Boxoffice-April.17.1948

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v Field Men Now to Serve in Area of Public Relations: ADOPT 'NEW LOOK TECHNIQUE' FOR 20TH-FOX EXPLOITATION NEW YORK—Twentieth Century-Pox has put its field forces to work on the industry public relations program. It has already begun discussion of improved product of all companies and the general problem of public contacts with exhibitors in all exchange areas. Charles Schlaifer, director of advertising and publicity, calls it the "New Look Technique," and the way it has already worked in a number of places has convinced him, he says, that this is an important approach. The field staff, he says, is working imder instructions to exemplify aggressive showmanship at its best by promoting not only 20th-Fox product, but also by aiding at the local theatre level in general goodwill for the industry's high quality product. FIRST PROPOSAL THE IDEA It was Schlaifer who more than a year ago projected the needs for an over-all industry public relations program. Schlaifer says the new plan has been worked out over a period of months on the theory that good pictures from any source generate goodwill for the industry. All pictures must be honestly and cleanly advertised, publicized and exploited, he says. In this connection he emphasizes that attention must be paid to the revised advertising code. Four main points in the plan include: 1. Close coordination of the field staff with the exhibitor in handling campaigns designed to inform the public of the high caliber industry product. Redistribution of campaign ideas will be made throughout the country for intensified parallel operations, and field men are already at work on plans to aid exhibitors to sell product on an over-all basis. 2. Establishment of a home office news information bureau to service the working press with statistics and factual data on pictures, players and technicians. This idea is a result of a bureau set up last month by Schlaifer to provide news on the Academy awards. 3. A weekly news letter presenting showmanship ideas to exhibitors, reflecting the thinking and policies of the 20th-Pox advertising and publicity departments. 4. Advance press sheets on company pictures to facilitate long-range campaigns on early prerelease dates, and provide a basis of operation for full organized campaigns. Periodical trips to the field will be continued by Schlaifer and members of his staff to consult with exhibitors and the field staff on the operation of the program. TO CONTINUE TESTED SELLING Continuation of the tested selling ideas which proved themselves over the past two years. These will include what Schlaifer calls "scientific screenings" first tried with "Gentleman's Agreement." "Sitting Pretty" and "Call Northside 777." Tliese screenings were attended by opinion-makers in all fields. Let Us Sell the Industry While Selling Films, Says Schlaifer New York Charles Schlaifer, director of advertising, publicity and exploitation for 20th Century-Pox, has directed his field staff to tie the selling of pictures into the i n d u s t r y's over-all public relations — including the boosting o f good product being released by competitors. Here is the line of attack Schlaifer has outlined to his staff, to offset wide public t h i n ki n g that ( 1 ) Last year's Charles Schlaifer and current product is shoddy and inferior: (2) that the bottom has dropped out of the boxoffice and the industry is in a decline; and (3) it is the popular thing to knock the film industry. "All in all, 1947 and 1948 have brought and are bringing to the screen some of the most mature, the most socially conscious, the most beautifully photographed, the most stirring, the most entertaining pictures in the history of the motion picture business. "So don't let anyone walk away unchallenged if he tells you the product is in the doldrums. It just isn't so. "On the second attitude, the reduction of boxoffice receipts, here too you must challenge this point of view. Good pictures that are sold effectively can earn as much money, if not more, than the top pictures the year before. "Poor pictures, or pictures which are Zion, III. ZION, ILL.—In this town, where Wilbur Glenn Voliva once ruled and taught that the world was flat and tobacco a barrier to heaven, an effort was made this week to show the first Sunday motion pictures. With more than 1,000 prospective patrons lined up outside Zion Theatres, the show never went on. The exhibitor. Onnie Bridges, was arrested on a charge of violating the municipal ordinance prohibiting Sunday recreation. Bridges was arrested by Chief Alvin Ruesch, his brother-in-law, whose two brothers are partners in the theatre company. Bridges and Otto Lawrence, a bowling alley owner, had announced before hand that they would operate on Sunday in an effort to test the not merchandised or exploited properly, are not standing on their own, it is true, as they did during the boom period. But business is there if we go after it. Records are still being broken. "On my trip around the country, I found that in those situations where exhibitors were vigorously merchandising their features, business was excellent. Only where the exhibitor had not risen to challenge these very attitudes about which I am writing did boxoffice show visibly poorer. "The third attitude, general criticism of our industry, is enjoying a popular vogue essentially because many people in our industry, in the guise of setting themselves up as spokesmen, have put their foot in it for fair, and have thought it good strategy to criticize or discredit their fellow actors, producers, directors or exhibitors. This has now redounded to their own discredit as well. "It is in counteracting this third attitude particularly that you must be most active. What hurts any member or branch of our industry hurts us as well. "Don't buckle under the pressures. Keep your eye on the important objectives. Bring real showmanship into your campaigns and real public relations into your contacts with exhibitors, opinionmakers, the branch employes and everyone with whom you talk. "The time is now for exhibitor, producer and distributor to work together and to realize that united they comprise the motion picture industry. We are not independent, but intra-dependent. And it is our job to bring this relationship into its true perspective." Almost Has Sunday Shows ordinance. After his arrest, Bridges said he was considering two moves: (1) a suit for false arres, and (2) a petition signed by citizens demanding repeal of the blue law. Following the arrest, there was a surprise appearance atop the marquee by the Rev. Thomas H. Nelson, 86-year-old elder of the Zion church. The crowd was surprised when he said he was present to support Sunday films. "I want to see fair play," he cried. "The ordinance has been broken by almost every property owner in town and most of the business men. You have as much right to go in here as you have to go to the Passion Play." Tlie Passion Play shows on Sunday at an admission price. 16 BOXOFFICE :: April 17, 1948
hum smm W-fr-M's ACCLAIMED BY REDBOOK WOMAN'S HOME COMPANION LOUELLA PARSONS WALTER WINCHELL JIMMY FIDLER and Hundreds More CITY Bosley Crowther in the N. Y. Times says: "It is still a little early to pick the best film of 1948. But right now it seems sublimely wishful to think that any film this year will have more to recommend it than THE SEARCH ." The nev^^s is travelling fast. Something new, different, wonderful! Seldom has |any film received such a send-off as "TheSearch. "Columnists hail itthrough national newspaper syndication; radio commentators talk about it; magazines are spreading its fame; visitors to Broadway carry back word of it; audiences thrilled by its drama become it$ press agents by the thousands. We urge every exhibitor to attend the Trade Show. Here is a picture destined to reap fame and fortune throughout America! M-G-M presents MONTGOMERY CLIFT ALINE MacMAHON • JARMILA NOVOTNA in "THE SEARCH" with Wendell Corey and Ivan Jandl • Original Screen Play hy Richard Schweizer • Collaborator on Screen Play David Wechsler Additional Dialogue Paul Jarrico • A Praesens- Film Production • LAZAR WECHSLER, Producer • Directed by FRED ZINNEMANN • An M-G-M Picture
Page 1: PARAMOUNT INTRODUCES FIRST LARGE-SC
Page 4 and 5: i WTTff TO THE TO THE TO THE TO THE
Page 6 and 7: — THE NATIONAL FILM WEEKLY PUBLIS
Page 8 and 9: — Paramount Gets It First: THEATR
Page 10 and 11: — Tvifo More Antitrust Suits ?°"
Page 12 and 13: "THERE I S.NOTHING WRONG WITH tfHSI
Page 14 and 15: •^'ir YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO S
Page 18 and 19: i; Legal, Economic Factors Reducing
Page 20 and 21: ' WORipj^REMlERE NV uA MAYFAIR THEA
Page 22 and 23: — fH^tt €Utd Sf^'^^tt^ More Fil
Page 24 and 25: . ' ' Goldwyn's 'The Bishop's Wife^
Page 26 and 27: ' *W€tÂi«t^to«t THE CONGRESSIO
Page 28 and 29: . . Jeffrey . . . John 'f^Û^tw^ ê
Page 30 and 31: ,d6Hdo*t ^cfront THE LABOR UNIONS l
Page 32 and 33: — A THOUGHT OR TWO FROM H YGIENIC
Page 34 and 35: Tom Sawyer Contest Wins Merchant-Pr
Page 36 and 37: and Hay-Burner Versus Tractor Issue
Page 38 and 39: Keys to Entertainment Also Unlock T
Page 40 and 41: " A "NATURAL" FOR THIS MODERN AGE S
Page 42 and 43: Community Entertains Crippled Kiddi
Page 44 and 45: . . Maurice . . Clayton Carol Sachs
Page 46 and 47: — — — — Several Days of Rai
Page 48 and 49: . . Josephine . . John WASHINGTON T
Page 50 and 51: 1 ' No Pay for Filming Of Olympic G
Page 52 and 53: high-budget '. STUDIO PERSONNELITIE
Page 54 and 55: Johnston Insists He Cannot Make 'Wa
Page 56 and 57: U. S. Picture Imports to Australia
Page 58 and 59: . . Rod . . The . . The . . SAN FRA
Page 60 and 61: ' ' PHOENIX Dodeo week provided ple
Page 62 and 63: . . Lon ' ' ' ' TEI Circuit to Buil
Page 64 and 65: . . Beatrice . . . Rudy . . . . Gil
Page 66 and 67:
. . . Al . . Leon CHICAGO ^rs. Jose
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. . Juanita . . Gus KANSAS CITY Cup
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i LEAK . . Don . . Sam of . . Seen
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' Leatha . . Milt D E S MOINES . .
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~: Pretty Dolls Passe as Film Recru
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— . . . Albert . . Doris . . Bob
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. . Bert . . Paul . . Roger 1 CLEVE
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. . Applications . . Jake . Grafton
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Gene Autry Entertains Dayton Vetera
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. . Ray . . . Ken . . BOSTON f^harl
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. . New . . . . . Joe HARTFORD "Car
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— — —— — — . . . The .
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ill Just a simple idea hut see what
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. . . . Three . . New . . "Somethin
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] DALLAS HI Mertz, manager of the A
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OKLAHOMA CITY pjenry Busse and his
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1 1 . . Harrison . . John . . Jack
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. . Bud . . . . The . . Frank . . T
Page 102 and 103:
Charlotte Center Ahead; Other Theat
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1 Talking Man' Stunt Adapted to The
Page 106 and 107:
MIAMI gill Robinson, the famous Neg
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. . During " ST. JOHN ^^hen the new
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. . Shots . . James — — — rei
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EXHIBITOR HAS HIS SAY ABOUT PICTURE
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FEATURE CHART Feature productions,
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| FEATURE CHART J OCTOBER 11 OCTOBE
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I FEATURE CHART CHECK RUNNING TIME
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REVIEW DIGEST and Alphabetical Pict
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9-12 SHORTS CHART Short subjects, l
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SHORTS REVIEWS Opinions on the Curr
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. . . Who . . And . . the . . With
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I TO I . . file ifexf Important Eve
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Boxoffice-April.17.1948

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