Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1934 - Aug 1935)

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6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN EVENTS ON THE MARCH Actors Spank Producers "The actors have exhausted every effort to agree with the producers on working conditions They have been exceedingly patient. They have been tricked, hamstrung, and lied to. Every dishonest practice known to an industry, the code of ethics of which is the lowest of all industries, has been resorted to by the producers against the actors." These harsh, but undoubtedly true words are qtU01tnlfru0m a report ksued durinK the first week of 1935 by a committee of five Hollywood players who had been assigned to investigate the relationship between actors and producers. The big boys sitting behind their big desks took it— and liked it! Variety recently reported a meeting of some 300 studio executives in Hollywood, during which all assistant executives were warned by their bosses that they had better be nice to actors in the future— or else they would join the extra lines. Louis B. Mayer, mogul-in-chief of Metro, offered to give $25,000 to charity if anyone could prove that the intentions of the major producers were not strictly honorable in dealing with the actors from now on. B. B. Kahane, prexy of RKO production company, said no more "evasion, trickery or skullduggery." He further told the semi-colossal executives that if they pulled one fast one on a player, even if it benefitted the studio, they'd get a bawling out and no raise. What a lesson for exhibitors! Some day the independent theatre owners will realize that the one and only way to make the big boys see the light is to whack them on their posterior extremes occasionally. Spank them and they'll behave! not have set any new boxoffice records, but they do demonstrate a capability for film production that will stand the Britishers in good stead when they acquire the knack of pleasing this nation's multitude of moviegoers. Next season holds much promise. The British are coming without their muskets this time, but with fine films. And how the independent exhibitors of this country will cheer them ! Vid or on Stars "Our Daily Bread," the film which he had produced independent of Hollywood's influence and capital, was not a financial success in this country, but Europe had acclaimed it and the boxoffkes there clicked a merry tune during its runs. A Parisian exhibitor exploited it as being without dancing girls and fake sets, and it enjoyed a three months' stay in his theatre! The League of Nations had recently recognized "Our Daily Bread" as the outstanding motion picture of 1934 and Paramount had just signed him to a contract, so King Vidor felt free to discourse at some length upon the subject of the American movie "star system." Said Vidor: "The lack of 'names' was an obstacle to the film's ("Our Daily Bread") success in this country. American audiences are accustomed to their stars, and we must continue the system as long as it pays so well. Exhibitors, fan magazines and general publicity all foster the star system. In Europe the lack of 'names' meant little to the cinema-goer. The film enjoyed phenomenal runs there. "The trouble with the star system is that some of the stars believe all that is written about them. They build themselves into ritzy characters, and this new personality seeps into their screen work, often stifling in them the very qualities of humaness that made them stars." As one of Hollywood's most intelligent and progressive film directors, Vidor must know, too, that the American public no longer swallows its star pictures hook, line and sinker; that the star system is slipping fast, and that the boxoffice success of the near future will be that because it is a capably produced film of an interesting story, and not because it contains a star who was good four or five pictures ago. British Are Coming For many years the broad British A was a fightful sound on the ears of the American theatre owners. The very mention of an English accent sent shivers down the spine of the lowbrow natives in this country, so British-made films languished and died after a few runs in obscure double feature houses that required fill-ins. The 1934-35 season witnessed the first noticeable inroads on the American market by foreign films. Led by Gaumont-British, an outfit that knows how to make motion pictures (make no mistake about it), our transatlantic neighbors sent quite a host of estimable films to American screens. One of the chief complaints of exhibitors in this country is that English movies are too mature for America's puerile audiences. Films like "Little Friend," "Power," "My Heart Is Calling," "Evergreen," and "The Unfinished Symphony" may Movies' Birthday Forty years ago last Friday, March 22nd, 1895, a group of French manufacturers crowded into a large room at Lyons, France, and gaped at a blank white wall on which the figures of human beings haltingly moved. Those Frenchmen did not realize that they were witnessing the birth of the practical "motion" picture; nor did Louis and Auguste Lumiere believe that they had invented an apparatus which would be developed into one of the world's greatest industries. The Lumieres conceived the first practical projection machine, the Cinematographe, which prcmittcd a group of people to view a film at the same time. It was no longer necessary for a person to look into the "peep hole" to witness the successive flashing of the frames of film which gave the illusion of movement. With the critical eye and ear of one who feels some responsibility for the growth of a business and an art involving countless billions of francs, Monsieur Louis Lumiere admitted on the birthday of his first projection show that he had found it hard to reconcile himself to the advent of the talkies. Now, he says, he realizes that "the right balance between sound and vision had been achieved." * * * When Allied Convenes On May 21st a large group of just plain, ordinary exhibitors will gather in the hospitable city of Atlanta, in Georgia. No flock of producers, sales managers of film companies and good-time Charlies of the film industry will be there to mingle with the lowly theatremen. This will be a serious affair, a determined, aggressive body of men, eager to accomplish something for the INDEPENDENT exhibitors of the nation. Allied States Association, the only national organization of independent theatre owners in this country, hold their annual convention in Atlanta on that date. The jolly sp:rit of good-will toward the producers which pervaded the MPTOA meeting in New Orleans recently will not prevail here. There may even be a spirit of antagonism. To Allied, the plight of the independent exhibitors under the unbearable code, under the block booking system, under the gross injustices practiced by the major producers as mere routine business, are serious problems to be spoken of without mincing of words. Independent exhibitors who have permitted themselves to be hoodwinked into joining the producer-controlled, Hays-operated MPTOA really deserve none of the benefits that are gained for them by the fighting Allied outfit, but they get them just the same. Allied is "hated" by the producers because it has the guts to fight. But that kind of "hate" is really respect. Every true friend of the independent theatre owner should hope that there is a tremendous turnout of exhibitors for the Allied convention. An impressive show by the Indies in Atlanta will do much to make the producers reasonable. It should be a duty to attend. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public