Harrison's Reports (1938)

160 HARRISON'S REPORTS October 1, 1938 hcartedly than do independent theatres, merely hecause either the parent or a friendly company has produced it? If he thinks so, he is sadly mistaken. And just to cite an example, we call his attention to the fact that many a Warner picture has failed to see the screen of many a Warner theatre. If he has any doubt about it, let him ask the independent exhibitors of the Philadelphia zone. It is manifest that Mr. Wilkerson's vision has been dimmed because of his proximity to production. * * * The MPTOA Annual Convention In a month the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America are scheduled to meet in convention in Oklahoma City. In the writer's opinion this will be the most important conclave of the MPTOA since its inception. Since their last meeting a lot has happened within the industry which might change the entire system of distribution and exhibition, i.e. the government's anti-trust suit. To anyone unfamiliar with the membership of the MPTOA, the first impression is that the membership of the organization is composed entirely of independent exhibitors. Actually, by virtue of the fact that they own theatres, Loews, Warner Bros., Paramount, RKO, and 20th Century-Fox, are members and will be represented. Although the writer has not seen the agenda it is reasonable to assume that much of the gathering's business session time will be devoted to discussing self-regulation and the government's suit. Unless such subjects are jockeyed off the floor the majors can be expected to tip their hands as to the future course of their respective companies. What, if any, resolutions will be adopted to reopen the self-rcgulaton discussions? What attitude will the MPTOA assume toward divorcement? What efforts will be made to do away with block booking and enforced buying of shorts? Will the widespread practice of weekly payment plans for shorts be condemned? Will any attempts be made to show the government that the theatre owners are trying to satisfy the government's complaints in its bill of particulars without the help of outside agencies? These are only a few of the questions for which the writer is anxiously awaiting the MPTOA Convention to answer. We sincerely hope that this year will not be a repetition of previous years' conventions where a good time was bad by all and the industry was permitted to continue on its rocky road to pot. s£ £ + The Movie Campaign and General Business A report from a large number of the nation's leading department stores in the first week in September indicate a striking upturn in the retail business. How much of this upturn is owed to the Greater Movie Season Campaign, conducted with vigor and enthusiasm by every branch of the industry, is hard to tell ; but there is no question that it had a great deal to do with it. When campaign plans were first formulated the necessity of merchant cooperation was quite apparent. Movies not only had to be sold to the public but also they had to be sold to (and by) the merchants of every community. Following this line of reasoning the slogan "Trade Follows The Movies" was coined for the special benefit of mercantile establishments. How well the few words in that slogan summed up the situation, comparatively few merchants will ever realize. People are induced to leave the comforts of their homes to go to q movie. Immediately transportation companies get some of Mr. Patron's money. The corner drug store usually finds him wandering in, either before or after the show. While the patron is away from his home and in the shopping district, window shopping becomes part of the fun. In many cities if it weren't for the movies bringing people out at night the merchant might just as well turn off his window lights at six o'clock instead of eleven o'clock. In many instances there are theatres which are keeping entire blocks alive. Whenever such a theatre has a bad picture, every merchant on the block feels it. Trade paper reports of the grosses in key cities show a marked improvement over the corresponding period of last year. Oddly enough, retail business in the same situations show improvement in about the same proportion to that of the movies. These reports are based, for the theatres, upon downtown houses and, for the department stores, also upon downtown establishments. Since contest pictures began with August releases, in the larger communities, downtown houses were the first to feel the effects of the campaign. The neighborhoods are just now getting contest pictures and they, along with the community merchants, can look forward to much better business. The automobile industry boasts that it led the way out of the depression. Based on first returns, the movie industry will probably be able to say that it led the way out of the recession. As a rule, bragging lowers the "bragger" in the estimation of those who hear him; but in this instance, bragging, and there is plenty to brag about, will produce the opposite effect. Theatre owners need have no fear of pointing out to their friends and patrons the part the industry is playing to bring about better times. BOX-OFFICE PERFORMANCES OF 1937-38 SEASON'S PICTURES— No. 4 Twentieth Century-Fox "Kentucky Moonshine," with the Riiz Brothers, Marjorie Weaver and Tony Martin, produced by Kenneth Macgowan and directed by David Butler, from a screen play by Art Arthur and M. M. Musselman: Very GoodGood. "Rascals," with Jane Withers, Rochellc Hudson and Robert Wilcox, produced by John Stone and directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, from a screen play by Robert Ellis and Helen Logan: Good-Fair. "Kidnapped," with Warner Baxter, Freddie Bartholomew and Arleen Whcltm, produced by Kenneth Macgowan and directed by Alfred Wcrker, from a screen play by Sonya Levien, Eleanor Harris, Ernest Pascal and Edwin Blum : Good-Fair. "Josctte," with Simonc Simon, Don Amcche and Robert Young, produced by Gene Markey and directed by Allan Dwan, from a screen play by Paul Frank and George Fraser : Good-Fair. "One Wild Night," with June Lang and Dick Baldwin, produced by John Stone and directed by Eugene Ford, from a screen play by Charles Bclden and Jerry Cady : Fair-Poor. "Three Blind Mice," with Loretta Young and Joel McCrea, produced by Raymond Griffith and directed by William A. Seiter, from a screen play by Brown Holmes and Lynn Starling : Very Good-Good. "Mr. Moto Takes a Chance," with Peter Lorre, Rochellc Hudson and Robert Kent, produced by Sol M. Wurtzcl and directed by Norman Foster, from a screen play by Lou Breslow and John Patrick : Good-Poor. "Always Goodbye," with Barbara Stanwyck and Herbert Marshall, produced by Raymond Griffith and directed by Sidney Lanfield, from a screen play by Katharine Scola and Edith Skouras : Good-Fair. "We're Going to Be Rich," with Gracie Fields, Victor McLaglen and Brian Donlevy, produced by Samuel G. Engel and directed by Monty Banks, from a screen play by Sam Hellman and Rohama Siegal : Good-Poor. "Panamint's Bad Man," with Smith Ballew and Evelyn Daw, produced by Sol Lesser and directed by Ray Taylor, from a screen play by Luci Ward and Charles Arthur Powell : GoodPoor. "Passport Husband," with Stuart Erwin, Pauline Moore and Joan Woodbury, produced by Sol M. Wurtzel and directed by James Tinting, from a screen play by Karen DeWolf and Robert Chapin : Fair-Poor. "I'll Give a Million," with Warner Baxter and Marjorie Weaver, produced by Kenneth MacGowan and directed by Walter Lang, from a screen play by Boris Ingster and Milton Sperling : Good-Fair. "Little Miss Broadway," with Shirley Temple, George Murphy and Phyllis Brooks, produced by David Hempstead and directed by Irving Cummings, from a screen play by Harry Tugend and Jack Yellcn : Excellent-Good. Fifty-seven pictures have already been released. Grouping the pictures of the different ratings (including Westerns ) from the beginning of the season, we get the following results : Excellent, 2; Excellent-Very Good, 2; Excellent-Good, 2; Very Good-Good, 7; Very Good-Fair, 2; Very GoodPoor, 1; Good-Fair, 21; Good-Poor, 8; Fair, 7; FairPoor, 4 ; Poor, 1. Fifty-four pictures were released during the 1936-37 season, excluding the Westerns ; they were rated as follows : Excellent, 1; ExcellentVery Good, 4; Very Good, 3; Very Good-Good, 6; Good, 11; Good-Fair, 10; Fair, 11; Fair-Poor, 8.