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STATISTICS
By
CHESTER B. BAHN
Editor, THE FILM DAILY
(r"i^ OR the first time. The Film Daily Year Book of Motion Pictures in this, the 20th edition, prey sents a comprehensive statistical picture of the film industry.
Emphasis, naturally, is upon the domestic scene, for Hollywood remains the acknowledged film capital, but the American statistics are complemented by vital world figures from competent sources.
Here, then, is the 1937 story of the industry as interpreted in terms of figures:
Average weekly attendance of U. S. motion picture theaters 88,000,000
1936: 88,000.000; 1935: 80,000,000; 1934: 70,000,000; 1933: 60,000,000; 1932: 60,000,000; 1931: 75.000,000; 1930: 110,000,000; 1929: 95,000.000; 1928: 65.000,000; 1927: 57,000,000; 1926: 50,000,000; 1925: 46,000,000; 1924: 46,000,000; 1923: 43,000,000; 1922: 40,000,000.
Attendance weekly throughout world 226,000,000
British film theaters at the end of 1937 totaled 5,000, with aggregate weekly attendance estimated at 23,000,000
German film theaters at the end of 1937 totaled 5,395, with estimated yearly attendance of 350,000,000
Total Gross in U. S 51,000,000,000
New U. S. Theaters Built During Year about 500
Total U. S. Theaters Operating (as of Jan. 1. 1938) 16,251
Number of Film Theaters Throughout the World on Jan. 1, 1938 89,097
Decrease in World Film Theaters during 1937 8,282
Number of World Film Theaters Wired for Sound 62.895
Percentage of Screen Time in All Foreign Markets for U. S. Films 70^0
Total Positive and Negative Footage Used by the Industry 1,500.000.000
Number of people employed in the Industry in U. S 283,000
Production: 28,500; Distribution, 13,500; Exhibition. 241,000.
I Production 51,750,000
Average Weekly Payroll <| Distribution 5526,000
[ Exhibition S5,375:000
Number of Exchanges 443
Number of Exchanges of Major Companies Warner-First Nat'l., 31;
Universal, 32; United Artists, 28; 20th Century-Fox, 31; RKO Radio, 33; Paramount, 33; M-G-M, 31; Columbia, 31.
Average Admission Price in U. S 23c.
Capital Invested in film industry World .... 53,000,000,000
U. S 52,000,000,000
Production Costs in U. S 5152,500,000
Approximate Annual Hollywood Payroll 591,000,000
Approximate Weekly Hollywood Payroll 51,750,000
Approximate Weekly Production Payroll in U. S. outside Hollywood 5100,000
Number of Extras Used in Hollywood Production 294,307
Amount Spent for the Advertising of Films throughout world 5110,000,000
Amount Spent for Advertising of Films in U. S 577,000,000
Newspapers and Magazines, etc 563,000,000
Outdoor Advertising 58,000,000
Accessories and Direct Mail 56.000.000
Number of Advertisements Placed Daily in Various U. S. Media 16,000
Average Number of Prints Required Per Feature Majors: 200
Indies: 100
Average Number of Prints Required for Newsreels (per company) 725
(Continued on page 39)
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