Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1945)

EDITORIALS (Continued from Preceding Page) run theatres to extract inordinate terms from the independent subsequent-runs. Frankly, I admit that this might have been the case. "As I look back over the pictures we released lash season and thus far during the current season, I realize that we did get top percentage and top outright terms for some features that would have sold for much less under normal circumstances. Now, when I glance over the list of releases, it becomes apparent that few of our pictures boasted top-ranking, high-salaried stars, that we used second-rate boxoffice names in most cases, or experimented with little-known newcomers. Although a number of our features were adaptations of hit plays and best-seller novels, it is true that the film versions have to stand on their own merits and that boxoffice strength still springs to a large degree from the value of star names. "I have come to another conclusion. The quality of our musicals has fallen off sharply of late and the boxoffice returns reflect this. I readily admit that there can hardly be any justification for our asking 35 or 40 percent for a 'Something For the Boys' or an 'Irish Eyes' when Metro delivers a sock show like 'Two Girls and A Sailor' outright. "You have my admission, too, that it was wrong to demand percentage terms for 'Buffalo Bill', that 'The Sullivans', on the basis of cost or star value, certainly did not merit the high allocation we accorded it. "Perhaps I could mention more examples of what some people in the industry have termed our 'profiteering', but that will suffice. 'Profiteering' is a harsh word and we are determined to avoid any reason for it being directed at us again in the future. There will be no overallocating by 20th Century-Fox from now on! "During the past year or so, we have been attempting to force percentage terms for top pictures on all independent theatres, regardless of size and gross-capacity. I now realize that the average theatre cannot make any profit when paying 40 percent of the gross for film. I appreciate, also, that the rental for a top picture, played on preferred time at a top percentage is a most inequitable yardstick by which to judge a theatre's capacity to pay flat prices. We shall discontinue the policy of using such abnormal grosses as the basis for film prices. "Mr. Skouras told you of our instructions to the sales staff about adjustments. Let me go further. I hope it will not be necessary for any 20th Century branch manager to give adjustments. I do not believe that exhibitors should be required to come begging an exchange for kick-backs. My instructions to all our sales people for the future is to avoid over-charging any exhibitor. And, furthermore. . . . Suddenly, someone was rapping sharply on the table at which I was sitting and Connors voiced pffftt. It was Weenie standing there in the doorway of of the office. "Looks like you were catnapping", she grinned. "Now, about those proofs. . . MO WAX BROADWAY NEWSREEL Business in the Broadway first-runs is back to normal — which means considerably below the record-breaking grosses of the Christmas-New Year period. The heavy snowfall of early last week also affected business in all of the picture palaces, the majority of which were still playing the holiday film attractions. Holding up best among the many holdovers is "Here Come the Waves," now in its fourth week of strong business accompanied by Woody Herman and His Orchestra on the stage. The entire program will hold for six weeks and will be followed on February 7th by "Ministry of Fear." Seven other Paramount films have also been booked by the theatre and will fill in its entire time through Labor Day. . ."National Velvet," now in its fifth week at the Radio City Music Hall, ended its fourth stanza with a total gross of $500,000, an alltime industry record for this period. With the weekly figure still approaching the $100,000 mark, the M-G-M picture is staying for a sixth week before being succeeded by Columbia's "A Song to Remember" long pencilled in for the world's largest theatre ... "Winged Victory," and the Nicholas Bros, and Jack Durant on the stage, ends a profitable five-week run at the Roxy on January 23rd to be followed by "Sunday Dinner for a Soldier" and Bill Robinson and an all-colored stage show. "Hollywood Canteen," supported by Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra, is still doing well enough during its fifth week at the Strand and the bill will remain for a sixth week before being replaced by "Objective Burma" on January 26th... "Music for Millions," with a stage show headed by Tommy Dorsey, is still profitable during its fifth week at the Capitol but it will be replaced by "The Thin Man Goes Home" on January 25th for a short run followed by United Artists "Guest in the House" some time in February. . ."Music," at the Capitol, with "Meet Me in St. Louis" at the Astor, "National Velvet" at the Radio City Music Hall, "Main Street After Dark" giving the Rialto a strong initial week and the second-run "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" at Loew's State, gave M-G-M five pictures in the Times Square district during the past week... "Main Street," although strong enough to hold, was a one-week booking for the Rialto which is now playing Paramount's "The Man in Half Moon Street" ... "Meet Me in St. Louis" is still slrong in its eighth week at the Astor and will hold until February 4th when the theatre will close for remodeling and added seating capacity ordered by Samuel Goldwyn and David O. Selznick, the new lessees of the Astor as a show-case for their product. "The Princess and the Pirate," waiting since November for a first-run date, will open on February 9th and will be followed by Selznick's "Spellbound." "To Have and Have Not," which has been leading all the other films in length of run, has had its engagement at the Hollywood extended another two weeks to give the Bogart film a run of 16 weeks, the longest engagement there with the exception of "Yankee Doodle Dandy." "Roughly Speaking" is now set to follow on January 31st... Two United Artists releases are also showing strength on Broadway with "Mr. Emmanuel," British-made film, coming within a few hundred dollars of the Gotham house record during its first week and "Tomorrow, the World," despite the snowstorm of its fourth week, showing a 16 per cent improvement in gross over the third week at the Globe. "Tomorrow" started a fifth week on January 20th and will hold -until RKO's Disney picture, "The Three Caballeros" opens on February 3rd... "The Keys of the Kingdom" is filling the Rivoli for the fourth week of its expected long run while a new 20th-Fox release, "Fighting Lady," had lobby hold-outs and long waiting lines all during its opening day at the Victoria where it followed four smash weeks with the reissued version of the old De Mille spectacle, "Sign of the Cross" .. ."Can't Help Singing" is holding up fairly well for a fourth week at the Criterion where it will be followed by Universal's "The Suspect" late this month... The Republic Theatre is still at the bottom of the list with "The Great Flamarion," a sudden booking on January 13th after the same company's "Lake Placid Serenade" dipped badly during its third week. "Flamarion" will hold, however, for at least another week. 8 FILM BULLETI