Boxoffice-May.21.1979

THE NATIONAL FILM WEEKLY
Published in Fi«e Sectional Editions
WILLIAM C. VANCE
Publisher
JOHN F. BERRY
Assoc. Publisher/National Sales Manaoer
CHARLES F. ROUSE III
Editor
BEN SHLYEN Executive Editor
MORRIS SCHLOZMAN Business Manager
HARVEY SHARP Circulation Director
GARY BURCH Equipment Editor
JONNA JEFFERIS AssKiate Editor
STUART A. GOLDSTEIN Associate Editor
JIMMY SUMMERS Associate Editor
KEVIN KIOUS Associate Editor
RALPH KAMINSKY West Coast Editor
JOHN COCCHI East Coast Editor
ADMINISTRATIVE
VANCE HERBERT A. Chairman
B. President
JOHN ONEIL
JAMES J. STAUDT Vice-President
Executive
WILLIAM C. VANCE Vice-President
Publication Offices: S25 Van Brunt Blvd., Kansas
City Alo. 64124. (818) 241-77TZ.
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10022. (212) 7f5-5400.
Adverti:>iilg sales: Jitu Vuuag
TUB MOUEUN lllE.MKli Section Is Included In
une issue eucb montb.
Atlanta: tienevieve Cuuii), 100 Uiidbergli Drive, .N.E.
30305.
Baltimore: Rate Savage, 3007 Springdale, 21216.
Boston: Ernest Warren. 1 Colgate Uoad, Needliam,
Mass. 0211)2. Tele. (617) 444-1657.
Buffalo: Edward I'. Meade, 760 Main St., 14202.
Tele. (716) 854-16^5.
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Cincinnati: Tony B. Kuthcrfoid, Box 362, iluntingtoti,
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Cleveland: Blainn Fried, 3255 Grenviay ltd. 44122.
Tele. (216) 991-3797.
Uallas: Mahle Guinan, 5927 Wlnton, 7S206.
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Uea Moines: Cindy Vlers, 4024 E. Maple, 60317.
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Tele. (317) 251-6070.
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Louistille: Susan D. Todd, 8409 Old Boundary ltd.,
40281.
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Wis. 53021. Tele: (414) 692-2763.
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70122.
Oklaiioma City: Eddie L. Greggs, 410 South BIdg
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16221. Tele. (412) 241-2809.
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St. Louis: Kan It. Krause, 818A Longacre Drive,
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Tele. (801) 328-1641.
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San Francisco: David Van. UATC. 172 Golden Gale
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Seattle: Stu Goldnian, Apt. 404, 101 N. 46th St
08103. Tele. 782-5833.
Toledo: Anna Kline, 4330 Willys Pkwy., 43612.
Tuiaon: Gib Clark, 433 N. Grande, Apt. 5, 85705
Wastilngton: Virginia H. Collier, 6112 Connecticut
Ave., N.W. 20008. Tele. (202) 362-0892.
IN CANADA
Calgary: Maxlne McBean, 420 40lh St., 8.W.. F3C
IWl. Tele. (403) 240-6039.
Montreal: Tom Cleary, Association des Proprletalres
de Cinema du Quebec, 3720 Van Home, Suite 4-5,
No. H38 1118.
Ottana: Garfield 'WUlio" Wilson. 768 Rahisford Ave.
KJK 2K1. Tele. 746-6660.
Toronto: J. W. Agnew, 274 St. John's ltd., M6P 1V5.
Vancouver: Jimmy Davie. .3245 W. 12. VOK 2118
Winnipeg: Robert llucal, 500-232 I'ortage Ave. lt3C
OBI.
MAY
Vol. 115
1979
No. 8
I^H';^^^ ^7^ M^ TM^JUa
W
OPEN DOOR POLICY
HAT IF they gave a movie and no
reviewers came
The theatre wouWn't get publicity for
its movie, the reviewers wouldn't be doing
their jobs and the public wouldn't receive
the critical opinions it wants and
needs.
Reviewers might stop coming to movies
at a theatre if they could gain admittance
only when they promised to say
good things about the movie. Theatres
could ensure good reviews by letting in
only reviewers who would write favorably
about the movie.
In Tucson recently TM Theatres exercised
its right to refuse admittance to
anyone by excluding a local newspaper
reviewer, Jacqi Tully. Early reports gave
the impression that Tully was being denied
admittance because she might say
bad things about the movie being shown,
"The Bell Jar." The theatre did nothing
to diminish that impression. The owners
of the theatre, Merton Weiner and son
Jeffrey, refused to comment on the situation.
TM's advertising manager said, "I
think her opinions are biased. They are
Jacqi TuUy's opinions; they are not to me
a reviewer's opinions—someone who
should be stating a quality of a film, good
or bad, on the basis of an impartial review."
To try to draw a distinction between
a person's opinions and a reviewer's opinions
is difficult, if not impossible, and capricious.
However, the film industry became
upset, on principle, at the idea of
a reviewer being denied admittance to a
theatre.
Lawrence Mark, a spokesman for Paramount,
said, "I have never heard of a
theatre chain barring a critic, and it's
really slightly outrageous. 'We use critics
when they like our films, and we should
manage to tolerate their dislike of whatever
films they happen to dislike."
Herman Kass, vice president of publicity
and promotion for Avco Embassy, distributor
of "The Bell Jar," said, "l" don't
have any background on this, but they
have no right barring anyone from our
film . . . It's poor judgment on their part,
and I'm going to look into this."
It was simply a matter of poor judgment
on the part of the theatre, but it became
more than a mistake when Tully
was not allowed to view films at TM theatres
in three related incidents. The barring
went on for a week and Tully 's
picture had been posted in the boxoffices
of TM theatres along with notices to employees
not to admit her.
In response to the barring, Tully
newspaper, the Arizona Daily Star, whit
had begun looking into possible leg
action, ran white space in place of one
TuUy's scheduled reviews, along with
note explaining why it was missing.
By that time the incident was creatii
a great deal of publicity for the film e
hibition arm of the industry. As a resu
20th Century-Fox offered to set up sp
cial screenings for any Fox films. T
offer was not surprisingly refused by tl
Star because part of the reviev/, audien
reaction, would be missing. Without tl
audience, the review would take place
a sterile environment.
After a week of outrage among indu
try members, the conflict was resolved
\
May 3 when Jeffrey Weiner ended tl
ban and ended his silence on the mattf
In an interview with a rival film crit:
Weiner said that TM's main reason f
barring Tiilly from any of its theatr
was an objection to her inference in pri
regarding TM's ticket and popco:
prices. Apparently the references to po
corn stemmed from a story co-author
by Tully and written a year ago.
Weiner said, "I have no quarrel wi
a movie critic's right to review films
our theatres, but I question a critic's u
of a review as a platform for malignii
the theatre."
Regardless of whether the theat
management disagreed with the conte
of Tully's reviews, barring a review
from a theatre implies a double sta
dard : reviewers are allowed in when thi
are good to the theatre and are turm
away when they are not. Use of a doub
standard diminishes the value and ii
pact of a review, and hints of a doub
standard would damage the review
value proportionately.
In addition, barring a reviewer fro
a theatre borders on restraint of tl
press, something no one would want ass
elated with their business. Although tl
review may contain references to sul
jects other than what is on the screei
the reviewer, who is a vital link to tf
moviegoing public, should not be turnc
away.
In Tully's case, the comments aboi
popcoi'n and ticket prices may have bee
out of line, but barring the reviewer
not the answer. It creates publicity f£
worse than the impact of the reviewer
column.
Regardless of whether the comment
are liked or disliked, reviewers should b
handled with an open door policy.