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Al KXAS DRIVE-IN CONVINTION:
French Production
25,000 Theatres by '10, Up to i40 in 1957
A\P President Predicts
UALiAS IiLstcad of dccrcaslnK. the number
of Indoor and drlve-ln theatres in the
United States will rise In the next 12 years
and. by 1970, there should be approximately
25.000 motion picture theatres. This was
the cheerful prediction of James H. Nlchol-
.son. president of American International Pictures.
In a talk before the Texas Drive-In
Theatre Owners Assn convention here this
week.
At present, there are approximately 18.500
theatres, of which about 4.500 are drive-lns,
Tliealres will be built as long as there is
an Increasing market lor theatrical motion
pictures." Nicholson said. •The growth of
the drive-Ins to over 4.000 in the last four
years has been responsible for a revolution
In exhibition and production thinking. In
.spite of the prophecies of theatre closings
by the thousands, there are more theatres
than ever before. For every theatre which
closed, five drive-lns grew,
"As suburbanization lncrease,s. more
drive-in> will be built. It is not unlikely that
eventually 75 per cent of motion picture theatres
will be of that t>'pe. There always will
be city theatres, of course, but [xjpulatlon
trends to .suburbia will see further increase in
drlve-ln construction. By 1970. with population
increases and other forms of competition
losing their last vestiges of novelty. I
predict a need for 25.000 theatres, with the
principal building increase in the drive-in
division,
"The increasing strength of drive-ins Is reflected
In the receipts from them which have
helijed keep Hollywood in business, A little
over 60 per cent of our revenue comes from
drive-ins. Over 50 per cent of our key first
runs are in drive-lns. While we do not gear
our production exclusively with drivp-ins in
mind, we are well aware that they attract
the younger audience— teenagers and young
married couples. These are the audience of
today. The younger people want to get out
of the house for their kicks. This Is the
audience attracted to drive-lns. Therefore,
our production program is devoted to action
pictures, the drive-in's bread and butter."
Nicholson decried the "How long can
it last?" queries about 'gimmick double bills."
"I started in this business as an usher 25
years ago. As long as I can remember, action
pictures with built-in gimmicks have always
done well." he said. "It's only when exhibitors
and producers get fat with profits and turn
arty that they lose the path to the people.
The audience wants gimmicks. They are the
currency of all trade and marketing, whether
motion pictures or toothpaste tubes."
Nicholson appealed to the drive-in ojierators
for "showmanship that goes beyond
tacking up a one-sheet" and reiterated AIP's
recently announced pledge of increased production,
with no .sales to television for a
minimum of at least ten years after release.
Samuel Z, Arkoff. vice-piesident of AIP,
also spoke during the convention. He urged
exhibitors to play a role in the making of
motion pictures by letting producers know
what audiences will buy and will avoid. The
producer, he said, must know when "he is
off on the wrong foot" before he takes the
fatal production step from which he cannot
turn back. Exijerienced exhibitor.s, with from
10 to 50 years of knowledge of public wants
and whims, can almost smell a failure from
the first grrandiose announcement. This
knowledge conveyed to the producer can
save both HoUyw'ood and exhibition millions
of dollars a vear.
Eric Johnston Combats British Report
U.S, Films Distort American Life
.VfW '^'OliK Eiic Jolm-sloii. president of
the Motion Picture A.ss'n of America, has
written Eklward L, Bemays. public relations
consultant, that he differs with .some statements
In a Bemays report on American films
In Great Britain which received considerable
press mention. Boiislblllty with the
Brr. Ill giving a fal.sc Impression of
America to the British people, and thereby
contribute tremendously to anti-American
reactions.'
"It is much clo.ser to the facts, as I have
found them, to say, as does one person you
quote, that British audiences learn a great
deal about Uie real America through seeing
our motion pictures.
"I know that you had Intended to Ixcompletely
objective but I wish that you had
had the opportunity to make a more Intensive
and wider study of U.S. films In Britain.
In that event. I have no doubt that you
would have found and reported a different
conclusion
"I don't contend that there aren't some
bad films and that .some films don't distort
American life, but I have found no factual
basis for the generalized st«tement In .vour
reixirt that U.S. films are doing harm to
International relatlon.shlps On the contrary,
our films are contributing mightily to bettor
understandings among (x'oples nf the world.
The evidence Is overwhelming on this point."
PARIS— French film production hit a newhigh
in 1957 with 140 feature films put before
the cameras, compared to 129 in the
preceding 12 months. Of the 140. 82 were exclusively
French. 50 were co-productions with
the Italian industry and the remaining eight
Involved cooperation with companies In Germany.
Yugoslavia. Australia and China.
These 58 co-productions were also a gain
over the 39 such projects In 1956.
As in the American film indastry. the
number of color and widescreen films produced
was down. In 1957. only 44 productions
were in color, compared with 57 for 1957
and the 36 widescreen productions turned out
In 1957 were six short of the 42 for 1956.
Export revenues from French films during
the first three quarters of 1957 were 21 per
cent higher than the revenues earned during
the first three quarters of 1956. according
to the Centre National de la Cinematographle.
It is expected that the global export
revenue for the year will amount to a
figure in the neighborhood of $10,000,000.
In terms of world market expansion. 37
French features were released in the U. S
in 1957. a rise from the 23 released in 1956.
Of the 140 French features made during
1957, two are set for release by American
majors, "The Monte Carlo Story," a Franco-
Italian film in Technirama and Technicolor,
which United Artists released In August, and
"Bitter Victory," a Cinemascope feature,
which Columbia will release in March 1958.
In addition. DCA distributed "Mademoiselle
Striptease" under the title of "Please! Mr.
Balzac."
Of the French features, two were in Technicolor.
16 were in Eastman Color, six were
in Agfacolor and one each were in Ansco
Color and Kodachrome. In addition to "The
Monte Carlo Story." the Franco-Italian or
Italo-French productions in color included
two others In Technicolor, five were In Eastman
Color, three were in Ferranlacolor and
one in Gevacolor. Tlie Franco-German-Italian
co-production. "Casino De Paris." was In
Technicolor and Franscope: the Franco-
Australian production, the Franco-Hungarian
production, the Franco-German production,
and the Italo-Franco-Yugaslav production
were all in Eastman Color and the
Franco-Chinese production was in Agfacolor
Tlie anamorphic productions included nine
others besides "Bitter Victory" In Cinema-
Scope. 19 others In Dyall.scope (similar to
Cinemascope I. seven in Franscope and one
Italo-French production. "Aphrodite. Goddess
of Love." In an anamorphic process
called
Total.scnix-.
Trans-Lux to Distribute
'Poor But Beautiful'
NEW VOKK-'Poor But Beautiful." now
ItJilian film starring Marl.sa Allnslo, has been
acquired for distribution In the US, by
Trans-Lux Distributing Corp,, according to
Richard P. Brandt, president,
Mtss Allasto, who will be Introduced to
American audiences In MGM's ""Seven Hills
of Rome," which will ojx-n at tlie Radio City
Music Hall January 30, Is making a promotional
tour of the US., visiting Now "Vork
City, Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans.
Houston. Dallas. Wa.shlngton DC. ChlcaiT'-
and Los Angeles.
14 BOXOFFICE January 27. 19