Projection engineering (Jan-Dec 1931)

e d i t i a OCTOBER, 1931 HOLLYWOOD COSTS THE September meeting" in New York of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America and Allied States Exhibitors' Association, participated in by representatives from eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, was heralded as a campaign to deflate Hollywood and "save the motion picture industry." It is noted that when the harrassed exhibitor, struggling to show a profit, stages a protest against his costs, he usually makes much of the reported fabulous salaries paid to performers and executives in Hollywood. When costs are being analyzed it would be constructive to have at hand figures showing all of the outgo in Hollywood. For instance, it may be disclosed that taken as a whole the studios use in a year forty million linear feet of lumber; $200,000 worth of paint; 10,000 paint brushes ; seven million square feet of wall board; 100,000 yards of burlap; 5,000 tons of crushed rock and cement, 10,000 tons of plaster, etc. This is aside from the large sums paid out for electrical equipment. It is stated also that approximately twenty billion watts of electrical energy are consumed annually, and that 11,000 working hours of building trade labor are used daily. The lumber purchased in a year would be sufficient to build 2,600 five-room homes. If some of the money spent by certain moving picture companies to ballyhoo degrading "sex" plays and gangster pictures were expended in showing the American people that here is a great materials consuming industry, a healthier regard for the business might be developed, which would offset some of the present widespread criticism. MATERIAL FOR PICTURES T IS reported that Earl Lockwood has departed for what is left of the Indian country in the Canadian Northwestern provinces for the purpose of making a dozen two-reel films. There is a wealth of material in the Canadian west awaiting the inquiring camera. While there are still alive old timers in the Saskatchewan country who could assist in reconstructing the stirring battles with the Indians, at Duck Lake and Batoch, in 1885, the camera and the microphone should be given opportunity to make the records. The outstanding' public approval of "The Iron Horse," "The Covered Wagon" and "Cimarron," should point the way to other like fields of promise. Recently we saw the manuscript of an account of Champlain's first attempt to follow the Indians across America "to the shores of Cathay." There is more of real history, more of gripping adventure, and of wholesome entertainment in the gun play of the Seventeenth Century in New France than in all of the cheap, cowardly modern gangster pictures which during the past year have caused a storm of protest from thinkers who are concerned with the education of American youth. In the alarms and excursions of high adventure what trek surpassed the journey of Woolsey across Canada to Fort Garry years before the railroad was projected? Here is historical material at hand for the filming — -material of a nature worthy of the new art of pictures with sound. Good luck! to Mr. Earl Lockwood. A GOOD SUMMER IT IS reported that for the week of August 9, gross business in all R. K. O. theaatres broke the high record for the circuit. The gain was about $90,000.00 over the previous week. In Detroit, Mich., seven theatres were running all night shows. In one week in August Warners' First National products sales are said also to have set a new high record. Fall is coming — and Christmas ! fhJULy/mfU co\. Editor