Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1929)

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18 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD October 5, 1929 EXHIBITORS H E RALD WORLD Martin J. Quigley, Publisher & Editor Incorporating Exhibitors Herald, founded in 1915; Moving Picture World, founded in 1907; Motography, founded in 1909; and The Film Index, founded in 1909 Published Every Wednesday by Quigley Publishing Company Publication Office: 407 So. Dearborn St., CHICAGO, U. S. A. Martin J. Quigley, President Edwin S. Clifford, Secretary George Clifford, Asst. Treasurer Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Copyright, 1929, by Quigley Publishing Company All editorial and business correspondence should be addressed to the Chicago office Other publications: Better Theatres, devoted to construction, equipment and operation of theatres; published every fourth week in conjunction with Exhibitors HeraldWorld; The Motion Picture Almanac, Pictures and Personalities, published annually; The Chicagoan and Polo, Class publications. Vol. 97, No. 1 October 5, 1929 Reproduction — Again REPORTS from various points throughout the country testifying to the lack of an uniformly high standard of reproduction in the theatres continue to accumulate. In some cases the devices which have heen installed appear to be inadecjuate; in other instances, possibly because of the absence of proper servicing facilities, individual performance; are of varying quality in reproduction and there is a wide range of quality between one show and the next. Directly traceable to this condition is the expression frequently encountered among the public to the effect that sound pictures may be all right in the long run but that they will have to sound a great deal better before they can take the place of good silent pictures. If production executives in California and distribution executives in New York could personally observe the kind of reproduction that is now being given at various places they would receive some unpleasant surprises. They would, in fact, be prepared for the outright failure of several of their pictures which they are now counting upon to be successes. We presume to say that these pictures will be failures because of the obvious fact that when an audible picture is given poor or indifferent reproduction it goes to the public under a handicap which no innate merit, however great, can overcome. The question of attaining at the earliest possible date an uniformly high standard of reproduction in all theatres which may attempt to exhibit sound pictures is as important as any issue now facing the industry. And. indeed, there are reasons for urging that this question is the most important, because the industry's very existence depends upon the widespread acceptance and popularity of audible pictures* during the coming theatrical season. The greatest single influence working against this acceptance and popularity is poor reproduction. Circuit Managers THE successful operation of a great chain of theatres probably depends more upon the element of personnel than upon anything else. We do not mean headquarters and home office personnel but the personnel made up of the men in the field, the individual managers scattered throughout the country who are the corporation's contact point with its local property and with that property's local public. It is acknowledged by every competent observer that the exhibitor-owner has certain natural advantages over the salaried manager. The chain theatre has, of course, its special advantages. The surprising thing to us is that in several instances the great circuits accept the natural advantages of their position and let the matter rest there, with little or no effort to bring to their aid many of the advantages of the exhibitor-owner which may be had merely through the application of a few principles of sound business management and a little commonsense. The commonsense angle comes in mostly on the point of conducting the circuit generally as a modern, human and humane business institution and not as an autocratic regime reminiscent of the days and customs of the feudal lords. Great circuits may be put together by buying theatre properties but great circuits can never be successfully operated if the local manager is to be made into a timorous clerk, worried, fretful, insecure in his position and robbed of every opportunity for the use of his individual initiative and enterprise by unreasonable and uncalled for home office dictation. An upstanding local manager, given as much latitude in his operations as results justify and enabled through the delegation of authority and responsibility to become a factor in the local community, is a great asset to a theatre circuit corporation; so great, in fact, that many keen analysts believe that without this type of local manager circuits will be compelled to disintegrate as quickly as they can be put together. Mr. Robert Lieber THE passing of Mr. Robert Lieber removes from the scene of the industry a fine personality who for many years has been widely held in affectionate esteem. Mr. Lieber was a pioneer of the industry and from the early days was a leading figure in motion picture affairs in Indianapolis. He became a national figure in the industry with his election to the presidency of First National. In his long tenure of this office he established for himself a reputation for fair dealing which now remains as a fitting tribute to his memory. On various occasions in the affairs of First National seemingly irreconcilable differences among executives and among franchise holders developed. It was the usual practice to leave these differences to "Bob" Lieber and let him decide the issue. Regardless of the outcome there is no record of any contestant questioning the decision of "Bob'' Lieber. A fine, friendly and dependable man was Robert Lieber. His passing is a distinct loss to the business and to his thousands of friends throughout the amusement world. \ N exhibitor correspondent, who expressed the wish to x \ remain in the background, recently told us of the pained feeling which overcame him as he lately read a published article of a near-expei-t on motion picture matters whose argument was pretty much to the end that the talking motion picture is the bunk. This exhibitor admits a few very uncomfortable moments as he perused this article, meanwhile recollecting, as he expressed it, that he had mortgaged the homestead to buy sound equipment. The world probably will never be rid of false prophets. But a more enlightened mankind ought pretty soon to commence to inquire more carefully into the authority, if any, of those who undertake prophetic pronouncements. Anyone who differs, positively and enthusiastically, with this near-expert will find himself in a vast and very intelligent company. If he is wrong he will not be lonesome in his error. —MARTIN J. QUIGLEY.