Harrison's Reports (1932)

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION ONE Entered as second-class naatter January 4, 1921, at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879. Harrison’S Reports Yearly Subscription Rates: United States $15.00 U. S. Insular Possessions. . 16.00 Canada, Alaska 16.00 Mexico, Spain, Cuba 16.00 Great Britain, New Zealand 16.00 Other Forei^ Countries.. 17.50 35c a Copy 1440 BROADWAY New York, N. Y. A Motion Picture Reviewing Service by a Former Exhibitor Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of Exhibitors Its Editorial Policy: No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor. Published Weekly by P. S. HARRISON Editor and Publisher Established July 1, 1919 PEnnsylvania 6-6379 Cable Address : Harreports (Bentley Code) A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XIV SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1932 No. 7 THE ALLIED STATES CONVENTION IN DETROIT Allied States Exhibitors Association is holding a national convention in Detroit on the 9th and 10th of March, at the Hotel Statler. Because of the interest that the “zoning” and “protection” dispute has aroused among the independent theatre owners, the meeting promises to be one of the most enthusiastic and well attended held by independent exhibitors in years, for the Allied States executives are determined to fight this matter to the finish. There has not been a real independent exhibitor convention in years and it is my belief that this one will turn out to be the most constructive, one in which serious decisions will be taken. It is the intention of the Allied leaders to take the fight to the public and to Congress and they want every exhibitor who can make a suggestion as to how best to accomplish this to put it forward. I have not attended a national convention since that in Washington, in 1922. But I have decided to accept the invitation of the Allied leaders to attend this one. My only hope is that I shall have the pleasure of shaking the hand of as many of you as possible. Meet me at the Hotel Statler in Detroit on March g and 10. PENNY-WISE AND POUND-FOOLISH “The strictest economy in operation,” says the January 15 issue of Publix Ofinion, the Paramount Publix house organ, “must prevail throughout the Lenten period which starts February 10th. “Our theatres, it is true, are operating as close to the rock-bottom as possible. Yet the drop in grosses which may come with the beginning of Lent demands that the most stringent economy be exercised throughout that period. Every single expenditure from now through Lent must be carefully checked and re-checked so that not a penny more than is necessary will be spent anywhere in the circut. This must be followed to the letter.***” The production department of Paramount-Publix has spent nearly a million dollars to make “The Man I Killed.” Including the distribution cost and exploitation as well as advertising, the total expenditure will probably reach one million four hundred thousand dollars. Personally I doubt whether they will get half of this money back. But suppose they do take in an amount close to the expenditure — $1,000,000, how many “pennies” must the theatre department save during lent and at other times to make up the $400,000 ? Further below in the same article, the writer states : “In our zeal to cut down expenditures, we should not lessen our selling efforts. On the contrary, we should intensify all No Cost activity to a greater degree than usual. By strong, intensive selling, we can continue to do considerable business. A good many of the activities which proved effective during the December slump may be revived with much success. Pre-Easter style shows may be of considerable value in stimulating business during this period. “With all due respect for the value of extra business activities, it is believed that our prime consideration should be to reduce all costs. At various times economy suggestions were made to you. ***” This reminds me of the person who has a cake, wants to eat it, and at the same time wants to have it. How can a manager get more business unless he is allowed to make a certain expenditure for newspaper advertising and for other exploitation? Free style shows may get business for a while but if they are shoved down the throat of the patrons too often they become tiresome. Besides, they arouse the resentment of the newspaper people, who feel that they lose a certain amount of advertising as a result of such activities. So a manager is asked to keep up the business during Lent but he is not given the means by which he could do it. But even if the manager were to be allowed to use his judgment as to how much money he could spend in bringing business into the theatre at Lent as well as at other times, he cannot increase or maintain it unless he is given good pictures. And they have not received very many good pictures from the Paramount stock for two jears. It is not the pennies that Paramount-Publix Corporation must save in order to make a profit, but the good pictures that it must produce. It is at the studio w^here the solution of the problem lies. THE PENNSYLVANIA NEWSPAPER FOLK ON RECORD AGAINST THE PRESS VILLIFICATION IN PICTURES The following resolution was passed by the members of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association at their recent annual meeting, held at Wilkes-Barre : “WHEREAS, through drama, talkie movies, books and reckless publications of scandal-mongers, the .American Press has been wilfully attacked and accused of all kinds of unethical practices in the gathering and publication of news, therefore be it “RESOLVED, that the Pennsjdvania Newspaper Pulishers’ Association condemn such reflections and attempts to villify and discredit not only the transcending services but those ideals pursued by every reputable newspaper which continually promote the national welfare and command the confidence of newspaper readers everj'where. And be it further “RESOLVED, that a copj’ of this Resolution be forwarded to the leaders in the motion picture industry’ and all other persons resorting to such reflections upon the public press and that attention be called to this subject by all members of this Association in the thought that through local exhibitors appropriate action may be taken to abate the foregoing objectionable misinformation.” The moving picture producers, who are to receive individual communications from this organization, as I have been informed, should do well to heed this resolution. PRESIDENT HOOVER’S MESSAGE ON HOARDING AND THE DUTY OF THE THEATRE OWNERS You all have read, I am sure. President Hoover’s message on hoarding. Since the return of prosperity will depend largely to the abandonment of the hoarding practice, the exhibitors can do a great deal to induce people to abandon it. This they can do either through slides or trailers on the screen, or through handbills passed to the patrons at the performances. The exhibitor organizations should take up this matter at once with a view to going about it in a systematic way. They should not wait for an initiative from the producer representatives, for every time they allow themselves to be led in such movements they give the other side an opportunity to gain prestige at Washington at the expense of the independent theatre owners.