Motion Picture News (Apr-Jun 1917)

Volume 15 The Eye on the Box-office rHE talks we have with exhibitors lead us to believe that their most common business fault, at this moment, lies in keeping the eye glued to the boxoffice sheet. Organizer Herrington says that exhibitors watch their competitors too closely. Prpbably true; but so also remains our contention. For in this case they are watching their competitor's box-office. Keeping an eye on the box-office sheet is of course good ljusiness in itself. It is one highly necessary part of the day's work. But a part only. To keep the eye there all tlie time is to miss looking into and under things — understandingly, and into the future — profitably. 5(: + * * PRACTICALLY every discussion we have with an exhibitor — arguments on pictures, their rental prices and booking policies, their advertising, etc.— ends abruptly with the exhibitor pulling out his box-office sheet. "Well, anyhow," he says, "the picture made money for me. I'm satisfied." " Or," he says, " you may be right but I lost money on that picture." In any event the argument ends then and there so as the exhibitor is concerned— with the say-so of the boxoffice tally. ■ This is business by the day, but by the day only ; and the exhibitor of today is in business to stick. His mvestment often is heavy. His business obligations are of a large and permanent character. It behooves him to think ot next year and of the next — and the next. * *■ . * * rHE box-office tally tells only of the day's success or failure. There its say-so ends. As a prophet it may say nothing or it may speak falsely. The picture that made monev for the exhibitor may have done so at the sacrifice of the house's reputation— a huge loss, if that be true; or its rental policy may be tundamentally all wrong; or its advertising may hurt presenr and future business. , , j,,.^ Again the losing picture may have been poorly advertised; perhaps it was cheated out of its due share oi advertising by the amount spent upon the successful picture. Or it may have lost money because its rental price JoHNsTO.N", Pres. and Editor. He.n'RV was too high ; or there may have been unseen local conditions which made attendance fall off; *''' The box-office sheet says that the picture was wrong; yet this may be just the kind of picture the" exhibitor wants most and the kind which he should encourage the producer to make. And by the same token the apparently successful picture — successful for the day only — may be just the kind of picture the exhibitor does not want for his permanent success. * ♦ * * rHE box-office sheet does not tell the true story. Its figures are often used as an argument, for instance, against longer runs, whereas the factor that is really militating against longer runs may be an unseen one — such as excessive cost of distribution, or something that does not show at all in the box-office figures. /■ ■ , The exhibitor will have to get down Under the superficial figures and do some clear and foresighted thinking if he is ever to arrive at the true solution of his problem, if he is ever to help correct the injustices of the business which he now claims burden so heavily his shoulders, if he is to be sure that he will be in business successfully several years from today. , We have an idea that many pictures are not so bad as the box-office sheet paints them. We believe that the exhibitor is often over-pessimistic about their quality and drawing power. His pessimism ought to be vented against the bad business policies attending tlic booking of the pictures or upon his own inability to advertise them properly. , . ^ Don't put all the blame^upon^the picture. rAKE a look at your own house and your own method, of presenting and of advertising pictures. lake this look from the clear standpoint of your patrons. Are vou constantly alert to take advantage of every opportunity for playing up your pictures and your house Does your service to the patron meet in every way the very critical viewpoint of the large and educated public now attending picture theatres? Then do some figuring yourself upon present methods (Continued on foUowtnij page) H. .\. WycKOKF, Trcas. and Hus. Mgr. ymces. Mgr. T. S ;:^W■^Ll.. ViccPrcs. E. Ken-d.^ll G...l.tt, Sec. NEWS, In lates. Chicago 1 ivtiuu'.^.i"" — A^n United States Mexico, Hawaii. Porto Rico and StVPh:::^;-;;* X,:'n6i*Brcad;^:-^^ 1^ Mcion Plcure News at le.s .h»n .h«c "lippine blands. Canada, $3. N.B.-No, agent B j^f^^^^ienlials and coupon book. ,^,„c , 79Q Seventh 'kvc-., N. Y. 'Phone 9J60 Bryant. _ , ^ MOTION PICTURE NEWS, Inc., -^i''' Tp,,:!: M„r T C Jesst-n. 427 South I-iljUcroa, Tuesday every week by ,^'0™N Fit l u Los ^EITIl^.H ii., ri Hawaii. Porto Rico and ™Kr. r. S. Mead, no So. Dearborn St., none lones 7140 Main. 462 Broadway. 1--2ISB. Ha;e-li;ragS"X; takes ™ur ^^''^^'^ f"Z^i;Z.., P.,.. ^.c ,no. CopvrioM, 191 ''1/ If""™ „„„er Ihr /1<:I »/ Starch .1, JSTO,