Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

Wednesday, April 29, 1936 Page Three REASONABLE CONCESSIONS! The industry air is filled with talk of "concessions," meaning that the major distributors apparently have decided it would be both expedient and economical to grant independent exhibitors a better break in their selling policies. The reason for their decision is comparatively unimportant. What really matters is the ultimate good that will undoubtedly result from their attitude for the independents in particular and the entire industry. Despite the arrogant attitude of some of the majors and their stooges, who confess to see something "radical" about every exhibitor who dares complain, the widespread wave of protest against certain practices within recent years have led the wiser heads to recognize the necessity for correction of flagrant abuses. Let us here analyze those concessions which the distributors might accept without materially weakening their financial positions and which will serve to appease the majority body of independent theatre owners, who will resist economic subjugation, but are basically fair and decent business men. BLIND SELLING. Almost imperceptibly, this practice of selling whole products totally blind has grown out of block booking and made that selling system the festered spot on the industry body. Hardly five years ago, the standard major film contract provided the exhibitor with either star, story or outstanding director for each release and granted the buyer the right to cancel any picture in which the designated name or story was not included. This was predicted on the logical assumption that the buyer was induced to sign a contract on the strength of the prospects of the product named and in cases of substitutions, the producer should be obligated to deliver a picture at least as good as the one which it replaces, or the exhibitor need not accept it. If they really wish to weaken the arguments in favor of eliminating block booking by law, the majors should return to the practice of giving their pictures some definite designations in advance of sale, instead of selling by the onerous "numbers" or groups "A", "B", "C", "Marquee Series", etc. There lies the real indecency of the block booking system! SWITCHING ALLOCATIONS. If they only paused to contemplate the ill will aroused among their customers by this petty practice, no sensible distributor leader would hesitate to order immediate discontinuance of this vicious and stupid policy. Further, it might be well for the film companies to make an actual count of the additional revenue it brings them. It might prove woefully inadequate to compensate for the animosity it engenders. Exhibitors rightfully regard the switching of allocations as another manipulation by the distributors to limit their profits to the smallest possible margin. It is a recent development and one that should never have been started. Stop it now. PREFERRED PLAYING TIME. The pro arguments on this issue claim that a film company has the right to demand that their highest percentage pictures play on the most lucrative days of the week. Opponents of the practice point out that booking a theatre should be the job of the exhibitor, not the distributor. The theatreman knows the tastes of his audience and books to get the biggest weekly gross. The distributor, having confidence in the drawing power of his big pictures, should be content to have them play on any days. Is it conceivable that a shoe manufacturer would demand of a merchant that he sell his product on Saturday to the exclusion of all other brands, because the greatest volume of shoes are purchased on that day. CIRCUITS <DAM-UP' OF PRODUCT. One of the most unfair practices employed by the large circuits is their method of "damming up" product to keep it from independent competitors. This is something to which the distributors themselves should be unalterably opposed, for it undoubtedly reduces their revenue. The privilege of tying up product should not be allowed the affiliated circuits. The approximate number of pictures needed by every house in a circuit is well known in advance of the buying season and a limit should be fixed on the product that house can reserve. This is something that can be accomplished by the distributors themselves, for they control both the product and most of the large circuits. It will open the way for a free and faster flow of product and will give the independent competing with an affiliated theatre a badly needed "break." These by no means cover the full range of complaints from which the industry's legal and legislative troubles spring but, correction of these evils will make for general satisfaction and would probably save the majors more in legal fees than the concessions would cost them. MO WAX.