Boxoffice-October.04.1952

'
KMTA Convention
(Continued from preceding page)
iiop on his theoretical bandwagon, and we'll
see a wave of the initiative and ingenuity
needed to set this industry once more on the
march forward.
"Waiting for the other fellow; decrying a
policy but pursuing it because the competition
does it; sitting on your bottom and wishing
that this or that would happen, won't make
it happen. Doing things is what gets things
done.
"It was the venturesome, pioneering, trailblazing
spirit, that took this industry out of
the nickelodeon storerooms and moved it into
magnificent palaces. Men who had ideas put
them into action. If they failed, they tried
again and again and again. Enterprise was
the watchword in the early days of this business.
It was the up-and-doing that got things
done. There were few, if any, geniuses; but
there were a lot of hard workers. There was
enthusiasm; there was courage and the conviction
of that courage that caused men to
stick by their ideas until they won out. They
didn't succumb to the first defeat after a
short 'test.' Nor to the second, or third, or
tenth effort.
'CHEER, STOP YELLING'
"Instead of yelling what's wrong with this
business, just remember that there is plenty
that is right with it. There's been enough of
the negative thought and talk; let's take the
positive view. And let each man become his
own cheerleader—and, instead of yelling, let
him be doing. And keep doing. And doing.
The momentum will take hold and the action
will be sustained."
Homer Strowig, Abilene, Kas., exhibitor,
was chairman of the afternoon business session.
Senn Lawler, head of the advertising
and publicity department for Fox Midwest
Amusement Corp., made six recommendations
directed toward estabUshing an industry public
relations program. He called for a motion
picture industry exhibit, to start in Madison
Square Garden and to tour exchange centers
throughout the country, based on the type of
show frequently given by automobile and other
industries. He asked for added atention to a
speakers bureau and preparation and briefing
of speakei's.
Movietime tours, Lawler said, should be continued
and the industry should have a centrally
located library of information so that
anyone could secure information at a moment's
notice. He proposed a series of at
least 52 newspaper ads, used consistently each
week, to tell about the industry, not to just
advertise individual films but to give concise,
true information about the industry in general.
URGES INDUSTRY PROGRAM
He also
urged a series of transcriptions for
radio, containing a goodwill message about
the industry and bearing the name of the
local theatreman, and he suggasted a weekly
nationwide radio program, featuring film
stars, and sponsored by the industry, "not by
commercial interests which have no connection
with the film business."
William Powell of St. Louis, district manager
for the Philip Smith Midwest Drive-In
circuit of Bo.ston, asserted that although the
1952 season has been a good one for drive-ins
there were evidences of overbuilding. Buck
nights and bargain nights, multiple bills and
A group of father-son exhibitor combinations was assembled for the photographer.,
at the KMTA session. In the first row, left to right, are Frank G. Weary II, Jay
Means, Homer Strowig and C. E. Cook, and standing are their sons, Frank G. Weary
III, Ronald Means, Calvin Strowig and Jim and Jack Cook.
other forms of giving away of entertainment
are not only harmful to the industry in general
but they are signs of panic and overcompetition,
he said.
Powell declared drive-in demands for
earlier and earlier runs on films are also a
sign of panic. The drive-in cannot take the
place of first run theatres, he said.
Pat McGee, general manager of the Cooper
Foundation, Denver, and co-chairman of
COMPO, outlined the history of the COMPOsponsored
fight against the 20 per cent federal
ticket tax. Charging that the industry is
discriminated against, McGee said, "we must
have some relief."
He urged exhibitors to continue talking witli
their congressmen about the tax and said "we
can't be beat if congressmen keep getting letters
from their constituents."
Dick Brous, Fox Midwest legal department,
pointed out that a large part of the 16mm
film suit is based on what the government
complaint calls "reasonable clearance."
Terming the 16mm suit "the biggest threat
to the industry in the last two decades," Brous
said that all complaints don't go into the
merits of whether a conspiracy has existed or
not— all of them, he said, "boil down to
relief." He warned that if the industry waited
until the decree is entered and if the decree
should find the defendants guilty, then the
industry would have to be governed by "reasonable
clearance."
"If we wait," he said, "for reasonable clearance
between 35mm films in the theatres and
16mm on television, there is no hope for us.
The meeting opened Tuesday afternoon
after luncheon with greetings by KMTA
President C. E. Cook. Film company product
occupied the afternoon session and the
Wednesday morning discussions. Each branch
manager presented brief discussions and trailers
on forthcoming product of his company.
Glen Hall of Cassville acted as moderator and
introduced each manager, starting with Bernie
McCarthy and Lippert Productions.
Others following were Joe Neger, 20th-Fox,
who illustrated his talk with a big sign saying,
"There's No Business like 'Monkey Business,'
" and a cage with two monkeys in it.
Bill Gaddoni. MGM, had only one trailer,
that of MGM's famed lion, Leo, growling for
about two minutes. Jack Langan, U-I, spoke
on his company's product, as did Jim Lewis,
RKO; Ralph Amacher, UA; R. M. Copeland
and Bob Carnie. Allied Ai-tists.
KMTA Registrations
KANSAS CITY—Nearly 200 persons turned
out for the 34th annual convention of the
Kansas-Missouri Theatre Owners Ass'n here
this week. Among those registered;
KANSAS CITY
Jack Shriner
Gladys Melson
Howard Harry Gaffney
I. Strum
Abbott J. Sher
Roger Leoton
Joseph J. Kelly jr.
L. F. Durland
Finton H. Jones
Richord P. Brous
Bob Walter
Ronald Means
Homer L. Blockwell
Clark S. Rhoden
John W. Quinn
Ben Shiyen
Bob Carnie
J. R. Neger
R. M. Copeland
George L. Kapulos
H. R. Hamburg
Philip Blokey
E. A. Jacobs
David Gold
Jock Hillyer
John Tonge
Garrett L. Tuck
Jim Witcher
Earl Dyson
Bob Withers
Ralph 8. Adams
Frank V. Thomas
Edd J. Haas
Bob Johns
James J. Long
Bob Combe
Rube Fmkelstein
Bud Truog
Rube Melcher
Ben Marcus
Jim Lewis
Richard V/iles jr.
Arthur Cole
R. H. Dirkes
Eddie Mansfield
Jack Langan
Betty Caruso
Larry Klein
Earl Jameson sr.
Brooks C. Nooh %,
Earl Jameson jr.
Louise Hildebrand
Jay Means
Ralph A. Morrow
S. M. Sloan
Adeline Rosewicz
Jack D. Braunogel
M. G. Shackleford
George Baker
Stan Durwood
Bernie Evens
Jim Castle
Fred Harpst
Herman lllmer
Don Davis
B. J. McCarthy
Arthur de Stefano Tom Harrison
C. A. Schultz
L. M. Anderson
E. D. Van Duyne
Don Lindsay
Carl Elmer Rhoden jr,
M. Lund
William Gaddoni
Houston Colson
Harvey Cole
Norris Cresswell
Ed Hartman
MISSOURI
FARMINGTON—Frank Plumlee, Tom Edwards
MARYVILLE—C, E. Cook, James Cook
KIRKSVILLE— Day Mangus
HENRIETTA—Frank Weary 111
SALISBURY—Elmer Bills
NEOSHO— Ed Harris
TARKIO—Virgil Harbison
ST. LOUIS—William Powell
MARSHALL—J. Leo Hoyob, Margaret Sutton
RICHMOND—F. G. Weary
CASSVILLE—Glen Hall
SPRINGFIELD—John Hawkins
CAMERON—A. E. Jarboe
KANSAS
BLUE RAPIDS—C. S. Schofer
TOPEKA—John Bashom, Fred M. Walls
GARNETT— H. B. Doering
LARNED—Don E. Burnett
COUNCIL GROVE—C. E. Bratton
EL DORADO— R. F. Fife
CONCORDIA— Alex Shnidermon
RUSSELL— Dale Doniclson
ABILENE— Homer Strowig, Calvin Strowig
PHILIPSBURG— R. R. Winship
HORTON—M. B. Landau
LA CROSSE—Gordon Holiday
EMPORIA—William
Flynn
MANHATTAN— Bob Fellers, Louis Higdon
COLUMBUS—Charlie Knickerbocker
EUREKA—M. J. Aley
LARNED— John A. Schnack
58
BOXOFFICE October 4, 1952