The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Sep-Oct 1922)

October 28, 1922. voices for many years against the practice of admitting all and sundry into these shows,-and have urged repeatedly that it is contrary to the exhibitors’ interests that members of their potential public should be allowed to see, and perhaps spread an adverse criticism about, the new films the showmen are asked to book. Ata trade show we attended in the West End the other morning quite 75 per cent. of those present, we are sure, were not connected with’the picture industry at all only in the sense that they knew a man who knew somebody else who had had a ticket given him by thepublicity clerk’s mother. There are too many of these tickets flying about. They should be confined to bonasfide members of the trade. Lord Riddell on Pictures and Politics. HE Twenty Club dinner held last week was fortunate in introducing no less a personality than Jord Riddell, who gave a speech full of interest, and, incidentally, containing some sage advice to the leaders of the film industry. Lord Riddell emphasised the need for keeping politics out of the kinema, and very sensibly remarked that the people went to the pictures for entertainment and not to listen to political views. It is to be hoped that the trade will heed the words of a man who has built up a vast newspaper business by accurately gauging the tastes of the public. Tord Riddell also had some very common sense remarks to make on the subject of criticism of pictures in the lay Press, and The Twenty Club are to be congratulated upon interesting such an eminent journalist in the film industry. The entire evening was.a notable success, the speeches being exceedingly interesting and each showing how keenly public men are watching the screen. It is quite amusing to hear talk about new associations which can accomplish nothing, whilst The Twenty Club is daily, by its meetings, helping this vast industry to a very appreciable extent. Association’s Poster Policy. SSOCIATED FIRST NATIONAL’S announcement in jast. week’s issue that they are about to issue all posters and other publicity aids at cost price is, undoubtedly, very important reading for the exhibitor, for it will enable exhibitors to da twice the amount of publicity which they have previously done for the same price. Six-sheet posters at 1s. 6d. and a 48-sheet for 12s. 6d. makes a startling reduction, and T can well imagine that First National will have a very busy publicity and poster. department in the immediate future. This announcement is also a very practical demonstration of their desire to help the exhibitor scll the picture to the public, as they must be sacrificing several thousands of pounds’ worth of profit each year by their new policy.. The cost price concession applics to every kind of publicity aid, and T have little doubt will duly be taken full ‘advantage of by exhibitors throughout: the country. The German Entertainment Tax. T is interesting to note that while British exhibitors are up in arms against the 25 per cent. Entertainments Tax, German exhibitors are threatening a strike of the industry in their country if the Government. does not reduce the 50 per cent. tax on the gross receipts under which the kinemas there are gradually being throttled. In this action the theatre owners are being supported by the Association of Film Distributors, and so resolute is the understanding that if a closure really takes place the Distributors have refused to deliver films to any exhibitor who keeps his theatre open in defiance of the agreement. In Bavaria the tax has been reduced to 30 Google -made for, at least, an equal reduction. THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. 5 per cent., and in all the other States the demand is being Needless to sav, the Germans have the full encouragement of the American ee in their compan against the tax. A Prediction Falsified. The Beh od HE — HF. gS Banta mete oS, success of the week has sfadoubeedtie heen * Wav Down Fast,’’ which was released on Mon day to the kinemas and which, undoubtedly, proved a very big success wherever it was shown. Readers of this journal will probably remember some nonsensical remarks that the pressman who was responsible for the publicity of this picture indulged in a couple of years ago, when he announced that great supers like ‘‘ Way Down Fast ’’ would not go into the kinemas. D. W. Griffith promptly scotehed this absurd talk, and the fact that this picture was generally released on Monday shows how stupid the assertion was. ‘‘ Way Down East’’ did phenomenal business in London, and I am quite sure that its success will be repeated all over the country. Overdoing the ‘‘ Animal ’’ Film. UNGLKE films and scenes showing exploits of bahia have always been popular, and never so much as to-day... But it is doubtful whether the general publie in the kinema—which, it must never be forgotten, is composed largely of the tenderer sex—really cares very much for pictures of mice running up* women's clothes, rats cavorting over people in bed, and. girls kissing, and being kissed, by hideous: apes. Several productions lately have contained one or more. of such incidents. “They have increased, are increasing, and ought to be abolished. Tf American producers (one seldom finds such ugly padding as this in British films) find that their own countrywomen favour these attempts at. ‘‘frightfulness,’ we can assure them that the pleasure is not shared by the English feminine fan. She goes to the kinema to he entertained, edified or instructed, and not to be given a series of physical shocks bv rambling rodents, or repelled by the sight of chimpanzees in love. Co-operative Advertising. N the Metropolitan area during this week Griffith's L great picture, ‘‘ Way Down East, ” which has previously only been shown in London at the Empire, has been showing in no fewer than six picture houses, a number that next week will be increased to ten. These are the Blue Hall, Hammersmith; Marble Arch, Pavilion; Dalston Picture House; Rivoli, Whitechapel; Tower, Peckham; Pavilion, Lavender Hill; Coronation, Manor Park; Queen’s, Forest Gate; Princess, East Ham; and Super Cinema, Tlford. An _ interesting bit of co-operative advertising has been effected in the lay Press in connection with this picture. Beginning with last Friday week a double column advertisement appeared in the ‘‘ Evening News,’’ followed by single column advertisements in the ‘‘ Daily FExpress,’’? ‘‘ Evening Standard,” and ‘‘ Daily Mail.’’ The cost of these advertisements was shared between the exhibitors showi ing the picture and Allied Artists, by whom the picture was distributed. This is the first instance in this country of co-operation between renters and exhibitors in the matter of advertising, and the y scheme adopted achieves . a maximum of publicity at a minimum of expense,