The Film Daily (1924)

If |4£ :^ brAktreet of FILM>OM RECOCMra AUTHOmTY VOL. XXIX No. 17 Monday, July 21, 1924 Price 5 Cente INCOME By DANNY Paris It all works out to the same end. No matter where it comes from. And because of this it occurs to me. That the big men of this business. Have been figuring it all wrong. And that it's time to start figuring another way. i. Those who watch our business know this: that during the past few years the real profits have come. From the foreign end of the sales. That is to say the profits have about equalled just what the foreign field brought in. England represents about 50 per cent of the foreign business. All the rest of the world the remaining 50 percent. Statistics ivill show that the larger concerns secure about 18 per cent of the total gross from the foreign sales. Now New York has been regarded as a 12 per cent territory. Take in some adjoining territory and you easily and quickly total the 18 per cent. Which comes in from the entire foreign field. Which is all wrong. When you consider the tremendous possibilities. Of that field. And the countless possibilities which exist. For improving this. If the larger concerns did a bigger. And better business. In the foreign field. Automatically pictures could be sold at a lower price. To American exhibitors. Certainly the producers could well afford to. Whether they would remains to be seen. But that this could be done cannot be argued. And it should be done. Not only for the general improvement of the business. But for the good of the American exhibitor particularly. B. and K. Dividend {Special to THE FILM DAILY) Chicago — Balaban and Katz have declared a twenty-five cent dividend for August, September and October, payable the first of each month to stockholders of record on the 20th of each previous month. U. K. Studios Slump Startling Death of Production There —Five Units Now, 27 in 1923 and 24 in 1922 (Special to THE FILM DAILY) London— ^ British production has touched an astonishingly low level. Writing under date of July 3, Frank Tilley in Kine. Weekly says there are only five producers at work, as compared with twenty-seven at that time in 1923 and twenty-four for the same period in 1922. Tilley's leading editorial is a very frank exposition of conditions in England. He draws comparisons between the industry here and in Germany and adds: "In Germany the studios are more active than ever, and within the last few weeks many hints, some inspired and some distinctly uninspired, have appeared of the fact that Germany is about to make a bid for screen supremacy". He says plainly that British production methods are too frequently remote from the real needs of the situation and that, with few exceptions, Britain makes pictures as re(Continued on Page 3) Schiller Returns E. A. Schiller of Loew's, Inc.. returned from the Coast Saturday. The greater portion of the trip was made with James R. Grainger, who got back last week. Plans for new theaters in Seattle and Portland were discussed and while in Los Angeles the final transfer of the California and Miller's was arranged. Lasky and Wanger Arrive Jesse L. Lasky and Walter Wanger arrived on the Paris Saturday. Lasky went direct to his home. To Act On Free Shows T. O. C. C. Will Discuss Situation in New York — More Instances Reported The data on showings of free motion pictures in parks of New York City, as revealed by THE FILM DAILY last week has caught the attention of the T. O. C. C. which will discuss the situation at its weekly meeting tomorrow. Further instances of the growth of the practice have been discovered. A movement is now under way at Piermont, N. Y. to introduce free shows in that suburban town. Nyack is also considering the move. From Joliet, III. comes word that the large steel works there arc giving free shows (Continued on Page 3) Justify Tax Stand Excessive Operating Costs Reason Exhibitors Give for Keeping War Tax Pennies Some resentment has evidenced itself over the stand taken by the NewYork World on the matter of revised admissions at picture theaters, now that the war tax on fifty cent prices and under has been removed. The World conducted a two day survey last week and drew the conclusion that exhibitors were depriving the public of the tax relief. It is pointed out, however, that the increase in operating costs since 1918 when the War Revenue Bill taxing admissions went into efifect has been responsible for a startling decrease in the number of theaters in this city. In 1918, there were about 1,100 and today, there are in the neighborhood of 450. A well-informed exhibitor said on Saturday he would place the increase in expense today at about (Continued on Page 3) Picking Director for "Rudy" (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Los Angeles — J. D. Williams has three directors under advisement for Rudolph Valentino's first Ritz picture, probably "Cobra". Williams leaves for the East in a few days. West Coast Building Another (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Long Beach, Cal. — A permit has been issued to West Coast Theaters, Inc. for the erection of a $385,000 theater on East Ocean Blvd. The house will seat 3,000. Bill for State Tax (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Atlanta, Ga. — A bill introduced in the State Legislature proposes a ten per cent tax on admissions, the revenue thus derived to go to the State Board of Health. Buys Metro for Denmark N. H. Nielson of Copenhagen has purchased a number of Metro releases for Denmark Prices Too High Says A. N. Smallwood — Compares Exhibitors With Woolworth's Five and Ten Business In another of his open letters, Arthur N. Smallwood addresses the M. P. T. O. and discusses admission prices. He declares the general scale is too high and blames present prices for the drop in business at the box office. He says, in part: "Motion pictures were referred to on all sides as 'the poor man's amusement' and the (Continued on Page 3) 39 States Seek Funds Fall Legislative Sessions to Concern Themselves With Means of Securing Finances Thirtj'-nine states throughout the country will hold legislative sessions this fall. Two or three special sessions in additional states will probably be held as well. The problems coincident with the raising of funds to permit the state governments to function properly will be all important. In many states, large sums of money are necessary to carry out road-building programs. State taxes on cigarettes have made their appearances in several of the Southern States and, in various sections of the country there have cropped forth special levies of various nature. A full realization of how this affects the picture business is perhaps not felt. There are grave apprehensions, however, that if exhibitors continue to openly declare that they will keep the war tax, state legislation on admissions may be expected. Those familiar with political workings and the need for new sources of revenue think the situation should warrant careful attention. Garden Party in London (Special to THE FILM DAILY) London — The Cinematograph Garden Party was held at Wembley on Saturday. The entire British trade participated. The purpose of the function was to raise a fund for those members of the business who may be incapacitated by illness. Carewe Going Back to Algiers (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Los Angeles — Edwin Carewe will return to Algiers to produce "Snakebite," a Robert Hichens story. Milwaukee Next Equipment Dealers Decide on 1925 Meeting Place — Discuss Waste (Special to THE FILM DAILY} Cleveland — The M. P. P2quipment Dealers of America will hold their 1925 convention in Milwaukee next Majf at the time of the annual M. P. T. O. A. gathering. The final meetings here late last week concerned a discussion over the elimination of waste and lower production costs. The matter of requesting manufacturers to abandon direct selling to exhibitors was also brought up. H. J. Smith, Pittsburgh, second vice-president, presided in the absence of William Oldknow. who was (Continued on Page 3)