Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1934)

58 MOTION PICTURE HERALD November 17, 1934 PASTOR CALLS UPON CITY TO SEE FILM CALLS PATRONAGE TEST OF GOOD TASTE To THE Editor of the Herald : The attached editorial strikes me as containing a bit of timely horse sense — from the old "Home Town." Especially interesting coming from a gentleman of the cloth. The Rev. William Rainey Bennett is pastor of Elgin's Universalist Church, a speaker of national reputation and trouped the Redpath Chautauqua circuit with the Silver-Tonged Orator. He knows what it is all about and carries considerable weight in this vicinity. The attached was entirely unsolicited. — Rudy Born, City Manager, Publix Great States Theatres, Inc., Rialto Theatre, Elgin, 111. The editorial by William Rainey Bennett appeared in the Fox Valley Herald and said, . in part: ". . . The human mind is supposed to be able to choose. ... "... I claim that the people have just as good talking pictures as they deserve. If pictures are rotten, and still survive, it is because there are people who like that kind. Pictures good and bad live on patronage. When the box office receipts fall down, that picture goes into the morgue. "The main trouble with the socalled 'better element' is that they do not support the best when it is offered to the public. Besides, there are many who wail and weep about the bad pictures who down deep in their natures actually love the lavender. Their 'culture' is like a diamond stud in a dirty shirt-front. "But good taste can be cultivated as well as bad. ... "... There is coming to this city soon the finest singing picture ever produced, and it is taking like wild-fire. Grace Moore, grand opera star in 'One Night of Love,' has captured the movie world. Even the green-eyed stars of Hollywood were actually thrilled to the limits of emotional endurance with that singing lovestory. . . . "Well, if you want good pictures, patronize "One Night of Love." Make good things pay. I am not interested in the box office of the Rialto, but I am greatly enthused in the fact that fine pictures do draw at the door. You will cry and laugh at the characters in this picture. It is the greatest production of the season. This is not an 'ad,' but a little essay on 'Taste' and I'm betting that the people of Elgin have good taste. We'll see !" STAGE SHOW RETURN UP TO COMMUNITY To THE Editor of the Herald: What about stage attractions? Are they necessary? Do they build business? Do they increase goodwill? Have they a definite place in the motion picture theatre? These are pertinent questions, questions which are in the minds of many theatre managers at this time. From many quarters we hear the dire cries of vaudeville agents, bookers and out-of-work actors. "People are tiring of movies alone," they warn. "They want something different. They want flesh. They want stage attractions." Vaudeville Almost Obliterated Let us look at the situation of the stage, particularly vaudeville, as it exists today, and see what truth, if any, there is in the above remarks. In the first place, vaudeville as it was originally has become almost entirely obliterated from the American stage. Houses featuring stellar acts alone are gone. Even the New York Palace has added motion pictures to its stage attractions. Perhaps the singular para dox is true here that motion pictures were added to "save" vaudeville. Or perhaps they were added to cut the enormous expense entailed in providing an all-star stage program. In the average city theatre featuring vaudeville as a regular attraction in conjunction with motion pictures there has been built up a "regular" following, a following which is lured more by the fact that there is a stage show than by the usual film fare. This does not mean, however, that others will not be attracted by a picture of unusual strength. The situation in the small city or town where stage attractions are presented only occasionally or not at all is quite different. And it is with the thousands of theatres located in small cities and towns that we are most concerned. In these places the drawing power of a stage attraction is furnished either by the novelty of "flesh" entertainment or the desire to see in person a "name" act. There is only one method with which to test the box office value of stage shows and that is to try them. Your particular community may react favorably to any sort of stage attraction, or it may go for only "name" shows. Or still further, it may be cold to any type of "flesh show." Radio Adds "Names" In recent years radio has contributed much to the supply of "name" acts available to smaller communities. Many excellent attractions work out of nearby stations. These units, after some time on the air, have surprisingly large followings. It is true that many standard vaudeville turns will fail to do business in a small community, yet some radio acts of doubtful merit will pack them in. It is a tribute to radio's tremendous power, and the alert showman should not only acknowledge it, but should attempt to capitalize on it. Poor acts have ruined the possibility of future stage shows in many instances. Patrons, in these cases, have come to believe that the added attraction is some "cheap act" or that it is on the bill to bolster a weak picture program. In the final analysis, the motion picture theatre is a place for the exhibition of motion pictures. Whether it should be used for purposes other than that depends upon the following factors : The previous status of stage attractions in the community, the availability of good acts, audience reaction and box office value. — ^William M. Sholl, manager, Comique Theatre, Camden, Maine. PICTURE REPORTS "QUITE A HELP" To THE Editor of the Herald: I have been following the "What the Picture Did for Me" department quite closely and have found it to be quite a help. Incidentally, I feel guilty for taking advantage of the other fellows' contributions, and not doing my bit — therefore I am going to try to make amends by doing a little contributing myself. Exhibitors know that the most difficult kind of a picture to sell is one dealing with the industries or conditions of their immediate vinicity, because audiences want to forget their surroundings. An exhibitor in the Niagara Falls district realizes his patrons do not want to see pictures of Niagara Falls. . . they'd rather see pictures of the African jungle. When an exhibitor does get a picture dealing with his own territory and can make his audiences go out of their way to stop and say a nice word about the picture, it must be a zvinner. And that's exactly what happened to us with "Eskimo." Folks were skeptical here. They had met all members of the cast, they had seen conditions such as depicted in the picture, but the idea of making a picture out of it all, well, they were skeptical. But they came out of curiosity and for the first time in years we didn't have a single walk-out. They've laughed and jeered at nearly all Alaskan pictures, because nine times out of ten some darn idiot would be walking away with a poke of gold dust worth $25,000 — juggling it as if he were carrying a few feathers. Why don't they ever stop to figure out the weight of $25,000 in gold. And there are other incidents just as ridiculous. But "Eskimo" was technically as flawless as a picture could be. True, there were a few double-exposures, but the idea as presented was in its complete form correct. Van Dyke and his crew had no easy task — it was a tough grind and they all deserve a world of credit. We, of Alaska, have nothing but praise to offer to them. They've turned out a miglity fine picture. Incidentally, I'd like to thank Van Dyke for transforming Myrna Loy from a sinister siren into a lovable female. His "Prizefighter and the Lady" did that. We have always been great admirers of Miss Loy and Mr. Van Dyke — our hats off to them. — Don Adler, Empress Circuit, the Lathrop Company, Fairbanks, Alaska. HARBINGERS OF BETTER TIMES To THE Editor of the Herald : The writer has just returned from his vacation, and being of observant mind, made some observations, which in my modest opinion are harbingers of better times for everyone. In many small towns, along the route from the Canadian Border to my home town (New York City), I observed every night crowded stores for evening shoppers ; and many small movie houses displaying 6". R. O. signs. The streets were cluttered with autos, and in conversation with the local traffic cops, all made the same remark : "We have not seen these conditions since I was sucker enough to drop all my money in the Wall Street Boom." The average movie executive can foresee the future about as well as the average theatre manager — and in this respect I feel we in the industry are on the eve of a healthy expansion. This does not mean that poor product will sell itself, but with improvement in output from the major studios, and liberal and constructive cooperation on the part of the directing heads of the industry, the movie theatres of the country will again be near their gross of the days before what we all remember as the Great Depression. A general raise of the admission prices in all theatres would be strongly recommended by me. — J. S. Salmon, Manager, Riverside Theatre, Broadway and 96th Street, New York City.