Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1935 7 MERRITT CRAWFORD OBSERVING THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY NEW YORK. DUALS A PROBLEM Double features, whatever the individual theatre owner may think about them as a permanent policy, have come to be somewhat like Mark Twain's description of the weather. "Everyone talks about it," he said, "but no one does anything." And this seems to be the situation as far as the double feature bill is concerned. For the producer, the twin bill program has made possible the quantity distribution of mediocre and low-grade attractions, which properly, in many instances, should have been shelved or junked. At the same time it has encouraged the continuance of the production of inferior quality films and often, in the case of the independent producer, at least, has resulted in lowered rentals for the feature of real boxoffice stature. Nevertheless, the independent producer has rather favored double feature billing as giving him an outlet which, otherwise, he might not be able to get for his productions against the severe competition of the more heavily financed major companies and their circuits. For the exhibitor, the double bill has been a mixed blessing. It has enabled him to maintain himself, perhaps, in the face of competition that, without it, might have been ruinous. But it has also built up a Frankenstein, that may one day prove equally disastrous. The public is now educated to demand two shows for its money and has become dissatisfied with anything less in many territories, regardless of the attraction billed. So the showman has no alternative but to continue his dual bill policy, even though he may realize that it tends to maintain a mediocrity of film fare for his patrons that eventually must cut into his boxoffice receipts. CHAINS TO GAMES— Efforts to break away from the double feature program are always watched by the trade with interest, if not with the utmost convictio; that it will be successful. Thus, when the Loew circuit in the metropolitan district, innounced with some fanfare of trumpets last week, that a round dozen of its houses had changed over from doubles to single feature programs for the big half of the week, it was accepted, not without a grain of salt. The announcement was qualified by the statement that single features would not become a general policy of the Loew houses, except in case the results of a study of individual theatres indicated that such a change was desirable. A day or two later it became known that the Loew chain was going in for chance games, such as Screeno, Bank Night, etc., in a big way, no less than 33 houses of the circuit using these draws to build patronage. The results so far, it was said, had been satisfactory, although in numerous houses the games had been in operation for too short a time to obtain a definite line on the box office effects. Whatever the individual theatre's present gain may be, however, it is clear that the policy of putting in chance games to draw business, if carried to its logical conclusion under competitive stress, will eventually be as troublesome a problem as the double feature has become to most houses, and with few of its advantages. (Continued On Page 8) AMES ... in an actionwestern picture HERE IS SOMETHING UNUSUAL! I Written By One of America's Most Popular Authors JAMES OLIVER CURWOOD 1 Starring A Famous Actor of Stage and Screen Who Will Attract Many Who Are Not Western Fans CONWAY TEARLE I — With — FRED KOHLER — And — CLAUDIA DELL I The Title TRAIL S END A Romance of Action Studded with Thrills I COLD MEDAL FILM COMPANY 203 EYE STREET, N. W. Washington, D. C.