Business screen magazine (1938)

Editorially we have taken little recognition of what appears to the advertising and amusement press as the commercial film ""subject of the hour." This concerns the distribution in ""entertainment"' theatres of "advertising" movies. We prefer to think that almost everybodv concerned has been guilty of over-statement. The advertising appearing on the screens of over 7.000 theatres throughout the country will very likely continue to appear there just as it has for more than twenty years. Economic circumstances, as a matter of fact, point to an increase in the number of theatres exhibiting short features and ""minute movies." Aside from the continued improvenient in color and subject matter of the ""minute movie" and theatrical distribution of such subject material as the animated cartoons used by Metropolitan Life. Ipana and Fisher Body, the field in which the motion picture medium has found its greatest opportunities for service is that of ""natural distribution." Perfection of distribution programs by existing organizations and the availability of the film medium to the great marketing fields offered by all tvpes of retail establishments is here regarded as the most important subject of the hour. To that end we devote special departments such as the present section ""Motion Pictures in the Department Store" in this first issue. As THE FIRST ISSUE OF BUSINESS Screen goes to press, only a few" random thoughts remain in the fatigued mind of the editor. Thousands of words, few of which seem to measure up to the significant power which the motion picture medium alone possesses, repose unprinted among the leftovers of a first issue. Also left in our bulging files are hundreds of case histories which illustrate successful applications of films to all types of business problems. Merchandising surveys, charts, tables and columns of editorial comment whirl in one chaotic mass past our weary and regretful gaze. Noteworthy among the contributions included in this first issue are those offered by Paul Rotha. by H. M. Beresford and the interesting department store sketches arranged specially for Business Screen by Barnes & Reinecke, our consulting industrial designers. We hope to have the time and the space in our next issue to introduce many of these contributors to you. One further thought occurs — a sincere vote of thanks is offered here to the leaders of the commercial film industrv who have expresed their faith in this publication by their unhesitant advertising support of our program. \ O L U M E 1 BUSINESS SCREEN NUMBER 1 rliiiiiiiriiimiiri IHI. M \(. \/IM ' )l I 1 A1\11.H( I \l uV EDUCATIONAL MOTION PICTURES CONTENTS Cover IHuslration and Design by William Kosloff Film Forum The Power of Films to Sell International Harvester New Dimensions in Advertising Salesmen Get the Idea Technicolor Tells the Storv of Steel 6 Films on My Budget? 22 13 Sales Results with Pictures 23 14 This Animating Business 24 17 British Documentary Films 25 19 Motion Pictures in the Department Store 29 20 Brief Reviews of Current Releases 37 PROMOTION AND DISTRIBUTION Coolerator Movie Sets Audience Records 45 The Commercial Newsreel Fihiis for the World Fair Millions Standard Oil Film Wins Rural Friends 48 You Ought to Read 49 Equipment Review Section 50 56 59 BUSINESS SCREEN MAGAZINE, ISSUED BY BUSINESS SCREEN MAGAZINES, INC.TWENTY North Wacker Drive. Chicago. Illinois. Editorial Director. O. H. Coelln, Jr.; Art Director, Henry Harringer. Printed in the U. S. A. Subscription price: domestic, 85.00 a year: 50c the copy; foreign, $6.00 a vear. Publishers are not responsible for the return of unsolicited m. s. unless accompanied by stamped, self-addressed envelope. Entire contents Copyright 1938 by Business Screen Magazines, Inc., Chicago, ISSUED TEN TIMES A YEAR • PLUS TWO S P E CI .\ L A N N U .\ L NUMBERS 11