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r Bombay Calling t
This section is the monopoly of "JUDAS" and he writes nhat he
like* and about things which he likes. The cieus expressed here are
not necessarily ours, but still they carry weight because they are written by a man who knows his job.
WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD?
Our exhibitors are in a large way responsible for the slow progress of our film industry. They have never looked at this business of exhibition scientifically. That it is a business that demands modern up-to-date methods of management is an undisputed fact if we only survey the development of this particular business in England and America where all problems of showmanship are treated in a precisely scientific way.
In India showmanship has become merely an adventure, the way we find the exhibition business in the hands of local grocers and contractors. We have very few specialized men as exhibitors who have taken the pains to study the pros and cons of the trade.
The result is that our exhibition business is just a big house of cards, always ready to go under, at the smallest trade reverse.
CHOKING OFF QUALITY.
The exhibitors are also responsible for the numerical poverty of quality pictures in our industry. They have never asked for real quality pictures and so far most of them have been only satisfied by providing a low entertainment fare to the lower classes.
The result is that better classes of people always give the average Indian picture a wide berth with the natural consequence that the boxoffice takings drop considerably at every upcountry station.
The exhibition business is steadily losing its ground and stability. The opening of several new theatres in virgin fields, while it proves the in
creasing popularity of Indian pictures, does not suggest that the exhibition business is being consolidated. Far from it. as almost all these new theatres are also unfortunately in the hands of grocers and contractors whose knowledge of showmanship is not worth knowing.
AN IDEAL SHOWMAN!
This pitiable state of affairs gives the producer or the distributor a chance to sell his assorted goods at a premium, as our present day exhibitor is not an expert purchaser of quality goods.
Showmanship has several schools. The wise, trained showman is always proud of catering for quality entertainment and as he has built a following of choice patrons, he would not risk taking up a nonsensical stunt picture and invite a question on his own commonsense from his patrons.
An ideal instance to suit this description is Mr. Keki M. Mody of Western India Theatres whose showmanship is a synonym for efficiency.
Unfortunately for the Indian film industry, every department of activity from the conception of a story to the release of a picture, is generally in wrong hands of men who should not be there.
. And the business of exhibition is not an exception to this unfortunate rule.
Had the exhibitor known something about his business, he would never be foolish enough to take sides in a throat cutting competition and sell himself away in giving prohibitive minimum guarantees.
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