The Film Daily (1924)

THE 14 -;xi^ DAILY Sunday, October 19, 19:i Exhibitors I price. For his two houses. You know both are sincere; both honest, both anxious to get ahead. And yet Dennison thinks his problems are just as important as Katz. fhey probably are . CHAINS And when you talk to the big men. Of First National. About the development of chains throughout the country. Eventuating, perhaps, in two or three chains ol national strength. They go into the economics of it like bankers. And when you talk of the same thing. To the smaller exhibitor he grows stern of countenance and fearful. You know he is thinking; what of me? What will happen to my house?" Block booking, much discussed in Michigan, gives you an idea of how they feel about the possible eventuality of things. Said one: "When it gets that way I'll get out." But how many are in a position to "get out" — and where will they go — and what will they do? ,,-i*lAij61 This block booking in Michigan seems to worry the exhibitors a lot. But the exchange men out that way — they held a meeting in Saginaw at the same time as the exhibitors — seem equally worried. Over the problem of allocation of product. By those very exhibitors. It certainly was striking, lb listen to the exchangemen's problems. And then walk into the exhibitors meeting. And hear their arguments. On block booking. It only demonstrated how far apart they were. Each, of course, blames the other side. For the development of the existing situation. It's the old story of dog eat dog. That's how they look at it. And that is the wrong way — as some time each will discover. Conditions in Michigan prove the need of co-operation, better understanding, and better working conditions than any spot in America. And Pettijohn's plea. That they get together. And stick. Should bear fruit. Otherwise when a territory shows a 47 per cent decrease in rentals. In a year. You know something must happen. THE MASTER SALESMAN IDEA In such territories, under such conditions as exist today, salesmen aren't needed to a serious extent. That must be evident to all. It takes no salesmanship to accept a price 50 per cent below what you ask. And know you must take it. An errand boy can do that. Yet such conditions exist not only in Michigan but in a number of states. Where buying combines and the allocation of product has become a menace. A master salesman in charge of a lot of product. Can accept such prices. Or refuse them. Just as easily as a corps. Certainly if you are going to accept 50 cents on the dollar you need no sales force. The man who pays that way will come to town to buy. Just as easily. And will buy as much. Perhaps the healthiest accomplishment of all was that the subject was opened up. By various parties concerned. You get somewhere when the cards are laid on the table. And it's about time they were. SOME IDEAS Harry Reichenbach talking. Telling Michigan theater owners. About exploitation. At Saginaw. Where he registered his usual hit. Said Harry (at the business session) "exploitation of pictures is the same in New York as in small towns. It hurts a piclure just as much in New York as anywhere to use dirty posters. Keep the front of your house right. Concentrate on getting as many people into your theater as it will hold. Never mind stunts. They are passe. I know. I've handled 3,000 pictures in the past 14 years." — Then he recounted some of the better known stunts. Including the ape for Tarzan driving people off Broadway ; the men and women in evening dress arguing on Broadway about whether or not they would see "Over the Hill;" the "Virgin of Saville" stunt and many others. Reverting back to exploitation ideas he said that he had not sent out a press book in many years. "It cannot be done to fit (Continued from Page 1) the small town and the big one," he said. "If a picture is mai from a book or a play and you don't know all about it go to t! library in your town and find out. Then sell the idea that is be in that picture to your public. No matter how weak or poor picture is it must have something good in it. Find that and si that. I was taught that lesson by a great showman in the circ business years ago. "You cannot pick your pictures perhaps," said Reichenbach, "but you certainly can pick your exploitation and your propaganda." He told of how he had bought a house in Cumberland, M( (where he was born) and in eight weeks selling it at a profit $6,500. Because he had put it over by the right kind exploitation. THE KENT IDEA He told a brand new story on S. R. Kent of Famous be; he closed. He said a big theater operator took over some hous in a small town and wanted product for one of these. But " furnish this circuit operator pictures for this house it would me* that they would have to be taken away from an old exhibitor wl for nine years had bought and shown the entire Paramou* product. The circuit operator was told by Kent that he could n have the pictures for that town : that as long as the old exhibit lived he would have preference for the product. And when the ci cuit operator threatened he Avould throw Paramount out of h houses Reichenbach said Kent calmly told him that if he — ^tl the theater owner — talked that way that instead of the exhibit! throwing out Paramount that Paramount would throw him ofi REAL ORGANIZATION That Michigan crowd surely knows how to operate. Can yi imagine any other exhibitor organization which blackboards i members and alongside their names keeps in chalk marks tl amount they owe of their dues ? Well Michigan gets away wi it. Every exhibitor knows just how much every other exhibiil owes. You bet they keep paid up. No wonder they voted a $1,~ bonus to Richey, their general manager. He manages theni: well that they are stronger than any other exhibitor group in country. They even applauded when they voted the bonus do you think of exhibitors applauding when they spend mo: Doesn't sound usual, does it? NEW ONE ON MARY Frank Picard, attorney of Saginaw and bright chap pull new fctory on Mary Pickford. He said his mother — a lovely French lady — wasn't much interested in movies. But when D( and Mary were married and the papers were full of it he W! home and told his "ma" that Mary Pickford had married Di He had to repeat it two or three times before she finally uni stood. Then she said : "Well, I guess she'll have to go into movies, too," GAMBLERS They are hotsy totsy gambling golfers out Michigan C)ii the morning before the convention started the organizati held a tournament. First prize was $7.50 and was won by ager Richey. Herb W^eil who now owns four houses in Huron. Which makes him a magnate — won second prize of Which will enable him to pay a real rental for one of his hou! Herb is not only a great golfer — shoots 108 sometimes — but steps a mean step. A NEW LAB AND STUDIO In sight. Being promoted at Lamy. Somewhere out in desert country. Around Arizona. By Abe Blank. Who s; Watty Rothacker will be his partner. Thinks it a great id Because Indian labor is cheap. Thinks prices for Lamy work work wonders. Of course it's a joke. But just now jokes in the laboratj business are few and far between. There's a battle on. And a" real one. More about this am (As the poets say.) di