Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD April 4, 19 3 1 H piij ^ J) ^ ^ J I ^3 1^ A CAMPAIGN has been underway for some time which has as its object to stop Howard Hughes from making "Queer People." A story which deals — and not kindly — with various members of the film colony. It is these certain individuals who are under the impression they are grossly insulted in the book, that are doing all they can to prevent its being made. For weeks they have been printing stories, spreading rumors and doing other such things, in an efifort to get the young producer to abandon the making of a picture based upon the story. It is perhaps this desire of some who feel they may be "exposed" in such a picture, to halt its making, that causes Hughes to go ahead with his plans. The stories circulated have dealt with various subjects. Some are to the ef¥ect that the Hays organization will bar the picture. Others are that the director gave the story up as hopeless, others that no players will condescend to play the parts of their fellow townsmen, and so on. Regardless of what others think, say or do, Hughes plans to make the picture and what effect it has on the cinema city is a matter to be determined later. ▲ A A 1500% Tilf Is Price of Success Independent producers making a "special" which they believed would click heavily because of the name value and talent of their star, started looking for a second vehicle for her. They selected one play in particular and contacted the agent. "$4,000," he replied. The first picture was previewed and released. It was a "hot shot" and gave every indication that it would go over in a big way. "We think we'll take that story at $4,000," the independents told the agent. "Like fun you will," said the agent, who had seen the first picture. "The price is now $60,000." The independents laughed and walked out on him. But the agent laughed last. He sold the yarn to a large producing company for another elderly actress who is also bringing the customers into the box office for— $60,000. AAA His Dreams Tumble A few years ago a man who had accumulated considerable wealth in operating small theatres decided to get into the big city, downtown districts. Much against the advice of others he built a theatre in the downtown section on property that cost a terrific sum. His theatre seated less than 1,000 and as he was an inde pendent he was forced to get product later or inferior to that of his competitors. When talking pictures came along he was one of the first to install equipment, due largely to the fact his main source of product was a concern that made it imperative to show its pictures in the new fashion. As a result his business for about one year was nothing less than sensational and his profits were around the million mark. It was then that he dreamed of building a theatre that architecturally would have no equal. Obtaining another downtown site at great expense he built this house and made it most lavish in all details. Comforts that his patrons could get in no other house were put in at great expense. A restaurant even was built in the theatre to accommodate them. The opening came. It was historic. The town had seen nothing quite like it and the picture was a success. The producing company, knowing it had an ace up its sleeve, made the exhibitor play on a percentage basis that robbed him of anything but a meager profit. This, however, was overlooked as the picture would help identify the house as one of the first class showplaces in the city. After several weeks the big picture began to slip and new product was sought. In an effort again to get a big picture the operator offered a major studio a princely sum for one of its new pictures which had all the earmarks of being a smash at the box ofiice. The studio was eager to sell the picture on the plan offered but a big theatre circuit which bought a large amount of the studio's product stepped in and said no. If the deal went through, the circuit would not play that studio's pictures in its several hundred theatres. So the deal was dropped and the independent operator had to take what he could get — second-class first runs or second run pictures. After a number of weeks of the inferior product, business in the big house fell way off. The operator who had such big ideas found that it was pictures and not the theatre that his patrons wished to see. The "drop-in" trade he expected is not coming, when for the same 65 cents they can see a picture that is perhaps better and with a big stage thrown in, just a half block down the street. What the manager is going to do is the big question. Will he start heavy advertising? Will he cut the price to 25 cents or thereabouts? Will he put in big stageshows, or will he sell out to a circuit that can get the product needed for the house? All are matters for conjecture and many are the eyes turned to the spot which for the next few months faces — success or failure. Which will it be? A BIG theatre operator was robbed. For two days the papers carried stories in big headlines telling of the holdup. A large fortune had been taken by the thief and at the risk of several lives. Questioned regarding the affair, the b.t.o. replied . "It was an interesting experience. All that it cost was the loss of $150 in cash; the rest of the property was insured." So everyone but the insurance company is happy. The latter has to make good to the extent of about $20,000. AAA Hitting Far Below the Belt Some slick "executive" salesman for one of the larger producer-distributors deliberately resurrected unethical trade tricks of the "shoestring" days when he caused to be circulated propaganda and rumors which stated that Mack Sennett was "pulling away" from Educational to become associated with the short subject division of his company. The salesman's company has had considerable tough luck in the sale of shorts, and with the new sales season closely approaching, it appears obvious that the outfit sought to alleviate the stigma attached to its short releases and present to exhibitors a more favorable picture of the new short group by using the name of Sennett. No thought, apparently, was given to the ill effect it might cause to Educational. Incidentally, the current crop of rumors is the second planted by the distributor in an identical situation. AAA "Scarlet" Fever Is Unhealthy The rising tide of newsreel competition is resulting in all the devious tactics which have in the past characterized newspaper wars. One newsreel organization under the fevered pressures of a new management and policy has raided a competing staff in the execution of long laid plans. Measures of retaliation more intricate and orientally complex than the simple gesture of a counter raid are in operation. Meanwhile, selling pressures and competition for screen time are increasing to a point where over-exploitation of the field, in the opinion of some observers, is likely to result in some very scarlet figures. The union scale for newsreel cameramen, and in effect all of the reels are unionized, is yet to be settled upon, and editorial salaries in the subordinate positions of newsfilm production are likely, through competition, to come in for readjustments. THE INSIDERS