Variety (December 1951)

20 nCTDRIH Exhibs Report on Biz I^sssssssmSSSSS Continued from p*ko s sssssssass Vdheiliy^ D^qribcf 20, 19S1 000, taking a heavy slice off the- atre trade. In many cases, exhibs are franks ly confused. They’Ve found sharp rises and sharp/ drops in business and can’t pin down the reasons be- hind them. There’s an absence of any continuing trends in ticket- selling, the rate, of income being erratic in many spots. Minn. Adult Trade Off, Matinees Show Gains Minneapolis, Dec. 25. . It has been found that children’s patronage is good and holding up very much better than that of adults. Exhibitors declared that .their Saturday afternoon and other matinee patronage is showing gains over other years and in some instances actually hitting a new high. There is general agreement that TV has been and still is hurting business though economic conditions resulting in a decline in entertainment purchasing power may be the principal factor, in the boxoffice downtrend. But there’s confidence that outstanding pic- tures always will find a profitable outlet in theatres regardless of what further inroads TV may make on exhibition. The super Westerns and “B” musicals are becoming almost worthless from a boxoffice standpoint because so much Western fare and minor mu- sicals are being served Up by TV. There’s “not a chance in the world” to raise prices except for a very few exceptional pictures, theatremen reported., They feel that scales are too high now, and that, if anything, moviegoing should be made less costly. The drop in grosses from the same period a year ago. is esti- mated as running from .10 to 25% by the “grassroot” exhibitors. For the first time in 22V£ months, business now isn’t behind the corresponding period a year before at his two Minneapolis neighborhood theatres, however, Martin G. Lebedoff, Homewood and Brynwood owner, said. “We’re much encouraged by children’s .. patronage,” said Lebe- doff, “and only wish we’d get back more of the adult business that has been lost during the■ past two years. “The public apparently is be- coming convinced, however, that movies are now better. There seems to be an equal division among' those who do and don’t want double features.” Here's what some of the other exhibitors said: Harold Kaplan, owner of the de luxe suburban St. Louis . Park: “We’re off from 25 to 30% now from the corresponding period a year ago. Mondays through Thurs- days are dead. After 5 p.m. Sun- day there’s little doing, probably because of the strong television shows that evening. Formerly, Friday through Sunday was big. The only trade holding up is the children on Sunday matinees. George Granstrom, owner of two de luxe St. Paul neighborhood theatres, the Grandview and High- land: “Business is far off and is getting worse again after a sum- mer spurt, but I’m not selling ex- hibition short. “It’s ridiculous to even think of raising admission prices and I only wish it were possible to lower them. It might help if exhibitors had more of ah incentive to dis- play showmanship and work hard- er to sell their attractions. We used to have tieups with churches and organizations that would Sell our tickets and receive a cut from each one sold, for example, but because of percentage terms ■ such deals, are now out of the question, and: it doesn’t pay us to incur other exploitation and advertising ex- penses.”, ’ s . Clem Jaunich, owner of a new theatre at New -Ulm, Minn.: “We’re far below the same period a year ago and especially, are playing to inany fewer adults. The propor- tionate drop is about the same for weekends as for midweeks, pur-' ing the past year a few outstand- ing pictures like ‘The Great Caruso’ and ‘Showboat* have brought ’em in, but now. even the supers aren’t up to snuff. If we could provide "bur entertainment at more popular prices, I think it would help our present situation considerably.” Jack Heywood, New Richmond, Wis., exhibitor: “My theatre’s grosses are far off from those of a year ago and the lowest in the history of the house. The midweek is especially bad- and I’m, now ad- mitting children and students free Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thurs- days with paid adult admissions. I’d say my Friday to Sunday busi- ness is off 40% and I’m now show- ing double features on Fridays and Saturdays for the first time. The thing the industry needs at a time when living costs and taxes are so high is lower theatre admissions.. We’re in the television belt and' there’s no doubt that TV is hurt- ing us plenty,- but it’s encouraging that, judging by patrohage, the kiddies at least are starting to be Weaned away from the sitting room picture sets.” Buffalo Exhibs Would Prefer Lower Scales Buffalo, Dec. 25. Independent exhibitors, both in first and subsequent runs, seem agreed that business currently is worse than it was last year at. the same time, and probably the worst hi years. The reasons assigned for the slump, outside of Usual sea- sonal explanations, 'are various; with television, weak pictures, strong competition from other amusement fields and general apathy all playing a part. The pos- sibility of admission increases is decried on all sides, many exhi- bitors feeling that a decrease, is more in order. George H. Mackenna, managing director of the independent first? run Lafayette, stated: “Aside from, the fact that we are not getting pictures that are sufficiently inter- esting to the public, it is clear that the former pattern of regular the- atre-going' by many of our former patrons, has definitely been broken. Patrons Who formerly attended theatre weekly how come as little as once a month, and then only if they desire to see some particular picture: Our boxoffice is off from last year’s, levels at this time. In- crease in admissions is impossible or, if possible, certainly not ad- visable.” Henry Dillemuth, who has op- erated, the 300-seat east side Broad- way Lyceum for 25 years; believes that many pictures are still miss- ing the mark. He stated: “Our pa- trons want down-to-earth pictures 'vith action types still preferred. Few of the former sub-run patroiis are impressed by elaborate artistic productions and in fact deliberate- ly avoid them. With wages for de- fense production workers rising hereabouts, many of Our regular patrons have now deserted the sub- runs . for the plushier downtown picture spots, and those who still attend come less frequently than before with many telling me they prefer to stay at home with their video sets.” — Basil J, .Basil, v;p. and general manager of 10 neighborhood the- atres, is optimistic, believing that present lean takings are gOing to result in a survival of the best among the sub-runs. “The general level of incomes has risen to a point where the workingman is able to biiy amusement in the higher price brackets with the re^ suit that he is attending the de luxe theatre rather than the sub- runs. Only those neighborhood houses which are physically able to compare with downtowners are getting or will get neighborhood business in the future,” he said. George Gammel, head of four nabes, states that business is off at hi$ houses from last year. Changes in admission prices are out of the question and he feels that any downward revision would Minnesota Amusement Cor . Proxy Harry B. French eavtilom, theatre's future embrac- ing somanylmportant Electronic Advances. • That Concern Every Operation an Interesting byline piece in Hie 46th Anniversary Number' 9f UfatlETY OUT NEXT WEEK result in further losses in his houses. Public emphasis seems to be on a down-to-earth action type of. product, he commented. Matthew Konczakowski, operator of four local neighborhoods> re- E orted that three of his theatres ave been closed three days a week for the past few weeks and at hit. Marlowe. showcase he has reduced Friday and’ Saturday admissions from 40c to 25c. ’There has been no effect on the hoydffice from the decrease and I am returning to the former admission tariff of 40c after the first of the year,” he stated. Robert Murphy director ,of the first-run (indie) Century, stated, “our current business compares not only favorably, but is better than last year at this time. We note an increase number of children at- tending our day performances and from what the public tells Us gen- erally they are now less interested than heretofore in being/glued to- their TV sets at home. With costs at ' present levels no admission de- creases can, be made in our opera- tion and the general stand-offish attitude of the public * makes, in- creases Impossible. For our opera- tion, action pictypes and pictures with star value spell top boxoffice.” Many Complaints, But Only One Det. Closing Detroit, Dec. 25. The year 1951 has been a dismal :dne for Detroit exhibs, both nabe ^and- downtown. Television and widespread unemployment rCsult- Ijpg from the changeover from peace to defense production com- bined td make serious‘inroads on theatre grosses. By the end of the year there were approximately 140,000 Detroiters out of- work. Most exhibs talked in terms of a 50% decrease in nabe business add from 15 to 50% decrease downtown. Nabe exhibs said biz was strictly adult and night-time. Kids and matinees; are part history, they averred) 'Despite the complaints, there haven’t been, any notices posted that, nabe theatres are closing. None has been closed permanently in the past year; some have closed for a couple of weeks but have re- opened under new owners or after vacations, etc. The situation in the downtown houses is less severe than at the pabes, but far from bright. Dave Idzal,. managing director of the 5,000-seat Fox, said his biz was off .15%, attendance-wise. Profits were. even farther behind because of the' increase in : operat- ing costs. “Very., few children come Into the Fox now,” Idzal revealed. 'It’s almost piirtiy an adult audience!” Matinee trade is off 70%. Idzal said action pix seems to draw most response. He’s also found that advertising and exploi- tation play an ever more impor- tant role. “To. a greater extent than ever before, a picturer—no matter how good it is—-has got to be sold and then many times it only brings in average biz,” Idzal pointed Up. “But think what biz would .be If you didn’t do a selling job! . Other downtown exhibs added that biz was off from 35 to 50%. However, only one downtown thea- tre — the Downtown •— has been closed In 1951. Montreal B.O. Up From 1042% Over 1950 Montreal, Dec. 25. Film biz for past year in Mont- real area, ranging from deluxers, through smaller first-run houses, art-type theatres and French out- lets, is up from 10 to 42% over ’50. Exhibs believe the absence of tele- vision accounts largely for the up- beat. Spread in percentage gains is at- tributed to operating costs between the malnliners and the offbeat ex- hibitors who pick their product carefully for local values and sel- dom resort to additional gimmicks. Popcorn, photo nights, ladies nights, free chinaware, et al., are only used by the occasional house. Montreal is on an extreme fringe area as far as TV is concerned and this coupled with the fact that the town is built around a mountain and the out-of-line costs of video installations and machines reduced the competition to nil. In homes around the mountain facing the U. S., there are a few, machines that reach Burlington, etc., but the reception is poor and of little in- terest to the exhibitors’ best mar- ket, the French-Canadians. For the most part, the French- Canadian market, keys the choice | for all houses. According to Con- solidated Theatres, which controls the big deluxers in the uptown re- gion and the top seating capacities, the heaviest plays are for musical and biogs such as “The ' Great Caruso” and “The Jolson Story.” Comedies featuring Abbott and Costello are surefire b.o. draws but- Straight-dialog, pix do little biz as evidenced by. “Force of A^ns,” 1 widch barely managed a week; “All About Eve,” however, proved an exception to the rule by staying several weeks at capacity. * The J. Arthur Rank outfit, which also releases Monogram and Allied Artists pix in Canada, picks up heftiest grosses from its distribu- tion and handling of French pix, both “native” :(thi real thing) and “versions” (an RAgUsh or Amerl-; can film dubbed Jn French). Re* turns here run as high as 42% over ’50. Films produced in Eng- land do only fja&hiE when play- ing in the uptown , first-runs or through the French circuit, “Ham- let” and “Henry V” being ex- ceptions. United-Theatres, which controls 24. houses in. the: city, are in the same position ' other exhibitor regarding type of film to show. United, however, keeps two thea- tres, the Kent and the Avenue, for the off-beat items with a tendency to the “art” picture Occasionally. Medium seating capacity and the fact that these houses are situated in English-speaking areas make this possible. “Bitter Rice” fin- ished a nine-week session at the Avenue last Friday (21) and this theatre will bring in “The Laven- der Rill Mob” after the holiday. The. strictly French houses are controlled almost entirely by Frahcb Film,=. which owns outright . several big houses in Montreal, at least one major theatre in Quebec City," Sherbrooke, Three Rivers, Ripoouski, etc., and has an interest in more than 20.0 other houses throughout the province. Over the holiday period, many houses are swinging over to reis- sues. such as “Wizard of Oz” and ^“Christmas Carol” for extra re- turns. Admission prices, which sel- dom go over a dollar, are showing no sign of any increase -and as long as exhibitors can continue to rely on the studios for plenty of action, color»and musical films, grosses for. ’52 should at least hold up with the past year. Seattle’s 10% Dip Seattle, Dec. 25, r- Mixed reports on theatre busi- ness come from different towns and cities, suburbans and down- town houses, but in general the pattern is a drop of around 10% •under a year ago. General em- ployment and- business conditions are about the same as a year ago, but with higher taxes there Is more of a pinch ,;f or the “free money” which goes for amusements. Herbert Sobottka of John Ham- rick Theatres reports no change in matinee vs. evening, weekend against midweek or children vs. adult attendance. Public still favors comedy, adventure and mu- sicals, but there is a definite nix on psycho subjects after the slight surge around “The Snake Pit” era. These now fall flat. *. William Thedford, assistant to Frank Newman, prexy of Ever- green Theatres, reports boxoffice back at par after a most disastrous summer, which Was caused by un- usual heat and not so good prod- uct. Big outdoor pictures are still tops if stars are in the cast. They’re surefire boxoffice, he told Variety. Public attitude is constantly more selective as to quality. With the right kind of product business is better than ever,. The reverse for the weak sisters. Matinees are' off throughout Evergreen territory which covers leading titles of Oregon and Washington. Adult Vs. children admissions are about the same, no trend discernible. Coun- Art Arthur Ex*c. Sicy, of Morion picture Industry Council .. roapproUot Hollywood's successful fight against Communism, In an Intorostingpiocofitlod Neither Whitewash 9 Hogwash Nor Red Wash i* one of tho many editorial fcatnros Ig ffcaapcenilitg 46th Anniversary Number al ■ PfiSJEfr OUT NEXT WEEK try Rdmish prices were increased In a few towns this year; big city, a year ago, Bremerton and Everett upped from former 75c, to 80c* Olympia hoisted a nickle to 75c. Business in the nabes is down 15% over at year ago and 10% downtown in opinion ff Fred Danz, Sterling -Theatres, Operating 2nd rung dpWntjdwn and X blg gtring W^^ Wievera! scattered towns in this state and Oregon. Danz thinks admission prices are too low in the small towns, and too high in the big cities. The 50c. small-town ducat should hike to 65c. In some cities the price is 98c* which is “too high;” 75c. to 85c. would he about right, he fig- ures. ,r ■ * Hub Iiidies Pessimistic; Sub-Runs Hit Hardest Boston, Dec. 25. Indie exhibs In this area are far from optimistic regarding the fu- ture of the small second run su- burban theatre which is bearing the brunt Of the downward trend. In some cases grosses have dipped as much , as 50% under last year’s figures apd majority of exhibs are moaning, that this is the worst biz they’ve, experienced. In an effort to build a new audi- ence some local exhibs have been making a solid pitch for the mop- pet trade with special kiddie mati- nees complete With giveaways fig- ured to hypo small fry interest. Ac- cording ; to reports, these operations, have been proving fairly successful, helping ;to counterbalance the sharp dip in adult trade, both, aft- ernoon and evening. While the Hub has long been a weekend town as far as music and nitery biz is concerned* the pinch has lately ex- tended to the pic biZ: with Friday arid Saturday the only nights ex- hibs, can feel reasonably sure that patrons will turn out in anything remotely resembling droves. Sunday, which was formerly a gravy day, is now almost a com- plete washout In many of the sur- rounding towns. .While biz is strict- ly geared to weekends, very few locals have pared down activities to weekend operations, either shut- tering completely or giving out with the .old college try, remaining open full time and hoping for the best: Admlsh increase is a ticklish problem here, most feeling cur- rent prices are much too low but Wary of tilting them for fear they’ll drive whatever steady patrons they now have away from the wickets. The question of playing certain films at tilted prices was basis of a unanimously approved resolution at the (recent) Inde- pendent Exhibitors convention. An added headache is that no longer can an exhib figure on any particular type of pic doing biz in their situations. Some say that musicals could always be counted on to ]>ail them out, but lately even this escapist fare has failed to prove much of a bonanza. Main beef now is that it’s almost impos- sible to figure what the public will go for, citing such diverse products as “Red Badge of Courage,” “Show- boat,” “Desert: Fox,” “The Racket” and “Capt. Hornblower” as good boxoffice. D. C, Exhibs Seem To Have Lost Former Panic Washington, Dec. '25. Picture business in the Washing- ton area IS generally off from last year, but the exhibitors seem to have lost their former panic over what TV was doing to them. They feel that the adverse affect of video on their boxoffices has leveled off for two reasons: 1. The public Is becoming more selective and more sophisticated about video programs; it stays home only when- there is a sock attraction coming up on TV. 2. There has been some lift in the quality of films in the past year. Effects at the wicket have done nothing io shake the faith of the exhibitors in that standard comment of the trade, “There’s nothing wrong with, our business that good pictures won’t cure.” As for ’the dive boxoffice-wise, it is being more sharply felt In the neighborhoods than in the mid- city, And it is being felt much more during matinees; this is true to such an extent that many nabes in the D. C. vicinity have elimi- nated matinees completely except for Saturdays when they play for a heavy jiiye trade which continues (Continued on page 24)