Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

BULLETIN EDITOR ol. 20. No. 5 March 10. 1952 Page Seven TAX EXEMPT Economy is in itself a source of great evenue. — SENECA REVIEWS in This Issue IFincers h ng Man With Ideas ivron Slick From Punkin Crick (hex In Rome iiNciio Notorious lk About A Stranger turn Of The Texan • ything Can Happen gles In The Afternoon _ e Steel Fist e Green Glove ADDiN And His Lamp 9 .„ 9 9 _ 10 10 .10 18 18 18 18 19 19 FILM BULLETIN — An Independent Motion Picture Trade Paper published every other Monday by Film Bulletin Company. Mo Wax, Editor and Publisher. BUSINESS OFFICE; 35 West 53rd St., New York, 19; Circle 6-9159. David A. Bader, Business Manager; Leonard Coulter, Editorial Representative. PUBLICATION — EDITORIAL OFFICES: 1239 Vine St., Philadelphia 7, Pa., RIttenhouse 67424; Barney Stein, Managing Editor; Dick Newton, Publication Manager; Robert Heath, Circulation Manager. HOLLYWOOD OFFICE: 659 Haverford Ave., Pacific Palisades, Calif., Hillside 8183; Jay Allen, Hollywood Editor. Subscription Rate: ONE YEAR, $3.00 in the United States; Canda, $4.00; Europe, $5.00. TWO YEARS, $5.00 in the United States; Canada, $7.50; Europe, $9.00 WHAT KIND OF PICTURES? Mr. Mo Wax, Editor FILM BULLETIN Dear Mr. Wax: IS THE MOVIE CODE TOO RIGID? — 1 have read the article in the Feb. 11th issue of the EI EM BULLETIN. Before this pets too far I would like to express my opinion on the subject. I have been in the business since February 1921 and have Been all types of pictures. We experienced a cycle of sex pictures just prior to the advent of sound. We thought we had to do something then to pet the people back into the theatres, but. fortunately, sound came along and saved us. It is recognized that the exhibitor in small situations must look at his pictures more carefully than the city exhibitors. I believe all small towns have an overabundance of organizations, many members of which take it upon themselves to watc h over the type of pictures that the local exhibitor puts on his screen to entertain, especially the youth of the community. Unless an exhibitor in a small situation — and by that I could mean up to 10.000 population — has carefully selected his pictures, I believe there is hardly a situation that has not had some organization representatives call on hiru about the quality of his pictures. This is mainly because of the sex angles, or the brutality, or the drinking scenes which are shown. Mr. yler apparently believes that these are the kind of scenes that should be shown — they are life — but again there appears to be a difference of opinion. We all recognize that there is a certain amount of this in life and there always will be. but pictures need not show this to the extreme, nor expect to gain patronage for our industry by an overabundance of it. I have just finished a run of "Streetcar Named Desire." One manager reports "34 walkouts on this'"; another manager states that he had several walkouts and many complaints about the picture, not only because of the increased admissions, but also because the "picture didn't have any entertainment qualities." And if this picture reflects '"life" as Mr. W yler sees it. I can say that if the girl had not stayed at her sister s home the story would not have been written. In "life" I believe she would have left her sister's household — but a story had to be written so she stayed, to make a story, which to me is contrary to what a person would do in real life. "Why should the motion picture industry take to itself the job of regulating morals of America s young people?" is asked in your article. I would answer this in Mr. Wyler's own words — "My own kids want to see 'Detective Story' but I won't let them." Just as sure as we get into a cycle of pictures like Mr. Y$ yler likes to produce to "reclaim the lost audience." just as surely will we have a form of censorship forced upon us because we will find that the majority of the people of this country will not tolerate, nor pav to see. pictures like Mr. Wyler wants to produce. The Radio Code is "tighter" than the Motion Picture Code. It is my opinion that the Radio people will never ask for privileges like Mr. Wyler wants for our business. With reference to the last sentence of your editorial . . . "judging from the box office success adult films are enjoying these days ..." I would like to say that all sex pictures, even those off color State Right pictures do do a good business but the public reaction is very bad. I discovered this to my sorrow years ago and we haven't run a picture of this kind for the past twenty years. I believe our industry would be better off if the Producers made every picture suitable for the entire family. I believe that most of the parents wish to protect their children, just as Mr. Wyler wishes to protect his children. Mr. Wvler does not say how many children he has but by his own admission he has a "lost audience" in his own family. If we have thirty five million families in the U. S. and all parents kept at home two children from Mr. Wyler's type of picture, it would naturally follow that the "lost audience" to Mr. Wyler's type picture is seventy million people. And today, as it was in the beginning, we must keep the kids coming in order to build up a student and adult patronage for the future. I believe that we are in the entertainment business and that we should continue to entertain. And. while we may not want the job of "regulating the morals" of America's young people we should not want to assume the attitude that we want to corrupt their morals, either. If we publicly say that we do not want to "regulate the morals" it naturally follows that we also say that we are not interested in juvenile delinquence and at that point we might as well get ready to dismantle our theatres because public opinion will force the issue. I believe that I express the opinion of the majority of small town exhibitors when I say that we do not want the type of picture Mr. Wyler favors. Such pictures are bad for our business, both morally and financially, and it is also my belief that small town exhibitors will refuse to buy product of this kind. Yours very truly, I. H. HARRIS Harris-Voeller Theatres Burley. Idaho What did you say. Mr. Big City Exhibitor?