The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

EDITORIAL I H f fXfllllTOI Volume 23, No. 26 May 8, 1940 A Jay Emanuel Publication. Covering the film terri* toriei 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, Buffalo, Boston, New Haven. Jay Emanuel, publisher; Paul J. Greenhalgh, business manager; Herbert M. Miller, managing editor. Subscription rates: $2 for one year; $J for three years. Address all communications to 1 225 Vine Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Just In Passing A SUPER SHORT Occasionally a super-short emerges that seems destined to be able to carry a whole program. Into this category naturally falls the three-reel subject being distributed by Warners called “Cavalcade of Academy Awards,” with all the Academy “Oscar” winners including those selected early this year. Carefully edited, with excellent descriptive narration, it provides highlights of the productions which gained early laurels, winding up with a comprehensive coverage of the 1940 event. This is the type of film that will easily support a weak feature. Packed with names, hit scenes, including even those of “Gone With the Wind,” it offers a rare opportunity for institutional selling. The house which will recognize this will benefit in the financial and good will departments. GONE IS TRADITION With practically all the major companies having announced their 1940 conventions plans, it becomes especially noticeable that the keynote seems to be less fanfare and more business. A few have even dropped the national meetings in favor of regionals, while others obviously have toned down the color in favor of rolled up shirt sleeves. So thus seems to be passing another industry tradition. THE HEARINGS BEGIN All eyes will be turned to Washington next week as the hearings on both Neely Bills will be set to begin. That concerned with the House hearing on the first Neely Bill, against block booking, is scheduled for May 13. At this writing, it appears as if there will be a goodly delegation. As we said once before, if you haven’t told your Congressman how you feel, do so now. THE FIRST BOMBS DIDN’T EXPLODE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, we ventured the opinion in this column that when some of the government witnesses get on the stand in the equity suit against the majors and other defendants, all of the expected bombs might not explode. To our mind, an example of what might happen occurred in the recent pre-trial examination of some independent exhibitors listed as government witnesses. One of them was quoted as saying that he would rather have competition from an affiliated than an independent theatre circuit because he found the affiliated group “more lenient to deal with.” This might prove a bit embarrassing to the government officials who have been clamoring for theatre divorcement, which, if we correctly understand it, applies to circuits operated not by the independents but only by the companies with producer affiliates. Readers of this department are already familiar with our viewpoint, that it does not matter much who runs a circuit but how it is operated. Exhibitors in many towns and cities will concur in the testimony of the independent exhibitor that “the affiliated group is more lenient to deal with.” As a matter of fact, the affiliated circuit realizes that in many spots it is very vulnerable and that a smart independent exhibitor can easily raise public opinion against a circuit via the “old chain store agitation” route. As a result, the affiliated circuit is often careful to see that no such opportunity is given. We hold no brief for the affiliated circuit, mind you, but, on the other hand, we do not see why all the criticism should be solely directed against it. Take 10 independent exhibitors and ask them whether they would rather face affiliated or independent circuit competition (if they had to make the choice, of course) and we will wager that all of them will choose the affiliated. The latter, usually, has buying advantages, but it is also geared with plenty of home office and other types of overhead, in addition to which its management system is not so flexible. A SECOND FACT worth noticing in the independent exhibitor testimony in the pre-trial questioning was the admission that no direct contact was made with the Department of Justice. This admission will probably be heard again. In the opinion of certain observers, with the buying season about to begin, and plenty of adjustments to be requested as the result of the below average season with some companies, few independents would want to provoke arguments deliberately with the distributors by testifying against them. QUA*.