Boxoffice-Febuary.18.1956

NO CIRCUIT RUSH FOR PERMITS
TO PRODUCE SEEN ON HORIZON
Chill on Allied-TOA Talks
With D of J Leaves Big
Circuit Heads Silent
NEW YORK—Present indications are
that there will be no rush of divorced theatre
circuits to go into production in spite
of the Allied-TOA plea to the Department
of Justice that it clear the way for this
activity by approving amendments to the
consent decrees.
STILL HOPE FOR EFFG
Sam Pinanski, principal backer of the Exhibitors
Film Financial Group, Inc., is still
strong for the plan, but is having difficulty
raising the $10,000,000 capital authorized by
the Securities Exchange Commission late in
1954. At that time, the EFFG proposed to
supply backing for independent producers.
E. D. Martin, then president of TOA, sought
Justice Department approval of the project,
and there have been conferences since then,
but exhibitor support has been something less
than enthusiastic.
When Leonard H. Goldenson, president of
American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres,
told the TOA in Chicago in November 1953
that exhibitors would be forced into production
unless more pictures were made available,
many counted him as one of the sponsors
of EFFG, but recently he has indicated
his company has no production plans.
The situation with this outfit is somewhat
similar to the Allied-backed Makelim plan.
The money has not been laid on the line
sufficient quantities.
The one outstanding success in backing independent
pictures and having control over
their distribution has been United Artists.
This widely known situation, plus the increasing
number of independent producers who can
get distribution through major companies,
have affected the attitudes of circuit operators,
according to observers who have been
asked for their views on the outlook for financing
more pictures.
The two exceptions among the big circuits
are Stanley Warner with Cinerama and National
Theatres, headed by Elmer Rhoden,
with Cinemiracle. Rhoden has talked with
the Department of Justice several times on
his plans and has received outlines of what
restrictions the department would place on
his producing activities. A time limit may be
imposed, it has been reported.
NO ADVANCE RULINGS
Maurice Silverman, head of the antitrust
division, told the Allied-TOA committeemen
that no advance rulings would be handed
down and that each circuit application for
permission to produce would be treated on its
merits.
This would not prevent the big divorced
circuits from getting together with the EFFG
and going down to Washington in a group,
but the few circuit representatives who have
talked off the record on this plan have shown
no enthusiasm. Their attitude seems to be
they have enough problems for the present.
in
Tushinskys Demonstrate
New Superscope-235
HOLLYWOOD—Marking a further step
toward standardization of anamorphic release
prints, Joseph and Irving Tushinsky, developers
of Superscope, on Friday (10) demonstrated
their new Superscope-235, which has
the exact dimensional characteristics of
Cinemascope's optical-sound prints, with a
screen aspect ratio of 2.35 to 1. The new
Superscope eliminates the necessity for
changing projection apertures when films
printed in it and in Cinemascope opticalsound
are double-billed.
The development, the Tushinskys said, was
perfected because of exhibitor requests for
some form of standardization. Heretofore
Superscope anamorphic prints were projected
at a 2 to 1 ratio.
Cinemascope is photographed for a 2.55 to 1
ratio, but is reduced to 2.35 to 1 when the
optical sound track is added.
Superscope-235 will, the Tushinskys predicted,
"bring about a tremendous increase in
the number of anamorphic widescreen productions"
and will "stop the 1.85 to 1 movement
that has gained momentum during the
past five or six months."
Usage of the "anemic" 1.85 to 1 ratio has
"already taken its toll at the boxoffice," they
Coyne Presents Statistics
To Treasury Department
WASHINGTON — Additional statistics
on
ticket tax payments were presented to the
Treasury Department Tuesday (14) by Robert
W. Coyne, Council of Motion Pictures Organizations
executive. The move was in fulfillment
of a promise made to Secretary of the
Treasury George Humphrey by a COMPO
committee which visited him February 1.
Don Thorp Smith, assistant to the secretary,
received the material. Coyne promised
to supply more later.
Pat McGee Is Mentioned
For TOA Executive Job
NEW YORK—Latest name to be added
to the list of those who are supposed to
be under consideration by the board of
Theatre Owners of America for the post
of general manager is Pat McGee. The
board will meet at New Orleans March
4. 5.
McGee was the TOA leader in the
ticket tax campaign which brought about
a reduction. Until recently he was general
manager of Cooper Foundation Theatres.
asserted, and the dual-billing of a 2.35 print
with a 1.85 print "shows up the latter as a
non-competitor." This reflects, in their opinion,
"a dangerous regression that defeats the
forward movement that the widescreen stimulated
as a counter to television."
The new Superscope-235 is photographed
with standard cameras, lenses and films, and
the anamorphic prints are produced in the
laboratory stage. It is available for both color
and black-and-white (through Technicolor in
the former category), and will cost the same,
in either case, as normal flat prints. The
only additional charge incurred by producers
over 1.85 to 1 processing is a license and service
fee of $1.00 a foot, based on the cut
negative footage, amounting on an average
to $8,000 to $9,000 per picture.
Through the use of Superscope, it was
pointed out, the filmmaker has the benefit
of both anamorphic and flat prints because
it is unnecessary to utilize an "unsqueezing"
process to obtain flat prints.
More than 30 pictures in Superscope were
released during the first year of its availability,
the Tushinskys reported, and licenses
for Superscope-235 are being granted "immediately."
Talks on Production Code
Will Start Next April
WASHINGTON—Discussions on changes in
the Production Code and appeals machinery
will not get under way until April, says Kenneth
Clark, vice-president of the Motion Picture
Ass'n of America, who will act as secretary
to the committee made up of Barney
Balaban, Daniel O'Shea and Abe Schneider.
Eric Johnston will leave Monday (20) for an
extended tour that will combine association
and governmental business. He will hold new
consultations with the Arab states and Israel
on use of the Jordan River waters. Premier
Ben Gurion of Israel has decided to delay
further work on an irrigation canal until
after further talks.
Johnston will be accompanied by Irving
Maas, MPEA vice-president in charge of the
Far East division.
TOA Members Get Booklet
On Widescreen Films
NEW YORK—Theatre Owners of America
has distributed to its full membership the
booklet, "Widescreen Motion Pictures," prepared
by the Society of Motion Picture and
Television Engineers. It has been reprinted
and distributed several times. The latest
edition includes the projector aperture dimensions
for Todd-AO.
B BOXOFFICE
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: February
18, 1956