Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1921)

Motion Picture News — The Businesslike Course IN the Saturday Evening Post of October 15th (our apologies to Sam Bullock for advertising this publication) is a remarkable article on " Europe in Transition." The author, Isaac F. Marcosson, points out that Europe today with " neither war nor peace " (to quote Trotsky's famous phrase) is worse off than Europe at war. And the trouble, says Mr. Marcosson, is due to " petty politics,'1 " passing the buck," " passion and prejudice," " self-interest," " self-importance," " animosity," " demagogueism," etc. In other words to plain hatred, aroused and maintained between states that must be economically interdependent, and for no other reason than the glorification of the individual state or some leader within the individual state. A deplorable situation indeed1; and every American will have to pay and pay well for the business stagnation that must result from this great discord. In reading this potent article the writer was struck, time and again, with points of remarkable similarity between the economic chaos of Europe and the economic discord within the motion picture industry. We have, in this industry, three economic divisions, the exhibitor, distributor and producer of pictures. Each division is utterly dependent upon another. One can't subsist without the other. The prosperity of each is dependent upon the prosperity of the other. The three, for the good of each must work together. From every standpoint of sound business sense and experience they cry aloud for cooperation — for " tolerant and intelligent cooperation." There will always be trouble between the buyer and the seller. There always has been since business began. So, there will always be trouble between the producer, the distributor and the exhibitor of pictures. . But any and all of these troubles can be settled by half a dozen business men sitting around a table. Certainly no hullaballoo is needed. In our business we never take this direct, sensible course ; or at least we never take it until we have rushed into print with columns and columns of charges and counter charges. So keen, in fact, is the rush for publicity that one is forced to believe that publicity is the main object sought, that the desire is to foment discord, not to deal justice, or arrive at peace. A fight is a good thing once in a while — though, Heaven knows, this business at present doesn't want and can't stand much more fighting. But since we are a business family, very much in need of financial support on the one hand, and on the other very much in need of public sympathy and understanding let's fight, if fight we must, with the windows closed. The reformers want nothing better than to know that the divisions of this industry, which together make its strength, are divided against each other with constant quarrelling. Such evidence of weakness is an open invitation to them to attack. So with the politicians. As for the banker — This business, right now, isn't enjoying the best of terms. The situation isn't serious and it shouldn't be discouraging. We simply have gone through abnormal times, and we haven't liquidated as yet. Ahead of us is probably a full year during which we will have to trim our sails to fit the reconstruction period of the business world at large. What we need most today as an industry is cash. The producer today is heavily committed. The exhibitor who made heavy profits during the war period, reinvested, in most every instance, that money. WTe are, as an entire industry, investment poor. There is but one thing that can be relied upon to pull us out and that is bank credit. Think this over Mr. business man — producer and exhibitor alike and see if it isn't true that here is our common and basic problem. Consider, then, the banker. Do you think he will want to loan on your exhibitor investment, or on your producer investment, if these two common business partners are in rival camps .shooting shrapnel at each other? You will both ask him to loan on the money-making power of pictures. But he knows, any school-boy knows, that no product makes money when the maker and retailer of it are at war. He will look for, he will insist upon, nothing short of " tolerant and intelligent cooperation " between the commercial branches of this business. Just that! Nothing more nor less. " Animosity," says Mr. Marcosson, speaking of economic Europe, has become one of the principal by-products of selfdetermination. It is meat and drink to the demagogue but it has stifled commerce. We don't want demagogues in this industry. We do want good business. Let's put the emergency brake on this " fighting stuff " — and build good business. Through tolerant and intelligent cooperation. Wm. A. Johnston. Vol. XXIV NOVEMBER 5, 1921 No. XX