Moving Picture World (Dec 1917)

December 8, 1917 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1509 Abrams Strong For Higher Admissions Paramount President, on Tour of Country, Says Increased Prices Are Justified and Necessary HIRAM ABRAMS, president of Paramount Pictures Corporation, who in company with General Manager B. P. Schulberg is touring the country, visiting exhibitors in important cities and from them gaining new light on conditions, has presented his views regarding the admission price problem. Mr. Abrams believes increased admissions for picture theaters are justifiable, and says: "Photoplay followers must pay more for their screen amusement if they want motion picture producers to continue making the best motion pictures that it is possible to create and if they expect their favorite photoplay theaters to continue in business and to provide a suitable setting for the picture, including appropriate music, etc. "We must realize that the entire economic standard of the country has changed and that the dollar no longer represents ten dimes but four quarters. It is war time. The dime has lost its buying power, and besides, the cost of producing pictures has advanced in a startling degree. As a matter of fact, from the beginning of the industry the cost of producing has advanced steadilv. A casual mental comparison between the 'movies' of several years ago and the photoplay of today will make this readily apparent. "Aside from the apparent increase of the salaries of the players, the elaborate staging of a production which the photoplay public has come to demand has raised the cost from 500 to 1000 per cent over the costs of a few years ago. "In spite of this, the motion picture exhibitor has been backward in raising his own prices to meet this increased cost. This may be due, in a measure, to the fact that in the early stages of motion picture exhibiting there was a great margin of profit; the photoplay public of that day was content with a standard of production that would not be tolerated by the more discriminating patrons of the photoplay today. Pictures like those released by Paramount and Artcraft, which meet the demands of the most fastidious, are justification for an increased admission charge. "Having in many cases made fortunes in the pioneer days of the industry, the majority of these exhibitors were content to meet the increased cost of production out of their own pockets, working on a smaller margin of profit, or no profit at all. "This condition became so serious eventually that a number of smaller theater owners were forced out of business. The 'nickelodeon' or five-cent theater, practically disappeared, and the minimum price throughout the country became 10 cents. Even this scale was not profitable. In most cases it simply meant that the exhibitor received no returns from his invested capital, and merely earned a livelihood for a salary. On the Pacific Coast, however, IS cents has been a minimum charge even for theaters showing inferior productions, for some time, even prior to the tax levy. "Naturally enough, a condition such as that cited above could not remain in force for any length of time. About the beginning of this year another decided tendency toward increased admission prices was noted. The larger and better theaters increased their prices to a scale of from 15 Hiram Abrams. cents to 75 cents and even a dollar. The movement spread rapidly, and of my own knowledge hundreds of theaters raised the scale of admission prices by from 5 cents to 20 cents during the first half of the year, obeying the natural law of self-preservation in the face of constantly increasing producing and presentation costs. "At this point, let me emphasize the fact that the increased production cost is an effect and not a cause. It is a result of public demand for better, more elaborate and more spectacular photoplays. "With the advent of the war and the soaring prices of the material that enters into the production cost of the films themselves and the machinery necessary for the operation of the theater, the scale of prices heretofore in effect became impossible. "Not only would the theater owner be required to waive the returns of his investments, but he would not be able to earn even a living from his labor. "A continuance of the prices in vogue would mean that hundreds of motion picture theaters would have to close their doors, an event which can only be regarded with the utmost gravity in the present war-time conditions, where moderate-priced amusements for the people are an absolute necessity. "The motion picture industry is the very last one to ask an increase for its product; clothiers, shoe manufacturers, magazine publishers and food distributors have already obtained an increase in the purchase price from their consumers, but the motion picture, which we include among the necessities of life, has waited until it could wait no longer. Our industry is being hard hit by taxes, and there are more to come. It is giving a good deal to the Government and it must receive something in return in order to advance with the same rapid strides that have characterized its past progress. "I have not the slightest fear of the industry's ability to indicate its justification to the public for this increase in the price of admission. From what I have already seen on my trip through the country exhibitors in all parts have already made the increase and are receiving the support of their patrons in the movement. "It is acknowledged that the motion picture theater offers the best and cheapest amusement that the public can buy during war time. It is giving education, enlightenment and entertainment to the great public. It has been a splendid medium for the Government's propaganda, both in connection with the Liberty Loan, the Red Cross and with Mr. Hoover's Food Administration. "There is no reason why the photoplay-follower should not wish to permit exhibitors throughout the country to continue in business, even if it costs five cents more for admission to do so. The only thing to guard against is an unfair increase — the possible effort of some one to profit by the country's troubles and condition of public affairs in wartime— and we are safe against that because of the Government's excess profit tax, which will very conveniently take care of any unusual, in ours or the exhibitor's, profit over last year's." PARAMOUNT AND ARTCRAFT ORGANS MERGE. The two weekly publications issued by Paramount Pictures Corporation and Artcraft Pictures Corporation, Paramount Progress and Artcraft Advance, have been merged into one magazine and will appear weekly hereafter under the name of Progress-Advance. The new publication numbers twenty pages and will contain, as heretofore, material of interest and value to all motion picture exhibitors and more particularly those showing the Paramount and Artcraft pictures. B. P. Fineman, heretofore editor of Paramount Progress, will be editor of Progress-Advance, and Charles Kenmore Ulrich, editor of Artcraft Advance, will be associate editor of the new publication. TRIANGLE SIGNS GILLS AND COREY. Norbert Gills, well-known heavy, and Eugene Corey, juvenile of wide experience, are recent additions to the large playing force at the Triangle's Culver City studio. Both will be seen in Triangle releases now in course of production. Robert Warwick and Richard Tucker, two popular players, are among those who have received commissions at the recent Plattsburg training camp. Both are members of the Screen Club.