The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

{ i y 4 The Film Renter and Moving Picture News QUUUUSVUCUSAUADUENNAUUE OD ULIOU UIE CUTTCTARDEDUSUUREARELECUDVODERVEDAUAUODUODARTTAST ACEC ADETEGH NACE ADAG OSTA AOTODT AAAI LONDON Phone: Regent, 1468-9. ‘Telegraphic Adiress: ‘‘Wrightads, Westcent, London," MANCHESTER Phone: Central, 5987. No. 490. SATURDAY. MARCH 31, 1923. SIXPENCE. ‘Thirteen Weeks Notice. which has now been issued by the C.E.A. to all its members, has been the subject of considerable criticism during the past week, both inside and outside the Association. Naturally, the criticism that most counts is from the renters who, after all, are the people that have to be satisfied. In this respect it is a somewhat extraordinary procedure for the exhibitor to produce his own contract, as we understand that the K.R.S. are now actually preparing their contract which they propose adopting for trading purposes. Almost without exception the one clause which has been seized upon in the Fair Clauses Contract is number six, which deals with the exhibitor’s right to cancel outstanding contracts, providing not less than thirteen weeks’ ~ Fair Clauses Contract, the text of notice has been given by the exhibitor to the. renter. It is safe to say that if the C.E.A. stand by this clause then the whole contract will undoubtedly be wrecked. From opinions we have gathered from leading renters in the industry not one of them will even consider the embodiment of such a clause in any contract which they adopt. As pointed out in our last week’s leader on this subject, this clause was certain to be the snag of the contract, and we are somewhat astonished to find such a cool method of getting over the change of proprietorship as the promoters have made in this instance. Without holding any brief for the renters it must be at once apparent to every fairminded man that this clause is one that no renter could possibly accept. It simply means that the latter’s business would be in a state of chaos if this clause were to come into operation. What is to prevent any exhibitor, to get out of an awkward situation with regard to films he has booked months ahead, merely turning the place over to his wife and having the films that he contracted for cancelled? The whole thing is so obviously in favour of the exhibitor and against the renter that it is a clause that under no circumstances whatever will be accepted by the latter body. There are so many good points about this Fair Clauses Contract that it is a pity that the drafters did not pay greater attention to this particular clause, as 1f insisted upon, or anything like it, it must mean disaster and the wrecking of the entire contract. Other clauses are contentious, but are hardly likely to be provocative of such discussion as this particular one will undoubtedly bring about. The K.R.S., it is known, have sat and deliberated over this contract for a very considerable time. They are just as anxious as the C.E.A. to produce a document which will settle the dispute once and for all, and clear this troublous matter out of the way for years to come. It is to be hoped that the K.R.S. contract which is now in the process of drafting will contain many of the clauses. which the C.E.A. have embodied in what is known as the Fair Clauses Contract. Candidly, we must confess that the cancellation clause will be the subject of much controversy on both sides. The renters have always insisted that when a hall changes hands all contracts must be honoured, if not by the new proprietor then by the old, and although there is bound to be a certain amount of give and take, yet I cannot see the K.R.S. giving way upon this thorny problem. At any rate the entire industry will welcome a solution of the contract trouble, and whether the actual contract comes from the K.R.S. or C.E.A. it is to be profoundly hoped that the contentious clause outlined above will not present any insuperable difficulty. The main thing is to get the matter cleared out of the way once and for all so that we can forge ahead for the business that undoubtedly awaits us.