The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

April, 1945 Page 135 it is as long as the members are made anxious for its continuance and for that reason actively support the association even in peaceful times. A system of dis- tributing motion picture programs is an obvious, if not tremendously important, opportunity to create a community interest of the required type, especially when— as in the case of the National Association of Manufacturers—nearly all of the lead- ing members individually own industrial reels of definite value. The N.A.M. plan here was not just to supply films to the member groups, the -Association headquarters acting as clear- ing-house for the reels owned by difTercnt companies, but it was to find public out- lets in those local places "such as churches, schools and dub.s" where such exhibitions were desired. Hence the plan was broadly described as "a national, non-commercial motion picture service to supply public and private exhibitors with educational and .Americanization films. .. to be free, and in the general interest of industrial education and industrial betterment." It was "to be made possible by the cooperation of all State manu- facturing associations in pivotal sections, with the National Association, whose headquarters are in New York." Pictures were to be rotated throtigh the regional centers each month, thus changing the programs available in each locality twelve times a year. If mutual benefit associations could be continuously alive, an<l were not obliged by the natural indolence of mankind to go into long seasons of hibernation, they could do a great deal to develop the non- theatrical field merely by arranging ef- ficient distribution of their own propa- Kan<la through their own members, not to speak of advantages of cooperative buying of material. .And this does not ap- ply only to trade circuits. The .Audubon Societies, Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Humane Societies, could make a century of pro- gress in public education if they would pioperly avail themselves of that rich library of nature films which, in t'eb- ruary, 1936, was exhibited in 240 suc- cessive reels, or twenty-two miles of celluloid, at the .American Wild Life Conference in Washington. Many stxrieties have tried to overcome their own promotional film inertia with various ingenious arrangements; but the idea of developing a membership motion picture circuit just does not seem to work for any considerable time. The Society of Mechanical Engineers has its films. So have the Izaak Walton League of .American and the Wild Flower Preser- vation Society. But their distribution, such as it is, comes mainly through the general distribution libraries, rarely through their own centers. The magazine Field & Stream, when William Beecroft (who had two brothers active in the theatrical motion picture indu.stry) was on the editorial staff, lent its influence to the distribution of films on lumting big game, subjects generally otherwise impossible then for recreational clubs to obtain; but even that proved insufficient to bring about a proper sup- port among those who should have been expected to extend it first. Nevertheless, that celebrated sports magazine has con- tinued producing new subjects; and it is stated that, after about twenty years, they now represent an investment of approxi- mately $75,000. Several of the outstand- ing items in the collection were photo- graphed by Harold McCracken in his honor status as associate editor of the publication. More are Pathe subjects, pro- duced with technical supervision by Field &■ Stream's regular editors; and still others are the work of wealthy sportsmen, made on their private expedi- tions. The item entitled "Hunting the Wary Black Mallard on Long Island" presents Eltinge F. Warner, himself, editor and publisher of Field & Stream, in action with his gun. An interesting rental arrangement, permitting use of these reels to those who may not be attracted by the regulation fees, provides one 16mm reel for a given number of new- subscriptions to the magazine. The Extreme Position It is proof of the perspicacity of Wil- lard Cook, one of the canniest men ever to step into this fantastic business, that over the years prior to his retirement from Pathescope, he contented himself with selling exclusively the materials for distribution—the films and the projection equipment—scrupulously avoiding the popular temptation to sell distribution, it- self. A client could have a film produced through the Pathescope industrial di- vision, and Cook's profits were all in the price he was paid for that. Circulation was the customer's problem. Cook washed his hands of that phase, doubtless because he knew that non-theatrical distribution, in any sound commercial sense, did not exist. At any rate, it was insufficiently organized to he dependable. Yet, after all, the customer was not so much interested in merely having a picture. He wanted it shown; and the more places in which he might be assured of its exhibition, the more he would be willing to pay for it. It re- -sembled advertising in a magazine. The form of the ad was important, of course; but what the advertiser was really buy- ing from the publisher was circulation. Cook might shrug his shoulders and turn away from this obvious opportunity for profit, but others were not so analytical. Besides, if clients were willing to pay for circtdation, there must be a way to assure circulation—and the only way to find it was to try it. A reasonable approach was through a process of elimination. The non-theatrical field had generally declined to rent reels at a reasonable figure. That difficulty had been overcome by giving customers reels for nothing; but even on that basis there had been no fair guarantees which would make pro- duction worth while. Why not, therefore, take the next step and pay the exhibitor to run the picture? A crazy idea, if you like, but it could be done. That put the shoe on the other foot, in a manner of speaking. The exhibitor was no longer buying something from the dis- tributor ; the distributor was on the purchasing end, and not now to be dis- missed as a mere peddler. He now could choose and demand in turn. And he did it by picking as his customers the men who serve the most dependable audiences of all, the managers of the neighborhood theatres. When suitable arrangements had been made with neighborhood theat- rical men to this end, the distributor of propaganda and advertising films was able to sell circulation to his client at so-much per showing, and, if the contract called for a large number of screenings, it was worth while to make the original production at virtual cost, or even less. The profits were not now in that phase. This was not to say, however, that the production was unimportant. The more professional the quality, the easier it was for the exhibitor to include it in his program, for, of course, it had to "get by" the audience. Many advertising pro- ductions made for this sort of distri- bution have used in their casts current favorites among the Hollywood stars, and celebrated directors and cameramen. The scheme was nothing new to the theatrical exhibitor. In the very early days of motion pictures, the major pro- ducers regularly made "commercials" and rented them to the theatres. Exhibitors soon protested that arrangement, and the reader will remember that the old Patents group gave notice in 1910 that advertis- ing pictures should not be screened during regular performances. But, when the pay for running the advertising subject came to the average exhibitor, it became a different story. He wasn't so sure, then, that the practice was as unfair to the audience as he had said when distributor and producer made all the profit. And even those exhibitors who honestly be- lieved that the inclusion of an adver- tising reel was faking undue advantage of their patrons, were commonly willing to waive the point if some personage in the neighborhood would ask the favor. In tliat case, if complaints developed, some- body else also known to the community was taking the responsibility. It was frequent then, as it is now, for some influential resident to bring a few propaganda reels to the exhibitor and ask him to show them. Local man- agers of the large utility company branches were visitors with requests of that sort; the automobile salesmen, the chairman of the local Red Cross, the precinct police captain, the fire chief (and what theatre manager in America would refuse the fire chief!), all these and many more brought non-theatrical subjects which they felt should find place on the local screen beside the regular entertainment features. The exhibitor could not always refuse, even if he wished to, and, when he consented against his better judgment, he sometimes made the best of the matter by projecting the subject with the first show in the morn- ing or the last one at night. Or if he was hard pressed, he sandwiched it into the "supper show," from six to seven P. M., when business was light. Thus aud- iences in neighborhood houses had learned that they would occasionally find adver- tising matter on the screen, and had be- come somewhat accustomed to it. (To b« eoHtHtwd')