Variety (July 1915)

CABLES on ENGLISH COMPLAINT AGAINST AMERICANS ' LACK OF INTEREST The Complaint It Because America Does Not Import More English Film. English Circuit Manager Explains Objection to Six-Reelers. Says Famous Players Is 39 Releases Behind Oyer There. London, July 20. The managing director of one of the largest circuits of cinema theatres in Great Britain, with which is affiliated a picture production enterprise of con- sequence, was discussing with VarietvJs London representative recently the general situation, and especially mar- ket conditions that exist on both sides of the water. Among other things, he said: "England is necessarily an open mar- ket for the reason it is the dumping ground of aH the pictures of the world. We are therefo/e in a position to pick and choose. For instance, we have a committee of three men who do noth- ing else but view pictures all day long for the theatres on our circuit. These men see on an average of 250 pictures a week, out of which but 14 are se- lected; so you see, so far as supply goes, we are in an enviable position. You in America have approximately 25,000 picture houses to less than 5,000 of ours. You naturally require a larger output to supply this enormous market and we can pick the cream of your productions. "There is one thing we are fighting as hard as we can, and that is the six-reel features. We try to keep ours down to four wherever possible, al- though often compelled to use longer ones. I think that American exhibit- ors foolishly educated their public in- to looking for lengthy feature subjects, which interfere with their takings. For instance, if a visitor to a cinema en- ters the house in the middle of the second reel he or she will remain through the remainder of the run and again through the entire picture. They therefore interfere with the Riling of the house more often. We figure that with one and two-reel subjects people will remain sometimes only an hour and depart, leaving room for fresh patronage. Every time we show a six- reel picture we calculate a difference of $250 a week in the takings of each theatre. "We have one increasing problem with respect to our producing enter- prise that we find it very difficult to solve. It is generally conceded that we make features as fine as any turned out in the world. Your own paper, in reviewing them, has frequently said so. Yet we cannot secure a footing in the United States. We have given the mat- ter careful study and can only con- clude it is not the desire of the Ameri- can to encourage foreign features. In our opinion they figure every penny contributed toward the support of foreign productions helps to build up opposition. This may sound far- fetched, but you will be compelled to give it some credence when I tell you that of our own knowledge there are not two British film producing com- panies today making a profit. The English market is not big enough to yield sufficient returns to pay for the expenditure entailed in making a fea- ture. Without the sale of a number of copies in the States we are badly handicapped. "As before stated, the English ex- hibitor buys anybody's pictures; but to prove to you that we make equally good films here I will state to you as a fact that the Famous Players is 39 releases behind in England what they have marketed in America. It is not a matter of price, but a preference for some of the things we create." An American could not agree with the assertions made by this English cinema man. If it is true the Famous Players is 39 releases behind over there as against their American re- leases, it would seem the reason for this is the smallness of the market in England, which is unable to assimilate the fast output of this American con- cern. The Englishman's statement his committee sees 250 pictures a week and only uses 14 is evidence in itself it is impossible to use everything from America. Yet when the war broke out and temporarily tied up the foreign market for American film, the manufacturers on this side claimed that through the expensive picture productions then having been made, with the European field in prospect, their profits had been practically cut off, as the American trade could but return the cost of pro- duction and operation. Some picture people have since disputed this state- ment, and say that at present or at least in Great Britain there is no re- straint upon the importation of Ameri- can pictures. In Varieties cables of this issue is a report the Metro has disposed of its foreign rights to a London concern that undertakes to release one Metro feature weekly, for 40 weeks out of the year, paying $3,500 down upon the delivery of each subject, and dividing with the Metro the profits made from the film on the other side. There is little doubt, though, that the war has clipped considerable revenue in Europe from the American feature film maker. FRANCE FOR NOVELTIES. London, July 28. Louis Nethersole has gone to France in search of novelties for Charles Dil- lingham's use in the New York Hip- podrome. If yoi^ron^TavertK^lii don't advertise. IN LONDON. London, July 13. Quite the most recent innovation which has manifested itself as a result ol war is the manner in which the Empire management entertains of- ficers and privates while in London on leave of absence. One of the regula- tions imposed by the men in command when granting leave of absence to those at the front is a strict order to wear the regulation army belt at all times and especially in public places. An old employee at the Empire, a re- tired soldier, has been loath to refuse admission to various men home on leave because of their neglect to ob- serve this rule. In order to make it possible for these delinquents to enter the theatre without first returning home at such an inopportune time, the ex-soldier politely informs them Man- ager Cochran has a supply of regu- lation belts in his office for such con- tingencies and the negligent soldier is cordially invited to make use of one for the evening. News of this inno- vation at the Empire is said to have spread to the innermost recesses of the trenches to such an extent that it has advertised the Empire theatre and its production of "Watch Your Step" throughout the entire armies of the Allies fighting in France and Belgium. It is a reasonable hazard that Hall Caine will break into print with some sort of a tirade during August. This conjecture, an odds-on gamble, is based upon the announcement a new play by Caine will be produced in the early fall. This clever little self-ad- vertiser is bound to take up something to call attention to his wares before offering them for approval. Speakiifg of personal advertising, the lack of interest shown in theatricals is due to the insatiable desire of actors and actresses for social notoriety. This sort of thing tends to diminish the mystery surrounding the stage and to destroy the glamour that in former days attached to that branch of amuse- ment. Nothing is great at close con- tact and the hob-nobbing of artists with the general public has reached such a state the average theatre-goer knows full well that artists are only human beings. Unless there is a strong and con- certed attempt to improve the brand of the revues now touring the English provinces, the patrons of music halls will shortly grow extremely weary of them. Up to now practically every one of these revues is built along regula- tion lines and after a theatre patron has seen half a dozen he gets to know pretty much what to expect. The shows usually run about an hour and a half and are preceded by three very cheap turns which must be paid by the traveling company out of its share. There will shortly take to the road the original production of one of the most successful West End revues, with a cheapened cast, of course, which will consume the entire two hours allowed to a twice nightly show. This pro- duction originally cost $70,000 and when seen in the provinces will shine CLEMART DIES. London, July 28. W. H. Clemart, died July 23 of can- cer. He was secretary of the Variety Artists' Federation of England for two years, from 1908, until selected Chair- man in 1910. Clemart's name in private life was Cartmell. He was 50 years of age at death. In his former years Clemart v/as a ventriloquist. METRO'S ENGLISH IDEAL London, July 28. A deal involving the Britain and Continental exclusive rights to the Metro feature films of New York has been put through by Harry Cohen, rep- resenting the Metro over here. He closed with the Ruffels Co. to handle the Metro pictures, Ruffels guarantee- ing to buy 40 Metro features yearly, paying $3,500 and one-half the foreign profits on each subject, agreeing to re- lease one weekly commencing Jan. 1. Ruffels is said to have paid an ad- vance of $25,000 on the transaction. DE FREECES' SILVER WEDDING. London, July 28. The silver wedding of Vesta Tilley and Walter de Freece will be celebrated by the couple Aug. 16. KENNETH DOUGLAS REJECTS. London, July 28. Kenneth Douglas has rejected the offer made him by the Shuberts to appear in "A Pair of Silk Stockings" and will return to New York under William A. Brady's management, after the limited revival of "Ready Money'' at the New Theatre. Allan Aynesworth, who is also to appear in his original role of that revival, has recovered from his recent illness. MRS. CARTER GONE. London, July 28. Mrs. Leslie Carter has returned to America, leaving as mysteriously as she came. The presumption is Mrs. Carter could not obtain a postpone- ment of her Orpheum Circuit vaude- ville engagement on your side. Mrs. Leslie Carter commences her Orpheum tour next week at the Ma- jestic, Chicago. Edna Goodrich Returning. London, July 28. Edna Goodrich will sail shortly* for New York to commence appearing in a Lasky feature film she has been en- gaged for. Her departure and arrival in New York will be kept as quiet as possible, it is said. Elmer Grandin has been engaged to play the soap king role in fohan & Harris' "It Pays to Advertise" for next season. so brilliantly by contrast with other touring revues it will create a sensa- tion and incite the booking managers to demand other sensationally effec- tive scenic and sartorial displays. That will sound the death knell of the smal. -»rs.