Salt Lake Telegram | 1928-12-30 | Page 35 | Defends Talkies

I Defends Defends' Talkies I 11 j A P S' S SF I a I 0 i JI i r t I t l I r v J- J 1 n D D. D W W. Griffith offers his criticism of the talkies By D D. D W W. GRIFFITH HOLLYWOOD Cal There The There has been a great deal of ot discussion concerning concerning concerning con con- the to bad Judgment being used b by many producing companies COmpanies companies com COm- in casting aside almost completely completely com Com- the silent picture for its more recent outgrowth the talking film The condemnation seems to be based entirely on the fact that there are now only about theatres theatres theatres the the- atres in In inthe the the United States equipped to exhibit sound pictures It would seem that In their zeal to enter the sound picture field the pr producers are losing sight of ot the tremendous market still open to the silent film namely about theatres The real facts however are not what the they seem 1 LOG OF AVERAGE FILM In the first place the average successful successful successful suc suc- picture plays only or of the total theatres in this country Of the the- total theatres played by this average successful I i film tim approximately 8 80 per cent of of the then gross income is derived from th the first 2000 houses These theatres the the- atres all aU come within a group known as first run first run and second second-rui houses It is easy to understand such a division of ot revenue when one considers con con- con considers considers siders that in the case of ot a picture pic plc- picture ture grossing one theatre in New York produces produce about 80 one in Chicago about one in Los Loa Angeles about i ione one in Detroit about and so soon i ion on right through the list of large I cities Finally FinaU when the picture has exhausted exhausted exhausted ex- ex hausted its earning life it is quite certain that an accounting vII wll show SO 80 per cent o of its total in income Income income In- In come earned in the first 2000 the- the i acres atres reL I j In many cases a producer selling a film to exhibitors does not make any profit on the last thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand or more contracts sold Th The return from such contracts usually Is not sufficient to cover the depreciation depreciation depreciation de de- on the cost COt of ot the print and the sales expense RELATION TO SOUND FILM All ot or this bears a v very important relation to the sound picture Problem problem lem and Justifies the producers' producers at attitude attitude attitude at- at in not devolving a scheme whereby the small exhibitor can af afford afford afford af- af ford to equip his theatre the for sound films The theatres now equipped for talking pictures are all within the group which produce 80 per cent of a films film's earnings Those which will be equipped within the next nett twelve months Just about complete this group Therefore It is quite apparent that producers must de deliver deliver deliver de- de liver what those houses demand and they are demanding sound pic pic- tures O Of course there are smaller In Independent independent independent in- in dependent producers who will continue continue con eon to make silent films for silent theatres And when the march of pro progress ress advances beyond that point then the silent house will become become become be be- come a sound theatre or go out o ot of business