The Exhibitor (Jun-Nov 1940)

EDITORIAL 1 II E f Volume 24, No. 11 July 24, 1940 A Jay Emanuel Publication. Covering the film terri¬ tories in the Metropolitan East. Published weekly by Jay Emanuel Publications, Incorporated. Publishing office: 1225 Vine Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. New York City office, 1600 Broadway. West Coast office, 1119 Poinsettia Drive, Hollywood, California. Representatives in Washington, D. C. ; Albany, Buf¬ falo, Boston, New Haven. Jay Emanuel, publisher; Paul J. Greenhalgh, business manager; Herbert M. Miller, managing editor. Subscription rates: $2 for one year; $5 for three years. Address all communi¬ cations to 1225 Vine Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Just In Passing “THE MAN I MARRIED’’ Before seeing 20th Century-Fox’s “The Man I Married,” the writer was under the impression that it was just another of the topical group of pictures which touch on the situation in Europe. After seeing the production, it becomes evident that here is a feature that should not be passed off as just another attraction. True, “The Man I Married” does have for its central theme the Nazi problem, but because of the story angles it takes on greater importance. In the first place, there is definite room for such a show at the present time. It drives home not only a message for freedom and democracy, but aims direct blows at the appeasement folk, the people who believe that every¬ thing said about conditions over there can’t be true. It does not scream at any time; it never grows sensational, and, thanks to some excellent performances by the leads and some top direction, it manages to present the problem exactly as it should be given to every American patron. What we are trying to say is that an important production of this kind should not be marked as “just another one of those shows that my people don’t want to see because they read the newspapers and listen to the radio and when they want to come to the theatre they seek entertain¬ ment.” The newsreels are crammed with patri¬ otism these days, propaganda, if you desire to call it that, for a bigger, better navy and army and a united America. “The Man I Married” belongs to this school of thought. We suggest that it be seen by all ex¬ hibitors to prove to themselves what a potent piece of merchandising they have in the 20th Century-Fox show, and sell it for all its worth. And, besides all this, it’s a money picture. WE’RE WAITING, DAVID 0. SELZNICK The stir created by the publication in a few tradepapers of advertisements by Jack Kirsch, Allied Chicago leader, protesting against a triple feature policy which allowed “Rebecca” to be tripled with “House Across the Bay” and “Viva Cisco Kid,” has already resulted in David 0. Selznick advising Kirsch that he was “taking steps to avoid the inclusion of any future production of mine in any such destructive program.” We don’t know what Mr. Selznick has in mind, but we would like to hear the details. It might be well to remember that all efforts up to this time to restrict the use of double features (and it must be admitted that the spread of duals has led to the adoption of triples) have failed. There can be no logical argument for the use of triple features, except possibly from the oculists and opticians. Makers of head¬ ache remedies, we imagine, would also be in favor of triples, which are certain to prove a headache not only for the patron but for the theatre owner. And final tribute might come from those who treat posterior carbuncles. Their business should be aided by triples. We might advise the celebrated D. O. that if he is looking for a legal method to check triples and duals, he should try other fields. His legal department can give him full details about the celebrated Perelman case, which reached the United States Supreme Court, and which virtually declared that the distributors could not prevent use of their product on dual bills. That’s the law. Up to this time, a lot of people have complained about double features but no one has done anything about them. Perhaps the contemplated cutting down of production in the new season will have the same effect. Exhibitors will have to stretch playing time, and the duals problem may be solved by an economic situation, that of not enough pictures. We wish everybody would stop talking about double features and someone would come forward with a concrete plan. Passing resolutions is a useless, old, industry habit. OUR SUGGESTION is: — Make better pictures and use uniform selling plans, which would stop the practice of selling cheaply to certain individuals resulting in unfair practices which now ruin an entire industry. QUAD.