PATHE FRERES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1681, 22 February 1913, Page 5

PATHE FRERES.

CUT OUT THE MIDDLEMEN, /

FILM TRUST ALLEGED.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Oopyrlsh ' Londort, February 20. Owing to Patlie Freres' decision ' abolish middlemen and deal dircct witi exhibitors, so film-renting firms threatei a boycott. It is estimated that thirteen lnilliei pounds is invested in the United Kingdon 1,1 in kinematograph shows, to which ther are tirenfy-eiglit million, visiters weeic/y. A a SHOWMEN'S PROTEST, i- Sydney, February 21. id A meetinj of the Picture Showiiicn'i Association carried a strong protes j, against the Film Amalgamation's allege! rj attempt to prevent the purchase of film: lt ] outside the amalgamation. •e BEHIND THE SCENES. ;e ;—- if THE -PICTURE SHOW BUSINESS. _ There aro no fewer than sixty-livi *e fii'ins in Great' Britain (says n writer ir the "Daily Mail"), whose business it if £ to buy and let out films on hire, wllih , another distinct business is done by some forty manufacturers and agents in London from whom the buyers and. hirers gei r. the films. The picture passes through it 'Many hands before the public- see it, "hen ready to be shown it is first of, all taketi to tlie .manufacturers' or agents 1 premises,_ where a private theatro is fitted for showing. Its coming is'duly announced to the buyers, who attend at specihed times to see it. If ;the picture is a particularly good one, and one which it "i , ,v draw the , public, they _ book so mniiy copics. Tlie price 'paid is usually forirpdnce i>er foot, so that li '' buyer booking a thousand-feet film will 0 pay fcbout JJIG for tho copy. Naturally f if a only one copy is bought the manufacturers would lose heavily, as it is impossible 1 t0 produce a fairly good story-'of 500. feet _ under a- cost of about .£•«). Some idea . of the possibilities in tho way of uioueymoking in a good film may be gauged by ■ f" o ' that, recently a firm of -itrents in W ardour Street sold in Ixmdon -140 copies ■ ol an Amsriqan picture for over.-^OOO. Ihe picture is held for what would be considered to-be a lon* time Iwfore tho ' take ,t. Usually it is. a month. [ it it is a big film—a long one 'of three 1 V nc - h .;° f a thousand feot-thn. agent i il! l I Hvo nioiiiiis be'. r o ho releases' it. When lie iwc-ivcS it lie fixes a '"release" "date. On that (lay, whenever it may. be, it will bo seed at picture theatres, but not before. If a copy Should be delivered to hiiy: exhibitor before that date it would tie a breach of contract. Pictureg which are \Sm ,r U - aM imm. qmtely following arc' callcd "Brst rim" pictures. They are in the bost of (oni - S 1 ' 0 ?, and. entirely free, from' blemishes, Usnallrthe very- best houses get the'first ru P- Where, as is ofien the Case, a circuit of picture theatris irelongs to one ■firm, ths_ great-pictures go the roil/id of i the circuit- in the order of the - money- I drawing capacity of each house. 1 - Then after being, shown in-the'bust clrtss' o/l house, they come kick ,to.the hirers. -The picnires are ihen second-hand, nnd tite rencly to be,sold at a iiiueh i'ediiepd price or hired out ngmn to tho cheaper theatres. Renting'prices of films usually run,, it rtboiit per 1000 f<et the first week- fif ppr, 1000 fret tho second, ntul 10s. the third. , Tho vnluoiof a film, for showing drbps on the average by 10s. a week, the period'of shVwinp beine three t at each theatre. The buyer's pr/co is about m. per 1000 feet so tlmfc ho would need to let out At leasi four copies before he would see his money /jack.