NOVEMBER

iHeHrCMd SfJ^CftU'
•By JAMES M. JERAULD
Movie Exhibit
H BUYER'S market is developing, says the
Wall Street Journal in reporting on the
National Ass'n of Purchasing Agents gathering.
Then it lists two columns of exploitation
stunts being used by manufacturing
concerns.
Some of these originated in the picture
business which has never waited for the
customers to come in, but, instead, has
gone out to find them.
Of particular interest to this business are
two traveling exhibits by General Electric
and Reynolds Metal Co., either of which
could be adapted to the nebulous proposal
that a film-making exhibit be put on next
year in state fairs across the country after
the first one has been assembled in Grand
Central Palace, New York.
Ohio and Indiana exhibitors agree that
the state fair shows put on in those states
last fall were huge successes, even though
unexpected problems were encountered in
staging them and transporting them from
one place to another and finally getting the
exhibit material back to the studios.
General Electric now has a traveling exhibit
which uses baggage cars converted
into display rooms. These cars are routed
over 21 railroads and are already scheduled
for 16 cities coast-to-coast.
The Reynolds exhibit, which is designed
to demonstrate aluminum packaging, is
moving in a 30-foot aluminum trailer. Its
demonstration places are industrial plants.
It has been discovered that state fairs
are dated in many places so that an exhibit
can be routed through a large number of
them. A little research by an exhibitordistributor
committee could work up an
estimate of the cost, either by trailer or
baggage car.
Tube makers, automobile manufacturers,
television manufacturers — even farm
equipment builders—are going in more and
more for these exhibits. They must be
satisfied that they pay off.
a new era, with showmanship stunts
It's
sprouting like dandelions in the spring.
Goldwyn's Statement
gAM GOLDWYN'S favorite method of
grabbing a headline is to make a few
cogent remarks on some controversial subject
and then sit back to await the echoes.
There was no surprise, therefore, when
he was quoted as predicting that half the
film theatres will be closed and the film
market will be shared equally with payas-you-see
television within the next five
years.
The surprise developed a few days later
when he withdrew the remarks and said he
had been misquoted. Both the "misquoted"
statement and the subsequent explanation
received plenty of newspaper attention.
Goldwyn doesn't usually withdraw anything.
He likes controversy.
In this case he was definitely diplomatic,
because the statement was published just
before the opening of "Hans Christian Andersen."
As it stood originally, it was certain
to stir bitter reactions among exhibitors
and might have nullified the exhibitors
relations value of the premiere benefit for
the Will Rogers Memorial hospital.
UA Financing
THE announcement that Chemical Bank
and Trust Co. will not only help finance
ten pictures to be produced independently
for United Artists release, but will also rely
upon advice from United Artists executives,
when independents seek financing, is a
definite tribute to the record rolled up by
Arthur Krim and his associates since taking
over management of the company.
UA will be able to exercise a measure of
control over its producers, if it can help in
the financing and give advice on boxoffice
values of story material and casts before
work is started.
This ought to open a new era for the
company—something very much to be desired
by independent producers as well as
exhibitors, who don't want to see product
outlets cut down in the face of a sellers'
market.
Still Trusteed
^^ALL STREET groups were very much
interested in the report that the Department
of Justice had authorized Howard
Hughes to take his RKO Theatres stock
out of the hands of Irving Trust Co. trustees
in case he does not guarantee a bank loan
to RKO Pictures or take back the stock he
sold to the Stolkin group, if they default on
payments.
The first interest wore off quickly, however,
when it was indicated that the trusteeship
may continue for some time. It is
understood that Hughes has already guaranteed
the loan as part of his agreement
with Stolkin. This continues the status
quo until Stolkin and his associates either
sell their stock or default on further payments.
They are expected to try to sell.
Election Crowd Gone
^HAT radio and television have done to
the election night crowd tradition in
Times Square and the downtown sections
of some other large cities was strikingly
demonstrated Tuesday night. Theatres
were hard hit. People simply stayed home
except in Denver, where free admissions
and returns by large-screen television made
it worth while to go out.
A few years ago, turnouts of 250,000 in
Times Square, with police reserves out and
aU traffic diverted, and with store windows
protected from crowd pressure by boards,
were common. This year 200 rookie cops
and 150 in uniform stood around idly and
watched an estimated 25,000 persons walking
up and down sidewalks.
Practically all theatres had some form of
election bulletin service, or had radios and
TV sets in lobbies, but business was away
off.
WHOIZIT?—Yep, you're right. He's the (
big hotel owner from Ogunquit, Me., who I
practically raised the MGM lion from a
j
Former head of MGM's exploitation i
cub.
department. Bill Ferguson is now in business
for himself. He is taking a short
vacation at his Palm Island hacienda I
before leaving for Europe. What you see
|
surrounding him was fixed up as a welcome
by Ed Schreiber, retired theatre
|
owner from Detroit, who lives across the
street.
By the way. Palm Island is in the middle
of Biscayne Bay between Miami and
Miami Beach and not in the South Seas.
Benjamin Made Chairman
Of United Artists Board
NEW YORK—Robert S. Benjamin has beeil
elected chairman of the board of Unite!
Artists Corp. He will continue simultaneous! I
as president and director of the J. Arthul
Rank Organization, Inc., and as senior memi
ber of the law firms of Phillips, Nizer, Ben|
jamin and Krim.
Benjamin has resigned as a director ol
Universal Pictures Co. Since September 1951
a petition of the Department of Justice tl
prevent Benjamin, Arthur Krim and other!
from acting as officers in more than onl
of the companies who were defendants ii|
the antitrust suit has been pending.
Benjamin has been with United Artistl
since February, 1951, when Krim becam|
president. In the past he has served
general counsel and director of Eagle-LioiJ
Films, as general counsel and a director
Pathe Film Corp., and as vice-president anj
general counsel of United World Films.
Ask Paul Short to Direct
150 Southwest Drive-Ins
DALLAS—As a result of several rece
meetings in Houston and Dallas, 22 drivetheatre
owners, operating more than 15|
drive-ins in the southwest, and headed b|
E. L. Pack, president and general managel
of Lone Star Drive-In Theatres, have aske