Times film critic Bosley Crowther wrote about the recent formation of an industry group representing movie theaters not owned by the Hollywood studios. He recognized that this sort of industry insider news was usually of little interest to the average moviegoer who preferred reading what movie was playing where and the latest gossip about the Hollywood stars. But Crowther felt that this development had significance to the moviegoing public.
In 1946 the studios owned the major theater chains as well as most of the first-run downtown theaters-- in New York RKO and MGM operated the major chains-- but legal challenges to this system were working their way through the courts. As a result, Bosley predicted, the independent theater owners and smaller chains would become increasingly important.
Crowther took special note of the group's stated goal of formulating policies on collections for charities, the exhibition of "information" pictures and community relations. On the surface these goals appeared admirable, since, as Crowther wrote, movie theaters had become a social focal point in many communities. His concern was that it appeared that this group was looking , somewhat understandably, to limit charity drives but, more disturbingly, to limit the showing of films that were not entertainment driven as well. He noted that the theater owners already had resisted the exhibition of factual films during the war.