Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1934 - Aug 1935)

NDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR. FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 2 TUESDAY.. SEPTEMBER 18, 1934 PRICE 10 CENTS A Sporting Proposition ! TO THE OFFICERS OF THE M. P. T. O. OF EASTERN PENNA.: Gentlemen, we want to make you a sporting proposition. The independent theatremen of this territory are suffering from a crop of oppressive burdens heaped upon them over a period of ten years. During this time yours was the only exhibitor organization in the territory, yet you were powerless to protect the interests of the theatre owners. The record of exhibitor organization over the past ten years is one of utter futility. During this period film rentals HAVE RISEN ABOUT 300 % ! During the time you were supposed to be guarding the interests of the exhibitors preferred playing time was introduced. During this time smart sales managers in New York compelled the film buyers to accept stiff guarantees with percentages, overages, the right to interchange pictures without consulting the exhibitor, and other practices that have robbed theatre operation of any worth-while profit and have made the film companies, the landlord and the union. Last January, at your annual meeting, you oppointed twenty committees. NOT ONE OF THESE HAS EVER FUNCTIONED! Regardless of where the fault lay, the fact remains that the theatre men of this zone have not had the protection a strong, fighting organization would have given them. Dwindling membership, loss of interest, non-payment of dues and the growing indifference to the plight of the theatre owners made necessary a new kind of organization. Hence the INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS' PROTECTIVE AS SOCIATION. Since the formation of the new independent group, certain of your officers have spent the best part of their time SNIPING at the I. E. P. A. Desperate attempts have been made to stop the rapid growth of the new body. But these attempts are doomed to failure just as similar attempts on the part of other M. P. T. O. units to destroy the independent movement have been doomed to failure. Now for our sporting proposition. The I. E. P. A. HAS A DEFINITE PROGRAM FOR IMMEDIATE RELIEF FOR THE INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR! Not a theory, not a pipe dream, but a complete and comprehensive program that is certain of success. We have a complete and carefully developed plan for enlisting the co-operation of a MILLION THEATRE GOERS in this area in support of the independent theatreman. We have tried your plans for exhibitor relief over the past ten years with bitter results. We have tried belonging to an organization of producers and chain theatres only to see those producers and chains seize control of the industry and dictate the terms under which the exhibitor may be permitted to operate his theatre. We ask you now to try our plan. Try it for one year, not the ten years that we tried yours so unsuccessfully. If we fail to show results the officers of this organization will step down and make way for others. STOP PLAYING POLITICS WITH THE EXHIBITORS' MISERY. Stop sniping at the one independent organization that is not tied down to the producers and chain theatres. Give the exhibitors of this territory what they want — one strong independent organization free from producer and chain theatre control. CD LT) a CD CD CD ACD CD H I X ZD ZD Q_ Q_ Q_.g n' a_ 9i CD CD 5. Q_ O o CD n o' ZD ZZT CD — ^ ET CD CD on o LT) o CD GO CD ZD ~U CD z CD $ CD~ ^ go CD