The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-03-08


exchanges and IL 10 this distl
theater in the country with q
at rentals within their eapsei'
one may gather scms idsa 81 The
sxtensivsness 81 the film business
when n 10 known that appruxi-
mately % wholesalers. or dis,ribu-
tors. make iA.ooo. 600 individual
film shipments from exchanges 10
theatsrs In the United states each
year.
Theater operators pay rent for
the fiims they exhibit. either a.
rectly or In the form of psresn-
tages Of the gross business done.
These rentals range al the way
from $4,000 for first run IN .
leading thsatsr IN one Of our great
cities to but SIS for exhibition Of
the same identical picture In some
remote village picture house. Rem
tails are naturally based ea the
profit possibilities OF each indiyidu-
al house in which the pictures are
shown. In each case. the public
secs the same picture regardless a
the price paid Tor admission er scr
rental.
Net I'll picessrss ars shewn
N al theaters. One picture
preduced BY . ssvea company
may show In io.ooe uAsassrs
n shs country. whals Aseehss.
unAs esnrsng ~ sanns seassa
- ~ eArss company. sey
play n ie~s than half MAT
number. Thers are hts a Pic
lures made In Hollywood
which are never shown In Ia
coma. Not tho hcticr encs. 10
he sure. hut pictures. tst Ne
same.
As an example; You win re-
member State Fair" the picture
which starred WIN Rogers. That
picture played IN s.1so thssters.
while After The Ball" made by
the same company. played IN but
2,osi theaters.
How often have We heard the
cry. Why doesn't Hollywood give
us finer pictures -
Perhaps the answer 10 that
question lies In the fact that
thoater operators do mot find
such pictures profitable and.
Of course, thcater operator
has TO make profit 10 stay
In business. just ~ does any
other business man. In other
words, he must give his public
what u wants or quit!
We may best bring out our
point by giving the figures on some
OF the so-called finer pictures
"Winterset," Pulitzer prize
play, was rejected BY 5.2be thea
tsr.
a midsummer Nights Dream.
~ shakespeare. was rejected BY
z,sIl theaters.
The Green Pastures another
fuiitzer prize play. found 1905
eshipitors VINO Couldn't make any
money on II and refused to play H.
Treat Expectations, a Charles
dickens STORY was refused by e.
$50 theatersi Quality Street" by
1857 theaters, and Under Your
speii, with Lawrence Tibbett In
the leading role, by z,lS5 theaters.
On the other hand. fewer
than 20 exhibitors rejected or
cancei'ed bookings on the fol-
lowing pictures The Last
6angster,' "fier Jungle Love,
bad Man OF brinsione,"
Little Tough Guys" frank
enstein," -Dracuia," "AIcs-
tax" and Angels With Dirty
taoes.'
To appreciate this Importance Of
these statements one mus, rsmsm-
Der mat thsatsr operators sx-
Pefiehceo ihshesf operhton, can
Just about tell how much business
they vii do with q given picture
even before u IL shown They
know their public, they know what
typs Of pictures ara In fayof Al
the time, which stars are good
box office. and which are not You
would marvel at the accuracy Of
thsir predictions,
] have heard . local fbe.tes
man sAy That picture ~ont
draw peannts," or. speaking Of
the star OF certain preduo-
ton, He's bo1 offios poisoa.
III never pay the light ban
With that guy ON ny sefssn-
-. and he doesnI