Boxoffice-May.03.1952

NCA HOLDS UNIQUE FORUM
150 Press Executives
At Exhibitor Session
MINNEAPOLIS—Approximately 150 newspaper
publishers and editors arrived here at
midweek to attend the opening day forum of
the annual convention of North Central Allied
Thursday and Pi-iday (1, 2i. Ted Mann,
pre. ident of NCA. emphasized to the editors
the advantages of keeping exhibition
"healthy" in face of television competition
and other developments making it rougher
on theati-es.
Out of the forum it was hoped there would
develop a closer relationship between the exhibitor
and newspaper publishers with more
space devoted to theatres and the latter's
attractions. On theii- part, the exhibitors
were prepared to offer to the newspapers the
use of their screens to help push community
and other projects and to draw attention to
special newspaper features.
In addition to
the advertising revenue derived
from theatres and motion pictiu-es.
certain to exceed that which TV may provide,
Mann pointed out how much of an asset theatres
can be to a community in bringing people
into the towns from the surrounding area
and to luring homefolk downtown. On the
other hand, TV, for example, tends to keep
people at home and hurts rather than helps
most merchants, it was to be pointed out.
A "reinvigoration" campaign, of which the
forum is a part, also is to Include "bigger and
better and more showmanship," making theatres
more attractive, bringing more Hollywood
personalities to the territory in person,
institutional advertising to stress that motion
pictures in theatres still are the finest and
lowest cost entertainment available for the
public, and the advantages of film in theatres
over those on TV. Exhibitors were to
be asked to pledge themselves to the utmost
civic-mindedness and participation in their
community affairs.
Attendance at
Fine Films
A Tonic Jack Warner
CHICAGO—Attendance at fine pictures
during the past 12 months has "breathed new
life into the film industry," declared Jack L.
Warner, executive producer for Warner Bros.,
in a message read to the sales conference
which opened at the Blackstone hotel May 1.
It was the third and last of a series of regional
conferences.
"Recent boxoffice records have proved conclusively
that no competitive form of entertainment
can match the motion picture."
Warner asserted. "And we intend to apply
oiu-selves vigorously to a continuing production
program that will set the pace for the
entertainment world.
"We have learned that nothing can be so
fatal as sitting and waiting for the future.
We have learned not to go on the defensive,
but rather we have stretched forward to meet
the future with dynamic new production efforts
and aggressive new showmanship."
HAVE 47
OTHER PROPERTIES
In addition to the films now shooting on
studio stages, the studio has a group of 47
other properties from which the 1952 program
will be completed, Warner informed the sales
forces. This schedule will be modified to
take fullest advantage of the entertainment
situation as it may develop. A flexible pool of
production po.ssibiUties has always been a
studio pohcy, he added, on the theory that
it is the duty of the modern picture-maker
to keep careful guard not only on the literary
market, but on the public's changing tastes.
Warner made indirect reference to television
competition by saying: "Recently the
motion picture industry has done a commendable
job of taking people out of their houses
and into the theatres. We are determined to
go on showing every moviegoer that he can
always get his money's worth at the motion
picture theatre."
The forthcoming .schedule, he said, covers
a variety of entertainment from musical comedy
to adventure drama, and a "considerable
portion win be filmed either in the new
WarnerColor or Technicolor."
"We are driving ahead with a no-emptyseat
policy. " he emphasized. "And we are calling
on the energetic cooperation of the exhibitor
to continue .selling the product to his
patrons with the kind of enthusiasm that has
characterized the marketing of recent hits."
Warner listed films now In production as
follows: "The Iron Mistress," Technicolor
drama starring Alan Ladd and Virginia Mayo,
directed by Gordon Douglas and produced by
Henry Blanke; "April in Paris." a Technicolor
musical comedy starring Doris Day and
Ray Bolger, directed by David Butler and
produced by William Jacobs; "Top Secret,"
with a cast headed by Cornel Wilde, Steve
Cochran, Phyllis Thaxter and Karl Maiden,
directed by Lewis Seller and produced by
Henry Blanke, and "Springfield Rifle," in
WarnerColor, starring Gary Cooper, directed
by Andre De Toth and produced by Louis
Edelman.
Decca Head to London
NEW YORK—Milton R. Rackmil. president
of Decca Records, controlling .stockholder in
Universal, left by plane over the May 3 weekend
for London for talks with J. Arthur Bank
and John Davis regarding the po.ssible Decca-
Universal merger. It will be the first meeting
between Rackmil and Rank, who holds 11
per cent of Universal outstanding stock and
option warrants. Rackmil's previous dealings
with the Rank interests have been with Robert
S. Benjamin, president of the Rank organization
in the U.S.
Realart 5th Anniversary
$3,525 Prize Contest
NEW YORK—Realart Pictures will hold a
prize money and booking bonus drive contest,
starting the week ending May 3 and continuing
through September 6, in celebration
of its fifth anniversary.
The prize money, which will total $3,525.
will be paid as follows: First prize, $1,000;
second prize, $750: third prize, $500; fourth
prize. $250: fifth prize, $150, and five consolation
prizes at $100 each and five consolation
prizes at $75 each. The five SlOO prizes
will be paid to exchanges that rank sixth, seventh,
eighth, ninth and tenth and the five
$75 prizes will be paid to exchanges that rank
from nth to 15th. In addition to the prize
money award, there will be a booking bonus
award payable to each franchise holder, based
upon each exchange territory exceeding the
particular quota that has been established for
each office.
The two big horror reissues, "Frankenstein,"
starring Boris Karloff. and "Dracula," starring
Bela Lugosi, and two Technicolor pictures,
"Canyon Passage" and "Frontier Gal,"
will be released during the Realart drive
psriod.
WASHINGTON LEADERS AT PREMIERE
When Paramount held a premiere of "My Son John" at the Motion Picture
Ass'n theatre in Washington last week, many government leaders were present.
Here, Mrs. Alben Barkley, wife of the vice-president, is greeting Barney Balaban.
president of Paramount, as she and the vice-president arrived. Next to Balaban Is
Mrs. Eric Johnston, wife of the MPAA president who is shown at the right.
BOXOFFICE :: May 3, 1952 17