Motion Picture News (Jan - Mar 1914)

THE MOTION PICTURE NEWS 19 The Circuit— Its Growing Importance By George D. Proctor THE question of circuits is one which is becoming of more and more importance in the motion picture business. The motion picture industry has not yet settled down to the cut-and-dried stage. It still is in the period of change. While speculating on what the future will bring, on what the situation as regards marketing and handling films will be two years from now, the question of circuits takes an important place. Many persons who are at the present time producing motion pictures, or who are in the selling end of the business, feel that the day of the circuit will come. One reason for putting credence in this belief is the fact that two years ago there were practically no circuits and that every circuit that has been established since then has been financially successful. Among the circuits may be cited the Turner & Dahnken circuit on the Pacific Coast, the Jake Wells and T. F. Montgomery circuits in the South, the Gordon Brothers Olympia circuit in New England and northern New York State, and the William Fox and Marcus Loew circuits in New York City and the nearby cities. All of these are believed to be good paying propositions. It is a certainty that when one man hits upon a method of making money, others are bound to take a leaf out of his book. Co-operation is the keynote of the success of the circuit. If one theatre playing a lone hand can make money, it is reasonable to expect that four or five theatres can help each other by co-operation, and that a greater number of theatres can help each other even more. There are a great many instances, of course, all over the country where a single man or concern controls four or five theatres. Such a case, of course, is tantamount to a small circuit from which a bigger circuit may grow. ANOTHER reason why the possibility of the day of circuit coming must be taken seriously is the fact that many theatrical people are now entering the motion picture business. The theatrical man will unconsciously look at the motion picture business through his own eyes. He will see in it a case parallel to that of vaudeville, where there are big-time circuits, small-time circuits, and small small-time circuits. On this account many persons think that two or three years from now films will be handled as vaudeville attractions are now, and booked weeks ahead over a given route. With this situation there would be separate arrangements made for the pretentious booking of features for the two, three and four-part features, and for the single-reel picture. Then as a big feature got older and depreciated in value, it would go on a cheaper circuit. The realization of this vision, of course, carries with it almost an upheaval of present conditions. While many may not agree with these prophets, still their viewpoint is worthy of serious consideration. It is all the more worthy of consideration because circuits are now starting to purchase pictures for their own use. For instance, the Gordon Brothers Olympia circuit bought the twelve-reel picture of "Les Miserables" and is now showing the picture at Carnegie Lyceum, New York City. The Jake Wells circuit in the South buys pictures, as do Turner & Dahnken on the coast. T. F. Montgomery recently announced that he was not buying pictures at the present time, but that he would soon announce the ownership of several features which exhibitors could rent. At the present time, none of these circuits are buying the picture exclusively for their own use. They are bridging the gap between the problem of handling pictures, state rights, and buying them for circuits, by buying the pictures, playing them over their own circuit, and also leasing them to outsiders. This may prove to be an intermediary step leading toward the day of the circuit. ANOTHER important angle of this is that it is extremely probable that the day will come when a single concern will be both the producer and exhibitor. That is to say that one company will produce big feature pictures and play them over its own circuit. This, of course, is the greatest money-making proposition in the business to-day on paper. Anyone with a pencil can figure it out. A theatrical producer has at his disposal a chain of houses. He puts on a show. After several weeks' time and cost, he produces the show. Then while the show lives, he practically has to produce it every week after that. That is to say, he has to pay the players' salaries, traveling expenses and many incidentals each week. Another man produces a motion picture. He produces it once and his expense of production is all over. The cost of making additional prints of the picture is nominal as compared with the cost of keeping a show going. The proposition for one company to produce big pictures and produce them over their own circuit is a beautiful one. in theory, so beautiful that it seems as if it cannot fail to work out. This is the plan along which the Klaw & Erlanger-Biograph combine was operating and which may bear fruit. The Biograph Company have the producing facilities. Klaw & Erlanger have the theatres. The union gave them all they need. WHETHER or not the Vitagraph Company acquires a chain of theatres, the Vitagraph Theatre has already met with enough success to inspire two other firms to follow in its steps. The Mutual Film Corporation has just acquired an outlet on Broadway for its big pictures, having taken over Joe Weber's old playhouse, which it will book through the Continental Feature Film Corporation. The Mutual also is reported as having the old skating rink at Broadway and Fifty-second street, which it will transform and christen the Rink Theatre. Then the AngloAmerican has secured the New York Theatre, Broadway and Forty-fifth street, in which to show pictures. Doubtless these are only the vanguard of a great horde. But the firms who now try to secure an outlet on Broadway will find their greatest trouble in getting suitable theatres. There are two roads by which the day of the circuit may arrive. It may come by means of combinations of exhibitors or through a producing company acquiring a chain of theatres. Exhibitors' combines may be formed for several reasons. Exhibitors may band together for their mutual advantage. One exhibitor's interests may grow and absorb those of others. Newcomers from the theatrical field may put into operation the modus operandi to which they have been accustomed. But the result will be the same. EITHER of these propositions, if they go through as detailed here, will certainly bring the exhibitor, the exchange man and the state rights man face to face with the problem of the circuit. If the day of the circuit does arrive, it will arrive as everything else has in this business — with a bang — and if it does come, the exchangeman, exhibitor or state rights man who is caught on the outside will be in an unenviable position. The exhibitor will face direct competition, much stronger than ever before, while the other people will find that the bottom has suddenly dropped out of the market. This is not written in belief that the day of the circuit will surely come, but to call attention to the great possibilities of its coming.