Boxoffice-August.19.1950

—
^^ /%?^fe?^ ^^:^Z^/^^ /^^^^^^
THE NATIONAL
FILM WEEKLY
Published in Nine Sectional Editions
BEN SHLYEN
Editor-in-Chief
and Publisher
JAMES M. JERAULD Editor
NATHAN COHEN.... Executive Editor
(ESSE SHLYEN Managing Editor
IVAN SPEAR Western Editor
KEN HUDNALL. Equipment Editor
JOHN G. TINSLEY..Advertising Mgr.
Published Every Saturday by
ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS
Editorial Offices: 9 Itoclicfellcr I'laza, New
Vorli 20, N. Y. Jolin G. Tlnsley. Advertising
.ManjBcr; James M. Jerauld, Editor;
Chtsler Friedman, Editor Shonmandiser
Section; A. J. Stocker and lialpli Scliolbe.
fVluli'mcnt Advertising. Telephone Columbus
6-6370.
Publication Offices: 825 Van Brunt Blvd.,
Kansa.s City 1. Mo. Nathan Cohen, Executive
Editor; Jesse Shlycn. Managing Editor;
Morris Schlozmiin, Business Manager.
Kenneth Iludnall. Edltpr The MODEliN
TIIEATKE; Herbert Housh. Manager Advertising
Sales. Telephone Cllestnut "777.
Central Offices: Editorial— 624 S. Michigan
Ave., Chicago 6, 111. Jon:is Perlberg.
Telephone WEbster 9-4745. Advertising
35 &ist Wacker Drive. Chicago 1, 111.
E«lng Hutchison and E. E. Yeck. Telephone
ANdover 3-3042.
Western Offices: Editorial and Film Advertising—6404
llollyuood Blvd., Hollywood
28, Calif. Ivan Spear, manager. Telephone
GLadstone 1186. Enulpment and
Non-film Advertising—672 S. LaFayette
I'ark riace, Los Angeles. Calif, Bob Wettiteln,
manager. Telephone UUnklrk 8-22S6,
Washington Offices: 6417 Duhloncga Road.
Alan Herbert, manager. Phone Wisconsin
3271. Sara Young, 932 New Jersey, N.W.
London Offices: 26A, Redcliffe Mews, Kensington,
S. W. John Sullivan, Manager.
Publishers of: The MODERN THEATRE,
published monthly as a section of BOX-
OKKICE; BO.XOKFICE BAROMETER.
Albany: 21-23 Walter Ave., M. Berrlgan.
Birmingham: The News, Eddie Badger.
Boston: Frances W. Harding, Lib. 2-9305.
Charlotte: 216 W. 4th, Pauline Griffith.
Cincinnati: 4020 Reading, Lillian Lazarus.
Cleveland: Elsie Loeb, Fairmount 1-0046.
Dallas: 4525 Holland. V, W. Crisp.
Denver: 1645 Lifayette, Jack Hose.
Des Moines: Relgster-Trlbune, Russ SchoA.
Detroit: Fox Theatre BIdg., H. F. Rcves.
Indianapolis: II. M. Rudeaiix.
Memphis: 707 Spring St.. Null Adams.
Milwaukee: 3057 No. Murray, John Iliibel.
Mlmieapolls: 29 Washington, So., Les Recs,
New Haven: 42 Oiiirch. Gertrude Lander.
New Orleans: 218 S. Liberty, A. Schlndlcr.
nkla. City: Terminal BIdg., Polly Trlndle
Omaha: World-Herald BIdg., Lou Gerdcs.
Philadelphia: 6363 Berks, Norman Shigon.
Pittsburgh: 86 Van Braam, R. F. Kllngensmltli,
ATlantic 2002.
Portland, Ore.: Edward Cogan, Nortonia
Hotel. Advertising: .Mel Hickman, 907
Tcimlnal Sales BIdg., ATwaler 4107.
St. Louis: 5149 Rosa, David Barrett.
Salt Uke City: Deserct News, H. Pearson.
San Francisco: Gall Llpman, 25 Taylor St..
Ordway 3-4812, Advertising: Jerry No-
«ell, Howard BIdg, 209 Post St.,
YLkon 6-2522.
Seattle: 928 N. 84th 8t , WUlard Elsey
In Canada
Calgary: The Albertan, Wm. Campbell.
Monlreal: 4330 Wilson, Roy Carmlchael.
St John: 116 Prlm-e Edward, W. SIc.Nulty.
Toronto: R. II. 1. York Mills. M. Oalbralth.
Vano.iuter: Lyric Theatre BIdg.. Jack Dny.
Victoria: 938 Island Hwy, Alec Merrlman.
Winnipeg: The Tribune. Ben Lepkln.
Member Audit Bureau of Circulations
Bitered as Second Class matter at Post
Office. Kansa.s City. Mo Sicllonal Edition,
13.00 per year; National Edition, $7.50.
AUGUST 19, 1950
Vol. 57 No. 16
o.
READY FOR BUSINESS
HE Council of Motion Picture Organizations
is ready for "business." An executive vicepresitient,
who will be operations director, has
been chosen; a financing plan has been fully
agreed upon, with arrangements made for immediate
provision of part of the funds; and other
foundation "stones" have been set into place.
It has taken a year to finalize the completion
of a unified organization of all of the various
segments of the industry. While we were among
those who expressed concern over the delay, it
may be well that things happened as they did.
Certainly, it is well that differences over policy
were threshed out beforehand, rather than to
have them come up to endanger the organization
after it had gotten started. While that possibility
always will exist, the spirit of give-andtake
displayed in the proceedings of last week's
meetings is a healthy sign.
Choice of Arthur Mayer as
operational head
of COMPO is a good one. His experience in
exhibition and in other branches of the industry,
together with his active participation in various
phases of war activity during World War II and
in postwar services make iiim ideally suited to
the important task for which he has been chosen.
With an ability to speak and possessing a genial
personality and an unusual sense of logic, Arthur
iVlayer should be effective in convincing all who
need to be convinced of their responsibility, both
in effort and money, to the common cause which
COMPO is dedicated to serve.
The concord reached on the industry's cooperation
with the government in
the war effort
assures exhibitors of freedom of their screens.
The new setup precludes the flooding of theatre
screens with tilms produced by government agencies
and private organizations as was the case
during tlie last war. The special committee that
will serve as liaison with the government will
have to approve such films, but it will not have
autliority to pledge motion picture screens or
production or distribution facilities without
unanimous vote.
COMPO is ready to do business—with all the
makings for an outstanding success. It has a
capable executive in charge, a competent board
of directors and, further, has at its disposal the
brainpower and energy of the top and all other
executives of this industry — plus an "army" of
238,000 employes in its ranks. \^ ith each of
these doing what he can to help, COMPO will
accomplish its important task, in a minimum of
time and with a minimum of difficulty,
a maximum of benefit to
all.
but with
See and Discover
From time to time we have noted reports from
exhibitors to the effect that, if they had seen a
certain picture at its tradeshowing, they would
have done a better job of selling it to their public.
This very often applies to so-called "problem"
pictures which, because of theme, are considered
by distributors to be hard to sell. As a
consequence, the distributors solt-pedal their own
selling efforts, which apathy has an adverse influence
on exhibitors.
Ken Christiansen of the Roxy Theatre, Washburn,
i\. U., who plays pictures late, is author of
the following report:
"The Secret GartJen—I believe, if I had seen this
at the tradeshowing, I could have sold it here.
It gave us average midweek business and we received
a lot of good comments. It is a much better
picture than we had been led to believe."
The purpose of tradescreenings was to
afford
exhibitors the privilege of seeing pictures before
they bought them. Secondarily, they provide
an opportunity for doing a better job ot booking
and merchandising. Exiiibitors are at fault when
they do not take advantage of these opportunities.
As we have said before, when tliey are
unable to attend screenings, they have a second
or later chance to see pictures at tlieir openings
in their exchange center or in key spots in their
vicinity.
Whenever an exhibitor says he could have done
better. If" . . ., it is evident that a picture has lost
patronage that it should-^and could—have had.
iviultiply that by only a part of the several thousand
bookings each picture normally gets and
it could add up to that subrtantial loss of patronage
about which the industry is so greatly
concerned.
There has been talk of belter informing the
public on the contents of pictures. But the job
is only half done when exiiibitors are left out of
such consideration. There seems to be plenty of
giving and seeking of knowledge on the bigger
pictures, but it is the oversight on the smaller
pictures on which the losses are sustained. Every
picture can't be a winner, but many of these
overlooked little pictures hold possibilities for
successful exhibition, the chances for which are
lost when they are undersold—or
0.^
not sold at all.