Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1951)

EXHIBITORS FORUm Opinions Culled from Organization Bulletins PROTECT FIRST RUNS Southern Calif. TOA The membership of Southern California Theatre Owners of America is very much upset about the distributors policy of selling first-run pictures to individual outlying theatres, totally disregarding the investment in first-run theatres. By this policy they are reducing the value of the programs playing the regular firstrun-. a< the public is led to believe that these are secondary pictures. In negotiating these long-term runs, the distributors are asking that the bidder incorporate his proposed admission prices in the bid. This is being used in some cases as a device to circumvent the decision of the United States Supreme Court in the Paramount case against including admission prices in a contract. The pictures which have been released to said neighborhood theatres for individual runs have not been generally road shown. As a result of this policy of the distributors, the public is being charged excessive admission prices for ordinary pictures. Through this policy of licensing pictures for extended runs, the natural flow of product to the subsequent-run theatres is being interrupted and consequently these theatres are suffering greatly through inferior bookings. At the present time there are 164 closed theatres in this exchange area, with the number likely to increase as the result of this threatened curtailment of normal flow of product. These pictures are purportedly put up for bids. However, since there is no public opening of bids, there is no way of determining whether the distributor selects his own customer regardless >f the bids filed. As a result of said policy of unjustifiably granting extended runs, the public will soon become convinced that unless a picture plays on an extended-run basis at advanced admission prices, the picture is not one worth seeing. The natural effect of this tendency will be to concentrate the public's patronage in fewer and fewer theatres. COOPERATION -A GOOD SIGN Indiana Allied This past week our attention was called to examples of what can be done in the way of Distributor-Exhibitor cooperation in selling motion pictures. The first example was Lippert's handling of their picture "Lost Continent". Lippert rents a theatre front to the exhibitor booking the picture. We don't know just how it is built up but it at least is an exploitation front that the average exhibitor could not afford and does not have the personnel to create. Our informant did not enthuse about the picture but he said that in his opinion the theatre front was responsible for doubling his average business. If Lippert can do this why wouldn't it be just as good an idea for Metro on a picture like "King Solomon's Mines," RKO on "Kon-Tiki." Paramount on "When Worlds Collide," and others. The second instance of encouraging cooperation is the agreement of several Indianapolis branch managers to visit the theatre managers in a number of independent circuit situations during this circuit's "United Showmanship Week". The purpose of this visit will be to describe the film companies' forthcoming releases and to specifically help with the exploitation of one of the earlier bookings. The branch manager's visit will not only be an aid to the specific picture on which he confers but also will contribute to increased selling effort for all their product. HIGHER RENTALS SUICIDE Iowa-Nebraska Allied Unfortunately, the upward trend of the box-office that encouraged us in September and October has now been reversed. Weak pictures, TV, the high cost of living and taxes probably all played their part. And it is very clear the distributors have no intention of accepting their fair share of the present low boxoflfice, if they can possibly help it. Rather, they keep demanding ever higher rentals and terms (perhaps as a "come on" to hold their own line and get you to pay present prices as was done on several pictures recently). We may rest assured they'll get all they can; that's the salesmen and managers' job, a rough one, because long range, their jobs are also dependent upon exhibitor prosperity. Under these circumstances, the exhibitor, to whom good film at fair prices is the number one problem, has no alternative but to fight all attempts to up his film rentals — to fight for pictures and prices that will make him a profit, let him eat and keep him in business. The average exhibitor today has little if any leeway in his costs, except film rentals. He cannot cut his advertising; he has already cut his other overhead to the minimum. Many exhibitors are now doing all or part of their operating and janitor work. Percentage buying certainly isn't the answer! As Col. Cole brought out at the Xational Convention, the average theatre overhead today, exclusive of feature film rental, is running 60% or more of the gross. And the Col. is right; we've figured it in several theatres. All ran more than 60%. Try it on your theatre; you'll likely be surprised. Obviously then, we cannot pay 35%, 40%. 50%, or 70% feature rental. Neither can we raise admission prices. The rank and file of our patrons, smarting under higher living costs and taxes, and having to live within a slim budget, would resent that to beat hell! Those who can and will pay the extra admission price have "seen it in Omaha or Des Moines. Sioux City or Cedar Rapids, St. Louis or Chicago" long before you'll get it. And don't let the distributors kid ybu on percentage; bigger, higher grossing theatres than yours are buying them all flat, and profitably! This we know! CLICHES WONT HELP ATOI of Indiana We're getting pretty tired of hearing film salesmen come up with that corny cliche that the trouble with this business i that exhibitors arc lazy and never exploit a picture Probably somebody said it in a sales convention someplace and now we suppose most salesmen repeat it an average of four times every day. Always spoken as an unimpeachable truth that they arrived at only after a very precise and scientific analysis. It is observation that exhibitors are spending more time and effort in showman-hip and exploitation now than has been done for year-. We also believe that the reception of the Movietime plans proved that exhibitors were ready and able to get out and -ell when not confronted with a distributor sales policy that took away all of their incentive. If anybody can be charged with failing to do their part in selling the public, then no one is less guilty than the distributors. Has a salesman ever called you and said in effect: "Our company has a picture booked into your theatre and we have a lot of good ideas on how it can be promoted. Can I come into your town for a half day and work with you on some local angles?" Do you think any other manufacturer of consumer t;oods drops a load of merchandise into a retail store and then gives no personal and direct sales help ? Hut the film companies felt SO little obligation to follow through on their deals that they even turned over their advertising accessories to another comnany. Can you iniatrme any other business telling its accounts that want to make a window display or a counter display the name of a firm that will sell them the accessories. HOLD YOUR FIRE' North Central Allied Someplace or other we read where a drivein operator encouraged crows at his theatre. It appears that they are excellent scavengers and do a great job of KP by cleaning up all the odds ind ends of foods that are dropped or discarded in a drive-in. We can't tell you how to encourage the crows to come around, but we pass on this hint so that you won't shoot them or shoo them if you're lucky enough to have these cleaners-uppers. POPCORN AND OPS North Central Allied Several exhibitors have made inquiry about the applicability of the rules and regulations of OPS to their theatre operations. Admissions are not subject to the regulations. However, candy, popcorn, food, etc. sold in lobbies or concession stands come under the regulations and exhibitors must file the proper form with the nearest OPS office. If you desire further information, get in touch with this office or OPS. DECEMBER 31, 19 5 1 27