Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1954)

EXHIBITORS FORUm Opinions Culled from Organization Bulletins ON ASPECT RATIOS & 3D ITO of Ohio If your first CinemaScope picture is "Howto Marry a Millionaire" or some other picture than "The Robe" you will want to use the introduction that Fox provides which shows how CinemaScope works. It starts out on the narrow screen and then opens up. But if you played "The Robe" or your opposition played it, you will probably not wish to use this introduction. Fox is insisting that exhibitors use it; we doubt that the company can compel this. Many exhibitors now cut off the trailers showing casts on the ends of pictures. Trueman Rembusch of Indiana reports that he has played "The Robe" in a 2 to 1 ratio without losing any of the effect of the picture. The ratio is achieved with aperture plates and lenses and Rembusch states that it is a much more desirable ratio in those narrow theatres where the height is too limited by the 2:55 to 1 ratio. The recent releases in 3-D have been far superior to the early ones. However, we wish the distributors would be as liberal with CinemaScope as they are with 3-D. "Kiss Me Kate" is now playing some subruns in Columbus in 2-D. "Redheads From Seattle" is playing first run in 2-D although it was made in 3-D. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that there is not a single 3-D picture in production. Producers are apparently awaiting the results of "Miss Sadie Thompson", "Hondo", "French Line" and "Cease P'ire". MORE ON PERCENTAGES Allied Caravan Bennie Berger, Pres. of North Central Allied said the other day that the objective of his organization this year is to convince distributors to eliminate "must" percentage in small town and subsequent runs and "return to the old style of selling pictures". Bennie said, "the attempt to get the same percentage terms from suburban situations and small grossing theatres as from large grossing houses is not only asinine, but also destructive". — Amen, Brother! When Al Sindlinger indicated in Boston at the Allied convention that trying to talk logic at certain levels of distribution was just as impossible as trying to talk logic to the treasury department, he must have had something like "must" percentages in mind. "We have a policy" is not only the one-sided motto of the treasury dep't, but has long been the rule and guide to glue-footed thinking of distributors who unbendingly demand impossible terms from situations grossing from 1 to 3 hundred dollars on pictures. It doesn't seem to make a helluva lot of difference to the "must" percentages addicts, and addicts seems to be the word for it, that Joe Smith grosses $140 to $160 bucks for three, four or five days on some super-epic on two of his best playing dates (Sat. & Sunday, of course!) and they get 50-70% and Joe gets the boot. Joe, if you think Air. Gluebrain gives a damn if you buy shoes for Junior or not, you better sharpen up your thinking. Mr. Gluebrain just don't give a damn for Junior or you either. Mr. Gluebrain has a policy. 50%, or if he's a real eager beaver and devoted to the stockholder^ — (and scared of his job unless he makes lottsa dough, for the company) 70%. Getting percentage with a distributor is like giving dope to an addict. A little isn't enough, and when once tasted his appetite is insatiable, he wants it every time he passes a Dr.'s office — you are the Doctor, boy. Just keep giving it to him. He'll turn on \ou. Sure, distributors have to make money, but their own claims verify 80% of their domestic revenue come from 20% of the large theatres. Just why is it they have to give the knife to the insignificant little fellow when the extra few bucks between profit and loss means so little to them and so much to himi' To set a national, unbending, uncompromising, unequivocal, untouchable and — damn near un-constitutional policy on given pictures, forcing you to either play them at no profit or a loss or leave them out and let your customers be deprived of seeing the pictures indicates that either distribution is set to force their asinine will on you to uphold their "policy", or they just don't give a damn about you. Maybe there really is no way to be friend."! in this business. CONDITIONED SALES Allied Caravan "I recently wrote to Mr. Ben Kalmenson, General Sales Manager for Warner Bros, complaining of the way certain pictures had been forced on me on conditional sales when I was negotiating for a deal. You will be interested in the following letter which I received from Mr. Kalmenson. Incidentally, it looks like some of these reports forwarded to the Senate Committee on Small Business in the past couple of months have horn some fruit." (The letter follows:) "I have just learned you claim that a few weeks ago a Warner representative attempted to 'force' you to license for your Theatre certain Warner pictures you did not want. I want you to know that any attempt by a Warner representative, if made, to force you to buy pictures which you did not want was unauthorized and in violation fif specific instructions issued by me. "N'ou may be guided by what I say here in your business relations with our Company. iMirthermore, if you are at this time interested in any specific picture or pictures, please advise me as quickly as possible and 1 will make certain that prompt negotiations take I)lace with you for them." (Signed) Benj. Kalmenson There, you have it boys. We've been needing something concrete like this out in these parts for quite some time. You know how to make this company policy work. Just save this and use it if you have to. To be realistic about this thing, it is not logical to expect a representative of a distributor not to make an honest efifort to sell I all his product. He wouldn't work long nor ' feed his family if he didn't sell most of his company's film. Don't confuse an honest effort on the salesman's part with forcint; However, if forcing or refusal to sell except i on conditioned sales is present you have the | facilities through your association and through the government to stop those tactics. Don't be out-bargained, but don't lei someone walk on you either. CURBING THE KIDS ITO of Ohio One member has advised us that the doorman at his theatre makes it a point to* "know" every young boy who comes to the/ theatre with any degree of regularity. As a result, when one of them gets out of hand, he says to the boy in substance, "If you don't behave yourself I will be compelled to go to " naming a clergyman or some person whom the boy would not like to have known about his misbehavior. In most cases, reports this member, this procedure has the desired efifect. At any rate, this particular theatre, a neighborhood house in a medium sized city, has no vandalism AUDIENCE SURVEY Allied Caravan W e took a surve\ here at Elnia during the month of November on attendance. Have been too busy the past 5 weeks carrying silver dollars to the bank (O Yeah!) to compile the findings. ]5ut, now we've done it. Not that you're so interested in Elma, but they might be true in your town too. Percentages of total attendance in the following categories follow: Over 50 yr.'s old 12% Teen agers 25% Dates 4% Women _ 23*"; Men 26% Families 9% Total 99% This shows several things. One, that tin women audience that has always meant so much to movies has been lost in an orgy of blood, swords, pirates, Indians, war, murder, cowboys and baseball. Two, that teen agcr^ though noisy, scatterbrained, etc., constitute a valuable part of your present and future business. TV is not holding them, and with them and the generation of kids coming on with TV as ordinary to them as was radio to our getieration, the future of the movies inot all black. Three, that families were ;i smaller part of my patronage than I'd thought. I'our, that a fairly healthy percentage of over 50 group was still available. Five, that this totals only 99%, indicates that the survey was both fairly accurate and thai 1 nuist have about 1% of my trade walkinc in, coming on passes or made up of blind checkers. Page 14 FILM BULLETIN January 25, 1954