Boxoffice-Febuary.07.1948

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Ted Gamble to Carolina, Texas Conventions: DANGER IN ENDING CLEARANCES; '48 BUSINESS PROSPECTS GOOD Tells Dallas Convention Jackson Park Decision Could Ruin Business By NATHAN COHEN DALLAS—Ted Gamble, president of TOA, told the Texas Theatre Owners in convention here this week that abandonment of an intelligent clearance system and the carrying out of some provisions of the Jackson Park injunction—as jubilantly urged in some quarters—would wreck the exhibition end of the motion picture industry. Gamble was not defending the distributor side of the Jackson Park controversy. He was merely pointing up some of the disastrous results which could come to the exhibitor if the principles established in the Chicago clearance system decree were carried down the line in all distribution areas. WILL START PRICE WAR "The minute you tell patrons that they will be able to see a picture at a neighborhood house immediately following its first run at the downtown theatre, you create a situation which destroys all protection not only for the first runs but for the second, third and fourth runs. This business has been built up on that kind of an arrangement. "What happens if the first run theatre finds its expensively advertised product at a neighborhood house the following week?" he asked. "The downtown theatre then has but a single defense weapon — price. The first run will have to slice admissions, to attract its clientele. Then, in all probability, the second run houses will cut theirs. And the war is on with business-wi-ecking results." Gamble's experience as an exhibitor, until recently, has been almost exclusively with second run theatres. It has only been in the last year that his interests have been expanded to include a circuit of key situations. Hence, he was viewing the situation as a theatre man who would be affected both in first runs and subsequents if the clearance system were destroyed—but primarily as a second run theatre owner. COYNE ALSO ATTENDS Gamble, along with Robert W. Coyne, TOA's executive director, and Sam Shain, exhibitor relations director for 20th Century- Fox, flew to Dallas early Wednesday from Charlotte where they had attended the convention of the Carolina exhibitors association. In for the convention here, also, were Morris Loewenstein, president of Oklahoma Theatre Owners and secretary of TOA; Harry Lowenstein, Aidmore, Okla., a TOA director, and Claude Mundo, Little Rock, Ark., president of the ITO of Arkansas. The Texas group voted unanimously to affiliate with Theatre Owners of America, on motion of H. A, Daniels of Seguin. Tex. Henry Reeve, of Menard, presided at the session, For the U.S.S. Texas, Collections Are Okay Dallas—Texas exhibitors, who have been dead set against theatre collections, will relent long enough to help raise funds to bring a great battleship back to the Lone Star state and thus it save from the ignominy of the junk yard. R. J. O'Donnell, vice-president and general manager of Interstate circuit, told the Texas Theatre Owners at its convention here this week that theatres of the state will permit collections to raise $250,- 000, estimated to be the cost of permanently docking the U.S.S. Texas in Houston. The Junior Chamber of Commerce of the state will cooperate with exhibitors in promoting the campaign. O'DonneU said all circuits have promised to participate and many independent exhibitors are joining in the movement. He said that 20th Century-Fox Movietone will make a trailer, with Linda Darnell and Dana Andrews, both Texans, and that approximately 325 trailers will be available for showing in the state. and Mart Cole of Rosenberg led in an open forum discussion which followed the talks by the national leaders. Gamble told the delegates that TOA now has 10,000 members, ii\/e times the largest membership ever held by any eshibiror association. He said that he looked for a decision in the antitrust case by spring, that he felt some sort of a satisfactory agreement would be reached with Ascap. Coyne discussed advanced admissions, which he said resulted in 20 per cent less attendance by children in the weeks immeaiateiy following the hiked price picture, and 10 per cent less attendance by adults. This drop in business was revealed in a TOA study recently made. On television, Coyne said the advent of video will have its effect on exhibitors, and he indicated that some theatre organizations are considering the advisability of making deals for exclusive rights to televised important events for the country's theatres. Morris Loewenstein spoke on TOA organization, and reported that Oklahoma exhibitors already have paid in more than 50 per cent of their ten cents a seat assessment for the national organization. Don Douglas, of Robb and Rowley circuit, discussed the film trucking situation in Texas and reported that both Texas Theatre Owners and Allied Theatres of Texas will put up a united front in presenting their case for lower rates to the state commission. Theatre Receipts Down Only 6% in January, TOA Chief Reveals CHARLOTTE, N. C—The general business outlook for 1948 is good and it can be equally as good for the picture business if the quality of pictures is held up, in the opinion of T. R. Gamble, TOA president. As a matter of fact, he says, theatre receipts in this country for January were only about six per cent lower than they were in 1947 for the same month, and everybody admits they were excellent then. Theatre business is lagging behind the general level of business, he says, because the public has become convinced there has been a dearth of good pictures for some time because of a fear complex that has crept through the ranks of producers. CITES BUSINESS OPINIONS He emphasized that practically all of the research facilities for studying business trends are the result of wartime experience. He emphasized that his conclusions were not the opinions of the man in the street, but of the business leaders in the country. Specifically he said that a compilation of opinions showed that in 1948 all types and kinds of businesses showed the following; 60 per cent predict 1948 will be as good or better than during 1947; 39 per cent predict conditions about the same as in 1947, and less than five per cent think the level will go down. In the field of industrial production for manufacturing, based on a figure of 100 per cent for the five years from 1935 through 1939, industrial production in 1946 reached 172 per cent; in 1947 it was 176 per cent. For 1948, 72 per cent of the opinions are that 1948 will be higher than in 1947, 24 per cent say it will go down slightly, and four per cent say it will be much lower. Gamble said that during the 1935-1939 period total U.S. production and gross national product in goods and services averaged 24 billion, 400 million dollars. In 1946 he said it reached the staggering total of 201 biUion, 700 million dollars, and in July 1947, was progressing at the rate of 226 billion per year. NEED FOR BETTER FILMS The prediction for 1948, he says, is as follows: 70 per cent say 1948 will total as much or more; 23 per cent predict the level will be about the same, and only seven per cent see a reduction. "It is the general slump in product that has caused business to fall off six per cent in January and not the inability or unwUIingness of people to spend money in theatres," he declared. "This is something to be concerned about. You can't sell less quality. Exhibitors should call this to the attention of producers. Keep on top of the situation, and keep the level of our business in relation with the level of general business." he said. 14 BOXOFFICE :: February 7, 1948
in Jii Paramount Following Paramount'soriginally announced i)lan of distribution, Cecil B. DeMille's "UNCON- QUF^RED" will be made available for regularprice engagements in April, 1948. These are the engagements toward which months of planning, promotion, and test exhibition all have pointed. ...//J> SWi^t/f j>e/e€f4e At Tiegular Prices The less than 300 advanced-admission runs played so far have been but pre-selling preparation for this nationwide release, which will involve fifty times as many bookings as the advanced-price runs. This pre-selling insures that "UNCON- QUERED" will do record business at regular prices, just as it broke records in scores of theatres at advanced admissions, including the biggest opening in history at the Rivoli, New York; an all-time record gross in Baltimore; and a first 5 days in Chicago bigger than the theatre's biggest previous week. Also pointed primarily toward this April release date were the country-blanketing full-color spreads in all leading magazines, the sensational world premiere in Pittsburgh, the subsecpient twelve-city jn-rsonal tour by Cecil B. DcMille, sros »lj , Mb RIP :alof!« and all the lavish local promotion that has helped establish the renown of "UNCONQUERED" in every key territory. As a result, every exhibitor of Paramount jiictures can now plan his regular-price engagement of this picture with full confidence that it is thoroughly and favorably known to his entire market, and with proof-backed assurance that he is playing one of the great money-making attractions of the modern screen. Avjcei*" ,^Va,\e*^' A,e
Page 1 and 2: uciunjB. FINAL BRIEFS IN, AND COURT
Page 3 and 4: of M-G-M's Sensational B. f:s daugh
Page 5 and 6: ^ ! HAIR FAST AND ELECTRIC! I It wi
Page 7 and 8: ire. I Starting ( — [ Sage To Rec
Page 9 and 10: Herman Levy, General Counsel for TO
Page 11 and 12: : February i COURT MAY TOSS OUT BID
Page 13: ^ the bouthwest s Glory Town The ep
Page 17 and 18: IS rKiUMT, inc lorn YOUR LUCKY DAY
Page 19 and 20: MGM Cutting Sharply On Production C
Page 21 and 22: m Annual MovieAward. . DARRYL F. ZA
Page 23 and 24: House On 92nd Street _j3 Rue Madele
Page 25 and 26: . . . Monogram-Allied I Rocky) . .
Page 27 and 28: CHESTER FRIEDMAN EDITOR HUGH E. FRA
Page 29 and 30: I, Radio, Lobby Contests Inaugurate
Page 31 and 32: COLUMBIA PICTURES OF THE starring D
Page 33 and 34: H.G«WELLS' FANTAsnc Oi/rOFTHfS WOR
Page 35 and 36: «Jli!i5 L Still SERVING Your %^ CU
Page 37 and 38: THOUGHT OR TWO FROM HYGIENIC CORNER
Page 39 and 40: Canadian Productions Readies First
Page 41 and 42: . . New . . Three Top Vancouver Coi
Page 43 and 44: pURE CHART • REVIEW DIGEST • SH
Page 45 and 46: i Twilight " New Year's eve is no t
Page 47 and 48: MAY . ) Woode , [BOXOFFICE BookinGi
Page 49 and 50: I I CHECK RUNNING TIME WITH LOCAL E
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Page 53 and 54: . 8-16-47 ^ Id trade press reviews,
Page 55 and 56: 20th Century-Fox loil. No. Title Re
Page 57 and 58: lOp/flfons on Current Productions;
Page 59 and 60: : brand ' Main 1 all [i"i'iii,iii-i

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