Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-11-25
MOVIE INDUSTRY
IS CUTTING COSTS
Business Maintained by OrdI-
nary Picture Rather Than
"Super" Films.
RY j. G. ROYLE.
lisnatch to The Star.

srecial Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, November 25.-The
indoor amusements, which so far THIS
Fall have fallen far behind the out
door sports from business and rev.
enue standpoint, will begin to come
really into their own in the next week.
None can doubt the present-day pop
u,aritv of the movies, vet many pro-
duCers. distributors, theater owners
and exhibitors are bewailing the fact
that increases in costs have been
heavier than increases in patronage.
The movies now rank as the fourth
largest industry in the country on the
basis of the volume of business done
annually. Some concerns engaged IN
it have been able to systematic oper-
atoms to such an extent that much
of the gamble" which for centuries
has been connected with the amuse
ment game has been removed. But
even these have not been entirely sue
ceSSful.
Battle for Patronage.
BY variety OF programs presented
and relatively low prices of admis
sion the movie theater men have been
able to build up n fairly stable and
constant volume of attendance. How
ever, recent cuts in admission prices
in this and other cities have shown
that all must battle to maintain
patronage.
The control of the production, dis
trihution and exhibition of moving
pictures is in the hands of a few large
corporations, but even with them the
"hlOck booking method Of diStrihu,
ton and the attacks on it promise to
he a stumbling block. Demand for
more elaborate variation of program
is another obstacle TO profits. while
salary demands from box office at
fractions show no sign of diminishing
despite threats of general salary cuts
Added costs of production have fol.
lowed demand by the public for i'm
provements involving better materials
for stage settings and costumes.
Cut Down Forces.
Contrary to general belief. the lead
ers of the industry say that the bust
ness is maintained by the ordinary
picture rather than by the super-pro-
duction. 1t is only an occasional pic
ture which shows an out of the Ordi-
nary profit.
Instead of cutting individual sal
aries, some concerns have cut the
number of workers employed and are
studying ways to gain individual eff
ficiency. Salaries count for about 81
per cent of the production dollar. in
Guiding directors and cameramen,
while sets cost 19 per cent, scenarios,
10 per cent: raw films, per cent,
and costumes. 3 per cent. Rent. trans
portation and overhead take up the
rema inder.
The situation with the legitimate
stage production, as usual. is spotty
There is no theatrica season but has
few successes and many failures. Pro-
auctions costing many hundreds of
thousands of dollars have gone into
the storage warehouses here this sea
son never to appear again.
Stage Activities Dwindle.
There is no doubt, however, that
the legitimate stage activities have
dwindled sharply throughout the coun.
try, although they have expanded
sharply in New York In this city
there is theater seating capacity for
we'll over 100000 people. These are
housed in movie as well as legitimate
theaters and some are filled three
times a day. Approximately 900 900
persons attend the theaters on each
week day.
The indoor skating Kinks in most
cities are preparing for a big season.
not only from an increa sed volume of
individual skaters. but from the
crowds which are f!ocking to the
hockey matches, which have become
Increasingly popular.
Basket ball as a spectacle has lost
none of its pulling power and a fine
season for this sport is anticipated,
especially throughout the Middle West
Indoor polo will ride high on the wave
of interest aroused by the interna-
tional matches this Fall Recent box
ing matches have failed to produce
the crowds expected by promoters. but
this is perhaps due to lack of class
in contestants and a lack of clever
matchmaking.