Wid's year book (1918)

-o Awakening of The Exhibitor I sincerely believe that the most important happening or development in the industry during the past year is the awakening of the exhibitor to a sense of his real position in the industry. This awakening has taken the form of a realization that he, the exhibitor, is in reality the foundation of the motion picture structure, in view of the fact that his investment is the only permanent one in the business and that upon his efforts depend the development and expansion of the market for motion picture product. With this realization the exhibitor has also discovered that the control of the industry cannot be in the hands of any one faction if the industry is to continue and to grow, unless such faction has complete ownership of all branches and consequent responsibility. He has discovered that it is absolutely illogical for this control to be as it is now -in the hands of producer interests, which only seek to perpetuate themselves by the control of transient elements, such as books, plays, directors and stars, whose value is not fixed, but con¬ tinually fluctuating. And, exhibitors as a whole, I believe, appreciate that it is unreasonable to suppose that producer interests can continue to dominate when their sole idea is to make all of the pictures required for the trade, rather than to adopt a system of encouraging production of quality on a competitive basis which, by the process of elimination wall do away with the unfit or poor material and encourage new product from sources not controlled by at present dominant producer groups. Although the exhibitor is awakening, history, recent and old, shows that co-operative movements, coming about spontaneously among the exhibitors themselves do not work out successfully and the exhibitor is in great danger of placing himself once again under pro¬ ducer control in a new form by supporting co-operative plans, the results of which are painted so glitteringly as to be not reasonably possible. \ It has been stated that I personally object to producer control, just because it is producer control, and I be¬ lieve this to be as good an opportunity as any to state that this supposition is entirely erroneous. I do not object to producer, or any other control, so much as to groups of producers controlling the business when their sole desire is for the perpetuation of their own schemes “and organizations, rather than to encourage and promote progress and the advance of quality in all branches of the industry. Any control which definitely encourages new ideas, new blood and progressive steps, in other words which is vital and which will definitely advance all of us as a collective unit, I firmly believe in and will support regardless of its origin. WM. W. HODKINSON, President W. W. Hodkinson Corp. Increase in Entertaining Pictures To my mind the most important happening of the year in the motion picture industry is that the producers have at last awakened to the fact that the public wants to be amused rather than horrified and the rapid strides the producers have made in the last few months toward the making of more light, wholesome and clean pro¬ ductions. Here’s hoping that they may continue. With cordial regards and best wishes, I beg to remain, H. M. CRANDALL. Crandall’s Thentres, Washington, D. C. Stories of a Higher Type To my mind the most significant developments in the motion picture industry in recent months have been : An apparent development of the public’s taste for the better type of pictures, the increase in the better type of film dramas, a higher type of stories, the disap¬ pearance of the audience that formerly awaited the salacious or “strong” dramas. I feel that the companies that have pinned their faith on cleanliness are coming more fully into their own. As to the types of stories that seem to have gained the greatest popularity with exhibitors and the public, I have seen the steadily increasing popularity during the past year of the comedy drama that is packed with action and “situation,” the popularity of the romantic melodrama that is skilfully presented and screened with good taste in better environments than have hitherto been associated with the thought of melodrama. In distribution the noteworthy tendencies have been increased economies, more sane business management and the realization that war-time conditions made it imperative for the elimination of wasteful practices of the past. SAMUEL GOLDFISH. President Goldwyn Pictures Corp. Doubling of Rental Prices I suppose that you think my idea of the most im¬ portant thing is the distribution of big productions at a fixed rental price of $10, $20 and $30 per day, but old top, I am going to fool you. While I do not think that this is the most important happening this year, I do think that it is one of the important things for the exhibitor to look forward to in the future. Aside from this I do not know of any¬ thing else important except that from the exhibitor’s standpoint (and I happen to be one), I find, upon sign¬ ing contracts for my theatre, they are asking nearly double the rental price this year for the same stars that I played last year, and I cannot figure out how the exhibitor is going to make any money, when paying it all out for pictures. I sincerely hope that someone else will have nerve enough to come out with a fixed price for pictures and thus get the picture industry down to a sound basis and out of the sky-rocket class. Unless this happens, I do not believe the producing or distributing of pictures will ever be a safe investment for anyone. Just a minute! I made a little mistake. On second thought, and looking at your letter head. I believe Wid’s Daily is one of the most important happenings of the year. With best wishes to yourself, and hopes for big suc¬ cess for your publication, FRANK G. HALL, All Interests Under One Head In my opinion the most important event that is taking place in the motion picture industry is the amalgamation of all the interests under one head during this last Chicago Convention. To me this is tremend¬ ous in its scope and offers unlimited possibilities. S. L. ROTHAPFEL, Managing Director, Rialto and Rivoli, N. Y. City.