Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1946)

"A Salute to Our Trade Press " From THE NEW DYNAMO published by Twentieth Century-Fox /Aj—JOW carefully do you read the trade papers? You will have to answer that, but as far as we are concerned we read each copy of every trade paper — daily and weekly — from cover to cover. We do not do so merely because of any professional interest. We do that because only through our enterprising trade press can we keep fully and reliably informed on what is happening within our industry. No industry has as great, as reliable, as interesting, or as illuminating a trade press as has ours. No executive, no field worker, no branch employee, no exhibitor, no theatre attache can do a thorough job. — unless he makes a habit of reading the film trade papers. • For those of us in distribution and exhibition the trade journal is indispensible. It is the link that authentically and perfectly links distribution and exhibition. Trade papers have kept abreast of industry progress; in fact time and again they have paced the rest of the industry. The journalistic historians of our industry have, since the latter's beginning, done an admirable job. But, they are doing a greater job today. Annually distributors invest millions in trade paper advertising. It is the wisest investment any distributor makes. Trade paper advertising serves many progressive purposes. It serves as advance agent for the branch manager, the salesman and the booker. Trade paper advertising is the most effec tive and influential sales media at the disposal of distribution. It is the most effective medium the distributor has of speedily passing on news to its clients. Therefore, if trade papers can do such a job of proved selling, then they should be as religiously read and studied for their equally important news contents. Most appreciative of the indispensible service regularly rendered by trade journals are the small-town theatre operators. For these thousands of important and decisive industry figures, the trade paper is their "bible." However, no intelligent or sincere industry worker, regardless of whether he is in production, distribution or exhibition, would consider his day complete unless he has brought his knowledge of film matters up to date through reading his trade paper. That being so, it is important that each of us regularly read the trade papers, for only by so doing can you place yourself in a position where you can meet the buyer on equal footing and discuss intelligently and informedly trade matters. But, the influence of our trade journals goes far beyond the boundaries of our own industry. They are scanned carefully and analytically by newspaper and magazine editors and writers, by scores of organizations with an interest in motion pictures, by college and school authorities, by Federal, State and municipal officials and many others too numerous to list in a single paragraph. No industry trade press comes anywhere near giving its readers such thorough and intelligent coverage as does ours. And that same trade press, because of its wide readership among newspaper writers, wields a tremendous influence on the moviegoing, the ticket-buying public. . Thanksgiving Day has passed, but every day of the year we of the motion picture industry can be thankful for the quality of our trade press. It serves — well and authentically. It is a courageous, crusading trade press, too. It has one "fault" — if it may be called that; it is too modest. It does not blow its own horn loudly or frequently enough. Perhaps, that is because always it has been too busy serving you and I. // 32 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 28, 1946