Boxoffice-April.07.1958

—
Sam Goldwyn Observes
Industry Forging Ahead
HOLLYWOOD—The film business is an
unreliable barometer of the national economy,
in the opinion of Samuel Goldwyn, film
producer and stormy figure of many a controversy
concerning his own activities and
the trade in general. Goldwyn, in a by-line
feature story, cited that in certain periods
of general business depression motion picture
attendance had flourished, while in
times of high national prosperity, it had often
suffered greatly.
He stated as one cause of the present low
regular attendance that "In the lush war
and postwar days when everything was
booming, too many people in leading positions
in our industry thought the boom would
last forever," adding that, until recently, the
industry had allowed television to cut deeply
into the health of the film business by simply
shrugging it off.
"The motion picture industry is putting its
house in order with more determination and
constructive effort than I have ever observed
in all of Hollywood's history," Goldwyn
opined. "It will take from one to two
years before the Hollywood revolution w'ill be
over and the new era fully ushered in. But
as long as Hollywood .sticks to the lesson it
has learned and continues to concentrate on
good entertainment, its future is secure.
"I am confident," the producer concluded,
"that, within a comparatively short period
of time, very few major studios will be producing
their own pictures: they will, instead,
be financing and distributing the pictures for
independent producere who have demonstrated
their ability to provide the public with
topflight entertainment."
Officer Hired by Theatre
To Police Smoker Area
PLACERVILLE, CALIF.—Lan-y Whiteman,
manager of the Empire Theatre, has hired a
special policeman in an attempt to control
the smoking section following complaints by
patrons. Whiteman said teenagers flipped
cigaret butts which burned holes in the
clothing of other customers, and in one instance
set fire to candy wrappers and popcorn
bags on the cement floor. Whiteman
said he tried a smoking ban but this proved
unp>opular, too.
He told the city council of the problem
after the El Dorado County PTA council
complained that smokers were creating a fire
hazard and damaging the clothing of nonsmokers.
Whiteman asked the council for
the services of an officer to help control the
section but was told the city could not provide
special service for a private business.
Art Wilde Up at Whitney
HOLLYWOOD—Arthur L.
Wilde has been
named general vice-president of C. V. Whitney
Pictirres, moving up from his post as
public relations director. The appointment
is in line with what President C. V. Whitney
termed "sw^eeping changes in the policies,
methods and programming of films."
Howard Pine Leaves U-I
HOLLYWOOD—Producer Howard B. Pine
has left Universal-International after one
year at the studio. His last production there
was "Ride a Crooked Ti-ail." Pine indicated
that he will announce his plans after a twoweek
vacation in Palm Springs.
W
|0 ONE will ever accu.se the trit)e of
Rhoden of lacking In versatility and
flexibility.
Consider first Elmer C. Rhoden jr., president
of C o m m o n-
wealth Theatres, a
sprawling midwesteni
circuit of 102 houses
in MLssouri, Iowa, Arkan.sas,
Kansas, Nebraska
and South
Dakota. Exliibitor
Rhoden the younger
has been venturing
into the more rarified
atmosphere of production—and
with notable
Elmer C. Rhoden
success. Recently in
Jr.
Hollywood to level a
shrewd eye at Uie production of two modestly
budgeted features w'hich he is impresarioing,
the 35-year-old show-man at a press conference
expressed his views on what's right and
what's wrong with the business of making
and exhibiting motion pictures. His opinions
and the arresting statistics that he projected
were widely reported in the trade pre.ss and
subsequently rated a half column of -space
in august Time magazine—recognition rarely
accorded to any theatre operator. Opined
and informed Junior Rhoden:
Business in his Commonwealth Theatres
is booming, 1957 grosses having recorded an
18 per cent increase over 1956; are still
burgeoning in contrast to the general trend.
So-called teenage films of the rock 'n'
roll, drag strip, chiller-dUler type, produced
and rentable for comparatively little money,
are responsible for this success story because
of their appeal to the younger generation
of ticket buyers. In this connection Rhoden
declared that 70 per cent of his circuit's
customers are under 24 years of age.
He cast a bilious eye on Hollywood's
stratospherically budgeted and luminously
cast pictures, venturing the illustrating opinion
that "Cai-y Grant won't sell teenagers."
Then there's Elmer C. Rhoden sr., who is
president of gargantuan National Theatres
and possesses something more than a rooting
interest in the midwest loop operated by his
son. On several occasions the elder Rhoden
ha-s voiced viewpoints diametrically opposed
to those aired by the heir apparent, the
most recent being his report to NT stockholders.
Rhoden pere has been unwavering in
his declaration that the theatres of his circuit
are being saved from the financial doldrums
because of the excellent, costly, impressively
cast features which Hollywood has been
making available in unprecedented quantities.
He named some of these pictures, including
Cary Grant starrers. Of course, it must be
understood that^-young Rhoden did not
single out that venerable trouper as an
individual but rather as a symbol of the
older performers who in his opinion "w-on't
sell teenagers."
It might be noted, parenthetically, that this
same Grant placed third among the ranking
male stars in the All American Favorites poll
conducted annually by this gazette and the
results of which were recently revealed in
BOXOFFICE BAROMETER. That tally.
which Ls the mast comprehensive of any
conducted by any publication—either trade
or general-brings to light the coasensu.s
opinion of both exhibitors and assorted press
and public film groups. Moreover, several
other mummers of Grant's generation were
among the winners.
So, it would appear that in this mercurial
listed
pastime of trying to determine what brings
business to theatres you pays your money
and you takes your cherce. Despite which, the
aforementioned tribe of Rhoden seems to be
adding .substance to several hoary busine.ss
axioms such as playing both ends against
the middle, can-ying water on both hips
or what's your pet bromide?
According: to a local keyholer, Bob Taplinger
tore the tendons in his arm while
water skiing.
Which proves that the aquatic sport is
more strenuous than breast beating.
Minutiae from the Marathon street magnifiers
reported that "Francis Lederer blew a
line in 'Maracaibo' when he caught his thumb
in Iris jacket. He plays a mute in the Paramount
picture, using only sign language."
If Lederer should have forgotten the rules
about unnecessary singing on the set. he
might have broken his arms. And they should
have cast oleaginous Bob Goodfried in the
part anyway. He's a past master at talking
with his hands.
As an exploitation stunt for Sol C. Siegel's
"Merry .\ndrew," Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer
bought 20,000 balloons that blow up to resemble
Danny Kaye in his clown costume
from the film. Balloons will be distributed to
children by theatres in advance of openings.
Shudder to contemplate what would bappen
to the kiddies if the technique were
ever employed to ballyhoo a Frankenstein
opus.
It's been a matt«r of four montJrs since a
newcomer catch-as-catch-can praisery answering
to the name of Sheldon Davis Associates
infonned a breathless Hollywood that
it had inaugui-at€d "a new sei-vice to be
made available to the motion picture and
television industry, based on motivational
research techniques . . . first psychological
we intend to guide pro-
research panel . . .
ducers and others in the industry through
these new depth selling techniques."
Davis revealed that included in his panel
were Neil H. Peterson, M.D., psychiatrist,
and S. M. Wesley, Ph.D., psychologist.
As far as can be determined no producer
has as yet avaUed himself of the services of
Davis' collection of head shrinkers: but it's
nice for them to know that they have someplace
to turn when they're told "Ya ought
to have your head examined"—which is
standard exhortation these days.
BOXOFFICE April 7, 1958 W-3