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FOUR-POINT PROGRAM GIVEN
TO REBUILD THEATREGOING
Sober Evaluation Needed,
Eddie Joseph Tells
Texas Drive-In Men
DALLAS - Drlvp-ln 'TS were
preMrnted a lour-polni i>io».iiHii ..; action to
reverse the trend of boxofflce receipt* by
President Eddie Joseph In his keynote address
at the openlnK of the Texas Drlve-In
TtiMitre Owners Assn convention Monday.
•There is a Kreai need in the motion picture
industry for sober evaluation and concrete
accomplishment to win the theatregoing
public back Into the theatres," he said.
"Now Is the time to direct our efforts to re-
Terse the boxofflce trend: now is the time
for the voice of exhibition to be heard to put
a stop to the creeping paralysis of monopolistic
practices such as were prevalent prior
to the Rovernmeni's antitrust action: now Is
the time to buUd the goodwill of the theatregoing
public "
ASKS CLEARANCE OVER TV
Joseph's program of action called for
guarantees by distributors of at least sevento-ten
year film clearance over television;
gradual releasing throughout the year: condemnation
of the prerelease roadshow policy,
and opposition to re-entry by distributors In
the exhibition field.
Regarding the use of features on TV, he
declar«d:
The sutlstlclans tell us that the national
gross at the boxofflce declined during 1957.
particularly from Labor Day to the Christmas
holidays Much of the decline can be
attributed to the mass sale of older motion
pictures to t^lerlslon. which requires theatre
owners to compete with free entertainment.
The tragic aspect of this shortsighted
and greedy action on the part of the distributors
is that the money which made these
great productions possible came from the theatre
owners: the art that made Hollywood
the moviemaking capital of the world came
from the funds furnished from film rental
paid by you and me. Now these great movies
are being flooded into television and are
keeping people away from our theatres. This
convention .should soberly resolve to voice Itself
to every distributor that we demand reaonable
clearance, not less than seven to ten
years, over television."
STE.VDV
PRODICT FLOW
Joseph pointed out that since 1960. there
ba.1 been a gradual decrease In the number of
motion pictures produced by Hollywood, and
said Whether this shortage of production
came about because of higher production
costs, shortsightedness on the part of dlstrttMtors.
or their general fear of the future.
Is difficult to ascertain: but Inherent with
the shortage of production has come the hold -
Ing back of picture* ao that we now have
either a feast or famine of feature pictures
scheduled To recover the lost audience of
theatregoers we must make our voice heard
for a steady flow of attracUons throughout
the year."
The drtve-in theatre owners. especlAlly
'Turning the Corner'
In Attendance Hunt
Ilitlliu—The drl%-r-ln Iheatr* horlion
^hoWM sign?* of a dawn ldrnt. rrportril
to the ronvrntlon of thr Trxa.s I)rlve-In
Thciilrr (twnrrN .\vs'n hrrr.
••.\ rfall.slir appruivil of the future of
the drlve-ln theutrr in this arra (fives us
rea-son to bellevr that wr may be turnln;
thr rorner to recover our lost thratrr
audlrnrr." hr siild. "The schedule of
feature pirtun-s for 19M is good.
Indei>endrnt prinluitlon Is Increasing,
which will result in more rcmkI pictures.
"Certain studi(>^ are turnine their art
and talent to exploitation pictures, which
have good results In drive-In theatres.
"Surveys of the motion picture Industry
indicate that the .\merican public is
hungry for rikkI pictures, and our own
lfro!*es indicate that the theatregoing
public will leave television In the living
room to see a good movie In your theatre."
these operating small town theatre.s, should
be alarmed by a new practice of distributors.
Joseph contended, declaring that when a
producer spends more than $3,000,000 on a
picture, regardless of Its merits. It becomes a
roadshow picture and Is subject to special
handling methods.
First, it Is exhibited at advanced admission
prices at the large theatres In the key situations
for an extended run," he said. 'Then
It returns to those theatres at normal admission
prices for an additional extended run
Thus, by the time it reaches the drlve-ln
theatre, the national and regional exploitation
campaign has no value, the picture has
been milked .so that there Is no audience for
the drlve-ln theatre, and even more disastrous
Is the embarrassment to you. the drlveln
theatre owner, when asked by your theatre
patron when you Intend lo play such
picture.
"I hold that this roadshow and special
handling of pictures is a device being used
by the producers and distributors to avoid thr
antitrust decrees and to destroy the will of
the drlve-ln theatre to compel* against the
former defendants of the distributors. Again,
this association, and each theatre owner
here, must make its and his voice heard— that
we deplore this method of distribution and
the destructive forces which It generates.
"In order fairly and reasonably to combat
roadshow and special handling of big pictures,
we must be prepfurd to commend and
encourage independent production which will
fairly and reasonably llcease us pictures, and
we must let the distributors of these roadshow
pictures know of our displeasure with
these methods of handling."
Joseph reported several of the major dlstrlbutor'i
acquired theatres for the exhibition
of their film* during 1957. and he urged theatre
owners to condemn this re-entry of the
dLitrlbutor Into exhibition If thLi is permitted
to continue, he said, the subsequent
run theatres, which includes most drlve-livtt,
will be destroyed.
The Texas drlve-ln association has protested
to the Justice Department without favorable
action. Joseph related, and urged that
every means possible be u.-sed to halt the
movement In Its Infancy.
"I have mentioned a numlier of deplorable
actions and movements on the part of distributors,"
Joseph .said, "but we cannot hope
to recover the lost theatre audience by merely
attacking the practices of the distributors:
we must on our own. by keeping our theatres
In good repair, properly serving our theatre
public and becoming a part of the community
In which we live, recover and re-establish
the faith In the motion picture industry for
the betterment of our own Individual drlve-ln
theatre and the advancement of the entire
motion picture industn,' "
LISTS ACCOMPLISHMENTS
The association president recalled accomplishments
of the organization during the
past year.
"We have had a hard-working board of
directors. Through committees and board
meeting, we have set a path of accomplishment
which has bettered the lot of the drlveln
theatre owner In this area and brought
recognition to the association throughout the
United States We have participated in the
passing of favorable legislation which has
outlawed unrea-sonable practices of the distributors.
We have kept in constant touch
with the Justice Department, calling attention
to the unfair and discriminatory- practices
visited upon drlve-ln theatre owners.
We have come from a loosely knotted organization
to a well-organized association, with
an excellent executive director and great
promise for the future. The continued life of
this association will be of material benefit
to all drlve-ln theatre owners. It must be
the objective of this convention to provide
ways and means for lUs future existence."
contim;e toll tv
fight
While It Is too .soon to evaluat* the results
of the Bartlesvllle experiments for home electronics
theatres, he said. It appears at this
time that the experiment will not be successful
He urged the conventloners to be vigilant
and encourage congressmen against toll
television.
"The mental atUtude of the theatre owner
that the Industry will never revive must be
blotted out." he pleaded We theatre owners
must roll up our sleeves, pull ourselves up by
our own bootstraps and furnish attractive,
hospitable atmosphere for the exhibition of
the finest movies we can license We must
stress that drlve-ln theatres are specially
built and adapted for family entertainment
and appeal to the entire family If we do
this, while fighting lo eliminate the deplorable
actions which have so hurt our theatres
in the last few years, we have the right to
feel that the future will bring a good return
on our Investment*."
Doris Day in "Like a Dove'
The MlrLsch Company has .signed Doris Day
to star in UA's "Roar Like a Dove "
BOXOmCE January 37, 1968 SW-1