Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1951)

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Percentage Problem To THE Editor; Of course everyone has his own pet reason for what is wrong with the industry and how to cure it. In my opinion there is much right about the present setup, hut as few things are perfect, there are some tilings needing improvement. I have never understood the policy of the distributors of setting a percentage deal up to a certain gross and then increasing the percentage on all above this set amount. Perhaps there is some explanation for this. Yet if an exhibitor is penalized for a higher gross on a picture it naturally makes him watch his expenditures for advertising, thus hurting the gross rather than helping it. With this to face an exhibitor has to triple his gross if he doubles his advertising expense. Even at that he will just about break even. In every other business the smaller quantity of an article you purchase the more that article costs. A discount is allowed for large quantity. It seems to me to apply even more strongly to the picture industry. If I could make a higher percentage of profit on a larger gross, of course I would spend a much greater amount of my own money for advertising. The distributor w'ould gain, I w'ould gain, and business as a whole W'ould benefit. — MAX FOWLER. JAlIa Theatre, Villa Rica. Georgia. Managers’’ Pay To THE Editor: Twenty years ago wdien I entered this business managers were receiving a salary of between $80 and $200 a week. The average working man was doing well if he was making $60 per week. Now here 20 years later everyone and his brother is earning $60 or more each w'eek and believe the average working man to be receiving close to $100 while the theatre managers continue being paid only between $60 and $150. W'hat is wrong — when are we going to receive proper increases in keeping with the expected standards of our position? — NEW YORK MANAGER. Correction from India To THE Editor: A great deal of commotion and misunderstanding has been caused by a photograph of the Liberty theatre, Bombay, wdiicb was published in Motion Picture Her.\ld dated September 17. l‘)49, in the cajition of which SAYS "ALMANAC " HAS EVERYTHING AND MORE To THE Editor: Just a note to tell you that I have just received my copy of the new Motion Picture Almanac. I have been waiting for it for a couple of months and it is everything and more than what I have heard about it. — /. T. ROBINSON, JR., Hunters Lodge Drivc-hi Theatre, Troy, Virginia. it is stated that the Liberty theatre is a “Fazalbhoy enterprise.” I do not know how this description came to be published under the photograph, as it is in no sense a “Eazalhhoy enterprise.” The only part which the Fazalbhoy organization played toward this theatre is the supply of some of the booth equipment, marquees, etc. The whole project has entirely been the inspiration of Mr. Habib Hoosein and in all fairness should have been described as a Habib Hoosein enterprise, to be more accurate. — V. DORAISW AMY , Bombay, India. Star Visits To the Editor; I think we should have more Movietime U.S.A. with visiting by the movie stars to the small towns. They do not have to be big stars, but should be the ones who can and will meet the public and leave a good taste in the public’s mouth for the theatre and Hollywood. We had a minor star for Movietime in North Carolina and she did more for us than perhaps some of the big names would have done. — R. E. AGLE SR., Appalachian Theatre, Boone, North Carolina. Cut Out Westerns To the Editor: The motion picture producers have forgotten one important factor ; they cater primarily to women. Most women love a good romantic story as well as glamor instead of the Westerns and psychological stories they are now making. If you bring the women back to theatres they, in turn, bring the men. People generally I think are sick of Westerns on television so let’s keep those films out of the theatres. — HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, EXHIBITOR. W ork for Perfection To THE Editor ; First, I want to say I love this business. But I am always looking for ways to improve it. Naturally, good pictures are the answer to our problems. But 300 to 400 ‘‘good ones” a year is impossible. However, by concentrating on fewer pictures, more preparation before shooting begins, very careful editing and re-shooting poor scenes or eliminating them would result in better films. If a picture does not come up to expectations, junk it! It’s better to lose a few thousand dollars than a million in grosses. Other industries work for perfection, why can’t we? I think most exhibitors would be willing to pay more for film if the product was worth it. We could eliminate that cursed evil of double features which is keeping many people away from theatres. We can’t keep antagonizing patrons and expect to keep them. How about it, Hollywood.—bE/LL/Hdf WHITLEY, Colonial Theatre, Kokomo, Indiana, Audience Challenge To THE Editor: It is recognized that movies are one of the strongest forces of influence in existence today, and many people like myself think it the strongest. With exhibitors the fact that the movies have lost the position that was held in the imaginations of our youth is viewed with increasing apprehension by us in exhibition. In other words a large cross section of our young audience is losing interest in the movies daily and apparently no attempt is being made to recapture their interest. In my humble opinion boys and girls of high school age are frustrated on all sides due to the rapid and changing conditions brought about by war and world economic conditions. They need a helping hand now as never before if life as we have known it is going to continue. Hollywood has the potential and know-how to do this job. They are not interested in preachments, neither are they interested in the cheap moronic sensational quickie produced to make a quick dollar for the producer. They want an honest intelligent portrayal of their problems and an honest, straightforward means of effecting a cure. This might be the answer to regaining some of our lost audience, namely the boys and girls of high school and college age that are fast losing interest in motion pictures. It presents a challenge. — ALBERT J. CLARKE, Majestic Theatre, Providence, 8 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 10, 1951