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LETTERS Puts Shoe on Others' Foot Here is a copy of a letter sent to all Kansas City branch managers which I hope might amuse you. ATTENTION ALL FILM DISTRIBUTORS': Please mark your records for one of the most colossal drives in the history of theatre business. The months of June. July and August 1957 are hereby designated as good old Bud Broun Drive Months. Bud Broun is one of the most honored men in the history of the PhilUpsburg. Kas. theatres. He has worked long and hard, particularly the past two years with no profit. What little he has accomplished for anyone the past two years has helped the film distributors more than anyone. A fellow of such a fine nature deserves to be rewarded some w"ay and it is the opinion of the writer that such reward could be given through good old Bud Broun Drive Months. Here is how it works: Each film company may submit to the writer first and second choices for the period during good old Bud Broun Drive Months in which that company chooses to supply free film to the Phillipsburg Drive-In Theatre.'* Short subjects count in this diive almost as much as features, but of course the better the features, the more the company will be showing thenappreciation. Please submit yoiu' dates for both features and short subjects to the writer and let's put good old Bud Broun Drive Months over with a bang. Thanks for your usual fine cooperation. *No film distributor not now selling film to Phillipsburg may participate in good old Bud Broun Drive Months. Sorry, but ony company that wanted to make the loss in 1956 greoter than it was, moy not participote. "No compony may have over two weeks to supply both features ond short subjects for the good old Bud Broun Drive Months. Please do not request ony additional ploying time. Majestic Theatre, PhilUpsbiu-g, Kas, BUD BROUN A Way to Curb Teenage Trouble We have all heard a lot about teenage episodes, disturbances, and all that sort of thing. I'll just say there would be considerably less of this, if theatres would stop having teenage youngsters ushering, etc., and giving orders to the kids in attendance. Kids bossing kids just don't work, in my experience, and NOTHING in my book will start something quicker than a kid employe that goes to school with the rest of the kids assuming an air of authority when he gets on a uniform at night in the theatre. I think the reaction quite natural and anytime anyone delegates any authority to a kid employe or sends them down in a theatre to "quiet" a group of noise-makers, he's just asking for trouble, that's for sure. Yet it's being done in a lot of theatres, as you know. I don't altogether blame the kids for resenting it, either, but it's just a case of sending a boy to do a man's job, which never has worked. I think ANY manager can have reasonably good order, if HE WILL PER- SONALLY WORK AT IT, HIMSELF, instead of exi)ecting another kid to exercise control over the paid kid customers. I know there are exceptions to all rules, but I think I know what I'm talking about. I don't want to be quoted by name, but what I have said can open up a couple of avenues for thought as this particular job in a theatre isn't one for a part-time "Johnny." It's just one of the conditions that keeps people away from movies that can be improved upon. KANSAS THEATRE OWNER The Picture Show is Not Dead' I had an experience on New Year's E\e. I thought surely somebody would put it in BOXOFFICE. As yet I have not seen it, so here goes. Occasionally, when one of the theatres in our territory has a good Midnight Show, I take the four boys who help me around the Opera House to see it. This pleases the kids very much and you would be surprised how much better they work. So, not having a midnight show on New Year's Eve, I looked the ads over, to see which might suit us the better. I decided to take them 50 miles to Salina, to the Watson Theatre. They were showing "Don't Knock the Rock" and "Rumble on the Docks." It was 11:30 when we got there. Lo and behold, the sidewalks were full of people, spilling out into the streets. It looked like the lines that were common when "Vitaphone first introduced talking pictures. When I got to the ticket window, I found a sign saying "All seats 90 cents." Their usual price is 25 cents and 85 cents. So the price did not matter to these youngsters. My guess is that this theatre seats about 1,400. I bet, give or take a few, that they had 1,500 people in the building. Sure, they had the town, the youngsters, the night and the picture. I decided that the picture show was not dead, if we can give them what they want. You know somebody had to do the advertising, handle the immense crowd, sell the tickets and all the things that go with a "sellout." So in passing, let's tip our hats to a Master Showman, Speed Martin, and to his very, very efficient help. Opera House. Miltonvale. Kas. JOHN M. BAILEY 'Required Reading for All Exhibitors' File this letter with yoiu heap of fan mail. Your "A Fable—Not by Aesop" (Feb. 2, 1957 issue should be required reading for I all exhibitors. Although I am alleged to have "retired" from exhibition, I have a certificate indicating that I am a life member of our Missouri-Illinois Theatre Owners board of directors, and my heart is in this business for the dtu-ation of that membership. Let's hope oiu- two exhibitor organizations "make hay" before they fade into "Once upon a time." BESS SCHULTER Columbia Theatre, Louis, Mo. Newspaper Boosts Movie Theatre As 'Good for the A big boost for the local motion picture theatre in Fox Lake, 111., was made in an editorial that appeared in the Fox Lake Herald recently. Under the head, "A Good Thing for the Whole Town," the editorial follows: It's hard for merchants to learn that, as Ben Franklin once said, "If we don't hang together we'll surely hang separately." .Any business that draws townsfolk down to the main stem of an evening means money in the bank for every shop on the street. .And this applies to all whether open or shut, for coming in to town is a habit that has to be encouraged. One enterprise that more than any other, keeps people coming in, is a local movie theatre. In any number of towns, when due to lack of local patronage, a lone movie house closed down, the merchants finally woke up and chipped in to get it open again. A movieless town has a dead air about it. Its young people drive off elsewhere, its shops close earlier, the village fathers might as well take in the sidewalks at suppertime. Fox Lake Ls lucky in having a wellmanaged film showplace, with good surroundings. Its programs are chosen to try to appeal to many varied tastes—there St. Whole Town' are cops-and-robbers. cowbo.vs-and-Indians, and serious adult drama and musicals, too. Something sometime for everybody. Yet there are nights when some of the world's top attractions play here to a theatre far from filled. After the picture is gone the very people who would have found it most interesting, are the ones who complain that they would have come if they had known more about it. There is a failure to communicate special information to special interest groups. Merely announcing titles and stars will generally bring in the general movie fan audience, but special messages must get to the special interest groups somehow if special interest pictures are to get special support. .And the merchants on the main stem, whatever may be their personal movie preferences, could do a lot more than they are doing to keep reminding folks that there's a good movie house right in town. Schools, churches and civic organizations, too, have channels of information that might well be used in support of especially worthy and interesting films. Whatever brings people into town for a worthy purpose—and the seeing of a good film is stirely that—is a good thing for the town. The whole town. 22 BOXOFFICE :: February 16, 1957
! Lowest priced speaker ever offered by RCA Impac Speakers carr>' the lowest price tags ever tied to an RCA in-car speaker! And brother, how the value has gone up I In fact, this is the value milestone in drive-in equipment history . . . from RCA. as you'd expect. RCA Impac cases—an exclusive RCA de%elopment for RCA Victor portable radios—resist breaking, denting and chipping like no drive-in speaker exer before. Impac's color goes right through . . . you don't need costly refinishing. No matter what the weather, these speakers keep their smart looks and shape. .And inside. Impac Speakers have the same RC.A-qualit\- mechanism now reproducing sound so faithfully in hundreds of installations the countrv- o\-er. The record-low price alone makes it easy for you and your patrons to enjoy all the ad\^ntages of these lightweight, easy-to-handle RCA Impac Speakers. But in addition, there's no need for you to make any large capital outlay for your installation. Simply put RCA's Budget-Ease Plan to work for you- Ask your RC.A Theatre Supply Dealer about how smoothly Budget-Ease terms fit into your equipment budgeL The sooner you call him. the sooner RC.\ Impac Speakers can begin making their impact on your drive-in attendance and profits. riiiiiu /«(((« Ml T.k(s.< s THBATRE EQUIPMeifT SALES RADIO eORPORATfOM of AMBRICA In Omah: RCA VICTOR Co-vamr Limited, Momrtal BOXOmCE :: February 16. 1957 23
Page 1 and 2: Ft /ne TuAe m me /vi&to&n. Mctu/ie
Page 3 and 4: MS k-/1V)rtAi< S. ». . F' WAKE UP
Page 5 and 6: READY NOW WIT ERGMAN PICTURE
Page 7 and 8: F^6^ o^tAe //l(>twn reduce /^tdiuh/
Page 9 and 10: MPAA Industry Study To Be Comprehen
Page 11 and 12: — ' Hollywood Neglecting Big Musi
Page 13 and 14: )F 47.000.000. ..AIMED TO REACH EVE
Page 15 and 16: Ha^/e you eêr seen svet ^^HOLPiNG
Page 17 and 18: .
Page 19 and 20: — Asks Standardization Of Small S
Page 21: . — TECHNIRAMA, the spectacular n
Page 25 and 26: BOXOFFICE :: February 16, 1957 25
Page 27 and 28: Program Announced For Concessionair
Page 29 and 30: HOW TO WIN NEW PATRO And Cultivate
Page 31 and 32: ' New Scotland. N. Y„ Airer Openi
Page 33 and 34: .rJîJ,:.: For Sharp, Straightforwa
Page 35 and 36: . . Francis . . . Albert ' Memorial
Page 37 and 38: . . Mrs. . . The . . Salesman . . G
Page 39 and 40: ' NEWS AND VIEWS OF THE PRODUCTION
Page 41 and 42: Six Shows Sold Out At 'Bailie' Prem
Page 43 and 44: For Sharp, Straightforward^ Focus
Page 45 and 46: . . Theatre John . . The DENVER T y
Page 47 and 48: WB) — Grosses Hold Firm On Chicag
Page 49 and 50: AN EDITORIAL "ONE OF THE FINEST and
Page 51 and 52: I For Sharp, Straightforward^ Focus
Page 53 and 54: . . Ted . . Russ . . Wolf . . Manny
Page 55 and 56: Memphis Subs Open But Strike Goes O
Page 57 and 58: AN EDITORIAL Fort Lauderdale Daily
Page 59 and 60: For Sharp, Straightforward^ Focus
Page 61 and 62: CHANGE . . . TO Your "WATER-HOG FLU
Page 63 and 64: k Final Dance Slated At Texas Concl
Page 65 and 66: AN EDITORIAL "ONE OF THE FINEST and
Page 67 and 68: 7 GREAT DOUBLE BILLS BOOK THEM NOW
Page 69 and 70: ! People who go places like a light
Page 71 and 72: Dubuque, Iowa, Avon To Close on Apr
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. AN EDITORIAL "ONE OF THE FINEST a
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For Sharp, Straightforward^ Focus
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. . Frank . . Hialeah Optimists Fet
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— Variety No. 3 Installs New Offi
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For Sharp, Straightforward^^ Focus
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— . . . Phil . . Robert . . Eddie
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Charge on Weekends For New Smoking
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— — —— — — 'Anaslasia'
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For Sharp, Straightforward^ Focus
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Maritime Testimonial For Patrick Ho
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. . . Georges . . Phil . . Press .
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_ \ '"' • ALPHABETICAL INDEX •
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Weekly Ads Stress Big Screen^ Big P
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University Sponsors Art Festival Ev
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^ A %M M E 1^ y «• D V V Feature
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. .SF. Ad. . D Sep . . . D. . . Nov
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-11. li — — — m XHIBITOR HAS
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Opinions on Current Productions ÊA
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63 "nr TTP CrTIT/TfT JT Li U U Ulil
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j I | lATES: ISc per word, minimum
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