Canadian Moving Picture Digest (May 1925-May 1926)

--~ Page Two r eae CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Committee of Board Trade and Commerce Make Comprehensive Statement E are all familiar with the conditions that existed each buying season in the past. For years, the Theatre Owner has gone through an almost hysterical period in the matter of buying product for the new season. Early in May of each year two of the National Producing and_ Distributing Companies would commence their publicity for the selling of their pictures to theatre owners and by June, year in and year out, they would have thousands of independent theatre owners signed up with contracts with almost all of the available and preferred playing time of these exhibitors and leaving little or no time for independent product of merit which might be offered with the opening of the season, or through the year. This did much to create an erroncous impression that an independent picture was just a filler-in, something the exhibitor had to take because he could get nothing else, which had the effect of detracting from the real merit of the independent product. Each buying season was usually preceeded by a campaign of propaganda that implanted in the theatre owners’ mind the idea that there would be a positive shortage of worthwhile films. The exhibitor would rush blindly in, stampeded and panicky, and tie up his play time; and too late would find there was plenty of worthwhile product. This state gradually grew worse, and a remedy had to be found. Most of the producers and distributors, national and state rights, sat idly by permitting this condition to continue, so that without any opposition from them, certain forces continued their policy of acquiring theatres, stars and directors and were very often enabled through their high-pressure sales and exploitation organizations, to merchandise or sell their mediocre product to far better advantage than the independent concerns could sell their higher quality pictures. The idea of a questionnaire suggested itself to our committee, a questionnaire to each of the producing campanies, large and small, to ascertain not only how much product they expected to offer for the ~season of 1925-1926, but of what classifi cation they expected their product to consist, so.in March 1925 we sent out this questionnaire and the responses were im:mediate, most gratifying, and most comprehensive. We learned in this way that _approximately 1000 features would be “available for theatre owners for the sea“son 1925-1926. This accurate knowledge :showed -us most plainly that there was no possible danger of shortage. Fortified with this. knowledge we laid our plans to enjoin upon theatre owners the business necessity of holding their play dates open until they could each one ascertain for himself what the market offered for his particular theatres. This proved highly successful, for more theatre owners kept their play dates open than we.-had thought possible. With open minds as well as open play dates we for_med a. Board of Trade and Commerce -and-a Play Date Bureau. The purpose of these to further a better feeling and a better business relationship between buyer and seller, to furnish a source of information that would benefit not only the Independent Theatre Owner who was buying, but the Independent Producer and Distributor who was selling. On April 8th, 1925, at a meeting of the National Board of Directors of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, we had the pleasure of conference with W. R. Sheehan, Vice-President and General Manager of the Fox Film Corp., H. M. Warner, and Sam Morris, President and General Manager respectively of Warner Bros., the late Harry M. Berman, Vice-President and General Sales Manager of Film Booking Offices of America, A. E. Smith and John B. Rock, at that time President and Vice-President and General Manager respectively of the Vitagraph Company of America, and R. H. Cochrane and E. H. Goldstein, VicePresident and Treasurer of the Universal Film Mfg. Company. Subsequently Independent Producers and Distributors also called upon us and laid before us the urgent need of our doing something definite to keep them in business, to keep the market open. Following a general discussion of the situation with the gentlemen herein named and the impressive need for immediate action, a Board of Trade and Commerce was formed, sanctioned and heartily endorsed by each one of the representatives of these film companies. A committee of three comprising Harry Davis of Pittsburg, L. M. Sagel of New Haven, and Sidney S. Cohen of New York was appointed by the National Board of Directors of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America to formulate plans and make arrangements with these companies to bring this about. On April 20th, a conference was held with Mr. John C. Flynn of Producers Distributing Corporation, at which time he was advised of the conferences with the other film companies and the plans and purposes of the Board of Trade and Commerce. This resulted in a conference on April 22nd with Mr. Carl Laemmle, Mr. R. H. Cochrane of Universal Film Corporation, Abe Warner, W. R. Sheehan and J. C. Flynn, and an agrecment was reached for the support of the Board of Trade and Commerce by all of these companies at this time. The next day one of the companies advised it would be unstragetic at that time for them to go ahead with the plans as agreed the day previous, and two of the other companies decided they would not go ahead without this company in the arrangement. However, Mr. Carl Laemmle of the Universal Film Company felt differently about this and as announced at Milwaukee and subsequently, agreed to a whole-hearted support of the Board, financially and morally. The Committee of the M.F.T.O.A., met with the independent producers and Distributors and were again urged to put the Board into operation, receiving their assurance of full co-operation and support. Members of our Committee addressed mass meetings of these interests at the Hotel Astor, New York, where they were commended and encouraged to continue their efforts and where there was expressed a great appreciation for the work in which we were engaged. The Independent Producers realizing its great need had recently formed an organization for their protection and announced a convention of all producers and distributors in the United States at Milwaukee just previous to the National Convention of the M.P.T.O.A. At this meeting the plans which had been formulated, of co-operation with the Board of Trade and Commerce, were approved and ratifled and a Committee of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors was designated consisting of I. E. Chadwick, W. E. Shallenberger, A. Carlos, M. H. Hoffman, Jack Cohn and Dr. Golden, to meet with a committee of the M. P.T. O. A. designated by its National Board of Directors, comprising Harry Davis, L. M. Sagal, A. Julian Brylawski and Sydney S. Cohen, Nathan Yamins and Dave Bershon. Subsequently, there was added to this committee J. C. Ritter and W. A. Steffes. After several meetings it was agreed that financial support of a very substantial nature would be given to this Board of Trade and Commerce for the purpose of having paid representatives in each film centre throughout the United States and Canada as the point of contact in the field between the theatre owners and the independent producers and distributors. The committee met with other producers and distributors including Mr. Laemmle, Mr. Cochrane of Universal and Mr. Joseph Schnitzer of Film Booking Offices who agreed to co-operate also and render their financial support in our plans. The report of the entire conferences of the Board of Trade and Commerce was made to the National Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the M. P.T.O.A. at its joint session the day prior to the opening of the general convention at Milwaukee, and received their unanimous sanction, approval and endorsement for all the activities and negotiations conducted. A _ splendid report was also made to the convention by Mr. A. Julian Brylawski and enthusiastically received and ratified. The formation of a Play Date Bureau was thereupon suggested, having for its purpose the mobilization of Play Dates, and particularly the withholding of the play dates of the theatre owners of America at that time from those sources who were using moneys from such play dates for the destruction of the independent forces in the Motion Picture Industry. Thus was the Play Date Bureau promoted for the purpose of stimulating Independent Production, popularizing Independent product with exhibitors and creating a more vigorous Independent trade between Independents; and for the preservation of the Independent units in the Motion Picture Industry. The Play Date Bureau has fulfilled that for which it was promoted. By virtue of its pledge cards it has acted as a sales resistance. Theatre Owners are buying more sensibly and in a more business like manner than ever before. They have diversified their programs by a wider range of buying and the results will be and are being shown at the Box Office. But the Play Date Bureau, while a living, breathing, working entity, has no mystic or magic powers. It cannot by the mere pressing of a button cause battalions of play dates to issue forth as water from a faucet all ready and prepared for the Independent Distributor. | Worthwhile things are not gained that easily. “The Lord helps those who help themselves.” The Play Date Bureau did not attempt to make pictures, nor sell pictures to exhibitors, nor to the public. The Play Date Bureau is an intelligence or publicity station. It helped Independent Producers and Distributors to help themselves; it has made the first move. Independent Producers and distributors (Continued on Page Four) . sie iid Pictures Read The Digest Advertising Pages.