Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Mar 1932)

February 6, 1932 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 23 EDUCATIONAL LAUNCHING PLANS TO DISTRIBUTE NON-THEATRICALS First Comprehensive Attempt of National Distributor to Provide Machinery to Serve Non-Theatrical Branches In the belief that the industrial and educational film fields some day will equal in importance the theatrical phase of motion pictures, the Educational Picture interests, of which E. W. Hammons is president, have engaged in the first serious attempt of a national distributor to set in motion the machinery of a distribution setup to serve the non-theatrical branches. Although a new subsidiary company, Educational Talking Pictures Company, Ltd., has been formed, Educational executives insist that the plan, described as having tremendous possibilities, is purely in the formulative stage and that the work undertaken to date is only of a pioneering nature. It is further stated that Educational will proceed cautiously in working out the new plan so as not to interfere with the company's present theatrical activities. "We are not going to sacrifice our theatrical business ; the plan will be set up so as to work both phases together," said an Educational official. Several Deals Closed A deal with Electrical Research Products to handle its non-theatrical short subjects already has been closed, also with Frank R. Church, of California, and the Travel Association of Great Britain and Ireland, with others understood to be in negotiation, including an arrangement to handle a feature release for Dodge Motor Car. Erpi's previous attempt to distribute shorts, made during research in connection with non-theatrical possibilities for its sound equipment, proved unsuccessful and it sought release through Educational. Physical handling at present is made through New York and Chicago. The company's nation-wide exchange system will be brought into use as the plan develops, and it is expected that an elaborate library of educational subjects will be on hand at each local branch, in charge of a special nontheatrical manager. Industrial films, too, will be distributed in this manner, although in many cases not until after manufacturers have obtained full coverage in their own individual field, among personnel and dealers. Costs Still to Be Worked Out Costs have yet to be worked out, Educational executives pointing out that present pioneering activities include the establishment of operating costs and whether schools and educational institutions will buy the subjects outright with a view to creating a school film library, or whether they prefer to pay individual rentals for showing on call. Replies to questionnaires to 6,000 public schools throughout the country show that 60 per cent are using motion pictures regularly for educational purposes, according to the Federal Office of Education at Washington, although no mention is made of the number of silent or sound equipments. Previous checkups by the electrics indicate that a few thousand non-theatrical installations have been made, although devices installed in places of learning total but a few hundred. However, with the future of sound manufacturers depending almost entirely upon non-theatrical business, each of the larger concerns has undertaken a widespread sales campaign on behalf of its portable equipment. The questionnaire, distributed by the Department of Commerce, of which the Federal Education Office is a division, disclosed the fact that 44,186 presentations of films at schools had been staged in a year, of which 73 per cent were used in teaching. Although 98.9 per cent of teachers reported the films were helpful, about six said they did not have time to study films long enough to get maximum value from them. Nearly 18,000 of the showings were in elementary schools, 12,000 in junior high schools and 14,200 in high schools. Forty per cent illustrated lessons in social sciences, 26 per cent in natural sciences, 25 per cent in physical education, manual and industrial arts, home economics, English and commercial education, and about 2,500 presentations were not directly related to school subjects. At Educational's home office in New York, indications point toward a well-planned progressive move to establish the company's non-theatrical division as one of the most important distributing factors in the new field. Plans for rehabilitation of this field have been in work the past two years in numerous quarters, following a practically complete cessation of activities which began four years ago when sound started. Almost All 35mm. The new company's activities at present are confined almost exclusively to 35mm. Its officials would not predict the extent to which 16mm. will supplant standard width. According to one executive interested in the development, Educational's first task is to determine how best to handle the new field and to find channels of distribution for schoolroom films, industrial reels and subjects pertaining to other forms of nontheatricals. RCA Photophone's new $450 16mm. portable device, as previously announced, is ready for marketing, and Erpi is preparing a similar device which will play sound on disc rather than film. Photophone's is sound-on-film. Each organization also has portable 35mm. machines for non-theatrical use and General Theatres Equipment, an affiliate of Fox Film Corporation, likewise plans to make a bid for the new business. Although the new Educational unit will not produce classroom films, or subjects for industrial concerns, the company will place prospects "in touch" with a production organization. Executives refused to discuss possible participation of the parent company in non-theatrical production activities. Erpi subjects now in the hands of Educa Allied's Convention To Run Three Days H. M. Richey, business manager of the Allied States Association, has issued a bulletm from his Detroit office announcing extension of the dates of the Detroit convention, originally announced for March 8 and 9, to include March 10, with the national board meeting on the 8th and the regular business session starting on the 9th. The bulletin raises objection to the expressions of Charles Pettijohn of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, and M. A. Lightman of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America at the hearing in Washington on the amusement tax bill before the ways and means committee of Congress. And proceeds to say : "At the convention, plans to present the case of the Allied Theatre Owners against the affiliated theatres and producers will be prepared and exhibitors of the country will be asked to bring to the convention information upon which to base such a project." Wrigley's Illinois Estate Is $20,000,000; Cubs to Son The Illinois estate of the late William Wrigley, Jr., valued at $20,215,000 has been left largely to his family, the probated will disclosed in Chicago last week. His widow, daughter and son were principal beneficiaries, Philip K. Wrigley receiving his father's controlling interest in the Chicago Cubs baseball team. No mention was made of the vast western interests, including Santa Catalina Island. Wrigley was recently named a director of Paramount Publix Corporation. tional total 44, including one four-reel film ; two in three reels; 12 two-reelers, and 29 singles, divided as follows : 10 pertaining to teacher training; 15 on natural science; seven on music appreciation; one each on physics, mathematics, civics and Protestant education; two on Catholic education and on vocational guidance and four listed under physical education. Rentals of the aforenamed subjects range from $10 to $20 each, with the average subject costing $10 or $15. All are on 35mm. ■width, but 15 are also available on 16mm. stock with sound-on-disc, which are sold outright only at $35 a reel with two sets of discs. Rental for 35mm. subjects includes use for one or two days, additional days at $5 a day per subject, with exhibitors paying transportation both ways to and from Chicago or New York. Thirteen subjects, all on 35mm. stock, are available through the deal with the British and Irish travel association, which selected the material from the British Movietone films illustrating events in the British Isles.