Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1959)

Viewpoints JANUARY 5, 1959 * v/nniMc ->t wn i VOLUME 27, NO. 1 Suve The Little Exhibitor I Every motion picture trade paper is made keenly aware of the plight of the little exhibitors these days through mail that follows this familiar, heartrending pattern: "Please cancel my subscription. Closing down my theatre after (blank) years in the business." We have received our share of these sad notices, as have the other industry papers. Harrison's Reports, too, has gotten its share, and that fine publication discusses the small exhibitors' unhappy situation in a perceptive and sympathetic editorial in the January 3 issue. Harrison's quotes reports from Film Daily correspondents, indicating that the principal reason why many little houses are being shuttered is the callous attitude of the film companies in their dealings with such situations. Harrison's effectively takes up the cudgels for the little exhibitors with these words: "One does not have to be a mastermind to realize that the motion picture industry as a whole can ill afford the closing of more theatres, and that such closings can be retarded, if not stopped altogether, if the film companies will adopt more realistic sales policies on their top pictures so that the smaller exhibitors may play them while they are still reasonably fresh in the public's mind and at terms that will give them a fair opportunity to earn a profit. "Since the distributors either own or control the pictures, it is their right, of course, within legal limitations, to set whatever terms they desire for their exhibition. On the other hand, the exhibitors can either meet these terms, demand a better deal or do without the pictures. Such a relationship between buyer and seller might be satisfactory in normal times, but today, when the motion picture business is in a depressed state and the number of pictures available is decidedly limited, the one thing that will prolong the depression, hold back recovery and force more exhibitors out of business is for the distributors to continue to demand for their top pictures exorbitant rentals and onerous terms, which leave an exhibitor with scant or no chance to earn a profit. "The decline in theatre attendance is a common disaster and the hardships resulting from the current slump should be shared by all and should not be borne mainly by exhibition. The small exhibitor's problem today is the lack of proper merchandise. The movie-going public has become more selective than ever and a steady diet of run-of-the-mill pictures no longer attracts customers to the box-office. Such routine picture entertainment is available to them for nothing on television, and for that reason, more than any other, the exhibitor is badly in need of meritorious pictures with which to win back some of his lost patronage. "Under today's tough selling policies, however, the small exhibitor finds himself backed up against the wall when it comes to playing the top box-office attractions, for in addition to excessive rentals and harsh terms, the pictures Film BULLETIN: Motion Picture Trade Paper published every other Monday by Wax Publications, Inc. Mo Wax, Editor and Publisher. PUBLICATION. EDITORIAL OFFICES: 123? Vine Street, Philadelphia 7, Pa., LOcust 8-0950, 0951. Philip R. Ward, Associate Editor: Leonard Coulter, New York Associate Editor; Berne Schneyer, Publication Manager; Max Garelick, Business Manager; Robert Meath, Circulation Manager. BUSINESS OFFICE: 550 Fifth Avenue, New York 36, N. Y., Circle 5-0124; Elliott Ames, Editorial Representative. Subscription Rates: ONE YEAR. $3.00 in the U. S.; Canada, $4.00; Europe, $5 00. TWO YEARS: $5.00 in the U. S.; Canada, Europe, $9.00. frequently are not made available to him until after they have been milked dry in the prior runs, further reducing his chances of making a profit. "This much is certain: Unless the producers and distributors take immediate steps to help alleviate the stress under which most of the small exhibitors are operating today, many of them will have no alternative but to close their doors. And if this happens, the extra profits the producer-distributors may realize now from excessive rentals will be a drop in the bucket when compared to the losses they themselves may suffer later as a result of closed theatres, whose patrons will turn to other forms of entertainment and thus further increase the number of people who have lost the movie-going habit. "For better or for worse, exhibition and production-distribution are completely dependent upon each other. Current selling methods are entirely out of line with present trade condition, and common sense dictates that they be abandoned by the distributors for more realistic sales policies. Unless the distributors do this, they will weaken exhibition to a point where it will undermine the very structure upon which their own welfare depends." Film BULLETIN urgentlv adds its voice to this appeal to the film companies for a better understanding of the problems faced by thousands of old customers. More is at stake than the livelihood of these small theatremen — although that should be enough to warrant every consideration being granted them. Beyond that, we agree with Harrison's Reports, is the fate of the whole business structure upon which our industry stands, and upon which it may some day rebuild its once-great industrial edifice. Film BULLETIN January 5, 1959 Pago 5