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5
ABC Sunday Night Films
Draw an Allied Warning
COLUMBUS — Directors of Independent
Theatre Owners of Ohio, meeting here
Januai-y 30, alerted Ohio exhibitors on
plans of the ABC television network to telecast
a series of United Artists features in
prime Sunday night time. The films will
be shown in the 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. (EST)
slot, with the fii-st scheduled April 8 and
the last September 16.
The directors said that some of the pictures
in the package were released as late
as 1960, although preliminary announcements
by ABC indicate that none is later
than 1957.
Exhibitors were urged to check UA bookings
so that theatres would not play any of
the TV-dated features. Directors said they
believe prints of some of the pictures are
still at UA exchanges.
The ABC network is a division of AB-PT,
operator of the largest circuit of theatres
in the United States. Thus, by acquiring
the UA features and scheduling them for
Sunday night progi-ams. the company is
pitting its TV division against the theatre
division for viewing time.
The ITOO board, in addition to the
action taken on the UA film package,
pledged support of the Ohio group in the
Spyros P. Skouras anniversai-y drive being
conducted by 20th Century-Fox. It was
announced that Allied's group insurance
plan for theatre owners and employes will
go into effect March 1, with enrollment to
take place in February.
Government Drops Suit
Over UA TV Film Buy
NEW YORK—An antitrust suit of several
years standing against United Ai'tists and
United Artists Associated. UA's TV sales
division, originally aimed at preventing
acquisition by the companies of feature
films for television, has been dismissed at
the request of the Department of Justice.
The government told Judge David N.
Edelstein of federal court, who signed the
dismissal papers, that conditions in the industry
had changed since the suit was
instituted. The action was intended to halt
acquisition of feature films from the
Warner Bros, and RKO libraries, on the
grounds that the sales would limit competition
in distribution of motion pictures to
television. Methods of selling have changed
since then, the court was informed, and
acquisition of the Warner and RKO films
no longer constitutes a monopoly threat.
The suit was dismissed "without prejudice,"
which means that it can be reinstated
later on.
Parade Handling 'A Public Affair'
was completed
LOS ANGELES—A deal
with Girard-Lewis Productions for the distribution
by Parade Releasing Organization
of "A Public Affair," produced by Bernard
Girard and Robert Lewis. The picture
treating with criminal pressures in state
politics stars Myron McCormick, Edward
Binns, HanT Carey jr., and features Jacqueline
Loughery. PRO has set "A Public
Affair" for March release.
Admissions
Up 36 Million;
Gross Hits $1485,336,000
New York—Attendance at U.S. motion
picture theatres in 1961 increased
by 36 million, to reach 2,165,000,000,
Sindlinger & Co., analysts, reported
this week. If the country had not been
hit by severe weather conditions last
February, the rise would have included
another 25 million patrons.
The figure Included 157,000,000 free
admissions, mostly at drive-ins. The
remaining patrons, however, paid $1,-
485,336,000 for their movie entertainment—about
30 million more than a
year ago.
A shortage of top quality features in
November and December kept the industry
from reaching a predicted SI.
billion gross, Sindlinger & Co. said.
Paid adult admissions at indoor theatres
ran about 5 to 3 over drive-ins,
the prevailing ratio over a five-year
period. However, adult attendance at
drive-ins exceeded that at indoor
houses for four months in a row, June
through September, the first year in
which this has happened.
Sees Ohio Court Decision
As Weapon Vs. Censors
COLUMBUS, OHIO—The recent decision
of the Ohio Supreme Comt in "The Lovers"
case provides an effective weapon in fighting
city or state censorship, according to
Ken Prickett, executive secretaiT of the
Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, in
a bulletin issued to exhibitors.
The opinion "definitely proves that the
public is duly protected by present laws
and that there is no need for censorship
which not only would take away the rights
of the individual but could also represent
considerable expense, which after all would
ultimately be borne by the exhibitor,"
Prickett said.
Ohio does not have a film censorship
law, a 1914 statute having been ruled unconstitutional
several years ago. As a result,
prosecution of "The Lovers" showing
was carried out under the state's antiobscenity
and police-power laws. Prickett thus
points out that such legislation, in effect
in most states, satisfactorily protects the
public against the showing of obscene motion
pictui'es.
Nearly Half of 325 Films
For Oscar Race in Color
HOLLYWOOD—A survey of films released
during 1961 disclosed that almost
half of the 325 feature-length motion pictures
eligible for Oscars this year were
filmed in color. A total of 151 was in color
and 174 in black-and-white, with 171 produced
by American companies and 154 by
foreign firms.
Slembler Will Speak
At Show-A-Rama
KANSAS CITY—John Stembler, president
of the Theatre Owners of America,
will be one of the top speakers at Show-
A-Rama, scheduled for March 6-8 at Hotel
Continental. The amiual motion picture
merchandising convention is under the
sponsorship of United Theatre Owners of
the Heart of America.
Other notables who will appear on the
program will be Elmer Rhoden, chairman
of the board of directors of Commonwealth
Theatres and former president of National
Theatres & Television; Glenn Norris, sales
manager for 20th Century -Fox; Martin
Moskowitz, assistant sales manager for
20th-Fox; Robert Selig, vice-president of
National Theatres & Television. Spyros
Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox,
will be the keynote speaker as announced
last week in Boxoffice. Skouras will be
followed by Dr. Herbert Ti'ue and Fred
Klemp, specialists in the art of selling and
developing campaigns.
Selig will open the second morning at a
breakfast session with the presentation of
"Stars of Tomorrow" and "May Time Is
Movie Time." Following him will be eight
of the region's top showmen presenting
custom-tailored campaigns for pictures
that will be coming to the theatres in the
next three to fom- months.
Concessions will be discussed on the
third day at a session headed by Russell
Fifer, executive secretary of the National
Concessionau-es of America committee.
Paul Ricketts, theatre owner of Ness City.
Holyrood and Wheatland, Kas., will lead
a small-town business clinic.
An attendance of nearly 800 is expected.
Norris Cresswell, executive secretaiT, reports
that over 70 per cent of the exhibit
booth space has been contracted. Reservations
for rooms are urged to be made early.
Disneyland to Music Hall
Stage for Easter Show
NEW YORK—Walt Disney will move
some of his Disneyland attractions to the
Radio City Music Hall stage during the
Easter period in conjunction with the showing
of Disney's "Moon Pilot."
The program, to be titled "Disneyland,
U.S.A.,
' will present for the first time on
any stage some of the most vivid aspects
of the famous amusement center. Disney
and his staff are devising stage and scenic
effects especially for the Music Hall production
which will be staged and directed
by Leon Leonidoff.
Approximately 40 of the Disney characters
will join the Music Hall company of
Rockettes, including Mickey Mouse, Pluto,
Pinnochio, Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs.
New Elvis Film for MGM
Is Fred Kohner Comedy
HOLLYWOOD—The initial picture under
Elvis Presley's new four-picture MGM contract
will be "Mister, Will You MaiTy Me?"
a romantic comedy to be produced by Jack
Cummings.
Presley is scheduled to report to the studio
this summer for the new photoplay,
based on a novel by Fred Kohner, author
of "Gidget."
8
BOXOFFICE February 5, 1962