Boxoffice-October.01.1955

October
704 CONVENTION DECISIONS
AWAITED WITH KEEN INTEREST
Exhibition's Relationship
To Distribution. New Tax
Campaign Major Topics
irrognim on Vnf^e I'l)
NEW YORK—This coming week the
eyes of the industry will be focused on the
Theatre Owners of America national convention.
Its discussions and decisions will
be the big news. Because of widespread
complaints about trade practices and a
search for solutions, includinp: recourse to
arbitration and conciliation, there are
likely to be more issues raised and questions
asked than at any previous TOA national
gathering. National Allied will be
mentioned more than once.
TO SET NEW POLICIES
Policies will be set for the new year. Speaking
as an indi^ndual exhibitor and not as TOA
board chairman. Walter Reade jr. said during
the week that to him the mo.-it important
topics will be the relationship of exhibition
to distribution and the inauguration of a new
federal tax repeal campaign.
Who will become president? TOA officers
have been mum on that point. It isn't thought
likely that E. D. Martin of Columbus, Ga.,
will serve again. It i.^ believed he feels he
has made his contribution and that someone
else should take over the taxing job.
Reade, who is chairman of the nominating
committee, claimed that he didn't know. He
added that if he did know, he wouldn't give
out any advance information. The belief here
In the east is that the post will go to -some
exhibition leader in the midwest or on the
coast. Perhaps MjTon N. Blank of Des
Moines, Iowa. He is a vice-president. That.
however, is only a guess. Several outstanding
exhibitors believe themselves well qualified
for the post.
The fact that the convention will be held
ftt the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles has
enlisted the interest of the major companies
whose studios are nearby. A number of them
will participate in one way or another.
PRODUCERS TO BE HOSTS
Y. Frank Freeman of Paramount will conduct
a production seminar. The A.ss'n of Motion
Picture Producers will be host at a
cocktail and buffet supper party. Hollywood
TESMA Board Okays
Joint TOA Tradeshow
NEW YORK—The TESMA board of
directors has approved a partnership with
the Theatre Owners of America in an allindustry
fair exposition and tradeshow
at the New York Coliseum in September
1956. The action was taken Tuesday *27>.
The agreement is subject to the approval
of the TOA board which will meet during
the TOA convention in Los Angeles
October 6-9. The TESMA board will take
final action at Chicago during November.
ERNEST G. STELLINGS I.F.STKU It. KKorr
studio tours and a luncheon will be hosted
by MGM, 20th Century-Fox, Paramount, Universal-International
and Warner Bros. There
will be an advertising and promotion seminar
at which three of the speakers will be Don
Hartman and Jerome Pickman of Paramount
and David A. Lipton of U-I.
Allied Artists, Columbia and MGM have
rented exhibit space. Warner Bros, representatives
will attend the opening of the exhibit.
They will include Jack L. Warner,
Steve Trilling, Mort Blumenstock, Leland
Hayward, William T. Orr, Fred Greenberg.
Henry Blanke. David Weisbart, Willis Goldbeck,
Stuart Heisler, Bill Hendricks, Gordon
Douglas, David Butler and Max Bercutt.
Mike Simons, customer relations director, will
be there for MGM.
While the convention won't open officially
Convention Co-Choirmen
until Thursday i6>, there was a meeting Friday
1 301 of the co-chairmen with Herman M.
Levy, general counsel; George Gaughan, field
representative, and Joseph G. Alterman, headquarters
office manager. They will complete
convention plans at another meeting Monday
i3i.
Scheduled for the next day is a meeting of
Exhibitors Film Financial Group and of the
nominating and finance committees. Mitchell
Wolfson is chairman of the latter. Registration
will follow Wednesday (5). There also
will be a meeting of the executive committee,
headed by Alfred Starr, and of the board,
headed by Reade. At its conclusion the committee
members will have a buffet supper.
Martin will be in the chair when the convention
opens Thursday (6i. Mitchell Wolfson
will make the keynot* addre.ss. Reade will report
for the nominating committee. Elmer C.
Rhoden on the Audience Awards campaign
and Starr on subscription TV. There will be
convention announcements by J. J. Rosenfield.
Ernest G. Stellings and Lester R. Kropp.
Luncheon will follow with Pat McGee the
toastmaster.
Wolfson will chair the afternoon .session
at which the production seminar will be held.
The AMPP will be host at cocktails and a
buffet supper.
Rosenfield will chair the Friday morning
.•icssion when committee reports will be heard.
Jack Keller will be toastmaster at the
luncheon.
.lOSKPIl J. KOSINHKl.I)
In the afternoon Frank Whitbeck will be
moderator at the advertLslng-promollon
seminar. Exhibitor participants will be Frank
Rubel of Central States and Thornton Sargent
of Fox West Coast. A trip to Disneyland
will follow.
The Saturday sessions will be for exhibitors
only. John Rowley will chair the morning
session. After a meeting of the board and
executive committee. R. M. Kennedy will preside
over a conventional theatre forum at
which lime there will be dLscu.ssions on trade
practices, film rentals, operations, concessions,
equipment, advertising and promotion.
James S. Carbery will be toastmaster at
luncheon.
Lester R. Kropp will chair the afternoon
session. The board and executive committee
will report further on their deliberations.
Horace Denning and Michael Redstone will
conduct a drlve-ln theatre forum on substantially
the same topics as at the earlier conventional
theatre forum. Special attention
will be paid. next, to the problems of small
theatre owners, followed by a "speak-yourmlnd"
se.sslon that should be productive of
much discu.ssion.
Will that wrap it up? Reade and the others
preparing the agenda aren't quite certain so
they have provided for a continuation of the
Satiu-day agenda and for unfinished business.
Star-of-the-Year Award
For James Stewart
LOS ANC'.ELKS— The TOA 1955 "Star
of the Year" trophy will be given to
James Stewart. "Good citizenship."
"active civic participation" and his gallery
of motion picture portrayals, including
such recent successes as Paramount's
"Strategic Air Command" and "Rear Window,"
Columbia'.'. "The Man From Laramie"
and the forthcoming film biography
of Charles A. Lindbergh. Warners' "The
Spirit of St. Louis." as well as the Alfred
Hitchcock production for Paramount.
"The Man Who Knew Too Much.
The award will bo made a^ 'hr rlrrlng
banquet.
iS BOXOFFICE :
1. 1955