UTTER TO TBE f.lHT*
Dear Editor:
A theatre juum -hport; -oi any
••mm unity In the best in:-.reels
•f all coweened it ir, the re- opnsi
Wlity of the theatre to bring top
notch entertainment to K’s many
patrons It is also the intent of
managt-iffeiU'to keep it’s patrons
veil infofthed.
Recently.t)je Orpeheum Theatre
found it not only necessary but
compulsory to raise admission
prices on general admission and
loge seats very slightly. Students,
12 to 15 inclusive, were favored
with a $ 40 reduction on each ad
mission. This reduction was accom
plished through careful planning
and consideration.
To understand why the local
theatre raised admission for adults
ten cents, including the tax, is
best explained by quoting the fol
lowing, which is taken from page
one of Harrison’s reports to the
theatre industry dated November
28, 1955. We quote word for word.
“There are-times in a man’s life
when ignbrahee is bliss, but in
business, particularly todays movie
business, it is the root of misfor
tune and an Invitation to disaster.
“No one has to tell you that the
excessive film rentals demanded
nowadys are your No. 1 problem,
because the distributors, who seek
to take advantage of your dire
need for product, think nothing of
demanding"hnywhere from *40 per
cent to 90 per cent of your gross,
(lepending on-how they rate their
individual piotures. Exhibitor Or
ganization ^theatre owners) are
preparing -an all-out fight to obtain
relief from excessive film rentals.”
A few years 6go pictures were
rented to a thegtW on a flat rental
basis. Today, sUCh is not the case
except in tery rafre instances. Each
picture is contracted for separate
ly and a guarantee b'f so much per
picture is paid,' but' it does Wcff end
at this point, a fcoxoffice report is
then filed with the distribution
company, iii' tfris case in Seattle,
they assegfc g 40 to 80 percent of
gross receipts'against the theatre,
the theaf^’ in turn pays the dis
tributor tiie "balance due them.
All expenses, such as Seattle
drayage, ocean freight, Kodiak
wharfage handling and drayage is
paid by the theatre, not once, but
two separate times, as the same
film must be returned to Seattle
and paid for on its round trip, by
I he local tiieatre. Again the charges
do not end at this point, but there
are short subjects such as Car
toons, comedies and other interest
ing short subjecls that must be
paid for separately, overhead taxes,
maintenance, help, etc. Plus ail
new installation charges against
renewal of existing equipment or
installation of the newest and
latest type of equipment in order
to present the latest in photo
graphic and sound in the movie
field.
The foregoing covers only a few
of the important problems that
must be faced and are being handl
ed by preset management in it’s
effort to bring the best in enter
tainment. We have set a deter
mined course of bringing nothing
but the b^st entertainment possi
ble. Alopg with all this we have
advance knowledge of some great
new improvements in the enter
tainment field that will stagger
the imagination. In fact a new de
velopment in Vista Vision to be
shown on January 19 and 20 will
be unveiled for the first time in
Kodiak with the picture “Hun for
Cover.H Soon the finest in another
process called Superscope will be
presented to Orpheum patrons. All
these devices are costly to install
and only highly trained technical
projectionists are capable of pre
senting these motion picture medi
umj properly. The O' . sum haa
■topped at nothing in order to
bring the bent In every conceiv
able way. These improvements are
brought at a very nominal, increase,
namely nine cents per ticket plu*
one pent tax to the paying public.
TftUy, this is a very low figure to
see productions costing in the mil
lions, that formerly were produced
for $100,000.00 on the average.
It is beleived that most of our
patrons understand that no theatre
with any semblance of intelligence,
arbitrarily raise it’s prices. Only
higher costs and technical advance
ments bring this about. To the
many who have favorably com
mented on our achievements and
presentations, we heartily say,
thank you, for your compliments
and understanding.
(S) John W. Fletcher, Mgr.
Orpheum Theatre
Poulsen & Schock Theatres Inc.
ENGINEERS CALL FOR BIDS
The Alaska District Corps of En
gineers is calling for bids for con
struction of steel framework tow
ers and additions to existing opera
tions buildings at Fire Island,
Murphy Dome, King Salmon and
Champion Air Force Stations.
Bids—under invitation 56-22—
will be opened Jan. 25, at 11 a. m.
in the Anchorage office of the Dis
trict Engineer.
The towers are to be built at
each location, and at Champion an
existing tower is to be painted.
Construction at the four sites
will run near the $1,000,000 mark.
Contractors are invited to bid on
any or all.
*Mir
m
c
-J*
For lb
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Si **
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