Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, October 1, 1949 U. S. Clearance and Run Races Settle Down to Reform Moves Move to Trim Waste After a special meeting of MGM top executives, producers and Studio Chiefs Louis B. Mayer and Dore Schary, overhauling of the entire studio operation was ordered in an effort to trim waste. The move was said to be intended to offset the anticipated effect of British devaluation and to enable the studio to make quality pictures at costs which would permit a profit from the domestic market. Unite for Theatre Video Is Fabian Plea at TesmaMeet A call to the motion picture industry to unite in its request that the Federal Communications Commission grant frequencies for theatre video use was made this week before the joint convention of the Theatre Equipment and Supply Manufacturers' Association and the Theatre Equipment Dealers Association in Chicago by Fabian Theatres President Si Fabian. Sees Color Fabian was one of two exhibitor representatives to speak at the meeting in the Stevens Hotel at Chicago. The other was Theatre Owners of America Executive Director Gael Sullivan who predicted that "color television will not only come, (but) it will come with a commercial and public approval impact that has never before been equalled by any other technological development in the 20th century." In his address which pleaded for a united theatre front, Fabian declared that he thought there should be improvements made in theatre television equipment and also touched upon color. "I am convinced that better quality pictures are needed for the future and that they will come as they did in motion picture film. I am absolutely convinced that theatre television in color must be developed. . . I do not know how long it will take to bring in color theatre television but I feel that the engineering laboratories of RCA and similar institutions should devote at least as much time to produce color theatre television equipment as they do for color television broadcasting equipment. Indeed, the economic factor as well as the physical conversion difficulties for broadcasters should render theatre television a more feasible market for color television than broadcasting. . . The experience of exhibitors with color motion picture film underscores their desire for early color theatre television." Don't Wait Fabian added that despite his emphasis on color, exhibitors could not afiford to wait for it but should get into theatre video now. The joint convention appeared to be the largest Tesma and Teda have held to date. Tesma elected the following officers : President Oscar Neu; Vice-President W. A. Gedris ; Secretary-Treasurer Roy Boomer. Directors are: L. W. Davee, H. B. Engel, L. E. Bones, W. D. Matthews, V. J. Nolan, J. F. O'Brien, H. H. Strong, E. J. Vallen, E. Wagner, F. J. Wenzel, C. S. Ahscraft. Teda elected Ray G. Colvin as executive director, a post which replaces that of the president, with Tom -Shearer as board chairman, which replaces the vice-presidency. The executive committee consists of F. A. Van Husan, Joe Hornstein, W. E. Carrell, John P. Filbert, Ray Busier, Jack L. Ricke, H. J. Ringold, J. ■ FJdon Peek, Ernie Forbes, Henry Sorenson. The clearance and run race which followed the first ruling of the U. S. Supreme Court on trade practices in the Government anti-trust suit seems to have settled into a more orderly movement toward reform in various sections, a survey of exchange centers by Showmen's Trade Review indicated this week. The principal change in the settlement again reaffirms that exhibitors are no longer eager to snatch a run away from a rival house, even if it is a circuit operation, and that the independent exhibitor is not too eager to batter another independent exhibitor for position. This, however, is a general picture and does not apply to congested areas such as the City nf New York. Active Everywhere, however, the move to cut clearances from their one-time high — a move which has been going on even before the Supreme Court ruling in the anti-trust suit — remains active. Also, there is a trend toward seeking a re-zoning of areas so that theatres which are so far away from each other that the distance between them must be traveled by bus, automobile or jet plane, are no longer considered competitive and entitled to clearance and run protection. This move has made marked progress in the past year, the exchange centers report. At the moment the average exhibitor in the majority of centers does not seem to want a better run unless he has a better house than his rival. But he does want to wait consider ably less time before he gets a picture. His main argument is that his competitor does noi need his present protection, that the distributor will benefit by shorter clearances as well as the complaining exhibitor, and that he is entitled to a picture while he can still benefit from its national and key run exploitation. No Exchange Squawk Actually the only opposition to reducing clearances seems to come from the house which runs ahead of the complaining cxihibitor. Apparently the average exchange is not opposed to shortening clearances or re-zoning, excepting where the exchange has a theatre affiliate which might be affected, or lives in fear of a powerful independent circuit which might decide not to buy any product from an exchange which shortened its clearance or regrouped some of its houses so that opposition houses could play dayand-date. The unofficial exchange opinion seems to be that the faster a picture is played off, the faster the exchange gets its money back. The only snag to date has been that re-zoning seems to have brought about day-and-date runs in some instances which cause print shortages. Apparently no exchange wants to increase its print inventory, because that means added cost. Actually exhibitors in some instances have found that a better run often means less profit .A notable example of this is the Atlantic coast area in New Jersey. Because these locations are more or less isolated from New York, ex(Continned on Page 9) ■ World Series Appeals to Theatres But Equipment Shortage Is Snag Lack of sufficient theatre large-screen television equipment — apparently both Paramount and RCA — is the reason why not more theatres are taking advantage of the opportunity to bring the world series to their patrons. Showmen's Trade Review learned this week. As STR went to press, it appeared that the Fabian Fox in Brooklyn and the American Theatres Pilgrim in Boston would be the only theatres to have the entire series, though it was possible that a last-minute deal might bring Paramount into the picture with the New York Paramount, the Balaban and Katz Chicago, and the Famous Players Canadian Imperial, Toronto. The shortage of theatre television equipment, however, was threatening to block the Imperial at Toronto and had definitely blocked the plans of the Times and the Roslyn, both in Baltimore, to bring in the baseball classic. The two Baltimore houses definitely attributed their failure to bring in the entire series over television to the fact that they could not get large-screen television equipment. Even the ATC's Pilgrim in Boston is going to have to use an experimental RCA instantaneous model, which is to' be replaced later by a permanent RCA model. Canada Seeks In Toronto, reports springing from usually reliable sources said that Famous Players Canadian, in which Paramount owns stock, had arrangements "practically completed" to show the series and presumably would rush the event, recorded on film, to its other theatres in the province of Ontario. The reports did not say whether the Im perial would pick up its own image from Buffalo, whose television station is said to be easily visible in Toronto and do its own film recording, or whether it would depend on film recordings made by the New York Paramount and rushed to it by air. A remark attributed to Famous Players President J. J. FitzgiW)ons that "No one can stop us taking something out of the air," had the industry guessing. However, this deal reportedly failed when equipment was uncertain. Offices of Mutual Broadcasting Company, which controls the event, said that they had discussed a deal covering New York, Chicago and Toronto with Paramount but that they had heard no further about it and that unless closed this week, there would be no deal. World Series Plus Duals For $1.20, $1.25, $1.80 Large-screen instantaneous telecasts of the World Series plus a double feature will be offered for $1.20 advanced admission by the Fox in Brooklsm, Fabian Theatres announced this week while American Theatres announced its Boston Pilgrim would also offer duals vnth the series for advanced admissions of $1.25 and $1.80. All prices include taxes and neither house will offer reserved seats, but the Pilgrim Tuesday opened an advance sale for the first four games of the series. The Fabian Fox will return to regular admissions daily after the telecasts end and will offer rain checks if rain or fog prevents telecasts.