Harrison's Reports (1945)

108 HARRISON'S REPORTS July 7, 1945 street. Thus does the cost of living find its own level, but in the interim, business is bound to suffer. In our business, the retailer is the exhibitor, the wholesaler is the distributor, and the manufacturer is the producer. It would be well for every exhibitor to reconcile himself to the fact that, for some time to come, he will not experience the prosperity of the past few years, and he should adjust his plans accordingly. Recent editorials in this paper have cautioned you as to the prices you should pay for the coming season's product lest you find yourself burdened with pictures, the revenue of which will not be commensurate with the crushing rentals paid. Those of you who will heed this warning will be better able to weather any possible storm, but those of you who are so drunk with prosperity that this counsel will not make. upon you the slightest impression may find yourselves reaping the consequences of your folly. Harrison's Reports is not a spreader of gloom. It is an exponent of caution, and its aim is to study conditions as they arc and to present them to you, so that you may be guided accordingly in the operation of your theatres. From time to time the trade papers give space to the optimistic talk of the producer-distributor representatives about what the future holds. Their optimism is understandable; they have film to sell. Don't let them lull you into a false sense of security by pointing out that last year's business was one of the best the industry has ever known and that the coming year will be even better. Present conditions indicate that that the future will not be so rosy, and the only way for you to cope with it is to take practical economic measures now. Demand that your film rentals come down! CONSISTENT COLUMBIA According to the daily trade papers, Columbia has announced that its annual sales drive, the "Montague Twentieth Anniversary Campaign," which was originally scheduled to run from March 16 to June 28, has been extended for an additional two months, and will now end on August 30. The company's purpose in extending the drive is to include in the campaign several important features, among which are "A Thousand and One Nights'' and "Over 21." From the way this news item has been written up in the papers, one who was not acquainted with the facts might get the impression that Columbia prolonged the drive to include "A Thousand and One Nights" and "Over 21" as something extra. Lest some of you gain that impression, let me remind you that these two productions were included in the original announcement of the drive, and that both were promised for delivery by June 28. Being consistent, however, Columbia failed to deliver as promised. But the reason for this non-delivery is not too difficult to understand; these two pictures are the only important productions Columbia has on hand, and if both were delivered by June 28 the company would have found itself with only a few minor pictures for delivery in July and August, thus defeating its usual purpose of ending a season in a blaze of glory, in the hope that its customers would forget the injustices they suffered during the preceding months. A PLEA IN REVERSE A recent issue of the Hollywood Reporter states that "Three thousand features, made during the past five years, are now ready for distribution in the countries of Europe from which they were barred either through Nazi action or by exigencies of war. The returns on the huge backlog will amount to millions of dollars of revenue over a period of years, and may be used as a 'cushion' against any possible drop in domestic grosses, or, should post war currency blockings take place in foreign lands, be utilized for production, distribution, and exhibition in those countries." Most of you, I am sure, will remember when, in 1939, the producers, in order to overcome their anticipated loss of revenue from war-torn Europe, suggested that the American exhibitors pay higher film rentals, so that they (the producers) could continue the production of meritorious quality films. Their anxiety, however, proved to be premature, for their earnings during the past five years, even in foreign countries, have exceeded by far their fondest dreams. Now they find themselves with approximately three thousand features from which they have already realized fabulous profits, and from which they expect to derive more millions of dollars in the foreign markets. By the same process of reasoning that they used when they pleaded with the exhibitors for help in 1939, will the producer-distributors now offer to reflect these millions of dollars of potential profits in reduced rentals to the American exhibitors? The reopening of the foreign markets gives the distributors a chance to be not only fair, but also consistent. AN UNALLURING ALLURE Film Daily reports that the Florida legislature, • which for many years has made attempts to lure motion picture producers to its state, has authorized the appointment of a Motion Picture Industry Committee to "take such steps as are deemed advisable to attract the industry." The resolution held that "Florida offers many natural advantages to the motion picture industry not available in other sections of the nation," and it listed among the advantages tropical scenery, climate, access to large centers of population, and proximity to the latin American countries of Central and South America and to the islands of the South Seas. These advantages are indeed alluring, but what do the Florida legislators intend to do with their mosquitos and gnats if they should induce the producers to try production in Florida? And what about the summer heat? The state of Florida should centre its attention on some other industry, and should leave motion picture production to Hollywood. ORDER YOUR MISSING COPIES Look over your files and if you find the copy of any issue missing, order a duplicate copy at once; it will be supplied to you free of charge. You cannot know when the very copy missing will be the one you'll need; so why not go over your files now?