From the 1930s through the early 1960s, film distribution was different than it is now. Instead of major films opening in wide release, all major films, not just a select few, would have limited initial releases followed by wide distribution in neighborhood theatres. In New York City, neighborhood theatres were primarily owned by RKO and Loew’s. RKO theatres would get 20th Century-Fox; Warner Bros., Universal, Republic and RKO releases when they finished their initial runs, accompanied by a minor film that could be from one of those studios or one of the minors such as Monogram or Allied Artists. RKO was also the distributing arm of Walt Disney and Samuel Goldwyn as well as films made at RKO itself. Loew’s, originally owned by MGM, would get MGM, Paramount, Columbia and United Artists films. Films that played neighborhood theatres would generally run their double features for seven days, Wednesday through Tuesday. Occasionally, however, when a weak major film would play the theatres, the chain would substitute a lesser program from Sunday to Tuesday or just on Monday and Tuesday to close out the week.

In September, 1957, Fox’s Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? and its co-feature was withdrawn after four days and another program substituted for an unusual Sunday through Wednesday run, to be replaced by Warner Bros.’ The Curse of Frankenstein and a co-feature that would run from Thursday through the following Tuesday. This program consisted of two films from NTA (National Television Associates), which was not a theatrical film distribution company but a distribution company for television. The two films on the program were two previously released films the company had purchased for future broadcasting. They renamed them Battle Stripe and Armored Attack.

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