Harrison's Reports (1937)

Entered as second-class matter January 4. 1921, at the post office at New York New York, unaer the act of Marcn 3, 1JT79. Yearly Subscription Rates: i a a f\ DDAAnWAV Published Weekly fcy tamM, . 1<*40 DKUAUWAI Harrison's Reports, Inc., United States $15.00 v V 1, M V Publisher U. S. Insular Possessions . H.60 i>e%V X Ot*K, IN. X. P. S. HARRISON, Editor Canada 16.60 Mexico, Cuba, Spain 16.60 A Motion Pkrture Reviewing Service Established July 1, 1919 Great Britain 15.76 Devoted Ch4efly to the Interests of the Exhibitors Australia. New Zealand, ^^'T^f 6"6"9 India, Europe, Asia .... 17.50 ItB Edltorial Policy: No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial Hal-report^ 35c a Copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor. (Bentley Code) A REVIEWING SERVICE FREeTfROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XIX SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 1937 No75 The Motive Behind the MPTOA December Bulletin In dealing with the December seven Bulletin of Motion Theatres," he points out how great is the danger of taxing Picture Theatre Owners of America in the January sixteen admission prices at least ten cents. He follows his observa issue of Harrison's Reports, I stated in the second para tions on these two subjects, under the heading "Need For graph partly the following: Realistic Thinking by Exhibitors," with the comment that, "The Bulletin was written by some one who knew the if the industry has ever needed an "organized, united and effect of propaganda." alert defense against unfair and discriminatory taxation, it ,,r, . j.'. ., r * t 4u t certainly will" need it "during the next few months." Thus What gave me that idea was the fact that on the front h fa > ft sympathetic interest of the exhibi page, the two subjects discussed are legislation and d.s to; ^ then b lightening them, sought to deliver his criminatory .taxation. These are followed by a paragraph real'm with the h e th\t it would ..stick." headed by, Need For Realistic Thinking by Exhibitors. , ,,. r* . . , . . , . tj . ... In order to make his message more effective, he first Certainly the contents of that Bulletin were not written t undermine the Allied leaders, by calling them "a by the person whose signature they bear-Ed. Kuykendall ; anized faction of self-styled 'independent exhibi he does not have to write them for he has probably at his „ brsandi thdr legislative efforts to bring to the disposa , furnished his organization by the producers, most inde' dent exShibitor refief "Dangerous Proposals"; he efficient press agents, whose business is to do whatever f „ ^ these kh h headed «Do We Want writing is needed, and whatever publicity work is requ.red. ^ Censors£ip p» and th5en Pbrings forward the trade At one time, the press agent they furnished MPTOA was practice reforms MPTOA has obtained from the proTony Muto, a "crack" reporter for the now defunct New ducers, which were proved in last week's Harrison's York World. His work was so good that it attracted the REPOrts to be nothing but soap bubbles. He tapers his article attention of even Benito Mussolini, if we are to judge by Dff wjtn two paragraphs headed: "Practical and Immediate the fact that Mr. Mussolini sent for him and made him Benefits Rather Than Proposals for Phoney Legislation." Director of Publicity for the National Italian Railways, a But the writer makes just one little mistake that brings post he held until he trained^ his successor. (Mr. Muto is his real motive out too dearl In the paragraph that \s now attached to the staff of the Washhington branch of the headed with> ,.Spite Legisiation)" he says that, the legislariays Association. ) tiye efforts of thU small organized faction 0f self-styled "in I don't know who has been assigned now to do the dependent exhibitors" will "harass and damage" not the propaganda work for MPTOA, but whoever he is he independent exhibitors, but "the producers and distributors certainly knows his business. 0f motion pictures." Thus you see that the Bulletin was Just to prove to you how well he knows his work, let me written with the purpose of protecting the producers and bring in an illustration by way of analogy : distributors, and not the independent exhibitors. In Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," Brutus murders Caesar And herein is where this brilliant writer of the contents because he was too ambitious. Mark Antony, who was of the Bulletin has fallen into an error that neutralizes the Caesar's bosom friend, felt that there was no justification effect of his propaganda. Any other writer would have for the murder of his friend. concealed his real motive by attributing to the legislative But for him to come right out and tell this to the Romans program of the Allied leaders a destructiveness to the would be of no use, for they so believed in Brutus that they interests, not of the "producers and distributors of motion were in no mood to listen to anything derogatory against pictures," but of the independent exhibitors ; or, at least, him. Consequently, in order for him to gain a hearing and of the entire industry. Had he done so, he would have so get an opportunity to deliver his message, he started his had a better opportunity of making his Shakespearian style oration by praising Brutus. But before he finished his t0 the subject's approach effective. oration, the Romans were ready to tear Brutus apart : by Another serious error he falls into is this : Under the first telling them what they wanted to hear, he won their heading, "Are We Leading With Our Chin ?" he says : sympathetic attention, and thus was able to paint Brutus "But before the exhibitor falls for the glib talk of these in his true colors. promoters who seek to line their own pockets out of such Similar is the pattern that the writer of the MPTOA agitation but who do not give a hoot whether the law works Bulletin has followed. Only that, instead of dealing with out to the benefit of the theatre owners or not, as they have persons first, he dealt with issues. But his object was the no important theatres of their own to worry about, he same — to win the sympathy of the readers of the Bulletin should give the whole plan careful and personal study." first, and thus be able to deliver his message. if I know anything about the English language, I take What was his real message? this to mean that the exhibitors should pay no attention to That the Allied leaders are, in his opinion, selfish per any exhibitor who appeals to them for common action to sons; therefore they are proposing "spite legislation" for preserve their investments, if the plea-making exhibitor only one purpose— to "harass and damage the producers and does not own important theatres ; but they should heed the distributors of motion pictures." For him to come out and Pleas of such exhibitors as Warner Bros., Paramount, say so, it would be futile, for the sympathy of the inde Twentieth Century-Fox and the other theatre owning propendent exhibitor is naturally with those who represent ducers, because they own important theatres, truly independent exhibitors. But, knowing that these ex I am sure that no such meaning was intended by the hibitors become frightened whenever they hear that either author ; his meaning probably was that exhibitors should general legislation adverse to the motion picture industry, not listen to Messrs. Myers and Richey as having no right or the taxing of the admission prices, is contemmplated, he to appeal to the exhibitors for the support of their legislabegan his article by discussing legislation and discrimin tive program, because they do not own theatres, and that, atory taxation. on the contrary, they should listen to — whom ? Who are the Under the heading, "Legislation," he tells the reader how fellows they should listen to? Kuykendall? Palfreyman? many state legislatures have gone, or are about to go, into Pettijohn? In his January 6 release on behalf of Allied regular session, and how eager are many of the legislators States Association, Mr. Abram F. Myers put it right when to levy additional taxes to provide for old-age persions, as he said that these three own as many theatres as the cornwell as for interest and sinking fund charges on relief bonds, hine(l Irlsn. Jewish and Swiss navies have battleships, whereas under the heading, "Discriminatory Taxes On (Continued on last page)