m

—
Variety No. 3 Installs
New Officers for '57
CINCINNATI— Al the annual joint installation
dinner dance of Variety Tent 3 recently,
William Onie, local exhibitor, was installed
as chief barker and Mrs. Arthur Van
Gelder wa-s installed as president of the
auxiliary.
Also installed were Ruben Shor, fii-st assistant
barker; Nathan S. Wise, second assistant:
Saul Greenberg, secretary; James
McDonald, dough guy, and directors Noah
Schechter, Jim Joseph, Abe Mains. Stuart
Jacobson, Jack Kalan and Bernard Dabney.
Past chief barkers are Robert C. McNabb,
Edward Salzberg, Herman Hunt, Vance
Schwartz and Allan Moritz.
For the auxiliary Mrs. Jack Finberg was installed
as first vice-president; Mrs. Abe
Strauss, second vice-president; Mrs. Jerry
Wall, secretary; Mrs. Charles Wolfson,
treasurer, and directors include Mrs. Phil
Fox, Mrs. Robert Jacobs, Mrs. Saul Greenberg,
Mrs. Allan Moritz, Mj-s. William Onie,
Mrs. Morris Dennis. Mrs. Abe Maius, Mrs.
Jack Onie, Mrs. Harry Pollins and Mrs. Nate
Wise. Mrs. Herman Hunt is the immediate
past president.
George Hoover, executive director of
Variety International from Miami, Pla., was
here for the event. Robert C. McNabb, outgoing
chief barker, was given a portable
TV as a gift, and Mrs. Hunt received a
portable radio. Mrs. Hunt was ill and unable
to attend. Her gift was accepted by her
husband.
Films More Objectionable
Columbus Paper Charges
COLUMBUS—Filmmakers "have considerably
over-reached themselves" in the making
of objectionable motion pictures since the
general decline of censorship, said the Columbus
Dispatch editorially.
"We have a feeling that censorship bills
introduced recently in the Ohio legislature
will find support in a good many quarters
ordinarily opposed to censorship of any
kind," said the Dispatch.
"We are instinctively opposed to censorship
of any sort and we do not believe that arbitrary
cen.sorship ever finally solves any
problem," continued the editorial. "There
are too many imponderables involved in any
creative work—a movie, play or a book— to
lay down arbitrary standards that will satisfy
everyone.
"Nevertheless, so long as a minority of
moviemakers continues to confuse liberty
with license and to turn out pictures which
affront the ordinary decencies in the eyes
of so many moviegoers, we fear they stand
in increasing danger of fastening an unwanted
censorship on the whole industry."
The Dispatch said that "more producers
have defied the production code by releasing
pictures without the code seal and the
recent revisions in the code have been in
the direction of more, not less, leeway for
questionable screenfare." The newspaper
said the caliber of films shown in Ohio
"measured by the decency yardstick has
deteriorated notably." The paper said "more
objectionable pictures have been shown and
some have reached a new low in vulgarity,
salacity, obscenity and too-frank depiction
for general audiences of themes and situations
entirely unsuitable for the young."
Art Film Is 'Critics Movie That u/es
At Boxoffice/ But Outlook Improves
TOLEDO—Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein,
the renowned Russian cinematic dramatist,
might quiver in pain at the description of
ABE LUDACER
an art film as "a critic's movie that drops
dead at the boxoffice." But that's the
practical summation of the art film's drawing
power from Abe Ludacer, manager of the
Loew's Esquire, which has been booking the
offbeat films for the last year, reports the
Toledo Blade.
Early in 1956, Ludacer convinced the Loew's
management that it should try an experiment:
change the Esquire from a commercial
motion pictui-e theatre to an art film house.
FIRST LOEWS ART HOUSE
Loew's agreed, and the Toledo theatre became
the first art house in the organization's
chain.
Into the Esquire poured prize-winning films
from the sound stages of the most talented
filmmakers in the world— "Gate of Hell"
from Japan, "Hill 24" from Israel, "The
Great Adventure" from Sweden, "Aida" from
Italy, "Diabolique" from Fl'ance, "Doctor in
the House" from Britain and "Marty" from
Hollywood.
What happened at the boxoffice.
"Let me put it this way," said Ludacer.
"We just didn't make money. There is a
great market in Toledo for art films, and
people want this kind of picture. But it has
been a confusing experience. One of the basic
principles of this business always has been
that if you have a good movie, you do good
business."
He said that high overhead, downtown
parking difficulties and apathy have been
contributing factors to the unenthusiastic
public response.
On one occasion, he recalled, his house sent
out 3,000 reduced admission tickets to university
students. Less than 100 cashed in the
tickets, he said, adding:
CRITIC RAVES NO CRITERIA
"When the New York critics rave about a
film, you may just as well keep the boxoffice
closed most evenings."
Still, the experience has not been entirely
discouraging. Ludacer said the Esquire will
continue showing art films indefinitely.
The relationship between art films and poor
boxoffice receipts in the American motion
picture market has caused businessmen who
own theatres to tread gingerly. In Toledo,
a Summit street house that featured art films
closed after six months.
Kent Nitz, manager of the Westwood Art
Theatre on Sylvania avenue, said that Toledo
was carefully investigated before his theatre
was opened last Thanksgiving.
The Westwood is part of a ten-theatre Midwest
chain of art film houses. Nitz reported
that response so far has been "very fine" to
showings of "The Ladykillers" from Britain,
"Rififi" from France, the Soviet Union's
"Stars of the Russian Ballet" and "The Bed,"
a joint European-American release.
The Westwood offers patrons extra added
attractions in the form of free coffee, free
parking, an exhibit of impressionistic paintings
on loan from the Town Gallery and
ultramodern lobby furniture.
Nitz said that "Toledo has great potential
for patronizing anything that stimulates
artistic appreciation."
He said that patrons come from as far
away as Adrian, Mich., Waterville, Bowling
Green and Fostoria, indicating there is a
"kernel" of patronage in small towns as well
as Toledo.
"In a city with a population of 250,000, we
estimate a potential audience of 1/250," Nitz
said. "We have been satisfied with our Toledo
patronage."
Perhaps the most satisfactory long-range
experience with art film showings has been
at the University of Toledo.
Inaugurated in 1946, the Gold series showings
have won increasing popularity each
year, said Prof. James L. Hofford, chairman
of the university's film society.
Patrons are invited to view the films on a
membership basis, a charge of $4.80 for eight
films.
The university has sold 700 membership
tickets for its showings this season, and expects
an even bigger response in the future.
Profits from the 16mm showings have been
plowed back into new theatre equipment
projectors, speakers, screen, drapes and curtains.
"Our experience has shown that the audience
for art films is on the upswing. Many
people seem to want something better than
the average commercial film. All signs point
to a bright future."
Michigan Showmen Urged
To Back Allied Group
DETROIT — Michigan exhibitors were
urged to place every effort back of unified
work for common industry objectives In a
plea by Bernard L. "Bud" Kilbride, secretary
of Allied Theatres of Michigan. Kilbride
noted the recent victory of Allied in
court in defeating the state use tax on theatre
advertising rentals.
"Like all successful businessmen you
recognize the value of organization," Kilbride
told exhibitors. "But we all know fellow
exhibitors who try to save pennies by throwing
away dollars. They actually seem willing
to submit to oppressive, discriminatory taxes,
regulations and restrictions, rather than to
invest a few pennies a day to support their
protective trade association. In harming
themselves, they harm all of us."
BOXOFFICE :: February 16, 1957 ME-1