Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1934 - Aug 1935)

INDEP FILM BULLETIN VOL. I No. 18 TUESDAY, JANUARY 8th, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS LITTLE EXHIBITOR, WHAT NOW? Like a meagre hour in the endless Span of Time, another year has slipped away. 1934 is gone, but to the plodding, unthinking creatures on the earth it means nothing more than the blending of the old year and the new, so they proceed heedlessly on their ways in exactly the same manner as before. But, you, Little Exhibitor, in your own small business world, you MUST pause and review the past and plan the future, for the present and coming years are fraught with many dangers requiring all your strength to overcome. 1934 was probably the most trying year in your entire experience in this industry. And what does 1935 promise you? Perhaps even less than its predecessor. It is urgently necessary that you survey the field and consider the elements which are threatening to deprive independent theatre operation of its remaining vestiges of profitable income and drive you from the industry you did so much to build to its present enormous stature. Then, you must contemplate the means of aiding yourself. Let us glance over those ravaging factors. FILM RENTALS. All through the nation's most devastating depression you have borne the brunt of hard times in the film industry by paying inordinate prices for inferior pictures. When the stock market crashed and inflated film securities zoomed downward with all the other stocks, the exhibitor was made the goat to pay back those losses in increased rentals. The herd of countless producers, assistant producers, supervisors, assistant supervisors, yes-men, assistant yes-men, all continued to draw the fabulous salaries which were established in the boom days to absorb a large portion of the fantastic profits every major producing company could have shown on their books. That your receipts were reduced by half made no difference. The five thousand dollar-a-week "executives" and "assistant executives" rolled on merrily. Who are you, Little Exhibitor, that the mighty movie moguls should trouble their heads about your plight? You are merely a customer, a "sucker" who pays even if you don't like it. Well, you'll pay again in 1935! BOYCOTT. A trickle of protest against the cheap, tawdry moral tone of Hollywood grew into a tidal wave of indignation in many quarters. The producers rushed to clean house and have conveniently made themselves too busy to reflect that it was all their fault. With practiced care they have ignored the little exhibitor who is being trampled under by the thousands who are rushing away from his theatre. Why should they concern themselves with the theatre's loss of his Catholic patrons? The meek exhibitor has always taken his medicine like a soldier; let him carry the load of the boycott, too! NEW COMPETITIONS. Millions of dollars that formerly flowed into theatre boxoffices are now being diverted into tap rooms and liquor stores. Estimates of the loss to movie theatres through this competition vary from 10 to 30 percent. So, you would like to lower your admission prices to compete with the tap room which provides beer and entertainment for less than the price of a cheap movie? Look at your contract, Brother. You cannot lower your prices! Radio continues to be the strongest factor in keeping people from the movies. Do we find the producers discouraging this form of entertainment? No; rather, they are fostering it by sponsoring programs and allowing their stars to broadcast, often at that very hour when the distressed exhibitor hopes for his best business. (Continued on Page Two) CD m m a CD CD ^_ I ®~ ^ CD Q-TJ CD CD Q_ =3 q] CD -t ID CD Q_ m -t x O 57 cr CD O O CD n O ZJ O CD CD 5. UO 2 CD cd m CD CD