Variety (November 1954)

Wednesday, November 3, 1954 PICTURES REGULATION A BOOBY TRAP Chicago, Nov. 2. theatre Owners of America, in order to boost production, is setting up a special unit through which members will finance pro- duction. A special committee will be established to supervise the operation. Its function will be “to cause pictures to be pro- duced/' It’s understood Dept, of Justice approval will be necessary for the undertaking. Some TOAers have already been sounded, out if they’d be willing to invest the equivalent of one week’s rentals which would go into the fund. The majority said they’d be willing to go along with the idea. By LES REES Minneapolis, Nov. 2. ; Some 75 of the " territory’s inde- pendent exhibitors, including a number of North Central Allied, officers and members, heard the Theatre Owners of America story, and learned its approach to : indus- try problems from the lips of ..President Walter Reade Jr. and five other TO A bigwigs. It was at a luncheon at which Indie circuit owners Harold Field and Eddie Ruben, TO A members, were hosts and the meeting . re- solved itself pretty much into, a preview, of this week's.. TO A Chi- cago national convention. Doors were open to trade press reporters. After the TOA recital, punc- tuated by verbal fireworks as TOA and NCA hurled some accusations and other exhibitors sounded off, the luncheon adjourned without, any move to organize a TOA unit in this exclusive Allied States stronghold. i In their invitations to exhibitors, Field and Ruben stated that they had no plan for the formation of a TOA unit here, but that if those in attendance at the luncheon de- cided such a unit would be ad- vantageous to their interests they’d lend their assistance; in get- ,tihg it started. After the luncheon, both as- serted they were well satisfied with the airings of views which had bccurred, even though no move developed to bring a local TOA body into being. They said they felt the discussions had given the territory’s independent exhibi- tors “something to thtfik about” and might lead to a stronger or- ganization here. , Fur flew after Reade told the gathering that the TOA approach was to follow the policy advo- cated . by the late President Theo-. dore Roosevelt to speak softly and carry a big stick. “You talk of a big stick> but I’ve seen no evi- dence that, youi: organization has been carrying one or*, if it is, there is no indication; yet that you are intending to wield it,” shot back E: L. Peaslee, NCA first vice president and a former president. Reade denied Allied barbs that TOA hadn’t accomplished any- thing yet. Although there has: been no trade press publicity, he asserted TOA conferences with film company sales managers were going on and he felt that they would result in relief to exhibi- tors. Also, he explained, efforts were being made to bring TOA and Allied States closer together so that a more of an exhibitor united front could be effected in the present fight against excessive 'film rentals, production; shortage and print scarcity. .... (Bennie . Berger , the much- giioied Allied leader here, was in Europe but before his departure bad called ,( the scheme” to organ ze a TOA unit here # paper or- } ganization lacking militancy;) The Needles There was an; explosion after W. R. Frank, theatre circuit owner and Hollywood producer, had told the meeting about an independent producer’s trials and tribulations. “Frank, we screened your ‘Sit- ting Bull’ this week, and I want to tell you that its camera work and dolor have set the industry back 10 years,” declared Ray Han- son, Fertile*. Minn., exhibitor, tak- ing the floor. “There are several bad prints (Continued on page 10) 2,010-CAR OZONER Hartford Park To Be World's Largest, It’s. Thought. Hartford, Nov. 2. What is claimed to. be the world’s largest drive-in is planned for this, city next spring. On the drawing board is a layout for a 2,010-car ozoner. Next nearest in size is one under construction in California. That is for 2,000 cars. Hartford drive- in will be owned by Abraham J. Bronstein of this city, a paper merchant. Plans to spend $500,000 on the filmer. Chicago, Nov. 2. Call for a code of ethics in ex- hibitor-distributor dealings, cou- pled with a plea for exhibition to support arbitration, came here to- day (Tues.) from A1 Lichtman,. 20th-Fox director of distribution, in a speech before the Theatre Owners of America convention, Declaring that “wb should and must work together cooperatively and honestly,” the 20th sales top- per put the accent on exhib-distrib cooperation. “If we establish con- fidence with one another, it will be much easier to do business based on facts,” he said. Lichtman Said the companies and the exhibitors differed on only a single point over an arbitration System, and he expressed confi- dence mat this difference would be ironed out. He also hit out against mediocrity in any form, be it in distribution, exhibition or pix con- tent, By HERMAN LOWE Washington, Nov. 2, Federal, price control in the dis- tribution of motion pictures would necessarily involve government price control; of theatre boxoffice, in the opinion of Rep. Emaniiel Celler (D., N. Y.). ; Celler, a longtime fighter against business monopoly, will become chairman of the House judiciary committee if the Democrats win to- day's election. He saw no merit in the plan of the/Allied States Assn, to place motion picture dis- tribution prices under Federal Trade Commission supervision. At the same time, the industry learned it may be subject to still another investigation of its “mo- nopolists” in the coming 84th Con- gress. Senator William Lgnger ,(R„ N. D.), chairman of the Senate mo- nopoly subcommittee, and Senator Estes Kefauver (D., Tenn.) its rank- ing minority member, will request $1,000,000 from the next Congress for the subcommittee’s work. In. joint statement they de- clared: "There is heed . . . to study the increasing regimentation of Main Street business mhn by mo- nopolists through agency and other contracts, such as those monop- olists now use to control the auto- mobile dealers/ the. movie houses. . . , and others in every small town in America.” a No explanation was given.for in- cluding “movie houses.” Variety (Continued on page 15) NO INCONSISTENCY Goldenson Explains Profit As Against ‘Shortage* Chicago, Nov. 2. Theatremen at the TOA cbnven- tion heT^Sare beefing plenty over a product shortage and its devas- tating consequences yet United Paramount’s third fiscal quarter (which is the same as the calendar, third quarter) was the best such period since the circuit broke away from Paramount Pictures. Jan. 1, 1950. . Leonard Goldenson, president of the company, asked about this, said this is no contradiction. “In the third quarter there were good pic- tures which could hold over in our larger theatres, This accounted for the profits. The shortage was felt again in mid-October and this particularly hurts our smaller theatres which cannot extend their runs.” 1.66 TO 1 FAVORED TOA. Reports Theatres Veer From 20th-Fox Recommendation Chicago, Nov, 2. T.OA’s theatre equipment and accessories committee, co-chaired by Joseph J. Zaro, Lucian E. Pope and Edwin Gage, states that a con- census of opinion reflects prefer- ence of a screen aspect ration of 1.66 to one. This is for non-Cine- m a Scope pix. In an apparent reference to Cin- emascope presentation, tile com- mittee reports , that the ratio of 2.55 to one, as recommended by 20th-Fox, ’ “too severe arid it does not provide enough height for the average^ theatre.” More practical, it was felt, would be somewhere : between two to one and 2.55 to ‘TAX RELIEF’ DRIVE Chicago,.Nov. 2. A program looking to “a wider scope of tax relief” was recom- mended to the Theatre Owners of America convention here by Rob- ert E, Bryant and LaMar Sarra, co- chairmen of TOA’s state and local legislation committee. They said that the threat of new admissions levies in cities and mu- nicipalities which have enabling acts represents the “gravest dan- ger.” Exhibitors were advised further to present to their state and local lawmakers proof of in- equities in seat and: privilege li- censes, special levies patron service sales and concession vend-, ing machines and assessed valua- tions on real and personal proper- ty of theatres. Gene Russel’s Veepcy Champaign, 111., Nov, 2. Gene Russell has been elected regional v.p. of the Champaign re- gion of the United Theatres Own- ers of Illinois; George Barber, Tuscola, 111., and W. E. Simmons, Monticello, 111., were named to represent the Champaign area on the UTOI board of directors. Mrs. W. E. Simmons, Monticello, was ap- pointed secretary. Now Regrets Divorcement wood turned but 450 features in. 1947 and this, say the. theatremen, was no over-abundance.,. Steadily declining since, the total was down to 275 in 1953 and looks to slide further to 250 in this cur- rent year. Theatremen are branding as untrue the argument out of Cali- fornia that the fewer pictures now being made are. better and can fill theatres’ playing-time needs; via extended runs. This, may obtain with a relatively few showcase op- erations in key cities but not for neighborhood and. rural houses where two,, three and four program changes a week, are, necessary to keep the customers coming, say the exhibitors. Out of this has come the drastic proposal for seeking out the green light, that, would lift the legalistic barriers now preventing produc- tion financing by the top circuits. (National Theatres execs re- cently asked the. Department of Justice to agree to relaxation of court decrees to the extent of per- mitting the corporation to finance a few films; annually. This request apparently, is being turned down.) Congress has the power to iipset a ruling from the Supreme Court apd precedents would be applica- able to the film industry today, the theatremen were informed. It’s Continued from page 3 understood that Pat McGee, Den- ver circuit operator who figured largely in the recent campaign that resulted in special relief for ex- hibitors from the federal admis- sions tax, introduced the idea. At any rate, the plan, which still requires formal endorsement, calls for. seeking, out the sympathy of all Senators and House Representa- tives, t such as was accomplished in the tax fight. TOA officers, directors and. members at this annual conference are showing enthusiastic support of other schemes to encourage more' production, These include pledges to play the pictures, wherever possible and feasible, of such, new units as Distributors Corp. of America; formed by inde- pendent exhibitors as stockholders, and the amalgamation of various groups in some sort of financing venture as recommended by McGee in his key-note address to the .convention. However, the feeling is : that these added product sources will still be inadequate; that a really king-sized undertak- ing is an economic must. It was underlined at Sunday’s board meeting that the major cir- cuits are sufficiently well-heeled to establish really meaningful funds for a heavy flow of new production and there wouldn’t be the problem of getting any large number of theatremen together in any one- financing operation. Also stressed was the need for new distribution outlets, and here again the aid of Congress will be required because of the court in- junctions. There; would be little point in bankrolling new pictures if these were to be released by, say, Paramount, according to. the ex- hibitors. They figure that the new additions to Par’s release schedule would have the effect of cutting the film company’s output of its own . productions. The planning has beep /nieces-: sarily along broad’lines, so far, as concerning both production and distribution. The basic principle of /having the ma jor Chains back in the production picture must await a formal vote, possibly at another board arid (exec committee meeting here Thurs. (4). Then there’s the matter of lining up the congressional backing. Next step, if the program ever advances to this point, would be mapping of the specifics. AH adding up to a startling twist in. film industry affairs. While it- may never come about, at least it’s being. actively con- sidered by many of the country's most importantly-placed theatre operators. Chicago, Nov. 2. Over 600 theatremen,: repre- senting. the most important circuits and individual exhibition outlets in the country, were told here that the film industry is presently fit- ting itself into an economic strait- jacket. The downward attendance trend has yet to be stemmed. And if ..Hollywood persists with the policy of fewer pictures at higher costs to showmen an additional 5,000 theatres will be wiped out. These points were rammed home by Pat McGee, general manager of Cooper Foundation Theatres, Den- ver, in a keynote address before, the Theatre Owners of America convention which opened yester- day (Mon.). “j am told (said McGee) that In a few big cities the fine (new pic- tures at greatly increased admis- sion prices show vastly improved grosses, but these results have not reached, and are not likely to reach, 80% of . the theatres in the nation. There'has always been, on the part of production arid distribu- tion, the inclination to repeat What the other guy has said; thus, you hear the cry that fewer, but better, pictures, are the answer to the in- dustry, while We exhibitors, with pur fingers closer to the facts, say that such a policy will eventually kill us. We say, always try for better pictures, but more of them, to keep up interest in the thousands of theatres i smaller communi- ties of the country which cannot live in a market of short supply.” As part of a program of reme- dial action, Copper offered what was regarded, as the most spectacu- lar proposal to emanate fro hi an exhibitor Conclave in years, one intended to emphatically and dramatically drive home the. mes- sage that more product is an eco- nomic must. The circuit exec called for the formation of exhibitor group that would elude TOA, Allied States Assn, and all other organizations, for the pur- pose of pooling “manpower and resources'” McGee wants every exhibitor in Jthe country under the same roof “and to unanimously back a program of financing film producers, to work out more ef- ficiently-operated distribution and to increase -production in general. Need ‘Action Committee’ Stated McGee: “There are no stumbling blocks that I can see.” He said the all-exhibition associa-. tion should appoint an “action com- mittee” headed by one executive who would be empowered to ex:- plore pic financing and the other projects, “The time,” he declared, “for conversation is past. When the machinery is ready we must back it with playdates and With money. Once having set forth on these objectives we must pursue them relentlessly;” The idea of merging various ex- hib outfits has been proposed by TOA leaders often in past. Allied has been aloof, but recently sought TOA’s support of its, Allied’s, an- nounced intention of seeking Gov- ernment regulation of pix unless the distributqrs ease up on their rental demands. The TOA peo- ple here have made it obvious that they’ll have no part of any move looking to Government iriterven-. tion. ; McGee’s recommendations, in addition' to encouraging additional product from present Hollywood producers,, also spotlighted a role for foreign filmmakers. He put it this way:. “Encourage foreign pro- ducers to analyze ...our heeds in the U, S. arid make pictures that will interest American audiences. This can be done by using American stars in foreign productions cou- pled with foreign personalities. The roster is loaded with names of current stars who came from for- eign countries and found a home in the hearts of American theatre- goers. Put Gina LollObrigida in one good American style movie and you (Continued on page 10)