The film daily year book of motion pictures (1932)

President, Universal Pictures CARL LAEMMLE _ On Feb. 24 I will celebrate my twenty-sixth anniversary jubilee in the moving picture business. I have seen and been a part of the ups and downs of this business for more than a quarter of a century. I am not dismayed at the present situation of the moving picture business. Certainly I am not dismayed at its prospect for the year 1932. However bitter the experience of the past year has been, it certainly has taught us a lesson. It has given us an insight into the real and fictitious values in the moving picture business which have been a tremendous revelation. Very few businesses have been as successful as we have been in realizing what were the non-essentials and in ridding ourselves of them. The moving picture business has an elasticity which has more than once proved its salvation. With the lessons of 1931 thoroughly learned, I look confidently forward to 1932 as a year of real progress in moving pictures. It will be a year in which men schooled in showmanship will have an unusual opportunity to display their talent. Most of the pseudo-showmen of the last few years of prosperity have been thoroughly discredited. Only showmen can ring the bell consistently. Those companies which have turned out good product during this year have done it with showmen's brains. To them the industry looks confidently for even greater entertainment for 1932. ADOLPH ZUKOR • Many lessons were learned by producers, distributors and exhibitors in 1931, but none was more important than that we must have a constant flow of good pictures. Our studios, cognizant of this fact, as never before, have geared their production organizations to meet this demand. That they have succeeded will be evident when the new pictures for 1932 are presented to the public. I have seen many of these and know that they will strike a new note in screen entertainment. With an assured supply of excellent pictures for release, the outlook for 1932 is brighter than it has been for a long time, and I cannot help but feel optimistic for the future. President, Paramount-Publlx S. R. KENT • The greatest single contribution toward the industry's prosperity in 1932 can come chiefly from the studios. In times like these it is not enough to make just good pictures. Product must be infinitely better than ever before. The last year, certainly one of great general stress, has shown us that our finest pictures will be patronized. The only position we can take is that 1932 will not show any great general improvement in business conditions. Therefore, it is apparent that, to hold our audiences this year, our pictures have got to be better than anything we have ever thought of making before. If the studios deliver this type of product, our other problems at least will be greatly minimized. The year 1932 will be one of tremendous problems, resolving themselves into two types: One is good pictures, and the other consists of difficulties partly created by the industry itself and partly forced upon us by world-wide economic dislocation. Business brains of this industry must summon all their wisdom, courage, foresight and leadership to steer us through the pqrely business difficulties which will beset the industry this year; and in this respect 1932 will be the crucial test of the motion picture industry's leadership. 35