Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

MOTION PICTURE HERALD MARTIN QU1GLEY, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher Vol. 167, No. 2 TERRY RAMSAYE, Editor OP April 12, 1947 ADMISSIONS FIRM THE wave of price cutting which begins to sweep the merchandise counters of the land finds motion picture admission prices holding unmoved, and apparently unmenaced, across the nation. The markdown movement, which got spectacular impetus from a bold advertising announcement on price policy by R. H. Macy, New York's biggest department store, finds cuts in leading shops in most of the bigger centers — women's wear, off 50% to 75%; shoes and watches, off 50%; even engagement rings, off 25% to 50%; men's shirts, with tails restored to full pre-war length, at all kinds of cut prices. In New York some of the night clubs are cutting prices, cutting entertainers' figures in two, and all of them are crying out loud. Apparently the downstairs spiral has hit where the wartime inflation, up to whatever the traffic would bear, was the highest, the most piratical. It is to be said of the motion picture that, if one discounts the increases imposed by war taxes, the entertainment of the screen has been held to a more conservative level than the luxury lines. The war days prosperity of the motion picture can be attributed vastly more to increased attendance, volume increase rather than the tariff per unit sale. An examination of figures from thirty-four principal cities collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington shows that the increase of motion picture admissions prices has been notably and modestly low on any comparative basis, thus: January, 1941 December, 1946 Increase Admissions 109.1" 165.7 5 0.0% Retail Prices 101.9 172.7 69.4% Salaries and Wages 130.0 25 8.4 98.8% *First quarter 1941. The box office reports continue healthy, with only occasional and sporadic recessions in areas where postwar industry adjustments and strike unemployments have affected popular buying power. The motion picture came up to dominance by delivering the most entertainment for the money, competing the while with increasing competitions in many forms of popular entertainment. The principal concern today of the authorities who make the box office decisions is the prospect of more and bigger taxes. FORD and FILM WITH the passing of Mr. Henry Ford there comes reflection upon his extraordinary impress on the life and living habits of the people of the United States, affecting many industries, too, and their pattern of business. The motion picture theatre was born as a contemporary of the motor car but, arriving with a 5-cent admission so handily within the buying power of the masses, the screen became an industry first. It grew up in the nickelodeon, located in walkingdistance centers. When Mr. Ford with his Model "T" put the motor car within the buying power of the many, walking-distance became less and less of a factor in all retailing and notably in the instance of the films. A new order of bigger and better theatres arrived, and better pictures to serve them. Also, and incidentally, with the repeater-attendance of the neighborhood theatre invaded, the motion picture serial went into a rapid decline. The customers were too busy shopping around in riding distances to look up the next chapter. Thousands of nickelodeons succumbed to the motor car revolution. Incidentally, Mr. Ford early became a patron of the industrial-educational motion picture. He produced "The Ford Weekly", a scenic and travelogue reel, which managed to include some pictures of his cars on the road. It was distributed by one of the larger exchange systems, which collected what it could from the exhibitor and got a dollar a booking from the Ford company, too. ■ ■ ■ NORMALCY NOTES — Miss Barbara Stanwyck and Mr. Robert Taylor are back from Britain somewhat mauled as survivors of a terrific onslaught of fan enthusiasm at the Empire in London the night of the premiere of "The Other Love". The British bobbysockers arrived with a sock. €fl The United States Rubber Company announces the immediate return of white side wall tires, tfl The pet stores now have Red Rasboras, a Far East aquarium gem, unobtainable during the naval exercises in the Pacific. <I Statistics of the week announce that 35,000,000 homes in the United States now have radio receivers, making the state of saturation about 93%. Also, the newest figures from the Federal Communications Commission say that we have 3 1 ,600,000 telephones, or one for every 4.5 persons. Russia, according to 1939 figures, had not quite one 'phone for each hundred. Apparently, we can out-talk them. The Easter police patrol on New York's Fifth Avenue estimates that there were 250,000 more paraders in proud finery than the year before. Also, fashion editors noted that milady tends to return to shoes complete with both heels and toes. SOMETIMES, Springtime slips in at night, as it came to the valley of the Silvermine this year, with the lulling lazy patter of warm rain on the shingles. In the slow misty dawn the light reveals new birds, just arrived, stalking the awakening worm in the damp meadow. A great grey heron makes a reconnaisance flight in measured slow motion over his fishing grounds. Even the raucous crows and rowdy jays give voice in softer notes with hints of romance and nesting time ahead. A fringe of fresh bright greenery margins the brook. A rainwet bee hungrily pries her way into a reluctant crocus. A sharp alkaline perfume of the hardwood in the morning fire drifts and clings close to the warming earth in the heavy moist air. By many little things this first day of the growing year declares itself. It is the great annual event of Time and Soil and Sun. The world is alive. It is the hour to pack a peaceful pipe and think it over before the morning paper comes with its confusion of less important matters. — Terry Ramsaye