The Film Daily (1926)

Wednesday, Januarj Another Broadside (Continued from Page 1) or have you assured yourself that they are the type of picture that will bring you profits from the people of your community? If you have, fine ! "Or were you almost bewildered by the florid statements that he made, are you carried away with the excellent presentation of his side of the story {which, because of the number of times he used it, approaches perfection) to tlie point that you forget that society dramas have al ways flopped in your town and there isn't much reason to believe that these are any different? "Have you considered the transaction from the angle that when you sign your name to the contract, regardless of whether you make money at the price of the picture or not, you must complete the contract, even if it forces you to close up? "If you have, let's go further. How many pictures did you buy? Were you busy selling tickets at 20 cents apiece when tlie salesman made out the contract, and did you sign without looking at it, with the result that you bought twice the number of pictures you understod you were buying? * * * Were you one of those who bought a contract because a salesman told you that unless he got a contract he would lose his job? Better that he lose his job than you your theater ! Don't forget that ! "Did you appreciate the fact that you were obligating yourself to a contract that will cost you between $500 and $5,000 in real money, not paper or promises? To the Salesman "How do you regard your job? Is it to sell the exhibitor all tlie pictures you can, at the highest price obtainable, regardless of your own future or his? If you did. you have no place in this industry. Did you leave a lot of things unsaid that you sliould have said, therefore technically not telling him anything that was untrue, but leaving him under a mistaken impression? If you did, how would you like to have someone do that to you? "'Or did you carefully sit down with him, and with full justice to the company that is paying you, intelligently present your story, seeing that the man with whom you were doing business was ignorant or unacquainted with the fine points of the game, try and explain to him just what he was buying, what his obligation was, and what he would have to do? Did you sell him so that he would stay sold, or are you a 'one-timer,' who gets in while the getting is good and says, 'To hell with the future' "Are you one of the majority of fine, hightype salesmen that Michigan can boast of, who realize that unless the exhibitors they sell are successful, they are not going to be future prospects, and therefore the exchange for wliom they are working will not be successful? Are you one of those fine fellows who try to help exhibitors, giving them the benefit of your advice and your experience? When you see that an exhibitor is over-sold, do you try and make a bad matter worse by selling him more, or do you help him out of the difficulty, knowing that eventually you will profit by that policy? Or, are you one of the minority who, unfortunately, are retained in the business and knowingly employ tactics that are wrong, unfair, unreliable and in some cases downright misrepresentations? If you do, how do you sleep nights? To the Manager "What is the reputation of your salesmen? If after receiving a number of complaints along these lines you still keep him, there is no use of your reading this message. Silence of inaction in these matters can only mean consent that they be carried on. "Yes, it is true that some unfair exhibitors will blame the salesman for things that they themselves, through their carelessness, are responsible for. These cases are not the fault of the salesman or the manager, but entirely the exhibitor's. If an exhibitor isn't a businessman, all the salesmen and managers in the industry cannot change the condition. But it is certainly a bad situation when one company goes in and ties up the play dates of a man in business only a few days, with 156 pictures? No matter how good a product is, no exhibitor can run 100 per cent anything and should not be asked nor permitted to ! Therefore your responsibility is doubled I "Yet, during the past year, certain companies have invented new selling plans that offered to exhibitors large blocks or quan Demand for Color? Hollywood — In discussing the future of color pictures, "Science Service," says in part: "Black and white motion pictures, now popular may soon be superseded almost completely by films taken and produced throughout in natural colors, judging by the activity of several companies here. "Slapstick comedies will doubtless continue to appear in drab monochrome for some time, but in feature photography the large conservative Hollywood producers are now capitulating to the demand for color. At least a part c? ."feveral major screen dramas now in preparation will revel in chromatic glory. "With the aid of super-illumination much in excess of the usual studio requirement, the photographer now takes two films of the same scene simultaneously through a single leris. One of these responds only to green light, and is finished as a green transparency. The second, recording only red, is finished in red. The two films, pasted back to back in exact register, are ready for the exhibitor. There is no photographic deposit of metallic silver as in the case of the ordinary black and white picture. "To most fans it will be hard to believe that red and green alone can yield such accuracy and variety in shade. Sky tints, anything you wish in leaf, tree-trunk or earth shades, every possible hair and flesh tint, and even the regal effects of warm black plush and golden satWi are faithfully and beautifully recorded. Pure lemon yellow, cobalt blue and the pure purple shades are not available, however. The three-color process must be perfected for these. These shortcomings nevertheless are not noticed by the fan, who spends most of his or her time appraising the flesh tTirtsanvhow. * * *" Lew Lipton, New Director Los Angeles — Lew Lipton, comedy construction man at M.-G.-M. has been made a director. His first picture will be "Baby Mine." Charles \Ray, Eleanor Boardman, Bert Roa6h and Gwen Lee are in the cast. '' 1,500 Seater for Larchmont Larchmont, N. Y. — Vincent CuUen is president of the Parkway Operating Co., which will build a 1,500-seat theater here. The site is on Larchmont Ave. Perkins, Dstrict Manager for M-G-M S. D. Perkins has been appointed district manager for Salt Lake City and Denver. Joseph Samuels is now manager in Salt Lake. titles of pictures for a lump sum, and the result has been that many of the exhibitors I'ave not found the transaction profitable nor satisfactory. "Consequently, careful buying on the part of the exhibitor, fair selling, on the part of the salesman, with the axe for those who do not play fair, and more careful supervision on the part of managers will correct this condition that each day is finding more and more gray hairs not only among exhibitors, but among al! those connected with this great motion picture industry." Wages Increase National Industrial Conference Board Shows Work Increase of 6 Per Cent Since July Not only has employment increased since last July but average weekly earnings of those now employed have regained the high level that prevailed early in 1925, according to studies of monthly wages, made public by the Niational Industrial Conterence Board. This indicates that at this level the elements of production, wages and other costs and prices are well balanced. Employment in November showed an increase of 1.8 per cent, over October, and a total increase of nearly 6 per cent, since July, 1925, according to the last monthly study covering 25 different industries employing about 700,00 wage earners. Most notable during the month of November, was the increased activity of the agricultural implement industry. Substantial increases in employment were also reported by the chemical, electrical manufacturing, iron and steel, meat packing, paint and varnish, wool and rubber industries. In all, eighteen of the twentyfive industries covered by the study showed gains in employment. Average work hours per week in all industries showed a slight gain, from 48.3 to 48.5 hours. Akers Buys Interest in Exchange Kansas City — G. E. Akers, well known in exchange circles, has reentered the business. He has bought an interest in the Standard Film Exchange, becoming a partner of Jack Langan and Frank J. Warren. Akers will handle the sales. Kent Has Sore Throat; Won't Talk S. R. Kent, one of the A. M. P. A.'s "Twelve Immortals," will be unable to speak at the regular weekly luncheon tomorrow because of a sore throat. He will talk at a later date. Ernie Andrews and His Gloom Chasers will dispense the jazz. Powell, Oldest Exhibitor, Dead Barrie, Ont. — Capt. John Powell, owner of the Grand, and the oldest exhibitor in Canada, is dead at the age of 83. In the Courts In the suit of Harry Houdini as trustee in bankruptcy of the Octagon Films against Elizabeth D. Fischer, widow of Adelbert H. Fischer, to recover $77,000 for unpaid subscriptions on stocks of the company, and for $24,722 alleged to be due for moneys of the corporation used by Fischer for his personal use, the defendant has applied in the Supreme Court for permission to examine records of the corporation in the possession of the attorneys for the plaintiff. Mrs. Fischer said that she has been unable to get any trace of the books although she applied to an associate of Mayer Walker, who was her husband's attorney, but has been informed by counsel for the plaintiffs that they have extracts from the records. She wants to make a copy of all such records that have any bearing on the case. Solution at Hji (.Continued from Page 1 cussing the situation in thi Bulletin, he says: "Recently it was reported in papers that the Theater Owners i [| Commerce of New York has r I, proposed form of Hays' contrac ] forwarded to the Hays' organizat of contract purporting to come Indpendent M. P. Ass'n of Ame I contract is, in fact, the one th. submitted them and the industry' and if it is to be used, we urgen that a new thought which we h; '. 'availability of play dates' clause simpler than the clause incorpora and a clearer solution of the p substituted." I. E. Chadwick of the I. '. has received a communicati Charles L. O'Reilly, sugges tain changes in the proposed The T. O. C. C. proposes sion for protection against sp named theaters, and to folic also to be named, after a p be definitely prescribed in tract. Other changes suggt elude: The right to challenge membe arbitration board being limited t< stead of three; that the chairmj board of arbitration shall be elei nately between distributor and thea^j representatives ; that provision be liquidated damages for breach of tract which provides that no | specified in the contract shall be from old negative unless so expresti Also, that the assignment of cor: permitted without consent, in whi without release to the assignor asi may be; and the elimination of the Arbitration Commission consisting exhibitors and three distributor mci be appointed by the Independent M. and the M. P. T. O. A. The contract has not be^ mitted to the association mem so the suggestions of the T. ( will be referred to the contra mittee consisting of Oscar 1 Jack Bellman and Jos. A. '. ville. Neufeld is expected tc| meeting of his committee at 3 date. ■'1 Tolmas Joins Sierra Ben Tolmas has resigned eral manager of Independent Philadelphia to join Sierra II as sales representative. He an(l L. Mayer leave this week on | trip to various exchanges. Ogdensburg Theater in Fi Ogdensburg, N. Y. — In tl' which destroyed the city H; municipal theater was also des| Total loss $250,000. Rudolph Pelisek DeadBtl Ottawa — Rudolph Pelisek. c\ tor of the Regent orchestral 1913, died after a long illness. To Fight Tax (Continued from Page 1) posal already carries a tax of cent on the sale of cigars, cigl and other forms of tobacco. Governor Baker anticipate.'] this tax will drag from $3,000,| $4,000,000 into the school fund, proposed arrangement has been] up by the exhibitors' organizati] St. Louis and Kansas City ani certain that the organizations Eastern and Western sections state will also organize to defe; effort.