Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1945)

May 5, 1945 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Wei come Back, Ned This week saw the return to activity of Ned Depinet following his long illness and convalescence. We are happy to report to his army of friends that Ned is looking better right now than at any time we can recall for the past few years. These have been — and are — trying times for men in top executive posts in our industry. They have had to burn the midnight oil and put in hard licks for the war effort. But they should also remember that their value and services in behalf of the war eflFort will cease altogether if they work themselves to the breaking point. Welcome back, Ned! It was swell seeing and visiting with you. Shifting Sands One amazing point brought out in the visit with Depinet was his statement that although revenues are high all over the country, the western territories are showing definite advances over other areas — continuation of a trend that has been noticeable for some time, according to the RKO distribution chief. For many, many years the biggest portion of the national gross was coming from the eastern states. Now the flow seems to be in process of leveling off for the country as a whole. This is a very good sign and portends for the future a better balance, geographically speaking, of the nation's business volume. And opinion in many quarters seems to indicate that this leveling off process is not merely "for the duration" but will continue into the future. Take The Ball, Boys Current war news may make your Seventh War Loan efforts a bit tougher at the start, but the ball has to be carried down the field to the goal, regardless of the obstacles and difficulties that may stand in the way. Fortunately, we have a good, level-headed committee at the top of this campaign and the same holds true of the field forces working throughout the country. Sam Pinanski, in case you don't know it, is a regular guy and a lot like you yourself, Mr. Exhibitor. He knows, by practical experience, what you are up against and he's trying his darndest to give you every possible help in framing a successful bond-selling campaign. So brush off all those rumors about bonds being tough to sell this time and set your sights for top sales. Curves Ahead As a result of a survey made about eight months ago — at about the time reconversion first became a very hot topic — it seemed fairly evident that when the boom conditions started to ease off, grosses at the big first run houses, might taper back slowly. This need not mean a falling-off in the national gross to any great extent but rather a shift of business with attendance in the key cities flowing away from the extended first runs to the second and subsequent runs. If, as and when that comes to pass it will be a good thing for the industry as a whole and the subsequent runs in particular. Any trend back to the later runs is bound to have a good effect on exhibition in general. Tear Down . . . Or Build The building up of exhibitor goodwill is rarely, if ever, a matter of one season or one picture. But there still exist some supposedly smart executives who believe that for this, that or the other reason, their company is entitled CO be classed with the top companies and thus entitled to demand the same terms and rentals for the occasional good picture. They seem to forget that certain top companies got that way over a long period of years and a succession of successful seasons during which their customers made money while they made money. Some wag once coined the phrase that you have to crawl before you walk. If you try to rush the routine you generally end up bowlegged. And who wants bowlegged pictures, anyway? New Dress We introduce with this issue a new cover design, not merely for the sake of change or the purpose of doing something different — however much such action may bring in a bit of freshness now and then — but rather because we believe we have found a means of more pleasingly and more effectively expressing the editorial policies which are translated into print inside the covers of this "Service Paper of the Motion Picture Industry." It will be noted that we have retained the general character and the service features (including the listing of titles of pictures reviewed in the issues — as originated in this field by STR). —"CHICK" LEWIS