The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Jan-Feb 1923)

THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. KINEMA MUSIC AND THE P.R.S.—continued. thousand seats at a shilling each. What, in effect, this claim amounts to is this: The composer asks a percentage upon the kinema’s takings. Of course, this claim is neither legal nor just, but the P.R.S., being a monopoly, can make it, and sustain it. But there is a crowning injustice of which the P.R.S. is guilty. It will not permit you to make a selection of the goods it has to sell, You must take all or none. Mark Twain in his ** Tramp Abroad ”’ visits an island, from which he has to retreat to his ship owing to the rapacity of the inhabitants. He neither ate nor drank upon the island, but the hotel proprietor sent him a bill a yard long, in which he was charged a huge sum for a number of meals he had not eaten, and gallons of wine he had not imbibed. In response to his protests, the proprietor merely said the meals were there, the wine was there, the beds were there. He could have made use of all. If he didn’t that was his look cut. He would have to pay. This is the attitude of the P.R.S.: it says, here are our million or so compositions. You need not use them, but they are there for your use, and you must pay fer the lot, even if vou only use one. There is nothing just about that. The repertoire is so cumbersome, so difficult and expensive to catalogue that a customer who only wants a few compositions cannot be served. He must take the lot. One customer may use a hundred compositions, another may use ten. He does not pay for what he uses, but for what he does not use. The basis for payment, instead of being the amount of the commodity used, is upon the number of people who may or may not happen to be present when the commodity is being used. General Council to take Action. All this points not to the futile plun of free music, which breaks down sooner or later, even in the few cases where it is practicable, but to taking comprehensive action to destroy the stranglehold. In view of what has been already stated, there is no sound case for inercased fees, but exhibitors must be prepared to co-operate with the C.E.A., in taking effective action to resist their imposition. The final and effective method involves an amendment to the Copyright Act. The Act contains the principle of regulating fees, and we have many friends in the House now to help us. In the meantime, there is alternative action possible, which the committee appointed by the General Council will undoubtedly take. A just payment to composers for the product of their brains no honest person desires to resist, but the tyrannous imposition of the will of a monopoly upon the trade compels practical action. ITALIAN MARKET FOR “SHIFTING SANDS.” BIG compliment to the British production, ‘‘ Shifting A Sands,”’ is to be observed in the fact that the Italian rights for this production have heen eagerly sought after, and, as a result of the negotiations which have just been closed, *' Shifting Sands ’’ will be one of the first British productions to sind a market in Italy. Miss Peggy Hyland is a native of Spennymoor, and visited lier home county on Munday last. At the Scala Cinema, Heuton, she assisted the Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Alderman W. Bramble, at the presentation of prizes and trophies to the local Boy Scouts, prior to appearing at the trade show of ‘: Shifting Sands,’’ the Granville production in which she is featured. "Phone: City 5688. ’Grams: “ Prociaim, Manchester." CLARION i::** Roefoate eLoereate eSoeleefo-ate oo eho efe slo eo-ete alo ee eco ete ato osocte fe ale ate aloo ce & & “ & % & & & ee & Oo % Oo & % é & & & Oy & & a “ 9 & % ( & $ CHOSON S oe -<) “ we & de og © eo © Greetings } Se OY ee: % % + ke & “ : an $ “ ¥ Oy oe & ; ee e , .% “ p % Og ; “eo “o : & “ % Og : : & % : & “ & £10 ON€ ANA ALL. : % fe % Oo . Se y “ % & % % ee % % Mo Meets ot 2°, we bs Mo Prete Me ote oe Me te Moots Mo ote oe oe Me ha Mo Ga Mn Me tn Me aM na VP GP GO UP MOVOTO M0 O00 0,8 eee Coeee 50 90 10 OF 0,0 0.9 0,9 00,0 0.0 0.00.0 ee eS We respectfully request Exhibitors | to watch our Announcements in 1923. OUR OUTPUT WILL BE BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER. January 1, 1923.