Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

Published every Wednesday by Exhibitors Herald Co. Editorial and Executive Offices: 407 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, U. S. A. (Tel. Harrison 9248-9249) New York Office Los Angeles Office 1476 Broadway (Tel. Bryant 6111-1368) 6528 Santa Monica Blvd. (Hollywood 8620) James Bbecroft, Manager Harry Hammond Beall, Manager All Editorial and Business Correspondence Should Be Addressed to Chicago OflSce. Edwin S. Clifford, Managing Editor George Clifford, Business Manager William R. Weaver, Exhibitor Editor Jay M. Shreck, News Editor J. Ray Murray, New Pictures Editor John S. Spargo, New York Editor Other Publications: “The Box Office Record,” published semiannually, and “Better Theatres,” published monthly as a supplement to Exhibitors Herald. Subscription Price: United States and Its Possessions, $3.00 a year; Canada, $4.60 a year; other parts of world, $6.00 a year. Single copy, 26 cents. Member, Audit Bureau of Circulations. Copyright, 1926, by Exhibitors Herald Ck). Vol. XX February 21, 1925 No. 9 Radio Benefits to Be Realized The Paramount theatre managers at their recent Atlanta convention endorsed the radio as an aid to the motion picture industry. If the full truth were known, many of the Paramount managers, together with a great number of other persons throughout the industry, were probably somewhat in doubt as to whether the radio should be branded as an aid or as an evil as far as the motion picture industry is concerned ; in this case the safest and wisest course, indeed, was to hail it as an aid — and hope for the best. One fact of the situation is that the radio and the radio people do not need to care a jot what the motion picture industry thinks about it and them. The motion picture industry can neither help nor hurt the radio in any substantial way. But the reverse of this statement is not true; the radio can be of very great help to the industry. The radio may detract some patronage periodically from the theatres. But the loss experienced on occasions of especially important radio programs can be greatly offset by the popularity-making publicity which the radio can afford for the benefit of pictures, theatres and the industry generally. Whether or not the industry could envision the possible benefits to be gained from the radio it would be unfortunate if the picture business were to seem to line itself up as an antagonist to the radio. Nothing substantial could be accomplished and at the same time many real benefits and advantages would be sacrificed. In connection with the very gen eral discussion about the radio which has taken place in the trade, the point may be made that nothing in the radio as it now exists, and nothing that can possibly be imagined as a development of it, could even commence to be a substitute for theatrical entertainment. Human nature has always insisted upon gathering together in public places for entertainment and this phase of mob psychology renders the theatre, in some form, as permanent as the sun. » « * Offers Suggestion for Print Relief A constructive suggestion on the subject of improvement in the physical condition of films for subsequent run bookings has been received from Mr. J. A. Anderson, Idyl Hour theatre, Edson, Alberta. Mr. Anderson confirms the experience of many others in the contention that the chief difficulty encountered in putting old films through the machine is with the start of the picture and with the ending. It appears that the opening scenes and the final scenes are the sections of the pictures which come in for the hardest wear and the hardest usage and, consequently, are frequently in very bad condition when they reach the later run houses, and these parts are of the greatest importance in telling the story. The suggestion from Mr, Anderson is that exchanges be supplied with extra footage covering the opening and the ending of pictures so that the new film may be subsituted for the worn out strips by the exchange just as soon as inspection reveals that the worn sections are no longer in good, usable condition. There has been a great deal of dis cussion on the subject of better prints for subsequent runs — but very little substantial relief. Mr. Anderson’s suggestion would seem to offer concrete relief and we trust that exchange officials will give it proper consideration. * * * Picture Bargains Build Business When $5.50 is fixed by stage theatres as the price of admission for certain attractions, as is being done, tbe motion picture industry may look upon the matter with considerable satisfaction. This price, together with the other exorbitant box office prices asked by stage theatres in the larger centers, make motion picture patrons and confirm old patrons in their habit of seeking their theatrical entertainment in motion picture theatres. Very few bargains that the public is able to obtain anywhere are comparable with the bargain obtained by a patron when he pays the reasonable admission fee charged for the programs in the leading motion picture theatres. And the real value of this bargain is emphasized when it is considered alongside of the average stage production and the price asked for it. In the early days of elaborate motion picture theatre programs at small prices, the theatrical managers used to express alarm over the disaster that they declared would certainly overtake the picture people because of what they called the practice of under-selling' entertainment. However, the financial success made by theatres which put on these programs seems to have badly upset the calculations of the theatrical managers.