Exhibitors Herald (Jan-Mar 1920)

I Startli ng Figures A GRAPHIC picture of the development of the motion picture industry during the past few months is to be seen in the figures just issued by the internal revenue bureau relative to the five per cent on film rentals. Several weeks ago this publication presented an analysis of data pertaining to theatre attendance, the gross receipts of the industry from the general public and the gross receipts of producers in the form of film rentals. At that time the available statistics revealed that for the months of July, August and September of last year producers were receiving a gross annual income on the basis of approximated $70,000,000. This figure was arrived at from a consideration of the amount received by the government in the form of the five per cent tax on all film rentals or receipts from exhibitors from the exhibition of motion pictures. The internal revenue department now announces that for the month of December the government received $435,454.86 from the rental tax. This sum represents five per cent of the gross rentals received by producers for the period and is on an annual basis of approximately $100,000,000. These figures indicate beyond question that during the final six months of last year rentals as well as theatre receipts increased at a tremendously greater rate than at any time since the industry attained a position of commercial importance. It is the most eloquent testimonial obtainable of the increasing importance and prosperity of the industry. Original Stories AN interesting contention is put forward by Isaac Wolper to the effect that the great motion picture stories of the future are to be stories prepared exclusively for the screen. Aside from the obvious advantages of good stories prepared especially for the screen, there is to be found an added reason to bear out this contention in the fact that owners of literary material, whether in play or novel form, are steadily cultivating tremendously exaggerated opinions of the values of the properties. When there issues from the present mad contest among producers a realization that they are practically being victimized, the natural result will be the turning to authors writing currently for the screen whose product is susceptible to purchasing on some reasonable basis. Even the record of past production indicates that a decidedly high number of the really great motion pictures have been based upon original stories. In other cases the bare germ idea of books and plays have been taken over and adapted and developed for motion picture purposes until in their final state they bear but slight resemblance to the originals. Real Cooperation EXHIBITORS doubtless will be greatly impressed with the building and loan plan which has been put forward by the Associated First National Theatres, Inc., which comes as a definite and concrete manifestation of the cooperation with exhibitors that has been pledged. The plan is one of the greatest promise in that it opens for exhibitors an avenue toward expansion and development of theatre interests and at the same time allows the theatreman to remain the captain of his own destiny and avoid any type of permanent alliance that might create a condition in which his personality becomes submerged and the identity of his theatre lost. 4= % ^ IN refreshing contrast to the time-honored theatrical divorce with all its tawdry sensationalism and cheap publicity comes the stranding of the matrimonial bark of one of the screen's celebrities. Instead of the frequent disregard of the proprieties of the matter, there is found in the recent case a determination to save the curiously inclined public from a revel of gossip by instituting the proceedings in a remote corner of the world where every effort was made to avoid the penalties of prominence. The effort made in the direction of avoiding publicity indicates the more or less novel and commendable realization that everything in a player's life is not a fit subject for notoriety.