World Film and Television Progress (1937-1938)

Controversy rages over two-feature marathon programmes. 1937 Bernstein Questionnaire returns show majority of cinemagoers in favour. American Investigation reveals opinion changing over to favour one full-length feature only. Hector McCullie, managing-director of Suburban Entertainments, Ltd., tells here of experience when visiting cinema to see Romeo and Juliet. grammes with Sir Henry Wood and Miss Nellie Wallace, the latter supplying the light relief calculated to make the programme attractive to all classes. The practice of running continuous performances from 1.30 p.m. to 11 p.m. is more condemnable than commendable. The cinema controller will tell you that it allows patrons to walk in at any time convenient to themselves. The cinema is thus accessible to patrons throughout the day. It also allows the cinema to present that type of entertainment that has become so standardised : "Two big feature films — three and a half hours of entertainment." How much more enjoyable would it be for the patron to be able to attend a separate performance of a film he really had a desire to see, and enter the theatre knowing that he would have five or ten minutes in a fully illuminated auditorium to become properly prepared to absorb entertainment by allowing the proper environment and atmosphere of eager anticipation to saturate the mind he has just brought in from the outer world of realities. The patron at a continuous performance sub-consciously takes the performance for granted — he has a knowledge that "this sort of thing was going on for three hours before I came in and will continue to go on not only while I am in here, but for three hours after I have gone — the operators and staff have got to be here, this performance is only part of the game." Curiously enough, in country and smaller provincial towns where life is not so much taken up by long journeys to and from work-a-day occupations, where life is easier and more hours of leisure available, the one performance per evening and the single feature programme is common. With the experience of controlling country cinemas, I can definitely state that the apprecia tion of the cinema patron who enters the cinema in an atmosphere charged with the curious expectation of the lights going out, coupled with the fact that the programme consists of a feature film really worthy of the name supplemented with a newsreel, cartoon film, and interest "short", is far higher than that of the patron who leaves his big city cinema, satiated and mentally confused by a surfeit of films good and bad. It is remarkable, that whilst lavish care and attention has been paid to making the patron physically comfortable (which he needs be for the long-sitting he is expected to endure), little or no attempt has been made to cater for his mental comfort. The three-and-a-half-hour patron leaves the theatre so overwhelmed by concentrating upon the screen for so long, that instead of being refreshed he is weary in mind and senses. Unlike the two-hours patron, who finds time and inclination to attend the cinema twice a week, he has had enough for a fortnight. And so, the highly-paid cinema executives have brought into being a "spoilt child" who, instead of asking for "more," finds the portions so large as to induce a very uncomfortable feeling within. I still have enough faith and confidence in the public to believe that they would prefer to be offered "quality" rather than "quantity." "Clean up" cinemas by: (1) Providing a maximum programme time of two and a quarter hours . (2) Abolish the "second feature," which at present dubiously justifies its existence as an occupier of time. (3) Abolish the continuous performance system, and institute one, two or three separate performances according to circumstances. The economic advantages of these reforms must be appreciated by those in control. Producers would have more incentive to make entertaining quality films rather than "second feature" time-fillers for which there would be no market. Renters would be securing a share of the proceeds for one good film as against one good film and a poor one which they either now supply or make a monetary allowance for. Cinemas would find that with such programmes they would reach a hitherto "untapped" audience, and the overhead expenses of operating their theatres would benefit by not running afternoon matinees at ridiculously low admissions to sparsely occupied seats. Empty seats I wish someone would start to-night. I have just been round to my local cinema, intending to enjoy Richard Tauber, but before passing the box-office, the lurid publicity informed me that a gentleman called "Schnozzle" Durante was "supporting" him. I am not clear whether Tauber was supporting "Schnozzle" or vice versa, but I was interested to have it explained to me by my young manager friend, the "wisdom" that prompted Mr. Durante being included to "satisfy everyone and provide the 'necessary' light relief." The "wisdom" was responsible to-night for quite a number of persons including myself, allowing Herr Tauber to display his admirable talents to empty seats that were meant to softly caress our haunches, whilst our minds and senses received refreshment and satisfaction. FRANK CAPRA Frank capra deduces that British pictures have a market abroad, particularly in America, because he has seen queues waiting to get in to Henry VIII in dozens of small towns in the United States. "It is plain enough they want to see British pictures," he said, "so why do you make copies of Hollywood films? You must have a Mr. Deeds of your own. He's a real American." "We have," I told him, "but, you see they don't frequent the places where the magnates go to lunch." "That's all part of your amateur attitude. You think a palace of a studio makes for good pictures. It doesn't take anyone in who knows the business. Why the only studio that's consistently failed in Hollywood is the beauty — marble halls and swimming pools. It has been changing hands all the time. "Pictures aren't a snob business, they're entertainment, and," he settled himself deeper into his chair, "if you want to say something serious once in a while, then do it through comedy or fairy tale, anything but the pulpit attitude. Look at Disney." He began to talk about Lost Horizon. He thought he had made plenty of faults in it. He looks upon it as an experiment and he was annoyed because the French office had cut out ten of the most important minutes ; the main crux of the discussion between Conway and the Lama and also where Maria became an old woman. "They don't think it's pretty! Well, it's the last of my pictures that'll be shown in France!" EFFICIENCY EXPERIENCE REPUTATION STABILITY WE have plant costing £10,000 at your service —that's EFFICIENCY WE have recorded over 900 films —that's EXPERIENCE WE are the leading recording studios —that's REPUTATION We have been established for five years —that's STABILITY IMPERIAL SOUND STUDIOS 84 WARDOUR STREET Gerrard 1963 MOBILE SOUND TRUCK AT REASONABLE TERMS