Boxoffice-January.08.1955

REPORT FROM OHIO EXHIBITORS
AT&T Has Extendi
Nothing to Worry About in /955, TV lo 234 Cities
// Good Pictures Flow Continues
By ELSIE LOEB
CLEVELAND— It looks like a good year
ahead for motion picture theatre owners, in
the view of many exhibitors in this territory.
"If they (the producers) give us the pictures
we can do the business." says Ted
Vermes, owner of the Yorktown, Mercury and
Eclair theatres. "The only trouble is that they
come at too great intervals. Our patrons are
spoiled. They want only the best. But if we
give them the best they give us their patronage.
Cut down the time between big picture
releases and we'll get our patrons back as
regular customers."
"Theatre business is as good as the picture
on the screen," in the opinion of Meyer S.
Fine, president of the 20-theatre Associated
Circuit. "We will have nothing to worry about
in 1955 if we can have a steady flow of
quality product."
Leonard Mishkind and S. P. Gorrell of the
General Theatres Circuit agree that "unquestionably
we do business with big pictures.
While the big screen and the new presentation
media aroused latent interest in motion
pictures, and brought the public back to the
theatre for a look-see, these items of equipment
do not bring the patrons back for a second
look. It's the picture on the screen and
its entertainment value that brings them
back repeatedly. As to the future outlook, we
must be optimistic. A defeatist attitude never
led anyone to success."
Helene Ballin. manager of the Schenley
Theatre, Youngstown, is approaching the new
year with caution. "I just know what to
expect," .she says. "Our business has been
too fluctuating the past several years to
say, with any degree of confidence, just what
to expect in 1955."
Big Attendance Is Seen
For 14 MGM Workshops
NEW YORK—An attendance of more than
5.000 exhibitors and other members of the
industry has been predicted by Mike Simons,
MGM director of customer relations, for the
14 MGM Ticket Selling Workshops now definitely
scheduled. The fii-st will start in Denver
Wednesday (12) and the last one will
occur June 13. There will be three this
month, two in February, three in March and
in April, two in May and one in June. However,
as many as a dozen others may be added.
Simons and Emery Austin, MGM exploitation
manager, will attend all of them. They
will be .supplemented by panelists, including
exhibitors and other members of the industry,
who will discuss local means of stimulating
business.
Cooperating with MGM in putting over the
Denver gathering will be Pat McGee, a leading
exhibitor in the teiTitory; Al Reynolds,
general manager for Claude Ezell of Dallas:
L. J. Williams, exhibitor of Union, Owensville
and Herman, Mo., and Ray Smith, vicepresident
of the Jamestown Amusement Co.
Members of the Rocky Mountain Council of
Joe Shagrin, owner of the Foster Theatre,
Youngstown, hopes that local interest in TV
will wane and that the public will come back
to the theatre. "TV is now going into it's
second year in this' area. And if the history
of other areas is repeated, people will begin
to get more discriminating in their TV programs.
And that's when they will start to
come back to us."
Leo Jones of the Upper and New Star Theatre,
Upper Sandusky, — thinks 1955 theatre
business will be good "If," he says, "we can
overcome the dissension within the industry.
Given good product, equitably sold and properly
exploited, our boxoffices will improve and
the public relations between the theatre and
the public will greatly benefit. Under present
conditions our buying terms are so high that
we can't afford to sell the product properly
to the public. Let the small exhibitor buy his
pictures flat so that he has enough money to
spend on exploitation and then there'll be a
Happy New Year for everyone."
"Even if we do good boxoffice business with
a top picture, there's no profit for theatres
playing a subsequent run policy," says a leading
circuit owner who does not want his name
used. "We just can't live with the terms the
distributors are asking for product today.
As to the future, it all depends upon the
distributors. If they will adopt a live and let
live policy. I think we could have a profitable
year."
"The next six months look good," in the
opinion of Dale Tysinger, manager of Shea's
Theatre, Ashtabula. "Business conditions are
good, unemployment is down to normal, the
pictures announced for release during the
first half of the year look good. All of these
things add up to a feeling of optimism. But
what the conditions will be after the first half
of the year Is anybody's guess."
Motion Picture Organizations will attend, according
to Henry Friedel, MGM branch manager.
The organization is scheduled to open
its convention the next day.
The other January workshops will be at
Jackson, Miss., January 24, and Memphis,
January 27. Richmond, Va., will have one
February 8 and Detroit February 22. There
will be one March 1 at Columbus, Ohio, another
March 3 in Kansas City and a third
March 9 in Dallas. Atlanta will be the site
April 12, Buffalo, April 18, and Jacksonville.
April 26. Billings, Mont., will be the site
May 10. Charlotte, May 16, and Santa Fe,
N. M.. June 13.
E. G. Forsyth Elected
Ontario MPTA Head
TORONTO—At their first meeting for the
new year the directors of the Motion Picture
Theatres Ass'n of Ontario elected E. G.
Forsyth of Toronto as the 1955 president in
succession to Jack D. McCulloch of Petrolia.
Forsyth is assistant general manager of Odeon
Theatres (Canada), Ltd.
Other officers include Lionel Les*er. Toronto
independent, as vice-president: Manager
Jack Clarke of Toronto Loew's as treasurer:
Angus Jewell of Cannington, honorary
secretary, and Arch H. Jolley, executive secretary.
NEW YORK—Network
television
was extended to four more stations
Long Lines Department of America
phone & Telegraph Co. late in Decei
make a total of 360 stations in 234 c
the U. S. with network TV, accor
Long Lines.
The new stations connected to t
Telephone System's nationwide netw
facilities were: WFIE, Evansville, Ind
derson, Ky: WBTW. Florence, S.
WSFA-TV, Montgomery, Ala. The sta
Evansville and Henderson receive tb
network programs over a new 118-mi
relay route running south from Terrc
Ind. Service for the Florence stati
provided over a new 102-mile extensioi
Washington-Atlanta microwave rout
Montgomery station began receiving
over the Atlanta-Jacksonville radii
route.
Joined to the network in 1954 w
television stations in 75 cities, includi
stations in New Hampshire, New
North Dakota and Wyoming.
The year 1954 also saw color te
made available to the American public
first time with over 47,000 channel i
cross-country communications routes i
neered and re-equipped to carry colo
stations in 101 cities, according to th
end report of the Long Lines Depa
It was only a year ago on Jan. 1, 19
the first public color-cast, "The Tour
of Roses Parade," was carried from Pa
Calif., to 18 cities across the U. S.
Black-and-white television also madi
during 1954, with over 20.000 channi
of TV facilities—an all-time yearly
added during the year, bringing the
about 69.000 miles. Long Lines als(
that 1954 marked the 25th anniversar;
first public demonstration of color "!
June 27, 1929. a gi'oup of newspa
porters gathered in the Bell Te
Laboratories in New York to see a color
an American flag rippling in the bree
Skiatron Head Optimis
On Future of Toll TV
NEW YORK—An optimistic
report
future of subscription television was
at the year's end by Arthur Levey, p:
of Skiatron, in which he saw "prom,
vastly improved TV program service
public on the threshold of becor
reality subject to approval by the
Communications Commission." He s
Skiatron system was ready to go into
tion, and that surveys showed public
ance of it by about 82 per cent of thi
surveyed.
Levey listed among major developm
improved decoder.
"A new decoder has been complet
said, "combining simplicity of op
compactness and flexibility. It will ac(
date a unique IBM-type electronic ca
a tamper-proof printed ciixuit, whi
make available a month's programn
30 events for the subscriber's selectic
decoder, now measuring eight by six
with a slot in the center for the inse:
the electronic card, is expected eve
thi'ough the use of transistors, to be
to the size of a small jewel case."
26 BOXOFFICE :: Januar;