The Age Of Television In Retrospect

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Author: Bogart, Leo, 1956 Title: Television and Movies Appears In: The Age of Television; p 153-61 The chapter explored the affects of television on the success or lack thereof, in the cinema of the 1950s. Through various studies conducted and surveys given in the late 1940s and early-mid 1950s, it was ascertained that a large part of the movie going public had cut-down or all-together stopped attending films when television came into circulation. "˜Attendance dropped from 82,000,000 in 1946 to 46,000,000 in 1955.' The people who purchased many of the early televisions were also those patrons whom frequented the theatres the most according to studies from the period. However, Bogart also states that the attendance of films began to rise again one year before the publication of the text.

Title: "Strictly for the Marbles" Appears In: Time; June 8, 1953; p 66-72 The movies were still floundering due to the competition from television at the time this was written.

According to the article, "theaters were closing three a day." However, a glimmer of hope could be seen for the film industry. Cinerama and 3-D films were beginning to rise in production, and instead of making fewer films Hollywood began to produce even more. Milton Gunzburg, his brother, and a veteran camera technician named Friend Baker brought 3-D films to Hollywood production companies. Attendance immediately began to rise. At the same time, cinemascope was allowing the audience to see more than they could on a television screen. Also, color was prominent in many films of the day.

The article from Time asked the question, "Will the entertainment business settle down into a running fight between TV and the movies?" Nearly fifty years later the question still remains. Every year is a toss up as to who will win the fight...