PONDERS TAFT-HARTLEY WAL

'
"
THE NATIONAL FILM WEEKLY
PBBIISHED IN NINE SECTIONAL EDITIONJ
BEN SHLYEN
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
JAMES M. JERAULD
Editor
NATHAN COHEN Associate Editor
JESSE SHLYEN Managing Editor
IVAN SPEAR
Western Editor
J. HARRY TOLER Equipment Editor
RAYMOND LEVY General Manager
Published Every Saturday by
ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS
Editorial Offices: 9 Rockefeller Plaza, New York 20,
N. Y.j Raymond Levy, General Manager; James M.
Jerauld, Editor; Chester Friedman, Editor Showmandiser
Section; A. J. Stocker, Eastern Representative.
Telephone Columbus 5-6370, 5-6371, 5-6372.
Cable address: -BOXOFFICE, New York."
Centrol Offices: 332 South Michigan Blvd., Chicago
4, 111. J. Harry Toier, Editor Modern Theatre Seclion.
Telephone WABash 4575.
Weatem OUices: 6404 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
28. Colli. Ivan Spear, Manager. Phone GLadstone
1186.
Wasbinglon Offices: 930 F Street, N. W. Lee L.
Garhng, Manager. Telephone NAllonal 3432. Filmrow;
932 New fersey, N. W. Sara Young.
Publication Offices: 825 Van Brunt Blvd., Kansas City
1, Mo. Nathan Cohen, Associate Editor; Jesse Shlyen,
Managing Editor; A. Jules Benedic, Field Editor; Morris
Scnlozman, Business Manager. Telephone CHestnut
7777.
Other PubUcations: BOXOFFICE BAROMETER,
published in November as a section ot BOXOFFICE;
THE MODERN THEATRE, published monthly as o
section of BOXOFFICE.
ALBANY—21-23 Walter Ave., M. Berrigan.
ATLANTA— 163 Walton, N. W., P. H. Savin.
BALTIMORE—Uptown Theatre, A. J. Wolf.
BIRMINGHAM-The News, Eddie Badger.
BOSTON—Hotel Vendome, Frances Harding.
BUFFALO—20 St. Margarets Court, Jim Schroder.
CHARLOTTE—216 W. 4lh, Pauline Grillith.
CHICAGO—332 S. Michigan Blvd., Jonas Perlberg,
WABash 4575.
CINCINNATI— 1634 Central Pcirkway, Ullian Seltzer.
CLEVLLAND—2568 Overlook Road, Cleveland Heights,
Elsie Loeb, Fairmount 0046.
DALLAS—408 S. Harwood, V. W. Crisp, Southwestern
editor, R-2312.
DENVER— 1645 Lalayelte, Jack Rose, TA 8517.
DES MOINES—Register & Tribune BIdg., Russ Schoch,
DETROIT- 1009 Fox Theatre BIdg., H. F. Reves.
Telephones: RAIIOO; Night, UN-4-0219.
INDIANAPOLIS—Rt. 8, Box 770, Howard M. Rudeaux.
LITTLE ROCK— 1615 West 22nd street, Herod Jimerson.
MIAMI—66 S. Hibiscus Island, Mrs. Manton E. Harwood.
2952 Merrick Rd., Elizabeth Sudlow.
MEMPHIS—707 Spring St., Null Adams, Tel. 48-5462.
MILWAUKEE—50^1 Plankinlon BIdg.. 161 W. Wisconsin
Ave., James R. Gahagan. Telephones: BR 4938
and MA 0297.
MINNEAPOLIS—29 Washington Ave., So., Les Rees.
NEW HAVEN—42 Church St.,
NEW ORLEANS—218 So. Liberty St.,
Telephone MA 5812.
Gertrude Lander.
Mrs. Jack Auslet.
OKLAHOMA CITY—216 Terminal BIdg., Polly Trindle.
OMAHA—Omaha World-Herald BIdg., Lou Gerdes.
PHILADELPHIA— Philadelphia Record BIdg., Broad
and Wood Sis., J. M. Makler.
PITTSBURGH—86 Van Braam St., R. F. Klingensmlth,
c/o Monogram Pictures.
PORTLAND, ORE.—YMCA, Jules Maitland.
RICHMOND— National Theatre, R. W. Eagan, 2-2567.
ST. LOUIS—5149 Rosa Ave., David F. Barrett, Flanders
3727.
SALT LAKE CITY— Desoret News, Howard Pearson.
SAN ANTONIO— 531 North St., L. J. B. Ketner.
SAN FRANCISCO—25 Taylor St., Gail Upman,
ORdway 4812-4813.
SEATTLE—928 N. 84lh St., Willord Elsey.
TOLEDO-4330 Willy. Pkwy., Anna Kline.
IN CANADA
CALGARY—The Albortan, Wm. Campbell.
MONTREAL—4330 Wilson Ave., N. D. Q., Roy Carmlchael.
Walnut 5519.
ST. JOHN— 116 Prince Edward St., Wm. J. McNulty.
TORONTO-242 Mllwood, Milton Galbralth.
VANCOUVER—411 Lyric Theatre BIdg., Jack Droy.
VICTORIA—938 Island Highway, Alec Morrlman.
WINNIPEG—The Tribune, Ben Lopkin.
MiMBBR Audit Bcrkau or Circulations
Rnttrad as SKond Cliu matter at Poal Oiriet, Kaniu CItr. Uo.
Secllonil Bdltlnn. 12 00 per yur: National Idltlan, IT.HO
I
OXOFFICE
Guest Editorial
By HERBERT J. YATES
President. Republic Pictures Corporation
•^.yA gNDUSTRY showmanship must keep pace*'
our progress in delivering a high level of entertmnm
Money, time, effort and intelligence are being applied to '
plarming and execution of the advertising, publicity, and
ploitation calculated to achieve the best possible results.
Promotion is actually considered an integral part of aijj
Distributors now deliver not only the name, story,
i
ture.
production value of a film, but a public interest whidi (^
been stimulated by expert national coverage. A great dec'-
thought is given to many sales approaches before basic
i
paigns are determined upon, and the ideas of comjxmy s 4
are augmented by the best brains of our advertising agen< .
Since showmanship is obviously at its best when it sells I
most tickets, that is the basic approach in formulating all Ct»
paigns. Different types of pictures naturally call for diffe i
approaches, and often more than one angle on a pictui I
offered to the exhibitor.
For the most part, exhibitors have been more than re * 1
live to such distributor thinking, and have recognized thi
sponsibility of merchandising pictures in accordance with k
predetermined angles. They recognize the soundness oi >
ing advantage of the fact that hundreds of thousands of V
lars have been expended to advertise a picture through h
tional magazines, newspapers, and radio; and they hames' •
presold audience by following through in the format, b t
:
theatre owners have not only linked their campaigns It*
national plan, but have contributed allied local angles si ^
cellent that they have been adopted for national use.
First run theatres, particularly, have a responsibility v
extends beyond their own operation. It is basic that p *
acceptance of a picture in its initial showings is reflected f (
turns in subsequent runs. When the manager of a firs'
theatre uses a faulty advertising approach, he is not
jeopardizing his own gross, but also the distributor's produ
investment, and the returns of other theatre owners.
Ours is essentially a ballyhoo business, and no such
ness can rely on dignity alone to sell tickets. There are :
times when we must be noisy, expansive, and even blatt
build up audience interest and boxoffice. But there is *
Ben Shlyen. publisher and editor-in-chief of BOXOFFICE, Is in
Eutope and during his absence guest editorials written by o number
of well-known executives will appear on these pages.
Vol. 51
JUNE
No. 8
2 8,1947