Harrison's Reports (1949)

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION ONE Entered as second-class matter 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: 1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS Published "Weekly by United States J15.00 (Formerly Sixth Avenue) Harrison's Reports. Inc.. U. S. Insular Possessions. 16.50 M v l *>n N v Publisher Canada 16.50 Wew Iork zu> * p. S. HARRISON, Editor Mexico, Cuba, Spain 16.50 A Motion Picture Reviewing Service Great Britain 17.50 Devoted Chiefly to the Interests of the Exhibitors Established July 1, 1919 Australia, New Zealand, India, Europe, Asia .... 17.50 Us Editorial policy: No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial Circle 7-4622 35c a Copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor. A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XXXI SATURDAY, MAY 21, 1949 No. 21 NOT THE EXHIBITOR BUT THE PRODUCER MUST SELL THE PUBLIC Speaking at a luncheon meeting of advertising men at the Biltmore Hotel, in Los Angeles, on May 3, Ralph Bru' baker, national sales manager for the Carnation Company, representing the sales manager's point of view, said partly the following: "If there ever was a time when advertising agencies should fit into and help guide sales departments, it is now. Production facilities are at or near all'time high levels and sales organizations are at an all-time low due to long periods of easy selling. This may soon develop into the strongest, toughest, buyers' resistance we've ever encountered. Sales departments are not now enjoying good health. They are anemic from lack of exercise. It may be advisable to increase advertising pressures to make up this deficiency." Giving management's viewpoint, Clarence S. Beesemyer, executive vice-president of the General Petroleum Corporation, said partly the following: "This is an era when credit and personal salesmanship must be skillfully planned and vigorously pursued. Advertising agencies should do research and have economic knowledge to forecast trends as well as to produce good copy writing." Speaking on behalf of weekly advertising media, Franklin S. Allen, manager of a weekly magazine, said: "There is less than 2% difference in buying power today as compared with 1948 and this is offset by a decline in the cost of living. Savings are accumulating at an abnormal and alarming rate. We have 10 more years of prosperity ahead if we can keep our factories running. This depends on advertising. The national income is up only two and one-half times, but the number of families getting $3000 or more is up 10 times. The manufacturer, not the dealer, must sell the public." The producers and the distributors of motion picture would do well to study the statements of these executives, for their views are sound and constructive. The average retailer has little knowledge of the proper methods of selling the public, whereas the manufacturer has all the facilities at his command. And yet the distributors are pulling out of cooperative advertising, leaving the exploitation of their films to the exhibitors. What is the attitude of the exhibitor? He says to himself that, if the owner of the pictures does not think enough of his product to become a partner in the cost of advertising when he is a partner in the income at the box-office, why should I have a higher opinion of it? Why should I spend my own money and exert my own efforts exclusively to increase the intake when I run the risk of having the exchanges put my theatre in a higher bracket as a result of my efforts? I would be cutting my own throat to do that. The views of this paper as to the responsibility of the distributor on the sharing of the cost of advertising on percentage pictures are too well known to need repetition. When a picture is played on a percentage basis the exhibitor and the distributor become partners in the intake. The more the intake the greater the share of each. Consequently, the advertising and exploitation costs should be shared by the two in proportion to the share of each in the intake. When the distributor refuses to pay his share of the cost, he lies down on the job. For this reason no distributor who lies down on the job should complain against the exhibitor when he, too, lies down on the job. The matter of sharing the advertising and exploitation costs should be re-examined by the distributors if they should want amicable relations with the exhibitors. SHOWING A PROPER SPIRIT In a special organizational bulletin, dated May 11, Mr. Daniel J. Murphy, president of the Independent Exhibitors of New England, an Allied unit, pays a glowing tribute to Steve Broidy, president of Monogram and Allied Artists, who is celebrating his twenty-fifth year in the motion picture business. Calling Steve Broidy's story a "typical Horatio Alger story," Mr. Murphy states, in part: "Steve has always been a friend of the exhibitor and while he has his job to do, he would never pass up the chance to help an exhibitor who, through circumstances beyond his control, needed assistance." Stating that he has pledged the cooperation of the entire membership to buy and date Monogram and Allied Artists product, especially during the Steve Broidy 25th Anniversary Drive, Mr. Murphy urges his members to support independent production, pointing out that "it is a direct benefit to all exhibitors to keep companies such as Monogram and Allied Artists in a healthy state in the production field." Having long been an advocate of greater support for independent production, Harrison's Reports heartily endorses the sentiments expressed by Mr. Murphy, not only with regard to Steve Broidy's companies, but to all independent producers. Throughout the years the independent producers have proved that they can make good commercial product. Unfortunately, however, the independent exhibitors have not given them the encouragement they deserve in the only way possible — play-dates! It is a known fact that many exhibitors buy the major "junk" at high prices but do not give living rentals to the independents. Yet it is the independent exhibitor to whom the independent producer must look for support, for as a general rule the affiliated circuits, when they book an independent's picture, hand him the crumbs from their tables. Keeping the independent producer in business is a matter that should be of as great concern to the independent exhibitor as it is to the independent producer himself, for a prosperous independent producer will be the greatest incentive to a major producer for better pictures. Healthful competition makes ior improvement in the quality of product, and when that happens you, the independent exhibitor, will benefit. Give the independent producers your full support. Pay them what their pictures arc worth. Don't pay high prices for the inferior product of the major companies and then try to make up your losses by taking it out on the independents.