Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

4 9>idependent EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN PRE-SELLING A FILM— AND HOW! Columbia's 'Horizon' . . . On Atlantic City's Garden Pier, a novel and highly effective piece of exploitation on a forthcoming motion picture is being engaged in by Columbia. It is worthy of particular note because it is an advanced step in the art of building an assured and expectant audience for a future release. The display, on "Lost Horizon," was conceived by Frank McGrann, veteran exploiteer, and consists of miniature models of the most striking sets used in the picture, the original water color paintings from which Frank Capra planned the construction of the sets, and beautiful enlarged photographs of the sets taken after completion. All this has been attractively arranged and lighted in a large exhibition room, through which Fred A. Marshall, well-known Major Bowes' publicity man, conducts groups of onlookers with an interesting spiel. He is aided by Pat Corleto, from Columbia's exploitation department. Thousands View It and Sign . . . Over last week-end an estimated eight to ten thousand people visited this exhibit and close to four thousand of them signed their names in the book for those who desire to be personally informed when "Lost Horizon" will play in their own particular city or town. The value of the stunt can best be appreciated by anyone who watches the grave interest manifested by the expressions on the faces of those present and their probing inquiries about various phases of picture making. Here, certainly, is a form of exploitation that warrants recognition from the industry. It has dignity, is a subtle, yet forceful, type of propaganda that should be repeated often by producing companies. What it amounts to is the dispensing of pseudo-technical information in sugar-coated form for fan consumption. They eat it up! So gratified with the results are Columbia executives that they have laid plans to tour three duplicate units of "The Lost Horizon" display through the principal cities of the United States, as well as England and Australia. ERPI'S NEW SOUND 'Mirrophonic' System . . . The march of progress in the sound equipment field surged forward again on Monday when Erpi opened the exhibit of its latest apparatus — the "Mirrophonic" system. The various devices embodied in the new equipment were first displayed to a group of exhibitors, producers' representatives and members of the trade press at the Hotel Pierre in New York. Later in the day, an actual demonstration was conducted in the Venice Theatre. Noteworthy among the mechanical improvements boasted for this equipment, which will be marketed to theatres shortly, is a film pulling device known as the "Kinetic Scanner," in which a damped mechanical impedance is utilized to provide uniform film velocity. In this manner inconsistency of film speed and distortion of sound are avoided, the Erpi engineers claim. Even Sound Distribution . . . The new "di-phonic" speaker system and high power amplifier are designed to bring the most accurate and distinct reproduction to all parts of any auditorium. The speaker amplifier actually consists of 1 5 small horns mounted on one frame, some of the horns handling high frequencies and other the low frequencies. Thus, it was pointed out, the sound is spread evenly throughout a theatre, instead of having the high frequencies concentrated in some spots and the lows in others. The units are compact and apparently simple to operate. They run entirely on A.C., and checking of parts of the circuit needing adjustment is simplified by a "percentage meter." Ball bearings are employed in all moving parts and they are lubricated automatically. In the theatre, a number of sound films were shown to illustrate the advancements claimed for "Mirrophonic" sound. This correspondent sat in several parts of the theatre and noted particularly the equality of volume and clarity on the extreme sides and in the center. KUYKENDALL ON THE SPOT Talked Too Fast . . . Ever since he made that "threat" to institute legal actions against the major distributors or ask for Federal supervision of the industry unless they showed more interest in the M.P.T.O.A.'s 10-point trade practice program, Ed Kuykendall, president of the outfit, has been backing water at a furious pace. Apparently he spoke too fast and too much, for he now seems inclined to tone down the effect of that earlier statement by making it clear that he will not rush into any rash moves. The M.P. Daily reports the rotund gentleman from 'Sippi as saying that he is now willing to compromise with the producers if they accept any vital part of his program. ANOTHER RADIO PROTEST... St. Louis. — Another exhibitor organization protest against radio broadcasts by film stars was registered last week by the M.P.T.O. of St. Louis. The unit passed a resolution urging the producers to prohibit their stars from appearing on ether programs when they constituted competition against movie theatres. Copies were sent to the individual producers and to Will Hays.