The Washington times., 1916-04-01
PhotopIay Exchange Manager
Tells How Films Are Sent
From Theater to Theater.
NEEDS EXPERT HANDLING
Pictures That Are Shown In
Washington One Day May
Go to Richmond the Next.
BY FRANK B. sPURRIER,
Manager, Washington v. s. l.. Z
Exchange.


One AZ the angles OF the moving
nieture business which the general
public IL probably not cognisant OF
IL the routing md r'ok'ng of MINIS.
when the average motion picture
n~aron sits in q theater at half-past
zen ar quarter TO eleven at night Hee-
ing n MIXTURE, he does not realize
that this same print win probably
n. working at 2 o'clock the next att
~,nnon from 800 to 400 miles AWAY.
One of the most important and seri-
ous problems confronting the ex-
change manager 10 to seciro the
greatest degree Of efficiency In his
hooking and shipping departments
An exhibitor In Washington who 10
disappointed In not recsivrg his
shows has the advantage over his
brother exhibitor In a small town. IN
that he aimply goes to an exchange
and secures an emergency show. an
ncunces on his screen that the show
that was advertised failed TO arrive.
ss,d. outside Of a, few individuals
making a few sarcastic remarks.
that IN the end Of the matter.
Small Town Exhibitors Problem.
But the exhibitor down in the
small towns OF North Carolina and
virginia faces an altogether different
and a more difficult problem. In the
majority Of instances he has adver-
tised a special feature for from ten
days to two weeks in advance on his
sueen, with heralds, putting out his
paper and using newspaper space lib
eIEIly.
When the train pulls In ami tho ex-
press agent announces that his show
Is not there, he naturally becomes
aamewhat excited. Usually his first
recourse n to the long-distance tele-
phone. He is absolutely helpless, re-
cniise he cannot secure an emer-
sency show and his house Is dark.
The general pdblic. or at least q
great part Of 1t. Is very skeptical
Ind often very unfair in remarks TO
the local exhibitor. The exchange
manager looks up the trouble and
finds that his exhibitor has no show
for various reasons. 1t Is possible
that the express company has failed
to set the show OF, or routed it
wrong. In justice. however. to the
express companies this very rarely
happens. for films are handled un-
der q special arranGement, and the
best service and the closest atten-
tion is given to getting them to their
destination In the shortest possible
tina.
However, Il mny be that the show
was not routed correctly. or that the
shipping department OF the exchange
shipped Il by the wrong express
company. 1t sometimes happens that
the shows become mixed end the
wrong Ehow Is shirped to the ex-
hibitor. To reduce these mistakes
tent problem confronting the ex-
change manager.
Follow Regular Circuit.
This is especially true OF an eS-
change releasing features. Where
an exchange releases a general pro-
gram the shows leave Washington
and are put on n circuit. ore on
hibitor forwarding to another. ana
unless the train is late or tho exhibit
tor fails to make shipment. they
usually arrive at their destination
in good time. But with the feature
exchanges II is an entirely different
matter. The show NAV play WASH
ington tonight. Raleigh, n. G.. to-
morrow. ard Wilmington, n. C.. the
following day.
The average exchange handling
hiEh-class features want their
at least every third time played.
Unles this Is done the film gets to
he in bad condition. as they need
constant attention to be kept in
hrst-class condition. A film may
arrive In the Washington office at
I o'clock in the afternoon and must
be inspected and reshipped on a