Exhibitor's Trade Review (Nov 1925 - Feb 1926)

December 26, 1925 Page 71 Millions for Theatres in 1926 Architectural Forum Prophesies the Building of 1,645 Theatres This Year IN view of the virtual panic existing in the exhibition branch of the industry as 1925 closes, it is extremely difficult to forecast with any degree of accuracy the probable volume of theatre construction in 1926. Evidence is plentiful, however, that it will establish a new high mark, both in numbers of houses and in aggregate cost. Study of theatre building statistics over the last five years shows a pro gressive increase in the average cost of motion picture houses, reflecting very definitely the trend toward larger and better equipped establishments. This trend is expected to continue, forced in considerable measure by the steady rise in film rentals and the public demand for better entertainment in better surroundings. According to reports published by Building Age and the National Builder, — leading magazine of the building industry, New York, 795 theatres are needed The Short Subject in 590 fies afd l°^tf^st[^ued * aggregate cost of $60,926,216. ihese (Continued from page 70) figures are based on reports received direct from Chambers of Commerce. In closing, I wish to present this Classifying the reports on the basis of hought. The other day at the weekly population; the show . In 287 cities of luncheon of the Association of Motion i>c nnn i 00-2 u ■n , A j ,. , i*i t 1 25,000 or more population, 28.3 houses, Picture Advertisers, at which John C. '. , , Jon nn? Ann 1 cm Flinn was the principal speaker, he value> $30,903,000; m 2,501 made a very pregnant statement. Tt Cltl^ £jd towns population from 2,500 was this : In the final analysis, though to 25'°°0) 502 theatres, estimated value the exhibitor, the distributor, the ex $29,923,216; rural communities, 10 ploiteer, the press agent and others in houses, estimated value, $100,000. the industry are vital, it is the producer it will be noted that the estimates for after all who must be encouraged. He houses in the large cities show an aver must receive a suitable return for his age value of a trifle less than $110,000 efforts ; he must be kept in a contented and in the smaller cities and towns a frame of mind. To this end, that he shade less than $60,000. shall go on producing better and finer ™ . , . , „ . ,T pictures. He is the keystone upon vT,he Architectural Forum, of New which the whole foundation rests. York' estimates that 926 will see the What he said about feature, applies to kuildmg of 1'645 theatres and presents shorts following percentage tabulation 01 what it terms the "demand for theaSo, I believe, that unless the exhibit tres" by sections of the country, shower wakes up and forms the habit of ing probable changes by sections in the playing and paying for really worth volume of theatre building as compared while short subjects, he will not cor with 1925 : tinue to get the kind of material he can „ , ^ , , Irv. . ^ , Properly%xploit and capitalize. The Percentage of Tota /District^Demand leaders in short subject producing are v , s cR 1 7 41 1 beginning to do their share. Thev are ^TorJ e ^ I, c! ? o \ i 7 not contented with haphazard, hit or North Atlantic States 2 13 .7 ess miss comedies, lackadaisical newsreels, Southeastern States .28 2^ .8 less cartoons and novelties. They intend to Sout hwestern States 2.7 2.9 2 more progress in a big way. Keep the short ^ldf e ^ff ?.6 5.7 3.1 more producer in a good frame of mind ; re We^rn States .3.4 3.6 .2 more ward him for his efforts and stimulate UNITED STATES 3.2 3.1 .1 less him toward a bigger goal, and you, the It should be remembered, of course, exhibitor, will begin to get lavishly pro that the statistics compiled by the duced and intensely interesting short architectural and building papers do not product. Producers like Hal Roach, as distinguish between motion picture and you are aware of by this time, are sign other theatres. They include, therefore ing up the biggest actors available and an undertermined amount of money to putting them into comedies and little be devoted to the construction of legiti dramas. If you want Lionel Barry mate and vaudeville houses. In the ag more, Mildred Harris, Theda Bara, gregate, however, construction of this Stuart Holmes and others, make it class is not sufficiently heavy to impair worth the producers' while. seriously the value of these forecasts. Another factor which more seriously affects any attempt to predict the volume of theatre construction is the competitive situation now existing between various distributor-theatre organizations. Because of the sudden changes that arise in connection with the demand for first runs, it frequently happens that theatre plans are made almost over night and with very little regard for the needs of the community. On the whole, it is safe to predict that 1926 will exceed the 1925 figures for theatre construction and that the average cost, per house, will show substantial increase. * * * Better Pictures (Continued from page 69) or less than that spark which the truly creative director is able to impart to his work. It would be too much to expect that every director possessed the psychological impulse to the last degree, but it is not too much to ask that every director have at least a conscious working knowledge of this power. Even a most rudimentary grasp would help him avoid a great many mistakes now being made in direction and kill off a good deal of the mechanical treatment which is mostly responsible for the sameness in pictures today. The whole matter of making pictures that will please the medium-brow for the coming year, I repeat, lies in the hands of the director. The solution of the problem will be found in his mentality, and in his mentality alone. If he look to the spinner of tales and continuities for more imagination and new dramatic flights, if he place his faith in finer performances on the part of actors, if he rely on the producer for more enthusiastic cooperation and greater studio facilities ; in short, if he himself is unwilling or unable to give more to motion pictures for the coming year than he has heretofore delivered, I predict that the cause of better pictures will be no further advanced at the end of 1926 than we find it at the present moment. Let us not disappoint the mediumbrow in 1926. Let us get rid of the sameness that afflicts program pictures. Let us make 1926 a director's year. And that is all I have been trying to say for my boss Bob Kane in this little piece.