Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

16 Motion Picture News November 2 9 , 1930 WARBLE the bankers: "You're spending so much on production, but your rentals are only so much. How come and what about ?" Reply the executives, slightly embarrassed : "Well, it's like this ..." Then comes a long spiel about Hollywood and the intangible somethings or other that enter into the making of pictures. Coupled with this is the word passed along to the banking fraternity that cuts will be made. The company heads, of course, then take the situation up with their left and right arms. Production balks, but promises to behave more decorously after it's pointed out that retrenchment is essential. Distribution squawks and passes a lot of the blame, not all of it, to production. But the sales departments go further. They make it very clear that, unless the studios produce what will sell, there isn't any use of talking about the impossible any longer. They point out that, if the selling crews are to be charged with bringing home the financial bacon, it is the general sales manager who should have considerably more to say in the production than he has today. In brief, you now have a graphic picture of one of the complex and interesting situations in big company management as it stands today. Production maintains it should have the final voice, tempered by advice and suggestion from distribution naturally. Distribution is beginning to think otherwise, purely on the basis of responsibility. It seems to the insiders both sides have a lot of arguments in their favor. There must be a limited number of prestige pictures made every year regardless of whether or not they make money. Don't snicker. It's so, if you look at this business with anything approximating a broad vision. Distribution is interested firstly and lastly in making money. The big danger there is that, if sales managers have the final word in the matter, production may find itself limited to a restricted number of sure-fire picture-making formulas with the result that innovations in styles and limitations in faces may prevail. Regular It was just the germ of an idea that hadn't been reduced to writing for a scenario, and was outlined to a friend, with the suggestion that the two collaborate in writing the yarn for production. The friend, who had an in for sale of a script, agreed, but in the rush of things the pair didn't get the idea into motion. Then a series of misfortunes befell the chap who had suggested the yarn. He couldn't go through with the collaboration, but the friend remembered. He set the idea to paper and succeeded in selling the yarn. By this time his friend had dropped from sight, but rather than take the advantage he made an extensive INSIDERS' search. When it was rewarded he sent a generous cut to his friend, and the money was a godsend. Who says there still isn't sentiment and square-shooting in this man's business ? By Way of Proof The Insiders, in dissecting some of the winter ailments besetting the business, last week discussed the foreign market problem and its relation to the theatre scheme right here in the domestic field. The point, you may remember, revolved around the possibility that the major producers will find their revenue from overseas reducing itself to a level where, in order to pick up the slack, rentals in the United States will have to be jacked up. They Say THAT two until-now-satisfled partners in a picture enterprise that runs into millions aren't hitting it off so well these days and that something or other may happen to their deal in the next few months. That the picture business is to develop more changes in the next twelve months than the leopard and its proverbial spots. That a number of Hollywood gentlemen, much accustomed to their own way, are verra considerably disturbed over the severity of the orders emanating from New York and That they don't like the idea of submitting to the close check-ups on costs which headquarters advises will be instituted from this day on. When a certain personality agreed to sign that contract with a big producer it was the vice-president of a competitive company who looked it over before the deal was struck. Also that if the big producer knew about it, he'd turn mental contortions all over his elaborately outfitted office. That the bankers are annoyed to death over management in one of their pet companies and that it's going to be their way — or else for the chap who now sits in the president's chair. A splurge in detective work during the week uncovered a set of circumstances which further establish the authenticity of the reasoning. Here's all the dope, minus the names of the two principals : One of the biggest circuit deals in recent months was finally consummated because the independent who sold out to the producer who made the buy was keen enough to realize what impended. The independent outlooked further than his nose, being a smart bozo, and came to the conclusion that rentals might prove too much for him to pay next year. He arrived at his answer by digging into the foreign tangle where he was quick to see that as the gross nosedived abroad up would go prices here. Shortly thereafter, he made his deal. Hollywood Whisper Charles Bickford is off the M-G-M lot at last, but that's only part of the yarn. Bickford has caused Leo's studio executives a lot of grief, most of it centering around the fact that he had a load of money, didn't worry much about finances and wanted to play parts which the studio couldn't see. Now comes his release, via the mutual consent route. Bickford may go to Warners. He also may go to Paramount — if that contract with George Bancroft can't be worked out. Bancroft out. perhaps; Bickford in? Xow you've got the idea. Seething Reports of unrest in the equipment field are heard from the field. The keen rivalry existing between the various firms is accentuated by a maze of conflicting stories, some of them designed primarily to build up sales resistance against rival companies. Quite a few equipments are being yanked out of theatres for failure to keep up payments, it is said, and various companies are surveying the field in order to adjust operations to existing conditions. Tales of a new inexpensive reproducer, soon to be placed on the market, are in circulation. Some feel that a big cut in equipment prices is in prospect. Pathe Takes RKO A headline which ordinarily would cause something of a sensation, but this time in reference to a basketball game in which Pathe was the victor.