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NONTHEATRICAL FILM RENTAL-1957
by Paul R. Foght Crcneral Manager, Ideal Pictores Corp.
In full keeping with the times, the nontheatrical film business does its share of rocking and rolling. It is a business which is fundamentally in full accord with today's mores — it helps accomplish the great big American objective of getting more work done in less time and thus enables us to have more time for recreation and relaxation.
Films help the school to cover twice the traditional subject matter without homework. Business uses films to explain and teach. Churches motivate and attain their Christian objectives by use of film — in adidt service and Sunday Sdiool.
To increase our enjoyment of leisure time, the entertainment film stands more than ever ready to administer to the tastes and interests of individual
groups seeking healthful and pleasant recreation. It affords recreation and relaxation better by far than any "happiness" pill.
Of course, any business or industry must have more than a sympathetic accord with its times to warrant continuing success. In this attempt at a nut-shell review of I957's nontheatrical film business, I must needs fall back upon my knowledge of Ideal Pictures' experience but I believe it to be suflTiciently typical to serve as a picture of the field.
The entertainment film took some mighty severe jolts when television became our daily companion. During the 1946-1948 period, most film libraries were dependent upon independently produced features for their livelihood.
"ESCAPADE IN JAPAN" — one of the new RKO-Radio Picture Corp feature films released in 1 6mm through IDEAL PICTURES CORP.
These were the selfsame pictures to which television had initial access. The inevitable residt was a great fall-off in entertainment film rental revenue and the virtual death of home-show customer trade.
Gradually, this important part of our business has righted itself. A great new wealth of features has come into the sixteen millimeter field. Seemingly, nontheatrical distribution is destined to receive the Hollywood product after the period of 35 millimeter release, but considerably prior to clearance for use by television. With the release of better, and much more recent pictures, the feature business has regained its stride.
Ideal Pictures is fortunate in having exclusive 16mm distribution of the more current RKO-Radio-Pictures, Inc. productions, especially the most recent block of approximately ninety new features, now available only through Ideal's branch libraries. These are not currently released for television, and are usable (in "shut-in" situations) as early as six months after theatrical release date. Older RKO releases are now available from other sources for both TV and 16mm group audience use. Ideal will continue to offer some that have been found especially suitable for school and similar use.
People are inherently gregarious, and as long as this holds true, the feature film will serve well as a catalyst whenever it is essential to gather people together. This holds true whether the objective is family night at the church, a P.T.A. meeting, or election night in the trade union hall. With excellent timing, the upsurge in entertainment film usage has solved many a school's problem of overcrowding at noon-hours. Here the film helps assure needed quiet when half of the school lunches while the other half remains in class.
Industry-sponsored films continue to improve in their ability to present new ideas and new products. Today these films definitely fit into most school curriculums and are widely accepted by clubs, churches and lodges. Ten years ago the spon.sor eagerly sought audiences for his film. Today he has become increasingly discriminating in his search for specific audiences. ,\s sponsored productions continue to improve this trend will continue. Users of sponsored films can help speed this improvement by adding their comments in the space provided on the "audience report" forms. Every request for a free film definitely implies a promise to mail back a report on the showing, as binding as that to return the film itself. Since the sponsor pays the distributor only for bookings on
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EdScreen & AV Guide — December, 1957