The Exhibitor (1966)

THE ENGLISH WAY ( Continued from page 5) then to be offered to the circuit of their choice. Now they are not sure but are practically out of business anyway. In many areas, theatres are now virtually in a geographical position to play two weekly releses to the fullest advantage. Where an ABC or Rank theatre does not exist, an independent will automatically take the Rank or ABC split accordingly, and in many areas play concurrently. Where there are two Rank houses and no ABC, one will take the ABC split and vice versa. Where a circuit has a solus booking situation, it will play the best of the week’s available product irrespective of whose ego is offended. Traditional trading practices are also re¬ spected. A circuit house will play its split or what it can pick up rather than take the other circuit’s split even when it is a big hit if it has been going to an independent. Nuneaton is a case in point. ABC has a 1700 seater, and a couple of small independents take the Rank split. ABC, when it sees that the independents have not fully booked a hit, will take it as a re-run later. American exhibitors are currently up in arms over the evils of blind bidding. Why don’t I hear British exhibitors complaining about this? Under the Quota Act, no film may be booked before trade show which must be an¬ nounced at least seven days in advance in the Daily Cinema, and no booking may be ef¬ fected more than six months in advance of play date. Block booking is officially forbid¬ den. Today, most distributors would sooner have extended runs for the hits and forget the lame ones rather than waste the restricted, playing time and probably be faced with an adjustment of terms. In practice, there is a good deal of pencilling in of dates, but we don’t talk about it. In practice, many exhibitors knowing the circuit product is available to them do not confirm until they have seen it and know how the pre-releases have gone. A little time back, there was a move by in¬ dependents for trade shows to be a minimum of six weeks before release. I should say on average they are nearer a month save for something which is being rushed out like a Beatle film. Who determines what constitutes a “pro¬ gram”? What happens after first-run engage¬ ments and where do the independent distribu¬ tors go for dates? The two circuit bookers do to a great extent decide what constitutes a program or a com¬ bination and when it should go out. There is, of course, negotiation and argument here. Both are very strong against playing “X — Adults Only” pictures in the best houses at prime holiday times. Indeed, Rank tries not to book horror pictures at all in its main halls. This policy means that two programs are made available every week of the year in an orderly manner. The circuits as much as the distributors want to make money for their shareholders. Currently, there are just too many pictures for two regular outlets (even though of late they have had trouble arranging programs) but not enough for three. Nevertheless, there are a number of pictures on the shelf. Distributors can put these out and pick up very useful booking sheets. In actual fact, this can be more profitable for many pictures than having a circuit release. Less print and adver¬ tising charges are involved. A picture can get a circuit release and still not cover prints, ad¬ vertising, and distribution charges if it is not a hit. After opening in the West End, movies will generally play for a few weeks. The general release consists of playing London and Hoe Counties neighbourhood threatres North of the Thames one week and South the next. Since a number of threatres have choice of both programs bookings can vary between 30 and 60 and upwards in the north and up to 50 in the south. While there are some 35 the¬ atres which take off-circuit bookings, reissues, and anything they can get, there are few real second run houses in the London area. Pictures will then fan out into the provinces in varying patterns. Some are released in zones to get the best value from locality and other advertising. Key cities may run in any order and give extetnded runs — this annoys some subsecjuent run independents. In addition, there will be pre-releases at seaside resorts. Is there some kind of clearance arrangement that protects first-run theatres? These are based on a long practice. They are mutually agreed by the Cinema Exhibitors Association and Kinema Renters Society. Practically every month, a few cases are re¬ viewed by a joint committee and revised or re¬ jected on changed circumstances. They are based on trading traditions. Key centres have priorities and can bar a large area. It is not impossible for a first run Glas¬ gow to bar the rest of Scotland, but then London West End has first run priority gener¬ ally on the entire country. 70mm bars are extensive, but it is hard to give a definite mileage basis. It is generally a case of geography. Birmingham may have a 50 mile plus bar; Manchester would have a 50 mile in some directions but would not bar Liverpool first run (35 miles). It is alleged that there is a 25 mile bar on 70mm equip¬ ment. There is evidence for and against this. It could be an excuse of exhibitors not wishing to invest. It all sounds very well organized, but it leaves me wondering how the independents compete against Rank and ABC. Do they settle for scraps, or what? Few independent key houses remain in big cities, though in many large towns neither ABC nor Rank is represented. In few situations are the circuit houses in¬ ferior to the indedendents. Some independent circuits are apt to use their buying power to improve the booking status of houses that they take over, some¬ times at the expense of bigger independent houses. Indeed, many would sooner have a circuit to an independent circuit in competi¬ tion. Product is not less available, and rentals and terms can be better. With rationalisation, Rank decided to merge its Odeon and Gaumont circuits. This was worked out with the Board of Trade approval. In each district, the product was earmarked for the beteer house; in some places, this even proved to be the independent cinema which had been taking the Odeon split as at Kinston on Thames where Granada plays the Rank release and the Odeon whatever it can get or road shows. The houses which were not involved either went over to Bingo, tenpins, were closed, or adopted other policies. Some are used for road shows and showcasing while others play what¬ ever is available or re-runs. For some time, there were periodic third releases, but these have been dropped as some 30 prints and extra advertising were required. In the provinces, a useful number of theatres are available for this product, and less prints are required. Distributors are now happier to keep the prints down and advertise such pictures only at local levels. In this manner, several inde¬ pendent distributors are doing nicely catering for this field and watching for a weak circuit release which invariably means more dates for them. The majors are not interested in this mar¬ ket; it is an embarrassment to them in fact. They are selling at a disadvantage, and ex¬ hibitors will emphasise to them that they realise the pitcure has been turned down by the circuit or it wouldn’t be offered to them. Actually, the circuits pick up much of this product for many of their houses when a pro¬ gram goes sour. There are moves to recreate a third circuit, but this would not be practical. It’s one thing to get a third circuit, but an audience also has to be found. An art or off-beat circuit in suit¬ able locations is a possibility. Independent producers are far more wor¬ ried about the situation — and then only when they have a stinker on their hands— than inde¬ pendent exhibitors who really overall benefit through the circuit policies. No worthwhile picture has been denied a circuit release for a long time. It is of course possible that some rejected picture would do no worse than some of the accepted ones. The present pattern allows a hit to make a fortune. A picture like “Thunderball,” thanks to capacity, holdovers, re-runs, and maximum subsequent runs, can top the $3,000,000 mark and still collect its Eady Levy. Another pic¬ ture with the same potential is lucky to take $175,000. The audience is there for the picture it wants to see. Two pictures can go great in the same week, and the following week neither does anything. We are always involved in some controversy or other about political censorship or religious pressures against film “immorality” or some¬ thing similar. How does England handle such problems? The American Catholic censorship rulings have no bearing here and are not followed. The Censorship Board maintained by the trade is independent and has three categories: !U’ — Universal: children can attend unac¬ companied ‘A’ — Adults: under 16s must be accompa¬ nied ‘X’ — Under no circumstances may under¬ lbs attend. Local authorities normally accept these reg¬ istrations but can revise them and also pass pictures for their areas which have been re¬ fused censor certificates. The censor charges on a per reel basis. There is no charge for rejected films. Some authorities do not permit ‘X’ films on Sundays. Others only when the booking is for a minimum of four days. A few cinema are getting around censorship by running as clubs but the whisper is that they are feeling the pinch. Patrons are al¬ legedly not renewing membership. The Windmill which started as a cinema with a pretty lurid policy has been taken over ( Continued on page 13) 8 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR August 31, 1966