Variety (December 1951)

Pulse-taking by Variety correspondents virtually touched bff a nation-wide debate among exhibitqr&iin the advisability of raising or lowering admission, scales. While opinions varied, it was clear that with few exceptions the theatremen will maintain the status quo on ticket prices. 4 Exhibs were divided hi two camps. One preferred price cuts as a means of drawing new business. However, the feeling was that operating costs are continuing. so high that it would not be feas- ible .to. ealse the tariff at this lime. Sentiment on the other side was that the public will not buy inferior pix at any price, but will support gobd product. So why change the cost of admission? An independent operator in Buffalo related that a’ few weeks ago he reduced the Weekend price from 40c to* 25c. This had only the effect of reducing, his income, consequently the old prices will be restored on Jan.: 1> Fanchon it Marco houses in the L. A. area dropped its scales recently but neither customers nor revenue increased as a result. Indianapolis first-runs upped their scales from 44-65c to 50-70c some time ago. In this instance, the tilt was said to have helped income; . ~ Action films, including westerns, and musicals are the choice^ of hinterland exhibs. The public, they say; has beep surfeited with heavyweight dramatics.* Theatremen, who expressed their thinking to Variety correspond- ents across the country, insist, however, that the oaters and melody pix should be done iip big, and with star names; It's reasoned that potential cus- tomers. can get a full Share of sagebrush and musical fare via home TV, but the TV program is limited in scope. With strong pro- duction values, this type of Holly-‘| Wood product stands the best chance of luring the ticket buyers. Ohe angle is that western, mate- rial has won many new friends through the big play given dated oaters: on TV. Exhibs figure that the home viewers, having been in- troduced to the thataway. product, would be more eager to pay for big westerns on a ; big screen.” Ill Hollywood, Dec. 25. Oscar S. Oldknow, head of Na- tional Theatre Supply; was hospi- talized Sunday (23) following a stroke. Cedars of Lebanon reports his condition Very critical. Pix Via Lipped Deal Hollywood, Dec. 25. Inking of a new distribution con- tract with Robert L« Lippert makes James Carreras, head of Exclusive Films of England, an important factor in indie distribution of U. S. pix in the British isles. Pact gives Carreras exclusive distribution rights to all Lippert pix, including the films made under the recent Lippert-Charles Feldman deal as Well as other indie units for which Lippert secures financing and han- dles distribution. Among the score of pix involved in the deal are Paul Heiireid’s “For Men Only/' the Hall Bartlett-Nor- man Foster art film, “Navajo,” and Charles Marquis Warren’s “HeU- gate Prison.” Carreras and Lippert already h4ve a joint production deal under the banner of Intercontinental Pic- tures whereby Lippert supplies sto- ries and American , stars for pix produced by Carreras in England. MarsluD Sms Fljn 0, $25,000 ’49 N.te Hollywood, Pee. 25. Indie, film producer William Marshall has filed stilt in Superior Court; .charging Errol Flynn failed ft Pay. a ; $25,000 note dated June A 949 ‘ Action, .seeks total Of 930,665, including .principal/ Inter- est and attorney fees. • ch’eck from Warnera for 94,103.93 has been attached. Suit Said. note, was given Marshall for an interest in a documentary film produced in 1949. Mar- snau and Flynn teamed as pro- ducer-director and star, respective* 2': ^ Adventures of Captain Fa- whiAh years, ago, " hich Republic is releasing. ' Philadelphia, Dec. 25. Warners has sold five theatres to realtor Albert J. Grosser for Ap- proximately $300,000, three of the houses to be dismantled, thus fol- lowing a recent Philly trend. Two theatres will continue operation either by lessees or the realty firm. Sale is in line with the Warner Circuit's actions under the consent decree; There already have been 45 houses shuttered. during 1951. Local Warner office refused to comment, as Usual shif ting all queries to the home office in New York. Grosser, however, confirmed the sale by saying he purchased the Imperial; North Philly; Imperial, (Continued oh page 16) Home TV is losing its, hold on the youngsters to some degree; ac- cording to theatremen polled by Variety. Correspondents in key cities. Exhibs reported they've spotted a growing number of'chil- dren coming back to the film the- atres, bolstering matinee' trade considerably in some areas. Theatreowhers, in spotting the trend, conceded it’s been limited to the younger element. But they’re holding out V hope that adults, too;, will join in the trek away from the home sets at a more frequent rate This was virtually the sole bright .spot in the mosaic of exhib business reports and opinions. Theatremen, particularly the small, independent operators, tradition- ally paint a dismal picture of “conditions.” It’s evident, how- ever, that hundreds of the lesser, marginal houses are experiencing economic difficulties. On the other hand, the field re- ports disclose relatively few actual closings. While; many exhibs com- plained that this year * worse than 1950, and 1950 was a bad year, the fact remains that these same exhibs still are in business, although not enjoying any wave of prosperity. Los Angeles area , ap- pears one of the hardest, hit so far as shutterings are concerned. Reasons for the offbeat business are plenty varied. But many ex- hibs agreed that the country’s gen- eral economic conditions are a big factor. Heavy consumer buying of household. wares, TV sets and automobiles, on the installment payoff basis, has cut the amount of “free money” for entertainment. The public still is buying film en- tertainment, but . apparently is more selective than ever; Conditions peculiar to a specific territory also figure largely in the state of exhibition. Detroit’s num- ber of unemployed is up to 140,-: (Continued on page 20) Should Use Pond's Always a bridesmaid but never a bride appears to be the fate- of “Marriage ’52,” one of the 47 active story properties listed by Warner Bros, for future production. Vera Caspary yarn, was first an- nounced by Warners in 1949 as “Marriage ’49” and in subsequent years as “Marriage ’50,” etc. Now marking its third anniversary, story has yet to go before the altar. Tasty Scenery Chewing Hollywood, Dec. 25, Chewing scenery is not con- fined exclusively to human thesps. At least, it wasn’t oh the “Lost in Alaska” set at Uni-, versal-Iriternational, where dozen hungry Malamute dogs ruined a snow scene repre- senting the cold white north- ern spaces surrounding Lou Costello and Bud Abbott. The snow consisted of un- toasted corn flakes, a popular form of delicatessen 14 ..Mala- mute canine society. It re- quired 50 more bags of corn- flake^ to cover the bfire spots on the floor. Chicago, Dec. 25, Chicago's small indie theatre- owner is gradually being squeezed to the point where his business is becoming a one-man (with excep- tion of operators) and Weekend op- eration. At last count, week before Christmas, oyer 134 theatres were shuttered in this exchange area; over 104 had closed, within the year. This in a region which nor- mally holds about 400 theatres 1$ especially alarming. High grosses downtown have been at the vaude houses, but mainly on the few top drawer at- tractions such as Martin and Lewis, Josephine Baker the first time around, Bid Caesar and Imogenc Coca, Miltbii Berle, and Billy Eck- stine, Pic draws havelbeen limited to “The Great Caruso” (M-G), “Born Yesterday” (Col), “Streetcar Named Desire” (WB), “Bitter Rice” (Itali- an), “Tales of Hoffmann” (British), “Show' Boat” (M-G), “David and Bathsheba” (20th), and possibly a few others. At present there are only seven first-run outlets, with the excep- tion of the small foreign houses and the occasional roadshow at one of the legit houses. OUT NEXT WEEK The Of form ctesini sluitly Usual JMvertisiny rotes Copy pnd $pace reservations may be sent to any Variety office NKW If 114 W.44Hi9t. HOLLYWOOD U 4111 Yfccalt, CHICAGO 11 412 N. MIcMfe* Ave. LONDON. W« C. 1 I D. MofHa'i Place Trafal g ar Minneapolis, Dec. 25, As the Martin and S. G, Lebe- doff Homewood neighborhood thea* tre’s $500,000 damages conspiracy Suit against six major distributors and the Paramount theatse .circuit here approaches its culmination in Federal Court, moire fireworks are being set off. Resuming after a two-week re- cess, the two-month old trial be- fore Judge G; H, Nordbye provided a series of sensational develdp- ments. Metro branch manager W. H, Workman enlivened it by passing the lie to Martin Lebedoff from the witness stand. The trial sizzled, too, ivhen plaintiff Counsel’s Lee Loevenger announced he’d ask for an injunc- tion to restrain distributors from continuing their present clearance so that pictures would become available for Minneapolis neighbor- hood, and suburban theatres one day after they finish their down- town first-runs, instead of 28 days, which now 1 Is the earliest avail- ability and which he claims is “unreasonable” and “discrimina- tory/’ Loevenger also tossed a bomb- shell by introducing evidence shoe- ing that the late W. A. Steffes, independent exhibitor leader, re- ceived the north Minneapolis first- run for lilsi Paradise theatre and. was the only Independent exhibi- tor here to obtain the same run enjoyed by the Paramount circuit theatres after he had a suit against distributors, the Paramount circuit and the then-existing Minneapolis fi 1 m board dismissed. The suit had charged an antitrust conspiracy as (Continued on page 17) Herbert’s Tax Suit Los Angeles, Dec. 25. F. Hugh Herbert's tax refund suit against the Internal Revenue Bureau, involving more than $1,- 000,000 and slated for decision by Federal Judge Leon Yankwich in March, is attracting wide attention among independent film producers. It is expected to set a precedent in deals involving long-term capital geiins. Herbert's play, “Kiss and Tell,” is the basis of his suit. It was filmed in 1945 by a company or- ganized by the author and George Abbott, Later the Abbott-Herbert company was liquidated, with the partners making long-term capital^ gains deals. Holding that the long-’ term capital gains principle does not apply to companies dissolving after one picture, the Government assessed taxes. Herbert’s case is the first tax re- fund suit of its kind. Understood more than a hundred other cases will be affected by the decision, 6 in Philadelphia, Dec.. 25. 1 The six Sablosky brothers-r- Lewis, Abe, David, Ben- jamin, Thomas and Nathan—own- ers of the Norris Amus. Co., have entered suit in Federal Court here f- for treble damtfger amounting to $5,775,000 against seven, film dis- tributors, charging they broke the antitrust laws by holding back firsts run films. t The SabloskyS have four theatres in Norristown, and one in Bristol, Pa. They charged the - dlstrlbi con- spired to violate an agreement with Jjtheir company to Supply it with films 30 days after they were re- leased in Philadelphia, They said the delays were much longer than the time agreed upon, Because of this, they have been forced to close two of the houses and have Suffered an actual boxofflce loss of $1,925,000. Defendants are 20th-Fox, Para- mount Distributing, RKO Pictures, Warner Bros., Columbia, Universal Film Exchanges add Loew’s.