Motion Picture News (Jan - Mar 1914)

THE MOTION PICTURE NEWS 15 Why Exhibitors Fail TWO exhibitors, one successful, the other with failure strewn in his path, were talking it over. Roth had started, two years before, with equal opportunities, each with the same amount of capital, their theatres were located in neighboring cities of almost identical population. Advantages were shared, alike, and both had invested, brimming with enthusiasm, energy and hope. They had met often during the interval, but the one was too fully occupied to talk, and the other too greatly discouraged to care about conversation. Now the first had made a proposition to the second. "You can have the house just as it stands, and I'll be tickled to death to walk out to-morrow." said the sorrowing one. His companion thought deeply for a moment before replying. "You won't get offended, will you, Jerry," he said, "if I first ask you a few questions before I tell you whether 1 am sufficiently interested, at your terms, to buy you out?" "Xot a bit, Jim. I can tell you the whole story in four words — the business iMi't here. I wouldn't like to stick you with this dead horse proposition, but you say you're willing to take the chance, so that lets me out." "I've made you a proposition," rejoined Jim, "but honestly, old fellow, I'd hate awfully to know that you have quit a failure. We've had more or less in common the last two years and perhaps I can help you out of the hole." "Well, what do you want to know?" his companion asked, somewhat nettled at the other's patronizing but kindly attitude. "Who was your first manager here in the Orpheum?" "Ted Smith." "What theatre was he in before you employed him?" "Xone that I know of. I asked the architect who drew the plans to send some honest young chap around to see me because I needed a manager. Smith came over the next day. He looked honest, his recommendations were good, and the fellow who owned the harness shop he was then working in, told me he was a hustler, so I put him on." ^ ^ ^ ^ JIM'S memory flashed back over two years, and he smiled, rather grimly, as he recalled how both he and his companion had launched into the motion picture business, their only stock in trade being the money they had saved by diligence, strict economy, and perseverance in their respective positions. Jerry had been part owner in a butcher shop. Jim had made a half-way success of a livery stable. "And how did he get along?" "All right," rejoined Jerry. "He was on the job every day, and there never were any errors in his cash when the show closed." "What exchange did you rent from?" "The Fidelity, down at Thornton. I scouted all around this district, looking for a good service that wouldn't break me in rentals, and they finally promised to send me Being a True Story by J. J. Raymond, General Representative of the Gordon Bros. Amusement Co., of Boston, Mass. a four-day, fifteen-day and twentyeight day, and one commercial for thirty-five dollars a week. It looked good, and so I took it." "Did you know anything about the men in the exchanges? Were any of their other accounts successful? I am not criticising the exchange men but I would like to know whether you looked them up enough to find out whether they were in a position, financially and otherwise, to give you the film service you needed." "Why should I worry about the exchange? I had enough to do. looking after the house. The price was all right, and the stuff got here on time, excepting an occasional repeat, or when a train was late. Gee whiz, do you think I went down there and criticised the crowd that shot the reels out? Not much! I've got sense enough to look after my own end. They know how to run an exchange or they wouldn't have been in business." "How are they getting along now?" Jim smiled slightly, as though he anticipated the answer. "Oh, they closed up about six months ago. Said there weren't enough exhibitors in this part of the country to get the rentals they needed to make expenses. So now I'm getting service out of Dalewood." "Know anything about the Dalewood Film Exchange?" "I said I wasn't poking my nose in anyone's business but my own," Jerry rejoined, his voice sharp and insinuating. Jim took another tack in his questioning. "TI7 HAT have you done in the way VV of advertising?" "I carry a lit J. J. RAYMOND tie ad in the paper, get out heralds I buy from the exchange, and once in a while stick a poster in the window of some vacantstore." "What kind of a machine have you got?" "The best ever. A brand new , motor drive and all. It's a dandy, too. Runs like a top, with hardly any noise." "Ever have any trouble with the light?" "Say, that is a funny thing," replied Jerry, quickly, his eyes showing their first interest in the conversation. "The light gets dark about half way through every reel, and leaves a sort of dim, flickery border all around the picture. It's not bad, though. No one has kicked. I've noticed lately, too, that the picture gets out of frame every once in a while., I asked the operator why, but he couldn't figure it out. Maybe it'll quit after a while. One nice thing about that motor drive, the operator can be rewinding the reels while the machine is running. It saves a lot of time, and the cost of a boy to help him. Wouldn't be without it now for the world." "I suppose you have good music?"' continued Jim, his eyes narrowing after each question had been answered. "Say, I've got a little girl in front of that music box that can shake out more ragtime in a minute than any two others. The way that girl can hammer the ivory is marvelous. Had a violin player for a while, but he got sick, and doctors said he had to have outdoor work, so I never looked up another one. Besides, it helps cut down