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COOPERATIVE SPIRIT PREVAILS
AS TOA OKAYS P. R. PROGRAM
By IVAN SPEAR
LOS ANGELES—With cooperation and caution the dominant
convention notes, some 750 delegates to 1949's annual meeting
of the Theatre Owners of America met here September 12
through 15 in what virtually evei-yone ia attendance, as well as
outside observers, agreed was probably the most carefully implemented,
efficiently conducted and effective gathering of showmen
in motion picture history.
Representing 6,500 theatres with a seating capacity of more
than 9,000.000, the TOA conventioneers assembled for the first
time in the heart of the film production world to map and take
action on such controversial issues as television, the federal
amusement tax, competitive bidding, 16mm competition, censorship,
exhibitor-distributor relations, legislation, industry unity
and a host of related subjects. To these subjects was devoted the
major amount of attention and discussion.
Keynoting the industry's views on television and the potential
threat of that entertainment medium to motion pictures was a preconvention
statement by Arthur H. Lockwood, retiring TOA president,
who called for a "joint approach of producers and exhibitors"
to the problem and opined that such a study "is not to be centered
in any one city."
GET WARNING ON TELEVISION
Delegates to the conclave were warned on the second day of
the convention, September 13, that television has mushroomed into
a gigantic industry during the past three years, that more than 80
per cent of TV set owners are attending motion pictures less frequently,
and that by the end of 1950 some 5,000,000 television receivers
will be in operation throughout the U.S. These statistics
were supplied by Marcus Cohn, the TOA's video consultant, who
urged that film industry representatives, to meet the TV threat, must
push for allocations of special video frequencies and take other direct
action to bring back their lost customers.
In complete agreement with Cohn's analysis, the video committee
recommended a special assessment be levied to defray the cost of
hearings at which the FCC will be asked to allocate channels for
theatre television. Committee members agreed also that theatre
video is economically feasible. Charles P. Skouras outimed Fox
West Coast's plans for installation of television equipment and Si
Fabian reported that his TV installations
have resulted in increased attendance.
On the same day Paramount demonstrated
the latest "interim" model of its theatre TV
system at the Ambassador Theatre m the
Ambassador hotel, convention headquarters.
Dubbed the "Paralent," the portable device
includes a radically new film-drying unit
which processes film within a few seconds.
TOA conventioneers witnessed a jiersonal illustration
of the system when their entrance
into the theatre was picked up by TV cameras
and the images were flashed on the
screen shortly after they were seated.
Video came in for further discussion September
14 when the TOA's television committee,
headed by Mitchell Wolfson, presented
a detailed report on the subject and,
m the Ambassador Theatre, RCA staged a
demonstration of its theatre television system.
Tempered optimism characterized the conventioneers'
approach to the repeal of federal
admission taxes. As one of the gathering's
honored guests, Secretary of Commerce
Charles Sawyer made a keynote address at
a luncheon session September 13 in which the
In the upper photo, Samuel Pinanski (second from left), new
president of TOA, meets informally with (L to R), S. H. Fabian,
member of the board; -Mitchell Wolfson, vice-president, and Gael
Sullivan, executive director. In the lower panel (L to R) are Ted
Gamble, retiring board chairman; Arthur Lockwood, retiring president
and new board cliairtaan; Charles P. Skouras, treasurer; and
Robert Coyne, member of the board.
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government official declared himself "greatly
impressed" with the arguments that have
been advanced for the levy's appeal. He did
not, however, hold out any immediate hope
that the legislation can be abolished. The
amusement tax was discussed further at a
meeting of the TOA's taxation committee,
of which Morris Loewenstein is chairman,
on the following day.
Speaking for the cause of all-industry cooperation
and the necessity for an all-out
public relations campaign was Ned E. Depinet,
president of RKO and chairman of the
INFORMAL MOMENTS AT THE CONVENTION: In the left
photo, two veterans, A. H. Blank of Des Moines (L), and Frank
Newman of Seattle meet Starlet Betty Lynn. In the next photo
(L to R) are Roy Cooper, San Francisco; Ed Zorn, Pontiac, III.;
John Balaban, Chicago, and Samuel G. Levin, San Francisco. Third
photo shows M. A. Lightman (L) of Memphis with Leonard Goldenson,
Paramount Theatres chief; Ned Depinet, RKO president, and
Francis Harmon, MPAA vice-president and head of its communityexhibitor
relations program. Photo at right has (L to R) W. F.
Crockett, Virginia Beach, Va., M. L. Hurley, Clovis, N. M., and Roy
Cooper of San Francisco in committee sessions. All delegates received
an opportunity to participate in the convention affairs.
BOXOFFICE :: September 17, 1949