Boxoffice-December.02.1950

Television Ads Continue
To Overshadow Films
NEW YORK — Television advertising in
newspapers is continuing to completely overshadow
film and radio advertising. In the
New York Times Sunday (26) there were
1,114'j inches of television advertising on
12 pages. Films totaled 201 "4 inches and
radio 28 inches.
Film advertising appeared on four pages
and radio advertising on three.
Free space devoted to the three mediums
was as follows: Radio, 168 inches; television,
174 inciies; films, 189 inches.
Motion picture theatres pay a higher advertising
rate than radio and television.
Recently after Charles Einfeld called the
attention of Theatre Owners of America
members at Houston to the enormous bulk
of automobile and television advertising
when compared with motion picture advertising
film spokesmen replied that the TV
space was due to the current excitement
over the Federal Communications commission
authorizing color television.
The $2,000,000 campaign of the American
Television Dealers and Manufacturers Ass'n
was also cited.
None of the ads of this campaign were
included in the above measurements. The
Times was typical of all the New York
papers and a quick survey of papers in
other important cities where there are television
stations shows the advertising ratio
between films and television about the same.
Radio-TV Checkup Shows
Little Adverse Comment
NETW YORK—A two-week checkup of all
radio and television programs in nine major
cities has showed that what little adverse
comment there has been about films has been
more than offset by praise, according to
Arthur L. Mayer, executive vice-president,
Council of Motion Picture Organizations.
The cities checked were New York, Boston,
Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Washington,
Philadelphia. Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Exclusive of gossip broadcasts and picture
reviews, the survey produced 100 comments,
most of them favorable, Mayer said. He
added that radio interviews with Gael Sullivan,
executive secretary. Theatre Owners of
America: Rudy Vallee and Charles Brackett,
Hollywood producer-writer, boosted the industry
over important stations.
COMPO plans similar checkups later.
Melvin Gold Is Elected
NTFC Board Chairman
NEW YORK—Melvin L. Gold, advertisingpublicity
director for National Screen Service,
has been elected chairman of the board of
National Television Film Council. He founded
the organization and was its president for
two years.
Jacques Kopfstein, vice-president of Atlantic
Television Corp., has become vicechairman,
and Paul White, vice-president in
charge of programs. Sally Perle retains the
post of public relations counselor.
Chicago Theatre TV
Plays to Capacity
CHICAGO — Theatre television played
to capacity here Saturday (25) despite
the big storm. With local interest in the
Northwestern-Illinois football game at a
high point, the State-Lake Theatre sold
out all of its 2,700 seats by noon and the
3,200-seat Tivoli on the south side had
the SRO sign up at game time. The
Balaban & Katz circuit scaled the game
at $1.20. To B&K executives, the big
screen telecasting of football has been a
success, with business at capacity when
interest in the game is high.
Century to Extend Tests
Of TV Theatre Programs
NEW YORK—Further experimental use of
television subjects in theatres is to be tested
by the Century circuit here. Recently Century
introduced the Camel News Caravan,
a newsreel type film containing advertising
which was originally scheduled for the air.
This is shown on the two circuit houses
which have large screen television projectors.
One is in the Queens, in Queens Village, and
the other is in the Marine Theatre, Brooklyn.
The Camel Caravan reel is to be continued.
Some Century circuit houses discontinued
use of standard film newsreels about a year
ago because of audience comments to the
effect that much of the material had already
been seen at home or in taverns.
Harold Newman of Century says he does
not consider the Camel show a replacement
of newsreels. He admits he is experimenting
with television on theatre screens. He has
what he describes as "several other projects"
in mind.
Six Eastern Theatres Show
Army-Navy Game on TV
NEW YORK—Six eastern theatres were
scheduled to show the Army-Navy football
game on television. Large-screen presentations
of telecasts will be seen on home sets
offered by Fox, Queens, Marine and Fordham
in New York, Palace in Albany and
Pilgrim in Boston. The Paramount in New
York is refraining.
Eastman Promotes Two,
Adds Them to Board
ROCHESTER—William S. Vaughn, assistant
vice-president of Eastman Kodak, has
been promoted to vice-president and assistant
general manager, and M. Wren Gabel, assistant
to the general manager, has al.so been
made assistant vice-president, in addition to
his former duties. Both have been elected
to the Eastman Kodak board of directors.
New York Asks FCC
For Tele Channel
WASHINGTON—The City of New York
has asked the Federal Communications commission
for assignment of a television channel
so that it can operate a TV station as it operates
a radio station—WNYC. In a letter presented
to the FCC by Seymour N. Siegel,
director of radio communications for the
city. Mayor Vincent R. Impellitteri wrote
that the city will need a television station
because of the "limitless possibilities in television
as a means of visual education in our
schools as well as for our adult citizens."
If the station is authorized, it will be put
at the disposal of the board of education, the
mayor wrote.
William J. Wallin. chancellor of the board
of regents of the University of the State of
New York, told the FCC that Governor Dewey
will be asked to sponsor legislation for creation
of a state educational television authority.
Action along educational lines has also been
taken by the Allen B. DuMont Laboratories,
which has a plant in New Jersey. Discussions
have been held with the Montclair State
Teachers college on a plan for transmitting
closed circuit programs to selected high
schools with a "talk back" arrangement so
that listeners can ask questions and receive
answers.
Cowan Players' Contracts
Call for TV Appearances
NEW YORK—Anticipating a theatre television
network. Cinema Productions will require
all its artists under contract to appear on
theatre TV at least once without charge to
ballyhoo their particular pictures. This contract
clause, which will take precedence over a
commercial radio or video appearance, became
known this week when the Bankers Trust Co.
approved financing arrangements for four
pictures to be made by Lester Cowan for the
exhibitor-backed producing company headed
by M. A. Lightman.
Shooting on the first picture, which will
use the Polaroid three-dimensional process,
will start before the end of the year at the
Movietone Studio in New York. Tentative
title is "The Customer Is Always Right." Applicable
to all theatre screens, the Polaroid
tri-dimension project envisions giving patrons
glasses, which will also be good as sun glasses.
Employing the Cinerama method of panoramic
projection, the second picture is not
expected to be started until June. Using a
145-degree viewing angle instead of 45 degrees,
this film is scheduled to be photographed
in various parts of the country.
Andrea Predicts 50% Cut
In TV Output for 1951
NEW YORK—Pi'oduct ion of television receivers
may be cut 50 per cent next year,
according to Frank A. D. Andrea, president
of Andrea Radio Corp. This would cut the
output to 4,000,000 sets in 1951.
Andrea spoke at a meeting of business
leaders sponsored by Dun & Bradstreet, Inc.,
Tue.sday (28). Andrea said the industry
could not maintain its recent production rate
of 350,000 radios and 200,000 television receivers
a week.
50 BOXOFFICE :
: December 2, 1950