Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

October 28, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 2659 High Admission Price Charged by Austrahans " Exhibitors Are ALle to Meet the Big Cost of Fihn and Heavy Duties, Though Capacity Business Is Not the Continuous Rule," Says HeUnirich, Here to Buy Pictures for His Market — He Regulates Rentals According to Size of the Theatres B. HELLMRICH, genejal manager for the Co-operative Film Exchange, Limited, of Australia, left for home October 17, after a two month visit in New York for the purpose of purchasing film for the Australian, New Zealand, and East Indian market. During this time he was able to close several very favorable contracts giving him the rights to the product of the Frohman Amusement Corporation, B. S. Moss, and the Al Christie comedies. Just previous to his departure Mr. Hellmrich had a number of interesting things to say to a representative of Motion Pictute News relative to the picture situation in Australia and judging from the way things are conducted in the far oS antipodes the Australian exhibitor not only has nothing to learn from his American countertype, but can teach him a number of new wrinkles that would have an immediate effect on his box ofHce returns. The two outstanding features of his remarks were relative to the size of the theatres and the admission prices obtained. " Most of our theatres," he said, " have a seating capacity of from two to four and five thousand, and whereas they are not filled to capacity every night in the week, they are comfortably filled during the week and on Fridays and Saturdays filled to capacity. The prices prevalent throughout Australia are ten, twenty-five, and fifty cents. So that even though capacity business is not the continuous rule still at these prices the exhibitor can overcome to a large extent, the high cost of film and the exceedingly heavy duty. American Exhibitor Behind Australian Manager " The American exhibitor is far behind those of Australia in the methods used to exploit the pictures. We realize perfectly that no amount of money is too large to spend for the proper exploitation of a picture, for every penny of it will come back two, three and four times over. Consequently we use the newspapers very extensively taking full pages of space at the regular rates. " This is a comparatively recent innovation of mine and I have found through actual experience that it explodes the theory of a neighborhood house. Just as a concrete example let me cite Melbourne. The pictures which I control are first shown in the Melbourne houses of our circuit for one week. Then we control a large number of theatres in all of the outlying suburbs, some six or seven in number. We advertise the first showing of a picture extensively in the Melbourne newspapers, then the following week we advertise that same picture in the Melbourne newspapers as showing at the suburban houses, and those who were not fortunate enough to see the picture when it was shown in Melbourne go out to the suburbs. " People will travel any distance to see a good picture, if you will only let them know where it is to be seen. Previous to this our suburban houses were distinctively neighborhood houses. Now they have all of Melbourne and all of the surrounding territory to draw upon for their audiences. This plan of advertising our attractions for the suburban theatres to the extent of a full page in the city papers has completely changed the character of our houses. Originality the Keynote of Advertising " We try to make originality the keynote in all of our advertising whether it be in the newspapers, on the hoardings, or in the special booklets we get out descriptive of the attractions which we plan showing. It is seldom that we do the same thing twice alike. There is a variety to our newspaper copy, an originality to our hoardings and distinctiveness in the special booklets. Some of these latter run into large sums of money owing to the fine quality of paper used and the artistic richness of the printing but we feel that ever cent put into them comes back into the box oflJice in greatly increased ratio. " My own particular system of distribution is co-operative and non-profit making pure and simple. It is the object of my company to put all of its money into film and not into dividends. Of course this is a peculiar arrangement as the company is made up of the exhibitors using its service and the profits are taken in through the box offices of the individual theatres while the expenses of booking are practically shared pro rata. I believe this to be the best system that has ever been devised. METRO'S staff of directors de luxe has been augmented by the engagement of S. Rankin Drew. Mr. Drew's contract with Vitagraph expires October 21, and he will at once begin work at the Rolf e studio. Five members of the same famous family will thus be gathered together under one studio roof. S. Rankin Drew is the son of Sidney Drew, who, with Mrs. Drew, produces a one-reel comedy of domestic life each week for the Metro program. Ethel Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore, her brother, have long been stellar attractions in Metro plays. S. Rankin's Drew's first production will have Emmy Wehlen as star in " The Belle of the Season," a picturization of Ella Wheeler Wilcox's poem of the same name. Metro holds the screen rights to all the Ella Wheeler Wilcox poems, and " The Belle of the Season " will be the first produced under their contract with the famous writer. Althougli still a young man, being well under thirty, Mr. Drew has added greatly to the distinction of the family name, and stands squarely on his own merits both as actor and director. Lionel Barrymore first suggetsed his entrance into motion " There is practically no such thing as open booking or open market in Australia. Everything is done on the program basis and we find this the most effective method that could be devised for us. We know the picture which we will receive long in advance and can make our arrangements accordingly. The plan works out in one respect totally different from the way it is handled in this country. There is no such thing as a universal price. It is an individual arrangement between the distributor and the exhibitor all governed by the size of the theatre, its average gross receipts, and the size of the territory which it has to draw upon. This is fair and equitable to every one concerned. " The theatre with a seating capacity of five thousand should certainly pay more for its service than one only seating one thousand just the same as a theatre in a city with a population of one hundred thousand should pay more than a theatre in a city of one thousand. I never make a booking without first seeing the theatre, going over its books to some extent, and obtaining an idea of its average gross income, and then make it a price in proportion to the size and the income. These are policies based on sound business principles and for that reason they have proven successful." Shortly after his return to Australia Mr. Hellmrich is planning an extensive trip covering most of the Indian Empire, as he believes that there is a big opportunity in developing this market with its millions of potential picture fans. pictures, it is said, and one of his first important productions was the multiple reel feature play, " Thou Art the Man," written by his talented mother shortly before her death, under the pen name of George Lameron. This production set the pace for his later successes, and the director has given the handling of the popular star, Anita Stewart, in Vitagraph Blue Ribbon features. Perhaps the most prominent of these have been " The Girl Philippa," a picturization of the Robert W. Chambers novel of the same name and Mr. Drew's last contribution to the Vitagraph program, " The Daring of Diana," " The Suspect," and other notable feature photodramas. In many of these Mr. Drew has himself been Miss Stewart's leading support, playing the most important male role. Indeed, it was his acting ability, inherited not only from the Drews and the Barrymores, but from his well-known grandfather, McKee Rankin, which first introduced him to the world of pictures. From acting Mr. Drew was soon promoted to directing and from a member of the directing staff to one who directed only feature photoplays. S. Rankin Drew Goes to Rolfe After the 28th Son of Sidney Drew, the Parlor Comedy Laughmaker of Metro, WUl Appear with Emmy Wehlen in " The Belle of the Season," Picturized from a Wilcox Poem