National Box Office Digest (Feb-July 1941)

^JUe OnAuAisuyL l/UeeJzhf, ^Ue &Q4C Ofjfjice. DIGEST ENTERTAINMENT An Editorial by ROBERT E. WELSH The modest Editor last week murmered about the fact that the picture industry needs no legislative chiding — Senatorial or otherwise — to tell it that heavy-handed propaganda, no matter for what side of an argument, is not selling theater tickets. He just invited the attention of the pundits to the box office figures. And mentioned some of the pictures that were proving the surprises. This week, judging from advance reports which are unanimous, he can add another one to the case history: "Tall, Dark and Handsome.” He mentions this picture’s current surprises because it points the way for another "easy lesson.” That is this simple fact: It does not take a million or more dollars to make a hit attraction. And producers or directors who start off with the belief that they MUST have a million or more to stand up in competition with the tops, are not only often kidding themselves, but in many ways affecting the economic structure of the industry. And so we come back to the two fundamental facts: STAR values are of tremendous value, because they give the harried exhibitor, who has little opportunity to allow "wordof-mouth” selling to get him money, the ability to count on some definite factors. So, star value cannot be ignored. BUT— There is also ENTERTAINMENT value. The lack of it can cause pictures with star assets to do nose-dives on runs following the opening ballyhoo in selected spots; its presence can cause pictures without stellar aristocracy to BUILD up and up. What is entertainment? Of course the fellow who could answer that in a few words or a thousand words would be worth the national debt to the picture industry. The companies could combine to pay his salary. But some guesses can be made. And at the risk of being definitely accused of proletarian intelligence we put as the first word in the definition: ESCAPE. We don’t care what variety of escape you offer — whether it is release of life’s problems through zanie laughs, or complete abandonment of today’s calendar by adventure into glorious history, the first requirement of money-making entertainment is to take the customer away from his own daily problems. Above all, don’t aggravate those problems by preaching — and especially sermonizing so effectively about the tragedies of some other characters that he returns to his home feeling worse than before he paid the exhibitor his four bits. ^ jjc Is this treason to intelligence? We don’t think so. Let the fact be granted that as a medium of propaganda and education the screen ranks with the press, and with the radio. But let it also be stated that the salaries which keep the industry going, the dividends which hold and create stockholders, are based upon one thing: Selling tickets. By all means let’s have our propaganda, if you can find enough exhibitors whose cash returns to Hollywood — that means you and you, and me — do not depend on SELLING tickets. There are highbrow reviews of the arts, literature, and the state of the cosmos, that do not expect to sell their wares at the corner drug store newsstand. There are propagandists endowed with millions who flood the mails with their "messages,” and send them to you free. Let the Hollywoodians who have the same urge to deliver their "messages” to mankind, work out some similar system. But let’s not force it on the exhibitor. He has troubles enough with the alleged entertainment you so frequently . deliver him, that neither entertains nor sells the customers, most of whose money is going back to you. Unless you don’t care about money. And that might be a good ‘hought. DISTRIBUTORS’ BATTING AVERAGE FOR 1940 1. Metro-Goldwyn Mayer 2. United Artists 3. Tewntieth Century-Fox 4. Warners-First National 5. Paramount 6. Universal 7. RKO-Radio 8. Columbia 9. Republic 10. Monogram *Does not include "Gone With the Wind,” 388%, sold under special contract, and produced by David Selznick. Now withdrawn from general release. % 47 Releases 101 * 21 Releases 100 48 Releases 93 46 Releases 91 42 Releases : 87 50 Releases 78 48 Releases 77 41 Releases 75 25 Releases 70 26 Releases 66