Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

March 21, 1925 EXHIBITORS HERALD 25 Kissing Scenes Will Not Sell Pictures, Say Theatre Men Exhibitors in Responding to “Herald” Survey Ask Producers and Distributors to Put More Action in Posters — Believe Paper Should Be Cheaper. What kind of paper sells pictures? Lithographs displaying a picture of the star, or of the star and the leading man in an embrace, with the names of the producer and director, etc., appearing in big block type ? Not much ! That is the kind of paper that unsells a picture, say exhibitors. Paper that sells a picture to the public is paper that depicts action. Solans Get Bill to Regulate Use of Cellulose Film (^special to Exhibitors Herald) ALBANY, N. Y., Mar. 10.— A bill to regulate the manufacture, sale and use of motion picture film of a nitro cellulose base and removing certain restrictions on film of an acetate of cellulose or similar nonhazardous base, has been introduced in the New York legislature by Assemblyman C. P. Miller. The bill provides that no person or concern in the state shall use film of a nitro-cellulose base in other than a projection machine of a type conforming to regulations and in a booth which also must conform to regulations. Local officials are given the authority to issue licenses for the manufacture and use of such film, with an annual fee of $5. The bill also provides that there must a record kept of the sale of such film. It also provides for the marking with the word “nitrate” along one edge, where the film is of nitro-cellulose base, and with the word “safety” where the film is made of an acetate of cellulose or non-hazardous base. The bill provides that film manufactured up until the bill becomes a law, if it does, shall be excempt from the above requirements. Violations of the law would be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, or sixty day’s imprisonment, or both. The bill would be effective June 30. A public hearing on the bill calling for abolishment of the Motion Picture Commission is expected. There may be a hearing, too, of the Freiberg bill relating to the admission of unaccompanied children to theatres. It is noted that up to the present time there has been a total absence of lobbying for any of the motion picture bills especially the one for the censorship repeal. It is recalled that in years past when Sydney Cohen was at the helm of the national organization and Charles L. O’Reilly of the state association, there was plenty of activity and these two were invariably present for two or three days during each week. Orders Town to Move; Must Abandon Theatre (^special to Exhibitors Herald) CHEYENNE, WYO., March 10. — Motion picture theatres, weekly newspapers, automobile agencies and other institutions will have to “get out” in sixty days as a result of a decision of Federal Judge T. Blake Kennedy. He ordered that the whole town of Lavoye, of 1,500, must make roorn for a giant industry — petroleum. The Ohio Oil Company, by the terms of its lease, is entitled to the ground upon which the town is located. An appeal will go to the Circuit Court of Appeals. Peggy Joyce to Star (^special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, March 10. — Announcement has just been made by the P. A. Powers Offices that Miss Peggy Hopkins Joyce (Countess Morner) has been placed under contract to do a series of pictures for a director as yet not announced. Broadway Signs Oz Film {Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, March 10.— “The Wizard of Oz,” the Chadwick picture, has been booked for the Colony theatre for an indefinite engagement starting April 12. Other pre-release bookings for the picture are being arranged in key cities. These facts and many more were disclosed in a survey conducted among theatre men by the Herald. In their replies, exhibitors have given producers and distributors many worthy suggestions. To question No. 1, “Are you satisfied with the paper novu supplied by the distributors?” the exhibitors replied: Sam Carlton, Strand theatre, Frankfort, Ind. : Not exactly. W. O. Doyle, Capitol theatre, Huntsville, Mo.: Paper satisfactory but prices in small lots too high for the small exhibitors. L. H. Boyd, Rex theatre, Fernandina, Fla. : Quality of paper generally good. Majestic theatre, Easthampton, Mass: No. Winton W. Lowery, Strand theatre, Atmore, Ala.: No, there could be some improvement. L. Borg, Varsity theatre, Berkeley, Cal.; Yes. H. R. Cromwell, Richelieu theatre, Bedford, Pa.: Entirely dissatisfied, with a few exceptions. H. E. Gilman, Club theatre. Weed, Cal.: Not entirely. F. A. Ferguson, Royal theatre, Fairmount, Ind.: About 50 per cent is passable. Noble theatre, Marshfield, Ore.: Very muchly dissatisfied. J. P. Johnson, S. of N. Hall and theatre, Ambrose, N. D. : Not all of it. (At times it misrepresents the picture.) Leslie J. Trevor, Opera House, Aledo, III. : No. Marshall-Malaise Lumber Company, Princess theatre, Beulah, N, D. : Yes. William L. Crouse, Ideal theatre. Bloomer, Wis. : Some is good, some bad. G. H. Adams, Capitol theatre. Prince George, B. C., Canada: No. It costs them about 5 cents a sheet and they charge us 18 cents. M. W. Mattecheck, Liberty theatre, Kennewick, Wash.: No, not entirely. Stufus Olson, New Pastime theatre, Delavan. Wis.: No, not always. Roy W. Adams, Pastime theatre. Mason, Mich.: No. Some of it has no drawing power whatever. M. A. Choynski, Newberry theatre, Chicago, III.: Yes. G. F. Post, Post-Cammack theatre. Spring Green, Wis.: No, we are not fully satisfied. Tom Young, Francis and Vaudette theatres, Dyersburg, Tenn. : No. H. A. Giles, Royal theatre, Garrett, Ind,: No. G. S. Kenny, Community House, Greenwood, Ind.: No. F. L. Dunphy, Angus theatre, Wetaskiwin, Leduc, Lacombe, Innisfail, Alberta, Canada: Absolutely no. K. H. Gaston, Electric theatre, Centralia, Kan.: Very well. Clark and Edwards, Palace theatre, Ashland, O.: Yes. R. G. Leuzinger, Carthage theatre, S. D. : Not in a good many instances. F. E. Moore, Liberty theatre, Lakeview, Mich. : No. It is overdrawn. W. C. Jones, Palace theatre, Tuckerton, N. J. : As a rule, yes. Some is too sensational and picture is not. Misleads. Joseph Dondis, Strand theatre, Rockland, Me.: No. With the exception of Metro-Goldwyn, service is very poor. H. J. Ludcke, Ludcke theatre, St. Peter, Minn.: Have got to be. L. R. Moore, Roma theatre, Columbus Grove, O. : The majority of the paper is O. K. E. O. Hemberg, Rialto theatre, Lockport, N. Y. : No. F. Schlottcrbeck, Elph theatre, Altamont, III.: On the whole, no. P. E. Estee, S, T. theatre, Parker. S. D. : No. H. A. Brumund, Lyceum and Princess theatres, Thief River Falls, Minn.: No. M. J. Babin, Fairyland theatre. White Castle, La. : Yes. Julius W, Schmidt, Grand theatre, Breese, 111.: No. Neill Brooks, Gem theatre. Calico Rock, Ark.: Yes. Harry McClure, Strand theatre, Emporia, Kan.: Partially so. H. M. Face & Sons, Elmac theatre. Maple Rapids, Mich.: Not in all cases. Edwin Lake, Lake theatre. Baker, Mont.: Yes. E. N. Oxton, Star theatre, Brackettville, Tex. : Not from all of them. M. W. Mumbach, Arcade, Dream, Liberty theatres, Hoquiam, Wash.: Yes. N. M. Emmons, Eagle theatre. Eagle River, Wis.: No particular complaints, only in price. Question No. 2 was “What are your suggestions for improvement?” To this the theatre men replied ; Sam Carlton, Strand theatre, Frankfort, Ind. : One of the great faults is that the paper and photos a great many times do not do credit to the picture with the result that the public looks at the photos and say it canT be good and they walk away. I have had this happen a great many times. W. O. Doyle, Capitol theatre, Huntsville, Mo.: Sell to the small exhibitors at the same price that paper is furnished the large exhibitors in large quantities. Majestic theatre, Easthampton, Mass.: Write-ups too long. Write-ups should be snappier. Too much love stuff, making it look like the same old story. Warner Brothers, Universal same. Metro paper very good. Winton W. Lowery, Strand theatre, Atmore, Ala. : By leaving out so much hugging and kissing in posters, as the majority of people know that such is going to be in the picture anyway. Some posters are very misleading and very disappointing to the patrons. H. R. Cromwell, Richelieu theatre, Bedford, Pa.: That exhibitors unite in a demand that so many pictures of people embracing be stopped. It is easy for the artists to make these scenes, I suppose by imagination. Then, too, I wish the designers could be made to understand that in pictures with any action let it be shown on the paper. Regardless of what the designers think people as a whole enjoy action. Show it on the paper. F. A. Ferguson, Royal theatre, Fairmount, Ind.: Get away from the old picture of the final embrace and give us something to advertise the kind of a picture we are showing. The average paper you get would stand for any picture with the title changed. No variety and oh! how they hold you up on price. Noble theatre, Marshfield, Ore,: There’s too much sameness in the one sheets — no variety. I believe that every producing company should pay more attention to this end of the business. An exhibitor’s lobby is his meal ticket, that is a very attractive lobby is what drags in the patrons over 50 per cent of the time. They use too much of the same coloring, same type, same scenes, and in fact at times you would think it was the same picture if you were not close enough to detect the difference. This applies to the small town exhibD tor who knows what he is talking about. J. P. Johnson, S. of N. hall and theatre, Ambrose, N. D. : Print paper showing the true character of the picture. Leslie J. Trevor, Opera House, Aledo, III.: Fewer embraces and love scenes and more of the story on one sheets and 11 x 14s. Smaller profit on paper. Exhibitor should buy paper cheaper or be allowed to return that which is serviceable. William L. Crouse, Idea! theatre. Bloomer, Wis.: One sheets usually show some love scenes. Older people look at this and walk by. There are nearly always a few good action scenes in every picture. Why not use these for one sheets. Also it is not necessai’y to put on one sheet who the director is and who wrote the scenario. Nobody cares anything about this, in our opinion. G. H. Adams, Capitol theatre. Prince George, B. C., Canada: Use mounted paper, charge exhibitors full for any damaged. It would make them careful. Have a committee examine or view the picture before the paper was ordered, preferably exhibitors from medium sized cities who know what display intrigues the public. Eliminate kissing and mugging in the stills and 1-3-6, etc. There are in every picture scenes which would make good drawing scenes for lithos. M. W. Mattecheck, Liberty theatre, Kennewick, Wash.: Too much of the paper shows partly nude female figures. Entirely too many kissing poses. These have a tendency to keep and do keep people {Continued on page 34)