Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-16

in the small towns. Monogram is an
other company which depends upon
this small-town patronage and pro-
vldes economical features, and Uni
versal also caters to the cinemas of
limited capacity.
To eliminate the double feature
1t will be necessary for producers,
distributors, chain theater operators
and Independent exhibitors to agree
on program, and it is doubtful
whether the ban can be enforced
without the power OF an executive
order from the President or legis-
lation. Mr. Mellett's recommended
tons can be traced partially to the
fact that many small exhibitors nav
for the Government shorts but put
them on the shelf and do not run
them. They take up time required
for double features. The chain
operated theaters of the big pro-
ducers make it mandatory with
managers to run the Owl shorts
and other abbreviated reels pro-
duced to stimulate the prosecution
of the war.
Poll Favored Two Features.
According to Pollster George Gal
lup, the American people do not
want double features eliminated. He
took some extensive samplings for
RkO on the habits, likes and dis
likes OF moviegoers. The American
Institute of Public Opinion con-
Quoted 1874 surveys for the picture
company and made some interesting
findings. Among them:
That IS per cent of the picture
audience bolts its food before $50
pm. and has plenty of time for
double features. Ninety per cent
have dinner before 7:3O pm.
That only per cent of the COL
lective movie audience is kept out
OF the theaters by double features.
People are overwhelmingly for
double features in towns where this
is a practice. Single-feature towns
are against them.
In New York City, which has both
single and double feature programs,
the Gallup pollsters found that So
per cent of Gothamites were for
the dual program.
The average age of the habit
moviegoer is 10 years, boys and girls
in that classification buying 2,O80,-
600 admissions weekly. Drafting of
Americas youth has probably
changed these figures.
People over 80 give the picture
theaters only IS per cent of its take.
The typical moviegoer is q years
OF age, with average earnings Of $28
per week.
Poll Taken in 1910.
These Gallup samplings were
taken in 1910, and war conditions
have probably changed the perspec-
tive. At the time of the poll the
canvassers found that 81 per cent
of the movie audience was female,
that men went to the movies alone
more often than women. The poll
placed the number of regular movie
goers at 54,275,OOO weekly, which
figure is disputed by the Hays Office,
which sets. weekly attendance at
80,000,000. Since December 7, 1941,
authoritative box office figures show
more Americans are seeking enter
tainment, further reflected in
amusement taxes collected by Uncle
Sam. These latter figures show that
the motion picture industry in 1912
will be well over a billion dollar
business.
Mr.. Mellett has grappled with one
OF the industry's long standing and
battling problems, with many remi-
fications to be broken down before
the solution is found. His first big
hurdle is producer operated and
controlled theaters. If they are
sincere these exhibitors will begin
the reform. There are reasons to
believe that they are giving lip
service, are unwilling to launch an
innovation that might restrict at
tendance. They also fear indie
pendent producers will make quick
les to supply the double feature
market, thus cutting down their
revenues. Drastic restriction of raw
film may eventually provide the
answer Mr.. Mellett is seeking.
Buck Jones Is Coming.
The cigarette in the green pack
age that has gone to war, means
that the Government has taken over
all green dyes for Army camou-
f1age. Containers soon will be
white.
X X X X
Young America will probably be