Exhibitors Herald (Mar-Apr 1924)

34 EXHIBITORS HERALD March 29, 1924 The Survey In conducting its exhaustive survey on the subject, "Do you favor or oppose road showing?" the HERALD presented the following questions to exhibitors as suggestive of the many phases of this important subject: 1. Do you favor roadshowing of pictures? 2. If not, what is your objection? 3. If you do favor it, state your reasons. 4. Is the playing of big attractions in legitimate theatres prior to general release detrimental or beneficial to your business? 5. Do you believe that theatres should be classified, some playing big attractions on the two-a-day policy, others playing Westerns, others comedydramas, etc.? 6. Do you believe that there is a possibility of the roadshowing of pictures entirely replacing the present plan of exhibition? 7. If you are opposed to the roadshowing of pictures, what plan of exhibition would you suggest for the costly attractions? 8. In general, what are your opinions on roadshowing of pictures? By MIKE GERRICK (Orpheum theatre, Westville, 111. Population, 4,000. Patronage, coal miners.) 1. No. 2. The owner of productions usually sets the price of admission too high for my customers' pocketbooks. 4. Beneficial. 5. No. 6. No. 7. Rental based on cost of production. For instance, 10 per cent increase of rental for each $100,000 increase of cost of production. By C. C. GRIFFIN (New Piedmont, theatre, Oakland, Cal. Population, 300,000. Patronage, highest.) /. No. 2. Pictures should go into picture theatres. Legitimate theatres pick only the cream and leave the skimmed milk jot movie houses. They are not forced to take other products and therefore have an undue advantage over motion picture theatres. 4. Very detrimental. 5. No. 6. It might if encouraged. 7. Longer runs at advanced prices. 8. Sid Grauman in Hollywood has demonstrated that big productions can go into motion picture theatres and at advanced pirccs and do a big business. That's my idea of it. By B. I. VAN DYKE (Royal theatre, Des Moines, la. Population, 139,000. Patronage, cheaper.) /. No. 2. Competition and detracts from regular legitimate picture theatres. 4. Detrimental. 5. Not necessarily. 6. No. 7. Less rentals and wider distribution. 8. Opposed. By RAY W. MUSSELMAN (Princess theatre, Lincoln, Kan. Population, 1,500. Patronage, small town.) 1. No. 2. Come into territory and charge exorbitant price, get the money and let the exhibitor get the abuse and a small profit. 4. Don't affect me or benefit me to any great extent. 5. No. 6. No, but I do believe that the small exhibitor will eventually be forced to combine with the larger forces. 7. Let the exhibitors have the pictures at a price that would be fair and within their reach. 8. The ordinary roadshows are out for the money and don't care a whole lot how much satisfaction they create or how well they get over. I don't think they have any too much to offer for the price. By JOE HEWITT (The Strand theatre, Robinson, 111.) 1. No, No, No, three times. 2. A dozen good reasons. Firstly, that high admission price in small town is wet. Then terms are not equitable to exhibitor and after effect is very bad both from angle of taking all the money and advertising circus-like. 5. Can't answer for cities. 6. Positively not in smaller cities. 7. Play them on either straight percentage all the way through allowing producer-distributors to take losses with us or play them on straight rental. 8. The easiest answer to this is: Whoever made a penny on roadshows in opera house (outside of possibly the cities)? There is no equitable way in which this can be worked out in smaller towns. Cities can speak for themselves. By J. G. CATLOW (Auditorium theatre, Barrington, 111. Population, 2,000. Patronage, middle class.) 1. No. 2. I believe in dealing with a responsible concern and getting the picture when I want it at the price I can pay. 4. Beneficial. 5. No. 6. No. 7. Should be sold along with the regular program. 8. I believe a responsible concern can sell a big picture quicker and get a fair price than some small concern. By FRED HINDS (Cresco theatre, Cresco, la. Population, 3,200. Patronage, general.) 1. No. 2. Present percentage rates detrimental to theatre. Roadshotv pictures too old when they reach regular picture houses. 4. Detrimental. 5. Yes, many are now. 6. None zvhatcver. 7. Shoiving in regular picture theatres William M. Vogel has signed a contract for the foreign distribution of all the product of W. W. Hodkinson Corporation. at necessary admission on flat rental basis. 8. This industry needs better not bigger pictures. "The Covered Wagon" will be released in September. It will be ancient history then. It's ancient history now. I believe all pictures demanding a $2 admission should never have been produced. By MARION F. BODWELL (Paramount theatre, Wyoming, 111. Population, 1,200. Patronage, general.) 1. No. 2. The picture is too old before the small town exhibitors get a chance to show it. 4. It is beneficial providing that we can show the same picture within the next two or three weeks. 5. No. 6. Should do away with the roadshowing of pictures. 7. If the small town exhibitor pays the price he should be entitled to play the picture the same time as the big theatres. 8. The roadshowing of pictures hurts the small town exhibitor, because it is from six months to a year and a year and a half before a company will ever quote a price to the small town exhibitor. By that time our best patrons have seen it some place else. (General comment) — I have been brought up in the motion picture business ever since I was a child 8 years of age and I have made a special study of this particular line of business from the time I was 10 up until the present time and I am now 20 years old, and I am running a theatre for myself. Even though I have an upstairs theatre, by putting on good shows I have managed to make the business a paying proposition through the extreme cold weather and the bad roads that we have had all winter long. I have found out for myself that if you give the people the stuff that they will turn out regardless of the weather. By that I mean that there is a certain percentage that will turn out, but you have to have the goods to bring them out in cold weather. In regard to the roadshowing of certain pictures, I would say that it would be beneficial to the small town exhibitor if they did not do this too long. Take for instance, Paramount's "Covered Wagon"; they are not going to sell it until May or June and they will not release it until some time in September. I am afraid it will be worn out by that time. The film companies reap their harvest from the small town exhibitor, so I say if he agrees to pay the price let him show the picture along with the big theatres.