the box office. Get one admission FREE.” Special awards were offered: two tickets, four tickets, eight tickets and season passes. Also held up as patron lures were cash awards from $1 to $10, each given on the condition that the manager open the seal in the presence of the patron. able in part for all; and one in Class C, condemned. In Section I are “Above Us the Waves” and “Rock, Rock, Rock.” In Section II are “Bundle of Joy,” “Calling Homicide,” “Don Giovanni,” “High Terrace,” “Hot Shots,” “Istanbul” and “Nightfall.” In Class B are “Black Whip” because of “excessive brutality; suggestive sequence” “Four Girls in Town,” because of “light treatment of marriage”; “The Girl Can’t Help It,” because of “suggestive costuming and sequences”; “The Magnificent Seven” because of “suggestive sequences”; “Rock, Pretty Baby,” because of “suggestive sequences; tends to encourage questionable moral behavior patterns,” and “The Widow” because of “suggestive sequences.” In Class C, condemned, is “Baby Doll.” The explanation for the classification of “Baby Doll” was published in detail last week. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 15, 1956 17