Film Weekly year book of the Canadian motion picture industry (1951)

The Independent Theatre ECONOMIC POSITION THEATRES controlled by circuits in the 20-and-over class got 58.8 per cent of the 1949 receipts and 55.4 per cent of the attendance, although they were only 21.1 per cent of the country’s 2,200 theatres, states the most recent summary of the Do¬ minion Bureau of Statistics. The pre¬ vious year 22 per cent of circuitoperated houses got 59 per cent of the country’s receipts and 55 per cent of the attendance, showing a very small increase. In contrast, the Independents, defined by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics as individuals or firms operating only one theatre, got 19.6 per cent of the re¬ ceipts and 22 per cent of the attend¬ ance, although they operated 58.8 per cent of the theatres. In 1948 Indepen¬ dents had 56 per cent of the theatres and took 19 per cent of the national gross and 21 per cent of the attendance. The last set of figures indicates that there was a slight drop in the percen¬ tage gross of Independents. There was also a minor decrease in the figures of theatres owned by firms with two and three houses, these comprising 11.3 per cent of the theatres and grossing 9.6 per cent of the receipts, as against 11 per cent of them getting ten per cent of the gross in the previous 12 months. The only category to show any kind of an increase was the smaller circuits — those owned in groups of from four to 19. They made up 8.8 per cent of Canada's theatres and shared 12 per cent of the receipts. In 1948 this class owned 11 per cent of the theatres and grossed 12 per cent. These figures show an increase because a smaller percen¬ tage of the total theatres took in the same share as a larger number did the year before. This also applies to the 20-and-over circuits. Newfoundland, which became Can¬ ada’s tenth province in 1949, had little or no effect on the overall figures, the proportionate take in the Atlantic prov¬ inces seeming to be about on a par with the rest of the country. In 1930 theatres individually-owned represented 71.7 per cent of the Do¬ minion’s houses and got 41.4 per cent of their receipts. In 1949 this group had 58.8 per cent of Canada’s theatres and got 19.6 per cent of their receipts, a marked drop. In 1930 the largest units of theatre operation — 20 and over — made up 18.2 per cent of Canada’s theatres and got 41.9 per cent of na¬ tional receipts. In 1949 this group had 21.1 per cent of Canada’s theatres and 58.8 per cent of national receipts, a substantial increase. Here is a table showing the business of theatres with a single owner each from 1930 on: YEAR % of THTRES. % of GROSS % of ATDNCE. 1930 71.7 41.4 — 1937 54.3 28.7 31.9 1940 46.9 24.9 28.4 1942 43.7 20.3 23.4 1943 44.0 24.1 23.4 1944 45.8 15.3 21.8 1945 46.7 18.8 21.4 1946 50.1 19.2 21.5 1947 52.8 18.4 21.0 1948 56.0 19.0 21.0 1949 58.8 19.6 22.0 Below are the percentages for thea tres owned in groups of 20 and over: YEAR % of THTRES. % Of GROSS % of ATDNCE. 1930 18.2 41.9 — 1937 24.6 53.6 48.4 1940 23.8 53.3 47.2 1942 58.8 60.3 55.8 1943 25.4 54.6 50.4 1944 24.9 57.2 49.9 1945 28.0 60.1 56.6 1946 25.1 59.1 56.3 1947 25.8 18.4 21.0 1948 22.0 59.0 55.0 1949 21.1 58.8 55.4 These figures indicate the decline of the small theatre owner — the Indepen dent — in the last decade and earlier. In 1930 the theatres owned in groups of two and three got 16.7 per cent of na tional receipts. Since then theatres have increased from 915 to 2,200 but the earnings of this category are down to 9.6 per cent. 67