Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

January 6, 1945 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 7 Glory Enough for All The motion picture industry begins this year of 1945 with the grace and good fortune of having its merchandise in great and popular demand. It also begins a year that will pose many problems for the men and women who occupy posts of responsibility in all branches of the business. Given the former condition, the latter circumstance can and should be merely a challenge to individual resourcefulness and achievement. So far as it is safe to appraise the near future, it would seem that the problems to be wrestled with this year will be pretty much those which have asserted themselves with increasing insistence during the past two years; with, of course, continuing presence on the scene of those perennials: taxes, pulling and hauling between distributor and exhibitor over prices, availabilities and clearance on films, percentage and preferred playing time. But if the main problems are familiar, several of them will be in much greater degree knotty matters with which the bulk of the people in this industry — those in the exhibition branch — will have to come to grips. That means there will be opportunity for many to reach new heights of accomplishment by winning out in the struggles that lie ahead. While every indication is that there will be much "velvet" for some, it is certain that there will be a chance for all to win glory in the worthwhile endeavor of overcoming the handicaps and attaining even greater stature for whatever particular enterprise engages the talents and energies of the individual. Among the problems that will have to be licked by the theatre branch is: Picture Shortages It is abundantly clear that as, of the present, there will be fewer pictures turned onto the market this year. Hollywood schedules are beginning to show very noticeably the natural results of conditions under which key theatre runs are able to get along with much less product by playing longer engagements per picture. Moreover, Hollywood is continuing to move more and more in the direction of curtailment of more modest production while giving the green light only to those pictures that have the elements which make for type "A" picture results when the final scene is shot. That sort of thing could lead to considerable difficulty for the producers and distributors as well as large numbers of smaller theatres whose custom, or picture-buying business, cannot — we believe — be written oiT as undesired or undesirable without serious eventual repercussions on the whole business. However, there is evidence that the old law of business is working a corrective effect — this being in the concern which Hollywood is showing about the mounting costs of production. The evidence is in the fact that at least two ambitious productions have been expunged from studio schedules because of the costs involved in making them. But there is another fly in the ointment. It is the fact that: Fewer Cost More That is so because production budgets prove that while studios turn out a smaller number of features, the total annual outlay for production is above that of former seasons. In this development there lies a sharpening of the problem of the exhibitor who finds picture costs 'way out of line with his gross take at the box-office. Nevertheless, it is certain that these pictures which cost more to make are going to be offered to the exhibitor at prices higher than he previously paid. Fortunate are those exhibitors who will be able to tackle these problems by frontal (or elemental) assault — which is by the expedient of charging the patrons more to see the pictures — for the solution of the rental problem— and of swinging over to occasional policy of single featuring and extension of running time. But there are large numbers of exhibitors who insist that they cannot raise admissions; and equally large numbers who have very convincing evidence that their drawing population, so to say, just isn't large enough to admit of playing fewer changes a week. One matter that will be worth watching this year, as always, is that of: Local Tax Proposals On-the-ground action, with good planning before action is even started, will be needed in many towns and states this year. Taxes will be to the fore, and unless theatremen in their own areas get together and work as a unit to combat the proposals for unfair imposts upon their business, there will be many a "distress case." The shut-down on racing is expected to stimulate moves by legislatures in some states to look to the theatres ("the rich movies") as a source from which to recoup some of the losses from tracks that are now closed. It is a good time for the industry once more to practice what many of its leaders have preached from time to time in the past — and that is to put the kibosh on all "dollar pubKcity." Those stories about "big money" may make easy leads for the publicity boys to write — but they produce headaches for everybody eJse in this business.