Moving Picture World (Mar 1919)

1770 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD March 29, 1919 Picture Classics as the Photoplay Review. We are saving them from that fate, and they should be absolutely certain that at all times they are treating us exhibitors fairly, because primarily they are indebted to us for their existence. Must Treat Exhibitor Fairly. By "fairly" it is mjeant that they should give us the real truth about a picture. No guarded, indefinite statements to keep the showman in doubt about the value of the film; no big write-ups for the large advertiser, and no fake stories about it being worthy of drawing big box office receipts. A fearless, independent trade journal, devoted entirely to the moving picture industry — that is the ideal of the real showman of Ameiica. He wants a trade journal to represent him in the matters which he cannot attend to in person and he wants and expects the trade papers he reads to keep good faith with him. He demands first consideration. At the present time a warning should be issued to those papers that are trying to fool the exhibitors. They think they are getting away with it, but they are mistaken. It might have worked once or twice. The showman might have booked, on their recommendation, shows that are no good. Can't Continue to Fool Showman. At the present time they cannot fool the exhibitors and get away with it. Everyone in the industry knows which publications could be depended upon some time ago and which can be depended upon now. American exhibitors are fast losing faith in some of the trade journals. The change will come soon. First will come the weeding out of magazines, then of the so-called news in the surviving publications. The sooner we have the grand clearance the better. We exhibitors need and deserve it, and we shall have it. Get ready for the grand cleanup. Its bound to come. By J. A. Woolstenholm Owner of the Majestic Theatre, Grand Island, Neb., Who Never Reads Theatrical Papers With Film Departments. THE question raised by the First National by its proposal to deviate from customary advertising methods and confine the corporation's expenditures for advertising space to a few leading trade journals, has really interested me. Any man who has been in business as long as I have knows how many opportunities are offered to spend money for advertising, and how much of this money is wasted because the business man must yield to a lot of requests or demands because of personal pressure brought to bear. The First National, by taking a stand such as they have against waste and possible extortion, have my best wishes for their success. Truth to tell, I would prefer it if there were not even as many trade journals in the field as there are, and if the big producers would be able to concentrate on two or three. I have subscribed for three trade journals for a long time and find they are all I can possibly attend to. If there were no more than that number of trade journals, a man would have a better chance of covering the field. Gets What He Needs From Three. Publications on behalf of the "legitimate," so called, that carry motion picture news are something I never look at. I don't consider it the place to seek our line of news. I suppose such publications in part are honestly conducted, but I know that there are cases where big producing companies, making big features, and organizations that market the big features, are more or less intimidated by unscrupulous periodicals and forced to insert advertising in these for fear their pictures will be knocked otherwise. I take no stock in moving picture magazines published for the laymen. I can get all information I require on releases in the trade journals. The three I take contain criticisms or synopses of most all pictures released. I can look up releases in these journals, see what sort of test they stood, if the scenarios are good or bad. That class of news you never get out of the ordinary magazines. Another important feature of trade journals is that they tell how various pictures took in different parts of the country. In other words the leading trade journals absolutely cover the field. They do so far as I can perceive and so far as I am interested, at least. Then why should the First National or any other broker or producers spend money on advertising in other mediums? Just Suppose a Waiter at Your Club Tried to Poison You And You Will Get a Small [dea of tin Fight Harry Morcy Must Wage in His Big Vitagraph, "Fighting Destiny." By Willard C. Patterson Manager Criterion Theatre, Atlanta, Ga., Who Discounts Flamboyant Advertising As Inconsistant and of Little Value. IN the March 22 issue of the World there is sounded a new note which is thrice welcome to the exhibitors throughout this land. First, because it is a definite challenge to producers whose merchandise is on the market ; second, because it initiates a crusade against indiscriminate and disproportionate advertising; and third, because it offers a solution to one of the gravest problems that confronts the present day exhibitor. We refer to the First National's trade journal advertising policy as set forth by J. D. Williams, and the illuminating opinions expressed in Mr. Sievers' comprehensive article. Conservation and concentration are essential factors in any well regulated business, and since we recognize the motion picture industry as a legitimate business and not a game manifestly these principles should apply. The distressing fact is that these principles do not obtain in trade journal advertising. When I estimate the amounts expended in flamboyant, indiscriminate advertising through the medium of motion picture trade journals I am constrained to say that more money is wasted in that channel than in any business of which I have knowledge. Cites Unfair Advertising. The lack of proportion in exploitation of pictures has come about through the desire of each manufacturer to set a higher value upon his product than his competitor has attached to a rival picture. Hence it is that the trade journals— and they are legion — will simultaneously announce in florid, extravagant phrase any number of the "greatest pictures yet produced." For the intelligent, thinking exhibitor this kind of advertising is not only unnecessary; it is unfair. Unfair because it is insincere. Not only should trade journal advertising be limited as to the number of publications designated, but inasmuch as they are intended primarily for the exhibitor, the advertising matter itself should be commensurate with the value — the box office value — of the picture which it exploits. I thoroughly agree with Mr. Sievers in his "three things demanded of trade journals selected: They must be recognized leaders; they must be devoted exclusively to the motion picture industry, and they must be publications the news columns and the editorial columns