Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1956)

MOTION PICTURE HERALD AlARTIN QUIGLEY, Edhor-in-Chief and Publisher Vol. 205, No. 9 MARTIN QUIGLEY, JR., Editor December 1 , 1 956 How Long Is Long ? OF LATE a number of critics and commentators inside and outside the industry have been asserting that some recent releases are “too long.” It is time to examine the validity of these observations. Fundamentally there arises the question of “How long should a motion picture be?” That is a question that obviously defies a precise answer. Clearly the first obligation of length on a film is to tell its story well in the manner desired by its producer and director. Correct length is like Lincoln’s reply to the query, “How long should a man’s legs be?” The sage President was reported to have replied: “Long enough to reach the ground.” That’s how long a film should be — to reach the ground. From practical considerations of operating schedules there may be determined what an exhibitor — or a majority of exhibitors — considers the ideal length of a feature. That is often put down as 90 minutes. Such a length allows an exhibitor, with a newsreel, short and coming attractions, to keep his show time to approximately two hours. In operations where double bills are the rule, a 90-minute running time is all that is convenient unless the show is to run three and a half hours or more. However strong an argument can be made for a 90minute ideal film, certainly all stories cannot be told in this length. Departures from “normal” in running time also have a certain advantage with some patrons on the score of novelty. It is unnecessary for the industry to become concerned that three to three and one-half hour features might become the rule. At present there is nothing to indicate such a probability. The long film is, by its nature, extremely costly to make. Print charges are huge and distributors as well as exhibitors can readily calculate the potential loss in number of shows per week for very long films. THERE is one point where the criticism could be misleading to producers. A complaint that such and such a film is “too long” is almost a cliche phrase. It is to be realized that many critics consider anything over one and one-half hours “too long” (and even some films shorter than 90 minutes). On the other hand there is little or no evidence that the public shares the critics’ views on length. In fact the popularity of the double bill and the surveys that many spend all evening before a television set indicate quite the contrary. Many ticket buyers like a long show. They are not like the critics who go to the movies anywhere from several times weekly to daily. The public’s screen appetite is not sated. The same may not be said for all critics. The long pictures currently in circulation — “War and Peace,” “Giant,” “The Ten Commandments” and the roadshow “Around the World in 80 Days” — would not be the same in 90-minute length. For some pictures the story dictates a long running time; for others the precise mood desired requires considerable length. Let’s not worry too much about length. Quality and box office appeal are still the only solid measures of a picture’s stature. ■ ■ ■ Columbia’s New Home Office IN THESE days of readjustment in the industry the general and financial press often “plays up” pessimistic news. On the other hand too frequently favorable omens for the future are overlooked. A significant investment in the future of the industry is symbolized by the formal opening of the new Columbia Pictures home office building this week in New York City. The office building, owned by Columbia, houses the New York staffs of the company and its subsidiaries in eight and a half floors. Previously the offices were in five different locations. The opening of the new home office at 711 Fifth Avenue is in interesting contrast to the one-room Columbia office at 1600 Broadway where the firm was established as the CBC Film Sales Company over 36 years ago. In those days the entire staff numbered nine persons. There are now over 700 in the home office and in the various subsidiaries in New York. Harry and Jack Cohn and the other present members of the organization who remember the one-room beginnings may be especially proud of the impressive new location. Even more important than the physical setup is the fact that Columbia is keeping pace with developments in the entertainment industries and its over-all staff is continually expanding as new projects are launched. B ■ ■ BEARING importantly on a problem which exhibition must face, that of shifting populations and the greater emphasis on suburban living, is a report to hand from the Portland, Ore., field office of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The report indicates declining business in most phases of retail activity in the central business district of Portland, including 21.9 per cent drop in motion picture business. This is not lost business, it is rather shifted business, with theatres in the outlying, or suburban areas gaining where the central business district falls off. The study as released indicated that many people, who formerly went “downtown” for their entertainment, now seldom leave their home areas, and since they find their shopping needs quite adequately met at home, it is in the pattern of living today that they will expect to find their entertainment also provided near home. — Martin Quigley, Jr.