Boxoffice-April.07.1958
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Tips From <strong>Boxoffice</strong> Articles<br />
Aid<br />
California Women's Film Council<br />
CALENDARaEEVENTS<br />
APRIL<br />
Officers of the Concord (Calif.) Motion Picture Council use BOXOFFICE as a<br />
developing community-exhibitor cooperation. They are shown here<br />
source for ideas in<br />
at a recent conference with Mrs. Edith Dolan Riley, Oakland, west coast chairman of<br />
the National Federation of Motion Picture Councils. Left to right are: Mrs. R. E.<br />
Rawden, Concord president; Mrs. Riley; Mrs. A. F. Sorenson, secretary; Mrs. R. G.<br />
Quatemas. motion picture chairman, and Mrs. L. R. Lingfelter, treasurer.<br />
CONCORD. CALIF. — Tips gained from<br />
on community-exhibitor co-<br />
reading aj-ticles<br />
operation in BOXOFFICE have helped members<br />
of the Concord Motion Picture Council<br />
establish improved relations with theatremen<br />
here and bring many women patrons back<br />
to tlie habit of regular moviegoing. The<br />
women, who represent civic, religious and<br />
school orgaJiizations, read BOXOFFICE for<br />
reviews, for information on cooperative<br />
projects which can be adapted in this community,<br />
and to gain general information<br />
about the making, distribution and exhibition<br />
of motion pictures.<br />
Record 364,876 Witness<br />
Fight on Theatre Screens<br />
ThLs is reported by Mi-s. Edith Dolan Riley,<br />
west coast chairman of the National Federation<br />
of Film Councils, who met with the<br />
Concord group recently. Film council members,<br />
she said, feel that an editorial written<br />
by Ben Shlyen, publisher of BOXOFFICE,<br />
"Woo the Women," is largely responsible for<br />
the return of the woman audience in this<br />
community.<br />
Mrs. Riley .said she found a closer coopera-<br />
New York — TelePrompTer Corp. reported<br />
Tuesday (1) that a record 364,876<br />
fight fans in 174 theatres in 140 cities<br />
watched the Sugar Ray Robinson-Carmen<br />
Basilio fight March 25 in Chicago.<br />
The previous record for theatre TV was<br />
350,000 for the Rocky Marciano-Archie<br />
Moore fight in 1955.<br />
The International Boxing Club received<br />
$340,000 as its share of the closed-circuit<br />
telecast and the two fighters got 30 per<br />
cent each of the amount.<br />
Irving B. Kahn, president of Tele-<br />
PrompTer, called the telecast "the first<br />
true national example of pay TV—the<br />
kind that takes nothing away from the<br />
home viewer and makes possible a great<br />
future for top attractions,"<br />
tion between exhibitors and women's organizations<br />
than ever before, with the local<br />
council giving its assistance to the industry<br />
in promotion of the better films. An example<br />
of this cooperation came last month when<br />
the council held its annual luncheon meeting.<br />
The group requested a film for a preview<br />
showing, but when the picture was screened<br />
by a committee, the theatre manager weis<br />
advised that the picture was one which would<br />
result in poor public relations for the industry.<br />
But, said the women, if the theatre<br />
would provide a good family-type picture,<br />
they would get behind it and help sell it to<br />
the town. As a re.sult, "Old Yeller" was<br />
booked. The women w-ent to work, plugged<br />
the picture, boosted motion pictures as a<br />
whole and "Old Yeller" ran for a week and<br />
a half, and with an unprecedented daily<br />
matinee held immediately after school was<br />
dismissed.<br />
"Since this event," reports Mrs. Riley, "the<br />
management of the theatre has been very<br />
careful in selecting pictures suitable for the<br />
community, and members of the Council<br />
now feel that they can make it profitable<br />
for the theatre as well as satisfying for<br />
themselves by boosting good films."<br />
Sy Weintrcnib Buys Control<br />
In Sol Lesser Company<br />
HOLLYWOOD—In an outright stock purchase.<br />
Sol Les.ser has sold out his interests<br />
in the company bearing his name to Sy<br />
Weintraub. TV-film distribution figure, for<br />
an amount reportedly in excess of $3,000,000.<br />
Weintraub will continue the firm in feature<br />
film production, making as many as seven<br />
pictures a year, in addition to video product.<br />
Although Lesser sureenders stock control<br />
of his company, he will remain as head of<br />
production and chairman of the board.<br />
Weintraub, formerly partnered in Flamingo<br />
Films and most recently with Bernard L.<br />
Schubert in Telestar Films, reportedly will<br />
include in his seven features one of the "Tarzan"<br />
series that has long been a mainstay<br />
of the Lesser organization.
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