Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1919)

1142 Motion Picture News Editorially Speaking: Going Direct to the Market THE Bioscope of London says that British pictures might find a market in America " if only the British producer with pictures to sell elsewhere made as full use of the American trade press as his competitor does of the trade press on this side of the Atlantic." And the further sensible suggestion is made that capita! will have to be added by the British producer to cover this advertising requirement. We agree fully with the Bioscope — in fact, the need of competitive advertising is obvious. But the suggestion, we believe, does not go far enough. British pictures must be well advertised to the American exhibitor through the American trade press ; but they must also, as the American producer is finding true of his own product, be advertised to the American public. In fact, we believe that herein lies the answer to the question of British pictures in the American market. In other words, we believe that the American public want to see meritorious British pictures, just as they like good British plays. " The Better 'Ole " is showing in the United States today with five road companies. But these British pictures will have to be brought to the attention of the American public. This does not mean that a large national advertising appropriation will have to be added to the trade advertising expense. The margin of profit would in no way admit of it. But it does mean that the trade advertising of British pictures should — like the service advertising MOTION PICTURE NEWS is now doing for the American producer— concern itself with the material and the ways and means through which the American exhibitor can intelligently exploit the British picture to his public. This seems to give to British pictures the true and practical opening to the American market. This market is the American public, not merely the American exhibitor. Buying With Their Eyes Open JUST a word more on the subject of the small town theatre, a reconsideration of which is prompted by the receipt in a morning's mail of three letters dwelling definitely upon the small town house's requirements and success. We have just stated that these theatres have many pictures to pick from. Very true; but they — the successful ones — pick, just the same, and carefully. These three letters, in fact, state that success has come from picking pictures — from the ability to shop for the public, which in turn shops for itself. This shopping ability, it is also stated, is gained by a careful study of the trade paper, its advertising pages, its unbiased comments, its service suggestions, its news of bookings by the earlier run houses. In some quarters in New York the idea prevails that the small town house takes what it gets — is dependent upon a program supplied by an exchange. This may be true of some theatres, but they are becoming more and more a minority. The successful small town house is picking from the market, and this year more than ever before this shopping for attractions will increase. One of these theatres sends in a calendar showing its bookings for February. Selections have evidently been made from as many as eleven different distributors. ***** "Jes' Folks Are Certainly Popular" HE instant success of DeMille's '* Don't Change Your Husband " is striking proof of the broad basis of what the public eagerly wants in pictures. That broad basis is summed up by the exhibitor's comment in our last issue: pictures about " human beings doing human things." " Don't Change Your Husband " is delightfully human. It goes home. That's all — but that's enough. There are many adaptations of this human note. And the public is eager for all these adaptations, whatever they are, in all their range from light comedy to heavy melodrama. Pictures that are not human may go over, but they don't go home. And there's just the difference between mediocrity and positive success. ***** A Million to One IF there were no Wilbur F. Crafts at Washington, there would be no Federal Censorship bill. And if there were no Mr. and Mrs. Reformer here and there, there would be no State Censorship bills. So we contend that the Legislative representatives of the hundred million people of the United States should use some reasoning, if merely mathematical in scope, in judging the wants of at least one million folk as against a single professional reformer. * * $ $ $ Business is Booming WITH the dropping of building restrictions large and beautiful picture theatres are going up all over the United States. The ruling cost seems to be around a quarter of a million dollars. Never before has the industry seen such a theatre-building regime. And never before have gross theatre admissions approached the total of the past several weeks. And never before, we might add, has the general output of pictures upheld as good a standard as that of the present releases. It looks like a good and big year in motion pictures. Coming to Life MEN who are interested in the independent field tell us that the state rights market is opening up again. That there are plenty of interested exchanges now, but not enough open market pictures. Just one more proof of the prosperity that is here for all the industry; one more indication that "This is the Optimist's Year." . ji: 1 r; i:: : liii .m: " ' 'H'm--h;' : , , Li : [llt:]!: ■ ,: ,.: 'in: en-. ilm1!!' '!;: ;.n . !in!: ■tini!:::!i!i: i