Boxoffice-November.24.1951

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. . whether
. . . are
Wometco to Establish
Student Admissions
CHARLOTTE—Wometco Theatres of
Miami is preparing a Christmas gift for
all the teenagers in this metropolitan area.
Mitchell Wolfson, president of the Theatre
Owners of America, a co-owner of
the Florida circuit, disclosed in his address
at the Theatre Owners of North and
South Carolina convention here that Wometco
will put into effect bargain prices
for young persons from 12 to 20 beginning
Christmas day.
Under the system, cards will be issued,
with the cooperation of local schools and
colleges, to students, entitling them to the
lower rates. This special admission is now
possible under the new tax law which
grants exhibitors the right to base the 20
per cent tax on the actual admission scale
instead of the regular adult scale.
Levy Explains Court
Drive-in Bids Stand
CHARLOTTE—Whether or not distributors
will be forced to accept bids for first
runs from drive-ins was discussed by Herman
M. Levy, general counsel for the Theatre
Owners of America, during the sessions of
Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina
Tuesday (20).
Since the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
ruling in the Milgram, et al., vs. Loew, Inc.,
et al. case, generally known as the Allentown
(.Pa.) drive-in case, followed by the
Windsor-Walbrook case in Maryland, there
has been widespread confusion in the minds
of both distributors and exhibitors as to
whether drive-in operators can force distributors
to accept first run bids.
Levy pointed out that in the Allentown
case the district and appeals courts had decided
conspiracy was involved because all
the distributors acted together; knew each
other's sales policies; wanted to relegate
drive-ins in that area to second run status,
and the distributors "had a past proclivity to
unlawful conduct."
The courts also ruled that the Allentown
drive-in was suitable for first runs and that
the seasonal nature of the drive-in had no
importance in the argument.
Distributors may seek to take the circuit
court ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the Maryland case the district court
ruled there was no conspiracy and that the
distributors could chose their customers.
If the Pennsylvania decision stands. Levy
pointed out, several distributors will have to
revise their present sales policies of refusing
to permit drive-ins to negotiate for first runs
in situations where they are not justified in
the refusals.
Universal Year-End Dividend
NEW YORK—The board of directors of
Universal Pictures Co., Inc., has declared a
year-end dividend of 60 cents per share on the
common stock, payable December 19 to stockholders
of record December 10. This is the
first dividend in more than three years, the
last having been paid July 31, 1948.
Sullivan s W -Point Plan
To Up Theatre Receipts
CHARLOTTE— Gael Sullivan, executive director
of Theatre Owners of America, gave
this ten-point program to exhibitors attending
the convention of Theatre Owners- of
North and South Carolina this week:
You, as an exhibitor,
ask — "What
can I do to better
my business? What
simple measures can
I adopt to improve
boxoffice?" The following
are not miracle
drugs nor jetpropelled
hypos, buf
they have worked fm
many exhibitors, and
they can work for
you.
Gael Sullivan
1. Lead off with a thorough-going winter
inspection of your theatre or theatres.
Get your own eye and ear low-down on
whether the heating and lighting are above
par . the sound and projection
are fuzzy and cloudy or high in clarity and
definition. Good housekeeping is the secret
of good business.
2. Follow through with a visit to filmtow
and see for yourself some of the latest
screenings. You can't sell what you haven't
seen. The showman is the link between his
product and his patron. He must know
both before he can serve either. The recent
run of excellent pictures is significant of
the rich potential of releases ahead.
3. Spend a few full evenings in the
lobby to chat with the neighbors. If you
ask what contribution you can make toward
a better community in which to live,
you occupy a unique position in being able
to mingle with groups of people who have
gathered for a common objective . . . the
enjoyment of the lively art of the motion
picture. You and your screen can develop
more civic cooperation in the art of community
living than any other medium of
communication.
4* Think out one new way in which you
can render a public service in your neighborhood
. . . running a town-hall meeting
in your theatre where plans for some local
project, such as a playground or a safety
instruction program for children, can be
worked out with other citizens . . . the exhibitor,
mindful of his neighbor and his
community, is the hope of our business.
5. Keep in close touch with your elected
representatives at the local and national
level and advise them of the reactions you
get from many people on public questions.
Political leaders listen to exhibitors who
have strong roots in their communities and
have a deep sense of pride in our American
institutions.
6. Join an exhibitor organization and
support it actively. Fight for those private
enterprise organizations that seek to advance
the American system. An exhibitor
organization is only as strong as its least
active exhibitor.
7. Demonstrate your faith in our Birsine.ss
by being prepared to resist the cynics
within and the detractors without. Henry
L. Stimson used to say; "The man who
tries to work for the good, believing in its
eventual victory, while he may suffer setback,
and even disaster, will never know
defeat. The only deadly sin I know is
cynicism."
8* Study and understand the philosophy
of doing business under our system of
production, distribution and exhibition.
Discuss this with other exhibitors and distributors
so that your grievances and gripes
can frequently be turned into solutions
without suspicions. The conference table
is a better and more effective substitute
for the courts.
9« Interest yourself daily in the tradepress
and industry bulletins. Perhaps we
are more vocal than any other industry,
but men whose minds are warmed with the
love of this industry and sharpened by an
ambition to serve it will gather real inspiration
from our trade journals. We
have crossed the threshold of an electronic
age and we need up-to-the-minute information
on all the new and yet-to-come
developments. The tradepress is the showman's
daily classroom for new ideas.
10. Top it off by selecting and serving
on one of the most important committees
of your exhibitor organization. Most of the
best work of a trade organization is done
in committee, and that's where your experience
and wisdom will count. Gen. Ike
Eisenhower said recently; "Our freedoms
... to buy, to work, to hire, to bargain, to
save, to vote, to worship, to gather in a
convention or join in mutual association
in a single bundle . . . Destruction
of any leads inevitably to the destruction
of aU." That's mighty sound thinking for
these times! That's the keynote for future
exhibitor cooperation!
Wolfson Urges Theatre Use
Of TV for Academy Awards
CHARLOTTE—Theatre telecasting of the
1952 Academy awards next March as an industry
promotion stunt was suggested at the
39th annual convention of the Theatre Owners
of North and South Carolma Monday (19)
by Mitchell Wolfson. president of Theatre
Owners of America. It is expected that more
than 100 theatres will be equipped with TV
projectors by that time.
The TOA board recently voted in favor of
these telecasts. Wolfson said that he hoped
producers would waive some contract clauses
for the event so that six or eight of the top
awards could be telecast.
Wolfson, however, got an immediate and
negative reply. In Hollywood. Charles
Brackett, Academy president, said that the
It was not
ceremony would not be televised.
even a probability, he said.
BOXOFFICE November 24, 1951 9