The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

200 MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 27, 1926 Managers Who Ride Hohhies To a Fall "Music Hath Charm to Soothe the Savage Breast," but Elaborate Organ Programs Don't Always Harmonize With the Cash Register Bells By Epes W. Sargent TWO film salesmen were spending the night at the same hotel in a mid-west town and after they had seen the local managers were talking shop, as salesmen will. Each was guarded in his comments, but casual mention of "Blank, of Blankville" evoked a flow of unprintable language, to the amazement of his fellow, who knew that the objector had been selling to Blank for several seasons. When the sulphurous fumes were dissipated, the salesman told his storj'. It seems that he had just visited Blank with the intention of selling him the "Fateful Fifty" and the "Screaming Score." Blank made the usual complaint of bad business, but when the salesman sought to laugh this c fif as the traditional "poor uouth" that leads to price concessions, Blank showed a home made chart. Business had been falling steadily at an average of |20 a week, and Blank blamed it on the pictures. The salesman, well intentioned, diplomatically suggested that perhaps it was a lack of advertising, and particularly an unkempt lobby. The glass fronts of the frames were smeared by greasy hands, there were enough thumb prints on the painted wood surfaces to supply a thousand murder clues and the walls were about eight months overdue for a coat of paint. "Didn't Need Lobby" "And he told me that with his music he didn't need a lobby," wound up the loser." I found out later that he is crazy about his organ and his musical selections." The rest is better left unprinted as being strictly unmailable. The next afternoon the other salesman dropped into Blankville and breezed up to the theatre. "I dont want to talk films," he said briskly in response to the familiar scowl with which he was greeted. "I just want to sit through the show. I've heard so much about your music that I want to see what it's like." The scowl faded and Blank passed him through the door. The lobby was all his brother salesman had said. Inside the house was badly neglected, but a spotlight brought into relief the console organ of about $5,000 too big for the house. It was an undeniably fine instrument, but the handful of patrons sat listlessly through a heavy Bach fugue, nor did it cheer visibly when a scenic went on to the accompaniment of equally ponderous melody." The salesman sat through the show, praised the music — and sold about everything he had. He figured Blank v.as still doing business enough to assure film rentals for another six months. After that he didn't care. In the chat that followed. Blank told his st.-jry. He always had been a lover of music. When 'increasing prosperity enabled him to build a new theatre, he put in a really fine organ. Naturally some patrons complimented the music. The more compliments he received, the more ambitious his programs became, until fully ninety percent of his patrons endured the music for the sake of the feature, learning to come late and escape the musical numbers. Blank had no ears for the kickers. He believed only the small minority who assured him his music was wonderful. Presently his hobby is going to canter him out of the house and into the bankruptcy courts, but he'll die happy. He's Not Alone If Blank were merely an isolated example, the incident would be uninteresting, but there is hundreds of hobby-riding managers who are wasting their opportunities. They are not all musical enthusiasts; many of them think music is a nuisance, but they all have some hobby and ride it to death. One man makes wonderful posters. He spends about half of his time making posters and gives what he can spare to the conduct of the house. The seats may badly need repairing, the lamp globes may be as dirty as the floor and the music decidedly inferior, but so long as he can produce two or three pairs of really artistic lobby posters each week, he thinks he is managing the house. Royalty Meets Princess of Pictures Director Donald Crisp introduces the Princess Natalie Golitzen to Marie Prevost, star of the Metropolitan pictxn-e, "Man Bait," in which the titled Russian girl has a minor role. There is another man whose forte lies in the machine shops. He is a mechanical genius, but he spends far too much time animating lobby displays. People come and look at his lobby and pass along to a house better run. His entire show is in the lobby. Salesmen know his hobby and they sell him their programs in the 24-sheets, pointing out how this or that can be tricked to give motion. To him a feature is a picture with a horse race or an auto speed contest. That .pives him a chance to display his elaborate race track. Another manager, and this time is a 3,S00-seater, gives all of his time to his presentations, He scamps his film programs to hire players and gives all his time to their rehearsals. Nine times out of ten when a salesman calls he is asked to wait until after rehearsal is over, and if he is wise, he will slip in and see the show, to have something to talk about when he finally does get audience Salesman Gets Air One salesman was flatly told not to call again because he pointed out that those sitting on the sides of the house were disturbed during the early part of the feature by the light coming from the unscreened sides. He was told that lights were necessary that the stage setting might be changed. Another manager thinks that his billboards sell all the tickets. Twice a week he makes the rounds with the bill poster to see that the paper is properly pasted and that there are no conflicting masses of color. It takes two days out of the man; agerial week, and the house suflfers, but most film salesmen know better than to argue with him. One salesman booked in 120 days because he gave a new formula for paste. It may sound absurd, but the fact remains. And it is not always in the small towns that you encounter the enthusiasts. From Broadway to the sticks you'll find the men who stress one feature of management to the detriment of all the others; who figure that good music, or fine presentations, or mechanical cutouts, ballyhoo stunts or newspaper display is everything. The man who spend half his time in the newspaper's composing room is little more a manager than the compositor who shares his labor. You Need Them All .\muscment is a combination of good pictures, good music, good presentations, (if you use them), good advertising, comfortable surroundings and personal service. Anything less than that is below par, and no special feature can in any marked degree compensate for the loss of the others. Have you a little hobby in your house? Figure it out. The film salesman probably has. That's why he sells you film. "The Fighting Failure" "The Fighting Failure," produced by E. G. Boyle, and having in its cast Cullen Landis, Peggy Montgomery, Lucy Beaumont, Sidney Franklin and Ernest Hilliard, will be sold on the State Right market by Nat Levine.