Boxoffice-Febuary.14.1948

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Television Costs
T ITIGATION is in prospect over the use
of television programs in theatres. The
question of property rights in programs
sent out over the air has never been settled
in court. NBC, CBS and others claim
they have a copyright and that these programs
cannot be picked up and used where
admission is charged.
When the Scophony large screen television
was demonstrated in the New Yorker
Theatre several years ago the Scophony
and theatre executives were warned they
would be sued if admission were charged.
In the first stages of the use of television
in theatres'when exhibitors are trying
to beat their competitors to a novelty
some of them will use air programs. It
has already been done on the coast. The
litigation may begin over these, or it may
not. This will be a passing phase of a
new development.
What theatremen vision is not the use
of regular television programs, but the use
of special attractions like the Kentucky
Derby, a World Series, or a heavyweight
championship fight—anything with assured
boxoffice value.
When these things come along after theatres
have been connected with coaxial
cables or radio relay stations the attractions
will be bought at their source and
sold to theatres for a definite price per
seat. If 1,000 theatres with 1,000 seats
each are willing to pay ten cents per seat
for one of these special attractions, this
means the bidder can plank $100,000 on
the line at Madison Square Garden or
Churchill Downs.
Can any commercial advertiser seeking
the rights for televising to home receivers
match these figures?
Theatres Stay Open
Co PAR this winter the fuel shortages
have not affected theatres very much
even in the northeast where there has been
a shortage of fuel oil. Some important
lessons were learned during the war.
There are dozens of theatres in upper
New York state. New England and south
of the Great Lakes that can convert from
oil to coal or back again in a single night.
Many of the boilers originally had coal
grates and these are kept handy. In addition,
some coal is stored just in case the
oil supply gives out.
Very few theatres use gas for heating
in the east. It becomes too expensive far
from the natural gas fields, or pipelines
leading to them.
No Ticket Tax Cut
^TTMEROUS attempts to sound out senators
and representatives on their attitude
toward a ticket tax cut this year have
not met much encouragement. The impression
is now general in the industry that both
the Republicans and Democrats will concentrate
the tax reduction argument on
income taxes for vote-getting purposes.
This means that the discussion will be
kept alive without much hope of getting
By
JAMES M. JERAULD
actual results until after the presidential
election. The groundwork for a concentrated
campaign can be laid in the meantime,
because it is increasingly apparent
that tax-hungry municipalities are not
going to wait for the government to lighten
the burden. They are going to ti-y to impose
theirs on the present tax load.
Is It a Freezeout?
\A7HEN Congressman Gordon L. McDonough
told the house of representatives
recently that he thought the British were
aiming for a world market grab on films
he put into words a thought that has
found frequent expression among American
film leaders.
They are not afraid the British will be
able to grab the world market, although
they admit the possibility of being frozen
out of Great Britain. Their chief concern
is over the effects of the British example.
The eventual settlement of these problems
in a number of countries will depend
upon how much pressure native exhibitors
bring on their governments. Without
American films, they face bankruptcy on
tremendous investments.
Flood Warnings
YHEATRES in river valleys are in danger
of trouble six or eight weeks from now.
The snow cover is extraordinarily heavy.
A sudden thaw with rain could stir up a
lot of trouble in March. The past has
shown that the Merrimac, Connecticut,
Susquehanna, Monongahela, Allegheny,
Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri and Arkansas
River valleys are the worst spots.
Theatres in the first five mentioned, because
there are high hills along long
stretches of their banks, have been the victims
in the past of floods so sudden no
advance preparations have been made.
Even the Boss Is Told
It's Against Rules
Dallas—R. J, O'Donnell, vice-president
of the Interstate Circuit,
issued a general
order to ushers to stop patrons in first
row balcony seats from putting: their feet
on the guard rail.
Some time later, according to a story
told on radio station KIXL this week,-
O'Donnell was in Houston and dropped"
into the Metropolitan Theatre, where he
took a front row balcony seat and settled
down comfortably to enjoy himself. Forgetting
his own order, he propped his feet
up on the raiL No sooner had he done
so than an usher came over and told him
he would have to put them down.
O'Donnell complied, then turned his
attention to some way Of rewarding the
usher. Wondering how to go about it, he
grew restless and fidgety. Finally the
usher, noticing his uneasiness, came over
and said, "I wouldn't have bothered you
but the big shots are in town."
Balaban Again Heads
Film Unit of UJA
NEW YORK—Barney Balaban, Paramount
president, will direct the motion picture division
of the 1948
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palgn, which is called the "Year of Destiny"
fund drive. He termed the appeal "a challenge
to the hearts and minds of all Americans,"
and expressed confidence that "the
film industry will respond generously and in
full measure to the humanitarian causes
represented by UJA."
Cleveland Joins the MPF;
Last Exchange Center
CLEVELAND—This city is the last exchange
center to join the Motion Picture
Foundation, thus making its representation
national. Fifty industry leaders, including
distributors and theatre owners both independent
and affiliated, expressed great enthusiasm
for the project after Charles Lewis
of New York and Moe Silver of Pittsburgh
explained tlie aims and ideals of the foundation
at a luncheon meeting Tuesday (10) in
the Statler hotel.
Harry H. Goldstein, Paramount district
manager, was unanimously named trustee and
Bert Lefkowich of the Community circuit was
elected ohaii-man of the Cleveland unit. The
meeting was oi-ganized by Nat Wolf, Warner
Ohio zone manager, and Lefkowich.
U-I Officials to England
For Talks With Rank
NEW YORK—A group of U-I executives—
J. Cheever Cowdin, chairman of the board;
Nate J. Blumberg, president; Joseph H. Seidelman,
head of foreign distribution, and
Charles D. Prutzman, vice-president and general
counsel, sailed February 11 for Great
Britain where they will confer with members
of the J. Arthur Rank Organization. They
were accompanied by Rottert S. Benjamin,
president of the Rank Organization here.
Although Rank is expected here next
month, one of the Universal executives said
their trip was necessary in order to review
all phases of their vast joint interests with
the British film leader.
Lorber to Aid Schaefer
NEW YORK—Herman Lorber. who recently
resigned from Paramount after 31
years with that organization, has been named
assistant to George J. Schaefer, vice-president
in charge of distribution for Enterprise
studios.
Film Director Reported Dead
MOSCOW—Sergei Eisenstein, famous Soviet
film director, was reported to have died here
Wednesday (11).
BOXOFFICE ;; February 14, 1948