Variety (December 1914)

40 VARIETY FILM BUSINESS IN ENGLAND By STANLEY W. BISHOP (Of Bishop, Pessers & Co., Ltd., London). London, Dec. 10. When our thoughts should be of the succulent turkey, the luscious plum pudding, and all the fun and frivolities the greatest festivity the year pro- vides, it is hard to turn one's thoughts to the stern realities of business life and more so to the horrors of war. The first bombshell of the declara- tion of European war caused conster- nation in every walk of life in this country, and fears and doubts of every description were rife on all sides. When the "smoke," as it were, cleared away, and we were able to see things more clearly, many doubts were dis- pelled and many fears allayed. The film trade recovered from the first shock with wonderful speed. Im- mediately warlike preparations were afoot, the ever-alert movie man was on the job with his camera, recording events that will pass down to history for all time. As a natural consequence, as soon as the results of his labors W. D. THOMAS. A newcomer to the field of filmdom is W. D. Thomas, manager of the Mica Film Co., dis- tributors of the Kriterion program. Mr. Thomas comes from the commercial world, having been advertising and sales manager of the U. S. Linen Co., Chicago. were in circulation, the masses, money or no money, could not stem their ap- petite for sensation nor their curiosity to see what was actually happening. The newspapers told them many things they could not believe; at the picture theatres were recorded actual events they could believe, thereby once again demonstrating the immense edu- cational value of pictures. The South African war did more to bring the cinematograph to' the front in this country than anything else. It started the ball rolling and the pres- ent terrible upheaval will surely give it further impetus. Following the success of Topical War Pictures, British film manufac- turers were not slow to realize the pos- sibilities of patriotic dramas. Many were quickly on the market and their success was instantaneous. Then the rush commenced to make more, and yet more, and detail and plot soon suf- fered. British "Tommies" were made con- spicuous in deeds of heroism of the superhuman type, until the public be- gan to tire. Thousands upon thous- sands of men joined the colors and be- came acquainted for the first time with what is, and what is not, correct in military matters. They imparted their knowledge to brothers and sisters and friends, and before long gallant deeaa of fighting and WAR began to pale and bring forth laughter instead of cheers. And so the cheap and trashy War Picture is dying a natural and well-merited death, mourned by no one except perhaps the over-enterprising manufacturer. The majority of the picture loving public as before the war, is asking for good, rollicking comedy, and thrilling dramas; they are heartily sick of hav- ing War! WAR! WAR! served out to them morning, noon and night. This is a good thing for American manu- facturers, who, being non-partisan and able to provide stories that appeal to the taste of the British public, are get- ting a big share of the business. And what of the immediate future and after? The "movies" will continue to attract, come what may, and American films will comprise the major portion of programs in British the- atres. Why? Simply because they are making films the British public can un- derstand and like, and because Con- tinental manufacturers have been prac- tically "put out of business" by the war and will find it an almost impos- sible task to get back the position in the London film market which they held before it. In short, the war and all its accom- panying miseries and possible prolon- gation, notwithstanding, has not dim- med the horizon of the future of the film business, which holds out promise for both British and American film in- terests. WAR TAX CLOSING THEATRES. New York show managers and booking agencies are receiving numer- ous complaints against the war tax on the one-night stand theatres and in some cases wires are coming in can- celling dates already booked through the house managers closing rather than play and meet the tax payment. Less than a fortnight ago a few thea- tres uttered a long wail by letter, but paid the tax. A few others closed up, while last week brought the cancella- tions by wire. From the middlewest has come the hardest kick. In Iowa some managers say there isn't a chance of paying the $100 tax as the times are too hard, business is away off and there are precious few road shows drawing anything. One New York manager, who has two shows out west, got a wire from Big Rapids, Mich., confirming the en- gagement but asking the show owner to pay his theatre tax. HOW ADVERTISING SELLS PICTURES By CHARLES MORTIMER PECK (Assistant General Manager of the Balboa Amusement Producing Co., of Long Beach, CaL) If you think the picture business is "soft," and you are merely a man with a lot of money, but no experience, step in and see how quickly your bank roll will vanish. If there ever was a time when any one could embark in the game and then could spend the rest of his life counting profits, that time has passed. The picture business is a fine busi- ness and a big business, but it has progressed. It has developed to a point where experience is necessary— where even those who occupy high places must summon other energies to their aid. And one of the potent factors in present day motion picture success is advertising. In the few brief years of its life cinematography has outstripped other forms of amusement in the applica- tion of up-to-date advertising princi- ples, but the tremendous truth that ad- vertising will establish a brand of pic- tures in public esteem, has not been sufficiently recognized. The consump- tion of motion pictures, like the con- sumption of newspapers, is so rapid that there is no time in which to ex- ploit any particular picture, but it is possible to advertise and create a gen- eral demand for productions bearing a trade-mark that signifies quality. This function may belong to daily, weekly and monthly publications, but there is a distinct and very important function that can only be performed by publications of the class that Variktu represents. I advertise the Balboa company's products in trade papers because I want to find a market that will be waiting for them when they are fin- ished—want to build up a demand for them in the minds of those who oper- ate national exchanges. The price of negative ranges from II to $3 per foot. At the intermediate value a two-reel feature represents $3,000, a three- reeler $4,500 and a four-reeler $6,000. I do not expect a flood of purchasing orders with checks inclosed, which is the sort of results some advertisers look for, but I do plan to make the selling of Balboas easier. Advertising tills the soil in the neighborhood of 42d street and Broadway. It acquaints a field of buyers with Balboa qualities. It reminds them that the Balboa com- pany is a live concern with the blood of enterprise pulsating through its veins. They figure that a picture man- ufacturer who advertises possesses pictures that he isn't afraid to show. They reason that goods which are good enough to advertise are good enough to buy. Advertising begets confidence—the kind of confidence that influences a man to pay down his money. I know that no man will pay for pictures he has not seen, so I aim to discover the whereabouts of the pos- sible purchaser and arouse in his mind a willingness to give the representa- tive of my company an audience. If he does that and views what the Bal- boa Company has to offer, I know that I have received ample returns from my advertising. And the more I ad- vertise, and keep on advertising, the more surely will Balboas succeed. They will soon begin enjoying the cumula- tive effects of advertising. Those who have not given Balboas much thought will begin to sit up and take notice. They will learn through trade paper channels, for instance, that Charles Pathe has purchased a large number of Balboa dramas. They will discover, C H. PECK. in time, that the Eclectic Film Co. is to release these features and they will want some of them for their own use. As a matter of fact the Balboa com- pany has sold the entire output of its plant for months to come, but that does not mean that the Balboa com- pany will cease advertising. On the contrary a vigorous campaign will be continued throughout the year and the >ear to follow. And with Lieutenant Advertising on the job to help, I have no doubt about a prosperous future for the Balboa Co. "MATERNITY" FOR PRINCESS. There has been an unusual amount of secrecy connected with the rehears- als of Brieux's "Maternity" which have been in progress for the last two weeks. Richard Bennett has been con- ducting them while he was playing at the Hudson theatre in "Damaged Goods." It is said the production will go into the Princess. What will become of the Princess Players in the event of the Bennett piece going into the little playhouse has not been determined. FOX RETAKES WATERBURY. Waterbury, Conn., Dec. 22. The theatre vacated by the Loew Circuit a week or so ago, has been re- leased by William Fox, who first occu- pied it. The Fox people will take pos- session after the first of the year, with no decision yet reached upon policy.