Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1950)

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EXHIBITORS FDHUM inioni (bulled j-rom Organization Bulletins BOXOFFICE HIKES Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio According to all available information, in every instance where exhibitors have had the courage to increase their admission prices, the only effect has been to swell their boxoffice grosses and we again urge a.l of our members to seriously consider a slight increase in their present boxoffice rates. Remember, compared with ten years ago, to-day's dollar is worth only slightly over fifty cents. The price of everything has gone up, and the public is quite conditioned to this and in a frame of mind to pay a little more for its motion picture entertainment. We would like to hear of the reaction of their patrons from those exhibitors who have recently increased their rates. Send us this information in detail so that we can pass it on to the membership. * * * DISTRIB VISIT LOG Associated Theatre Owners of Indiana "With this week's Allied Caravan you will find Allied Record of Distributor Visits. These should be placed in your folders and kept up to date as follows: (a) There is a space far each company and after you are visited by either a salesman or branch manager, write down the date of the visit and the name of the party calling on you. (b) Should there be any argument about forcing pictures or attempting tie-in sales on either other features, shorts or news, jot down the facts as there is a space for this. It will refresh your memory and should the Department of Justice want information you will have accurate records as to dates, facts, etc. "We feel that the Allied Record of DzoiriDUtor Visits is a very important phase of film buying under the decree. You can't buy pictures if they are not offered to you, and we say that passing towns and falsifying reports to the Home Office and saying a town was solicited when it was not is certainly defrauding the film company si >ckholder." (IowaNebraska Allied) We agree with Iowa-Nebraska that it is very advisable for an exhibitor to keep a record of his film negotiations. Most certainly, at least, with those companies that are making it difficult or impossible for the exhibitor to work out fair and proper deals. We think that such a record should include details such as terms quoted, terms offered, available date of product, and other pertinent details of the proposal. If any number of ow members would like to employ this kind of record, we will print a supply embodying as many suggested items as possible. * * * SAG HELPS PR ATO of Indiana Allied members who have been chagrined at hearing the motion picture industry slurred by picture personalities appearing on radio and TV will applaud the entreaty made by the SAG in a recent bulletin to its members. It read: "The Guild urges all motion picture actors to help promote current motion pictures and the motion picture generally 12 whenever opportunity arises, particularly in appearances in other mediums of communication such as radio and television." Occasionally, some few film actors thoughtlessly and needlessly belittle and ridicule the industry that supports them. We object when slurs are cast at the profession of acting and when motion pictures as a group are smeared. We should object just as strongly when slurs are cast at our own industry, even though such slurs are cast in the form of ill-advised wisecracks. After all, wisecracks don't have to be vicious. Let's all help to sell pictures and the picture industry. • * * NO SOFTIES ITO of Ohio Several things we must all remember — salesmen and managers are hired, paid and therefore dedicated to get every penny they can out of you. If they don't, they don't last long! Don't let friendship obscure or overcome your good business sense! You, best of all, know what you can pay and make a profit, and you're in business to make a profit. Usually when an exhibitor forgets to fight for a fair deal — he is being given the business! If your business is down, fight like a wildcat until you get your film rentals down the same proportion. Don't go for any hike in rentals, or set any new precedents in these uncertain times. ON STAGE, EVERYBODY ATO of Indiana The single reel short, "On Stage, Everybody," presented by the Disabled American Veterans, has been viewed by A. T. O. I.'s Screening Committee and pronounced excellent. It seeks no theatre collection and solicits no funds, but is 9Y2 minutes of fine entertainment starring Bob Hope. By playing the short you will not only be doing a patriotic duty but will be making a real addition to your program for free. If you do not have it booked, send your date now to this office or to any one of the film exchanges. * * # SALESMANSHIP HYPO Rocky Mt. Allied A lot has been said recently about "showmanship". There is still a lot that needs to be said about "salesmanship". There is more to it than just sitting in a swivel chair and waiting for an exhibior to need the product badly enough to walk into the exchange and beg for it. There is entirely too much of this nonsense of trying to wait each other out. Salesmanship in the film industry has gone to pot. We think that the film companies ought to wake up. We think they ought to tell their salesmen in the field: "Get more if you can, get the same if you can, but, for God's sake, get something!" * * * SUPPORT COMPO North Central Allied COMPO (The Council of Motion Picture Organizations) is an organization of all branches of the industry, which has the overall job of improving public relations. Allied is committed to participate in it for one year. During ts first year, COMPO did an excellent job, particularly in the tax field, where only the Korean situation prevented repeal of the Federal tax. In spite of intra-family difficulties, COMPO provides a vehicle where the exhibitor's voice can be heard by all branches of the industry. Like any organization, COMPO needs financial support, and dues in the amount of 1-lOth of 1 per cent of the exhibitor's film rental have been agreed upon. In other words, each exhibitor is asked to pay 10c to support COMPO, for every $100 of his film rental. The distributor will contribute a like amount. Each exchange will bill on its film rentals only. We urge every exhibitor to pay the COMPO contibution when he is billed. To fail to do so would mean that the exhibitor is not interested in giving his mite and does not care about his public relations, and the public relations of the industy. PREFERRED TIME 'RACKET' Allied T.O.of Eastern Pa. The inability of virtually every major exchange in Philadelphia to supply prints on or close to the theatre's availability date has created a scandalous condition When the exhibitor negotiates a film deal and an essential part of that deal is the availability date and clearance granted to the exhibitor, it is an absolute outrage when the exchange cannot supply the exhibitor with a print on or very close to the availability date. It must be perfectly obvious that the PREFERRED TIME RACKET instituted by the distributors to gouge extra film rental out of the exhibitors has helped to create this print shortage. Furthermore, the PREFERRED TIME RACKET has helped to create the bad public relations which now exists between theatres and motion picture patrons, because many pictures that should never be played except during the week are forced on the exhibitor for a weekend. The PREFERRED TIME RACKET must first be broken up. The PRINT SHORTAGE RACKET must also be broken up. Either the film companies should be prepared to cover all availabilities with prints, or else they should quit insisting on preferred time By doing that the effective number of playdates that could be covered by one print would be more than doubled. This very serious condition is having the attention of Allied Leaders, and more particularly, of your own Eastern Pennsylvania Association. Should you have difficulty securing prints to cover bookings on your availability date, please be in touch with this office. POPCORN TRAILER We THINK some enterprising popcorn supplier, or perhaps the POPCORN ASSOCIATION, should produce a reel for theatre use, similar to the candy industry's reel, "The Sweetest Story Ever Told (which sure sold candy!) about popcorn telling our public about popcorn production, processing, handling and in theatres. "Popped At 475 degrees! Untouched By Human Hands; Popcorn, Your Purest Confection" etc. Could help all of us sell more popcorn. —Allied of Ia.-Neb. FILM BULLETIN