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Modernized Sales Methods Urged
At North Central Allied Convention
MI>fNEAPOLIS—The one sure way to
improve theatre attendance is for all theatre
operators to "wake up" and modernize
the merchandising of their screen product
and put their showhouses in the best iwssible
shape.
This was the message voiced by Ben
Marcus, chairman of the board of National
Allied, and Milton London, president, at
the one-day reorganization convention of
North Central Allied here Monday (
Martin Lebedoff, the pro tern president
since the recent reactivation of the North
Central unit, was continued in that post,
and Ben Berger. pro tem chaii-man of the
board, also was continued.
Marcus, owner of a large and prosperous
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theatre chain in Wisconsin and successful
in other commercial enterprises, told how
new and up-to-date merchandising of pictures,
plus other innovations, had lifted the
Marcus circuit grosses substantially. Even
his theatres in six small towns, which had
been in a patronage "sinking spell," have
been brought back almost to an "easy
street." he said.
AWAKEN' TO PROPER METHODS
London, who also is president of Allied
of Michigan, spoke optimistically of future
exhibition through an "awakening" of exhibitors
to proper operating methods. This.
he said, is now under way and is bringing
attendance to higher levels.
Marcus made evident that he believes
that almost any theatre anywhere can be
operated profitably if his "Marcus Plan"
methods are followed. London pointed to
gains in indoor theatre construction
throughout the nation as indication of the
improved motion picture outlook.
The National Allied leaders agreed that
serious trade problems remain, but they
were confident of their eventual solution.
In fact, there was a noticeable lack of the
verbal brickbats aimed at film companies
common at North Central Allied meetings
in the past. Even the talks of Lebedoff and
Berger were mild and practically free of
denunciation, although they have announced
they'll fight tooth and toenail to
halt "the killing off" of small-town and
subsequent run exhibitors by distributors.
CRITICIZE DISTRIBUTION
The reactivated NCA did criticize distribution
practices in a resolution which
called on the board to "initiate a program
of legal or other action to ensure that all
film product be made available to every
theatre in this territory, regardless of size,
on the basis of ability to pay." The resolution
asserted that the small theatre "cannot
survive under the present selling
fjolicies."
Another resolution committed the North
Central unit to affiliate with National
Allied.
Lee Loevlnger, U.S. assistant attorney
general in charge of the Department of
Justice's antitrust division, devoted nearly
his entire luncheon talk to an explanation
of antitrust laws and the Consent decrees.
"I have no pat answers for your problems
concerning clearance, competitive bidding
and other such trade matters," said
Loevinger. "If the old answers no longer
fill the bill it's because of what population
and other changes, television and the like,
are doing and how this affects exhibition.
You fellows must find new answers."
Loevinger did get into the matter of
competition among exhibitors and how this
enters into antitrust laws consideration. He
told of small exhibitors operating unprofitable
theatres and requesting the
antitrust division's consent to sell out to
large chains.
SEEK NEW MEANS
Later President Lebedoff, a friend of
Loevinger, a former Twin Cities resident,
commented: "The U.S. assistant attorney
general told us not to look to past fonnulas
as metliods of correcting present day injustices
toward us. of which the distributors
ai-e guilty. We know now that we
must resort to new and different means.
And that's just what we propose to do."
Both Lebedoff and Berger have been
making no bones of the fact that they have
disapproved of National Allied president
Marshall Pine's policy of peaceful coexistence
with the film companies, but they
invited Fine to speak at the convention.
However, the National Allied chief was unable
to come because of "personal reasons."
as explained by President Lebedoff.
On Berger's part, the former stonny
petrel of Allied paid high praise to the
present youth-directed Allied States and
said he's "happy" with the parent body.
Berger insisted that top motion pictures
must be sold on abUity to pay terms "so
that movies can continue to be the mass
entertainment that we want them to."
"We can thwart the film companies that
refuse to sell their films on the ability to
pay basis only by organization."
FILM COSTS ARE TROUBLE
Lebedoff expressed the opinion that "all
om- troubles add up to film costs." He
declared "thousands of theatres in the U.S.
are being closed because distributors have
been so unreasonable in their rental demands."
London, in his address, expressed the
view that the principal reason for many
exhibitor woes is that they've been
asleep.
"But now exhibitors are starting to
wake up." said London. "As a result of
this 'awakening.' evidenced by the adoption
of new kinds of effective showmanship and
presentations. I feel sure people will come
back to the theatres. As a matter of fact
they're already starting to do so."
In addition to Lebedoff and Berger,
other officers elected, all of them on the
slate prepared by the temporary board of
directors, were as follows: first vicepresident,
Lowell Smoots, Little Palls,
Minn.; second vice-president, Ray 'Von der
Haar, Alexandria, Minn.: secretary. Ward
Nichols. Wahpeton. N.D.: treasurer. Paul
Mans, Minneapolis, and executive vicepresident
and general counsel. Stanley D.
Kane. Golden Valley, Minn., a post that
Kane held with the previous NCA.
Board of directors chosen were Al
Bergmann. Ashland. Wis.; John Brandenhoff.
Fairmont. Minn.; Don Buckley, Redwood
Falls; Edward Fredine, Cloquet; Al
Fritz. Watertown. S.D.; S. E. Heller.
Minneapolis: Gay Hower, Worthington;
Jake Musich. West Duluth; E. O. Olson.
Northfield; Ernest Peaslee. Stillwater;
James Randgaard, Staples: John Lehr,
Pine River; Jack Wright, Minneapolis;
Howard Gould, Glencoe, and Sidney Volk,
Mimieapolis.
Most of those who will serve the ensuing
year as officers and directors are veteran
exhibitors who were active and served in
similar capacities in the former NCA.
The convention attendance of less than
100 was blamed on the weather. On the day
before the meeting there had been another
bad snowstorm and steep temp>erature
drop.
Aldrich. Lombardo Settle
Dispute Over 'Sodom'
ROME—The long-standing legal
controversy
between Robert Aldrich, director of
the Titanus Film production, "The Last
Days of Sodom and Gomorrah," and Goffredo
Lombardo, producer of the multimillion
dollar spectacle, has been "cordially
settled," according to joint announcement
by both parties.
Aldrich and Lombardo will now execute
their original plans, suspended when the
"Sodom" despite arose, to make a second
Titanus-Aldrich picture to be "a mammoth
spectacle based on a story by Aidrich
to be produced by Titanus in 1963-64."
Aldrich left for London, following the
settlement of the dispute, to accept Lombardo's
invitation to see the completed
film at a screening. After a personal discussion,
the two agreed on the cut of the
film which was satisfactory to both. At
Lombardo's request. Aldrich agreed to remain
in consultation with him until delivery
of the answer print of "Sodom" is
made. Aldrich will later go to Rome, before
returning to the U. S.
Michael Curtiz Is Dead;
Directed Many WB Films
HOLLYWOOD—Motion picture director
Michael Cui'tiz died April 10 at the age of
72. following a long bout with cancer. The
end came for the Hungarian-born Curtiz
in his North Hollywood apartment, with his
wife of 30 years, screenwTiter Bess Meredyth,
at his bedside.
Barn in Budapest on Christmas Eve in
1889, Curtiz was already a noted European
director when he met Harry Warner, who
signed him to come to Hollywood in 1920.
He ultimately spent more than 20 years
in a successful association with Warner
Bros. Studios, where he made such films
as "Captain Blood," "Charge of the Light
Brigade," "Kid Galahad." "Angels With
Dirty Faces." "Robin Hood." "Dodge City,"
"Virginia City," and "Mildred Pierce."
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences bestowed an Oscar on Curtiz in
1943 for "Casablanca," which also won its
star Humphrey Bogart. a statuette. His
"This Is the Army" reportedly grossed more
than $8 million dollars, a figure topped at
the time only by "Gone With the Wind."
A daughter by another marriage, and a
stepson also survive. Funeral services were
held in the Church of the Recessional.
Forest Lawn.
14 BOXOFHCE :: April 16. 1962