Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1939)

JUNE 12, 1939 19 THE MENACE (?) OF TELEVISION By FRANK LEYENDECKER What about Television? Is it a real threat to the motion picture business? The average exhibitor knows practically nothing about this subject and, being already well occupied with the problem of trying to entice customers toward his box office window, he cares only so far as it may further injure his business. The competition of summer heat, daylight saving and, in the New York area, the lure of the World's Fair has already caused a seasonal slump in theatre attendance. Is this new entertainment medium to still further persuade paying patrons to stay at home and receive free entertainment for the price of a television outfit? Is it a potential enemy or isn't it? Rather than deal with pure conjecture, let's review the television situation to date and try to find, at least, what has been its effect on motion picture business so far. About a month ago television sets were placed on public sale in New York at prices varying from $189 to $496. Not mentioned, but necessary was an additional charge of from $50 to $100 for proper installation. At this price, it naturally follows that very few sets have been sold to date. Striking closer to home is the fact that the Paramount Theatre, first-run in the Times Square district, and the Little Carnegie, the Plaza and the Gramercy Park, three New York class houses showing subsequent run films, have already installed television receiving sets in their lounges. Now a further scare has been thrown into the hearts of exhibitors by the reports in N. Y. Television circles that the Waldorf Astoria, Manhattan's finest hotel, is planning to install television receivers in each of its 2,000 guest rooms. Programs are now being televised daily from a New York station but, so far, the subjects have been limited mainly to sports events. According to a popular theory, this should keep thousands of sports fans at home, but the only actual result has been packed houses at the majority of sports events held around New York. Night baseball in Brooklyn is such a success that thousands are turned away nightly. The fact that attendance at the recent Nova-Baer fight at the Yankee Stadium was comparitively sparse was due entirely to public apathy regarding the outcome of the bout and not because it was televised by RCA-NBC before a small group of fans in the lounge of the Paramount Theatre. An observer reported that the images of the fighters on the 9 by 1 2 screen were so blurred and indistinct that few waited to see the outcome but, instead, went upstairs to watch "Union Pacific" unfold its historic battle on the screen. This theatre was the principal one to advertise the fistic battle on the marquee. There are always people ready to predict that a new invention will relegate another to the scrap heap, but, using the recent words of Cecil B. DeMille regarding television, "There is always room for something more." "Radio, motion pictures and television," according to De Mille, "will live, and perhaps die, together," and television will no more kill the motion picture industry than radio did. Television will never replace the motion picture as the most popular entertainment medium. This is the opinion of average New Yorkers, who have taken enough interest in this new field to witness television demonstrations at the New York World's Fair. From personal observation, all television has to offer at present is its novelty. It is o comparitively new invention and it has been much in the news. But, beyond this novelty stage, the programs, so far, have been a strain and a complete bore. Theatres able to install a television receiving set might, however, play it up, outside the theatre, merely as a novelty. The Little Carnegie, a small theatre on New York's 57th St. catering mostly to a smart trade, is hoping to attract new customers during this periodic summer slump by announcing a free television program in its lounge. This, of course, is considered an added inducement to attend the theatre by patrons long accustomed to "tea and cakes" which is served in the lounge before or after attending the film show. The future of television is still most uncertain because it is the most expensive type of entertainment. According to Albert F. Murray, engineer in charge of television for Philco Radio and Television Corp., the time will come when television will be a reality, but before it becomes commercially practical "the FCC must devise a system of commercial licenses, large sums of money must be expended in city after city to build broadcasting stations, sources of program material must be developed and ways and means must be devised to broadcast programs from city to city." But most important of Mr. Murray's observations, made during his company demonstrations in Cincinnati last week, was that before television would be considered practical "satisfactory television receiving sets must be made available at prices the masses can afford." Another difficulty which will be encountered in the establishment of television equipment in theatres here is the dearth of program material suitable for theatre use. It has also been learned that uncertainties over FCC licensing of commercial television programs and of receiving rights to televised material and its use for commercial purposes have confronted leading television equipment firms. Before all these difficulties can be cleared up and before television sets can be brought within the range of the public's purse the exhibitor will have the usual prosperous periods and periodic slumps — neither of them due to this new entertainment medium, which is still strictly a novelty. PUTTING THE HOUSE IN ORDER By ABRAM F. MYERS (Continued from Page 3) set for a program of appeasement, a leading distributor made use of an Allied regional meeting to denounce Allied as tom-tom beaters representing the views of only a small minority. This sort of thing continues despite the fact that Col. Cole and I have received more expressions of confidence and pledges of support from exhibitors in all parts of the country in the last six months than were received in all the prior history of the organization. It seems likely that four and possibly six new regionals will be admitted to membership before the first of January. If the distributors will just recognize Allied for what it is, namely, the only authorized bargaining agency for independent exhibitors in matters of national concern and cease treating it as a small group of bad boys, much faster progress will be made. Pretending to carry on serious negotiations with M. P. T. O. A. and others I could mention is a part of the same ostrich-like policy by which the Big Eight attempt to shield themselves from all criticism and all opposition within the industry, when a generous amount of both is necessary for their salvation. Allied at the forthcoming national convention will reach a decision on the very momentous trade practice proposals. It will be an honest decision based on a thorough canvass of the facts. It will be arrived at by ballot, the most democratic method ever devised. No one should attempt to influence that decision beyond analyzing the proposals for the information of the exhibitors. Certainly I shall not. If the vote is affirmative, then let us have the cooperation of all elements in carrying the program into successful operation. If it is negative, let the result be received in good grace by all and let us hear no more about the small minority of agitators. A better understanding and mutual respect will yet enable the different divisions of the industry to solve all problems. Belittling and disparaging utterances by spokesmen for the Big Eight and their exhibitor stooges and one-way criticism by the trade papers merely hinder progress by making teamwork difficult. The Allied leaders have just as great a responsibility in protecting the independent exhibitors as Mr. Rodgers has in protecting the distributors and are entitled to the same consideration