Boxoffice-November.17.1956

COMPO RETURN, ARBITRATION
ARE TOP SUBJECTS FOR ALLIED
But Film Buying Clinics,
Equipment Show Also
Holding Interest
DALLAS—Allied States Ass'n will make
some basic polirv decisions at its annual
convention here, t o
be held in the new
Statler-Hilton Hotel
November 27, 28 and
29. The board of directors
will decide
whether to return to
membership in the
Council of Motion
Picture Organizations,
from which it
withdrew at last
year's convention,
ROY KALVER and whether to participate
in an indus-
Keynote Speaker
trywide arbitration system even if the
plan does not contain arbitration of rentals.
These are matters of importance to
the entire industry.
While the directors have the authority to
take action without bringing the question
before the delegates, it is expected that on
two such important policy-level matters, the
ROBERT MORRELL
Coordinator
convention itself will be taken in for an advisory
vote. A committee is making a preconvention
study of the COMPO problem,
and will present its report to the board. Directors
hold their meeting for a three-day
period preceding the general convention.
Roy Kalver, president of the Indiana Allied
affiliate, has been selected to deliver the
keynote address this year. Kalver, operator of
a group of theatres in Decatur, Ind., was recently
re-elected head of Allied Independent
Theatre Owners of Indiana for the third
time. Julius Gordon, president of Jefferson
Amusement Co., one of Texas' substantial
circuit of theatres, is the convention chairman,
and Robert Morrell,
general manager
for theatre properties
owned by Allied's
president, Ruben Shor,
is the convention coordinator.
The theme of the
convention will be "See
How, Learn How, So
That You Will Know
How," relates, for the
most part, to film
buying clinics, availabilities
and runs.
However, Morrell said that sessions will be devoted
to discussions of new approaches to
advertising methods, concessions operations,
and new products.
Sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
during each of the three days, and question
and answer periods will follow all discussions,
Morrell said. The convention will come to
a close with a dinner November 29, at which
Col. H. A. Cole, veteran Allied leader, will be
honored for his three decades of service.
A large tradeshow will be held in the ex-
More Family-Type Films
Urged by ITO of Ohio
COLUMBUS—Delegates to the Independent
Theatre Owners of Ohio convention here this
week called for the production of more family-type
pictures and, on a state level, urged
enactment of legislation which would make
parents liable for property damage caused
by minor children.
The convention drew top National Allied
leaders, including Ruben Shor, president; A. F.
Myers, general counsel and board chairman,
and Irving DoUinger, treasurer.
Shor, speaking at the opening session,
charged that sales of film backlogs to television
stations will speed up the rate of theatre
closings.
Shor contended there is a definite plan on
part of distributors to eliminate small-town
theatres and subsequent runs. He said if
exhibitors do not back up exhibitor organizations
more in the future than they have in the
past disaster looms. He deplored fighting
among exhibitors, saying "If you want to
stay in business you should forget fighting
among yourselves." He also declared if theatres
closed for a week or two that would
call public attention to exhibitors' plight.
Abram F. Myers, Allied's general counsel,
said the industry is at a crossroads "more
dangerously so than at any time in the
past." He said exhibitors should actively
support united industry action to increase
grosses, such as the proposed tieup with the
Academy Awards. Myers said the film shortage
remains toughest problem, but he pointed
out that not one picture has been produced
as result of various plans for exhibitorsponsored
production.
He warned that if toll TV becomes a
reality these stations could supply "vastly
greater revenues" to filmmakers than theatres
can.
On an entirely different subject, Irving
Dollinger of New Jersey, Allied's treasurer,
urged lawsuits for nondelivery of prints of
contract dates by "hundreds of exhibitors
throughout the country." This could be an
effective means of dramatizing the situation,
he said. Courts have generally sided with
exhibitors in clearance suits and "nondelivery
of prints constitutes extension of clearance."
Dollinger said a "summit conference" on
hibltion hall of the Statler-Hilton Hotel.
The exhibitor area is directly off the hotel
lobby, and adjacent to the meeting hall.
Many national and regional equipment and
supply firms have reserved exhibition space
to display their merchandise.
Women attending the convention will be
entertained by the Dr. Pepper Co., Neiman-
Marcus, and Everts home of diamond cutting
and styling. Elverts plan a tour through
methods of improving grosses would be helpful.
He decried routine movie ads and
suggested theatres should place ads on TV
and general news pages to attract more
readers. He said Allied's Emergency Defense
program has been ineffectual, but that exhibitors
have power of national buying if they
would unite. "This won't happen, but if all
exhibitors refused to show one company's
pictures, that company would close within
six months," Dollinger said.
Board of directors at preconvention meeting
heard Mrs. Robert Caine, representing the
Ohio Child Conservation League, urge production
of more family-type pictures, and a
curb on sexy and misleading ads.
Horace Adams, Cleveland, was re-elected
president at the concluding session Wednesday.
P. W. Huss jr., Cincinnati, and Judge
Hoy L. Russell, Millersburg, were named vicepresidents,
and Charles Sugarman, Columbus,
treasurer. Robert Wile was renamed executive
secretary.
Ruben Shor, and Leon Enken of Warren
were added to the board of directors, upping
membership to 19.
"It's deplorable that exhibition, which
represents a three-billion-dollar investment,
allows itself to be dictated to by distributors,"
Adams declared. "It's a case of the tail
wagging the dog. If we could get 100 per cent
unity among the nation's exhibitors we could
dictate terms, not that we want to become
dictators."
Former ITO president Martin G. Smith,
Toledo, was presented a set of luggage and
scroll signed by delegates at a testimonial
dinner Tuesday.
Al Sindlinger, industry research analyst,
told delegates bad titles cut grosses heavily
and multiple day-and-date showings cost the
industry 10 to 15 million dollars a week. He
said attendance rose from a low of 24 million
patrons in one week last December to a high
this year of 83 million in July. Last week
attendance was 37 million, he said. Of 42
million who viewed "Wizard of Oz" on TV,
five million would otherwise have gone to
movies, he said, adding TV films offer greater
competition to live TV shows than to theatres.
its diamond cutting plant, and will give
each visitor a souvenir.
The Dallas WOMPI chapter is handling
arrangements for the women's entertainment,
with Mrs. Grace Poison, president, in
charge.
Serving with Julius Gordon on the convention
advisory committee are Abram P.
Myers, Ruben Shor, Horace Adams, Irving
Dollinger and Jack Kirsch.
8 BOXOFFICE :
: November 17, 1956