Exhibitors Herald (Jan-Mar 1920)

March 20. 1920 EXHIBITORS HERALD 57 ASKS EXCHANGE TO COOPERATE President Frohman Amusement Corporation Says Indep endent or State Right Distribution Field In Need of Development Along Legitimate Lines Because the Frohman Amusement Corporation has determined definitely its plan of extended operation and increased production, which now is being put into effect William L. Sherrill, president of that organization, has issued a plea to independent exchanges throughout the United States for a greater spirit of cooperation with the independent producer and more substantial evidence of business sagacity. From his offices in the Times building, New York, Mr. Sherrill has given expression to some pertinent thoughts anent the situation. By WILLIAM L. SHERRILL I President. Frohman Amusement Corp. I We are now met with a permanent establishment of a legitimate and respected industry, whose "basic foundation in the early history was as though the structure were being reared on quicksand. It took strong and mighty hands to prevent the tottering structure from crumbling to the ground. Millions were poured into the maw and it seemed as though there were no end to it all. Cooperation Is Demanded Gradually, yet surely, men came to realize that there was real substance to the art of the motion picture and that if it were to survive their needs there must be a greater spirit of cooperation among those engaged in the various branches of the industry, who had its best interests at heart and who intended to make it a life occupation and this has been accomplished in part, but only in part. Yet, there remains much to be done and the field where greatest endeavor is needed and which, in fact, has been developed less along legitimate business lines than any other, is that of the independent or state right distribution. Now, those who have kept their fingers on the pulse of passing events, of developments and of supply and demand, readily admit that the open market is the onlypermanent and logical form of distribution possible. Supply Immediate Needs The discouraging aspect of state right distribution of productions that arise because of this lack of cooperation on the part of the state right distributor, is made clear by the recital of the following methods, still pursued by the independent distributor of productions: They purchase prints only to supply their immediate needs, expecting the manufacturer to either hold the negative readv to fill all orders as placed for additional prints, during the life of their lease, or if the negative is to be shipped to Eulope to supply the foreign market, that ihe manufacturer invest in a surplus of prints and keep them on hand in order 10 supply the buyers' wants. They expect the manufacturer to contract for and always keep on hand, a supply of advertising matter consisting of the great assortment of lithographs, photo enlargements for lobby display ;.nd other printed matter, but in the first instance and when they acquire the production, they order a minimum quantity without attempting to gauge their needs or future requirements, during the life of their lease. Liability Is Great Now, one can readily appreciate that with several productions made in anyone year, the liability incurred by the manufacturer in the making of advertising matter, would run, at the end of a year, into a staggering amount and the best we can do at this time is to approximate requirements of each exchange and if any production, or series of productions, prove extraordinarily popular, we meet with a speedy exhaustion of the advertising matters. Then a loud wail and a hurried call on the part of the exchange is heard, couched much in language such as this: ' We can't book the production without s dvertising matter" — "what good are the pictures to us if we can't get advertising matter" — "when you make a picture, you ihould always see to it that our wants 2 re supplied" — "are we supposed to buy s.ll the advertising matter we need when we buy the picture" — "you are supposed to stock up for our benefit." Should Study Requirements But what if we do stock up and the txchange sends in no further orders? We are required to hold the bag. Is it not only fair that since the manufacturer makes absolutely no profit on his advertising matter, but in fact, suffers a loss, considering his proportionate overhead which he does not tack on to the cost, while the exchange sells every piece of -c dvertising matter to the exhibitor at a profit, that the exchange should at least study his business requirements sufficiently to place his orders all at one time? Another regrettable situation that exists, proving how little the independent (■xchange man seeks to bear his share (if the burdens or even to operate for his own full benefit is in the matter of publicity and advertising. While it is true that the producer should keep his wares before the trade generally, yet the life of the business of the exchange man. naturally depending upon the public's demand through their local theatres, tequires him, the exchangeman, to properly exploit the attractions handled by him in his own territoryAdvertise in Trade Papers The producer will advertise in the trade journals, first, to sell his merchandise and secondarily, to acquaint the exhibitor with the merits of his productions: but the exchangeman acquiring 1 he attraction, expects either the producer to continue to plug the production in his territory, or throws the burden upon the shoulders of the exhibitor. In other words, the independent ex1 hangeman. once having booked the attraction, does little, or nothing, to either ■ reate a popularity for the production, >r assist the exhibitor in putting it over. They leave the exhibitor to his own limited resources. They try to sell, but iiot to assist. They will dump on the txhibitor the advertising matter and ship Ihe print, feeling that their duty is well performed, but neither make any suggestions for exploitations, nor do they. ;rom any angle, study the exhibitor's .leeds or his best interests. L'nless exchangemen reform their methods, unless they too. as the producers, get down to business logic and legitimate business methods, the time may come when the so-called program producer will take advantage of the laxity of the independent distributor and l>ring to life again the despicable and wholly unbusinesslike practice of contact or program bookings. Six R easons Why Ac tors Li ke Fl oria; 'Give me the south," says Taylor Holmes, star of "The Very Idea," and personally we don't blame him. The sextet of pretty southern girls appear in a forthcoming Taylor Holmes production to be distributed by Metro.