Kinematograph year book (1948)

Sub-Standard Film Market. 485 picture and that the technical description of " 35 mm." or " 16 mm." will not be permitted to interfere with the Industry's sole object of providing entertainment for the masses. In some quarters the view has been expressed that it may be economically beneficial for certain 35 mm. kinemas to switch over to 16 mm. There is certainly no logical argument against such procedure provided that the smaller gauge can offer comparable quality. Much of the exhibitor and renter opposition may be traceable to doubts, understandable enough, of the stability of the sub-standard field. There have been many closures during the year, but on the balance progress has been steady, not only in the mobile field but in the increase in the number of static theatres. Ingenuity and Enterprise This last is the most significant development during the year. The mere building and equipment of these 16 mm. kinemas reveals the ingenuity and enterprise among the ranks of the 16 mm. showmen which is reminiscent of the pioneer days of the standard film. One of the most important closures was that of Granada's Century Mobile Cinemas. At the time it was regarded as almost a catastrophic blow to the struggling substandard entertainment industry. Other showmen followed suit ; Henry Simpson and E. J. Hinge in the North and others elsewhere. These unsuccessful efforts indicated the weakness of the mobile entertainment, but they also afforded useful data on shows in rural districts. There is food for thought in some of the reasons given by showmen who packed up. High rates of film hire ranks as one of the most popular excuses. But is it a fact that rentals are that high ? Remember there is service in hefty barring clauses wrapped up in the list of first-class product from major renters and libraries. You can't have one without the other — which doesn't mean that everyone including the renters, wouldn't like them to come down. Overheads, the second reason, seem to be a matter for the individual exhibitor. The answer there lies in watching points — a small slip can cost a lot these days. Third, and obviously the real reason for misfires, is lack of support. Here again, it is up to the individual to cure — you seldom hear a real showman giving this as a cause for falling business. Analysing the box-office trend of the commercial exhibitions during the year, it can be divided into three general phases : indifferent to atrocious during the severe winter ; hopeless during the long fine summer ; and excellent from September onwards. From early autumn onwards, groans about box office takings were rarely heard. It's up to exhibitors to cash in on this boom — not from the purely temporary aspect of humming ticket machines, but from the long-sighted viewpoint of " getting a name " for themselves and the sub-standard movement generally. Renters' Full Stop The renting side of the sub-standard industry opened 1947 with great promise of major developments. Paramount, RKO-Radio and 20th Century-Fox were all on the verge of entering the field with impressive programmes. But by December, the growing number of 16-mm. exhibitors were still waiting for their product. What happened ? Maybe, it was the Treasury's tax on imported films that caused them to hold back their plans until the situation clarified. It might have been the summer slump in business that applied a similar brake. Or printing difficulties. Whatever the cause, they must have been pretty serious because all three companies were originally enthusiastic over the development. The news that the Kinematograph Renters' Society proposed to form a 16-mm. section was received with mixed feelings. Many feared the move would herald a wave of restrictive practices. Others welcomed the