Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1939)

8 MAJORS STRIKE 90% OF SCHEDEES IN 5 YEARS; PROMISED 2,024; DELIVERED 1,811 Take Pride in Performance; Consider It as Almost Irreducible Minimum New York — Eight majors told the exhibitors they would deliver a grand total of 2,024 features in the five selling seasons ranging from 1932-33 to 1936-37 inclusive and delivered, 1,811, or a trifle less than 90 per cent. Official figures are divulged in the answers filed by seven major companies in the government suit. UA, which was the last distributor to answer the government’s charges, did not officially include figures on its releases over the five-year period. With this serving as a springboard. Boxoffice asked each of the eight companies to dig into their archives and supply the schedules promised at the advent of each season. Thus, there was obtained the promised lineups to accompany the delivered lineups, the pm-pose being to learn how correct or otherwise are exhibitor charges made from time to time that the majors pledge one thing but put something else on the platter. Distributors point with pride to their performance. They assert a variance of 10 per cent over a five seasonal period is slight and something akin to an irreducible minimum in view of changing conditions affecting story values and the variety of human equations which confront all studios insofar as casting is concerned. The charts appended include westerns and reissues and take into occount the outside, or maximum, number of attractions promised. An example of this is M-G-M which promised 44 to 52 for 1936-37. Tlie higher total is used in the statistical presentation. And now the five-season breakdown for each company: Promised Delivered 193233 1932-33 Columbia 48 48 M-G-M 48 40 Paramount 65 59 RKO 57 58 20th Century-Pox 49 44 UA 14 13 Universal 68 26 Warner 60 60 Total 409 348 193334 1933-34 Columbia 48 47 M-G-M 46 45 Paramount 65 57 RKO 52 42 20th Century-Fox 55 51 UA 24 18 Universal 40 37 Warner 60 56 Total 390 353 New York — The following market performance of eight majors, in terms of promises and deliveries for the five selling seasons from 1932-33 to 1936-37 inclusive, explains how far distributors fell down on their announced plans and reveals not one of the eight turned over to the theatre operator all of the product listed as each season got under way: Promised Delivered Number Shy Columbia 254 239 7 M-G-M 247 228 19 Paramount 337 304 33 RKO 261 237 24 20th Century-Fox 271 267 4 United Artists 114 96 18 Universal 240 152 88 Total 2,024 1,811 205 More Exhibitors Stirred by Inroads of "Jack Rabbits” Chicago — The story which appeared in Boxoffice recently telling of heavy traffic in “jack rabbit” competition in the middle west, has stirred other exhibitors throughout the territory, in the hope something can be done to help the situation. “Your paper deserves credit for bringing this out into the open,” said Everett Clapp, operator of the American at Sidell, 111., during a visit on the Row. “I only hope something can be done before it is too late.” Clapp explained that by “too late” he meant that should itinerant 16mm operators continue at the pace they are going, numerous exhibitors who have large investments in a score of small Illinois communities will have to close their theatres. Clapp is operating the American, a 250seat house in a town of 650 population, only four days a week, Friday through Monday. “We just can’t stay open more than that, and even those days are getting difficult,” said Clapp. “The farmers all about my community make a point to go to the towns, even smaller than Sidell, that have no theatre and where free movies are offered. It makes no difference how old or bad the prints are that are offered; the idea that they are ‘free’ is what pulls the farmers.” He said a similar situation exists for William Gerrib, who operates theatres in Georgetown and Westville, 111., both towns of about 2,000 to 2,500 population. Those theatres, too, are running only part-time, due primarily to the opposition from the free shows. Boxoffice has learned that, in some instances, the itinerants make legitimate deals for a theatre in one town, and then keep the prints for a so-called week’s engagement, thus giving them enough time to “bicycle” the prints. 1934-35 Columbia 48 M-G-M 52 Paramount 65 RKO 50 20th Century-Fox 54 UA 22 Universal 42 Warner 60 1934-35 20th Century-Fox 55 43 47 54 45 49 24 33 52 UA 24 Universal 48 Warner 60 58 15 22 59 Total 407 364 1936-37 1936-37 Total 393 1935-36 Columbia 52 M-G-M 49 Paramount 71 RKO 48 347 1935-36 ... 50 ... 44 ... 71 ... 45 Columbia 58 51 M-G-M 52 52 Paramount 71 63 RKO 54 47 20th Century-Fox.... 58 65 UA 30 26 Universal 42 34 Warner 60 61 Total .. 425 399 6 BOXOFFICE :: August 26, 1939