Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1919)

EXHIBITORS HERALD Film Export Business in Crisis As Foreign Exchange Rate Drops Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars Reported Tied Up In Foreign Banks— No Relief in Sight Declare Men in Touch With Situation NEW YORK, Nov. 22. — After struggling desperately for months against the difficulty of the low rate of foreign exchange the film export business during the past week has been brought face to face with a critical situation. Fortunes Tied Up In Foreign Banks Due to the rate of exchange which has been constantly dropping foreign buyers have quit entirely forwarding remittances to New York and hundreds of thousands of dollars are tied up in foreign banks. An authority in the export field said today that from all indications this adverse condition is liable to continue indefinitely. JUNIOR KEID, The little son of William Wallace Kcid, Paramount-Arteralt star, who is appearing; in pictures with his father. Wallace Reid's Son To Appear in Film Youngster Will Have Part in Father's Latest Picture "The Bear Trap" For the first time on any screen, William Wallace Reid, Jr., son of his dad, famous star of Paramount-Artcraft pictures, will make his appearance in "The Bear Trap," Will M. Ritchey's picturized version of Byron Morgan's clever auto race story, a continuation of the adventures of Toodles Walden, et al, who appeared in "The Roaring Road." William Wallace, Jr., who is two and a half years of age, is to play Toodles Junior in the picture which Sam Woods is directing. Already he is giving indication of following in his dad's footsteps; he takes to the camera like a duck to water; he isn't a bit shy and doesn't look into the lens. Great things may be expected of the youthful scion of the house of Reid for lie comes of talented parents, his mother also being a clever and popular star of the screen. Attend Capitol Theatre NEW YORK.— Two hundred members of the International Trade Conference, representing Great Britain, Italy, France, Belgium and the United States, attended the performance at the Capitol Theatre, Saturday night. To Open in February EMPORIA, KAN.— The new Strand theatre, costing $40,000, will be ready for occupancy by February 1, according to H. A. McClure, vice president and manager of the Strand Theatre Corporation which has leased the building. The rate of exchange is always a vital matter in the export business and the disparity between the value of the dollar and foreign moneys now creates a condition against which exporters are powerless to operate. Pound Is Worth $3.99^ On November 20 the rate of exchange reached its lowest ebb and an English pound being worth exactly $3.99^2, which is the lowest point ever touched. French money made the tow record of 9.75 francs for $1.00 off 5 centimes as against a parity of 5. 18. 13 and Italian remittances climbed 13 centimes to 12.57 lire per $1.00 whereas in normal years 5.18.13 represents their value in the United States. The same falling off applies to Norway, Sweden, Denmark. Hit by Censorship Laws Another knockout to the film export business is due to the fact that the Scandinavian countries have inaugurated a supreme board of censors from whom there is no appeal, and to protect their own products they are so severe on American pictures that after a picture has passed their examiners, it is only fit for the scrap heap. Some of our most prominent exporters have complained bitterly about this condition. J. B. New Chaplin Print Reaches New York; Is Fourth of Series "A Day's Pleasure," Charlie Chaplin's fourth million-dollar production, made for distribution by the First National Exhibitors' Circuit, has been delivered to First National's executive offices. In this picture, for one of the few times since he has been on the screen, Chaplin appears as the father of two bouncing twins, the husband of a dimpled wife and the owner of a battered-and-bent automobile of popular make. The theme of the production follows closely on the thought that often a day of recreation is the hardest day of the week. Starting out in the family flivver Chaplin undertakes a trip to the country. He gets no farther than a street intersection when what is declared to be one of the most ludicrous series of comedy incidents ever filmed takes place. The family journeys fourth to the river where it joins the merriment of an excursion. A rough voyage, a negro jazz band, hot buttered pop corn and typical _ iiar lie Chaplin fight are some of the incidents that make this angle of "A Day's Pleasure" one of extreme delight for an audience. pwunaiiiiniiiiiiniiuiiM 1 "Can't Be Done," Is Right ( To EXHIBITORS HERALD: Did not receive my copy of "Exhibitors Herald" this week. If my subscription has expired (which I believe it has not as it seems that just recently I O Kayed a bill to our main office for the ensuing year) send me a bill and I will forward check. How do you think I can hold my reputation as one of the livest exhibitors in the Northwest unless I receive your most valuable paper promptly every week? | Can't be done. I Very best wishes, | Very truly yours, | (Signed) BERT GOLDMAN, Manager, | New Princess Theatre, St. Paul, Minn. ^nmrnnmiimtiiiiiiiitii iiiiiinunitiiiiiiitni iiitiinnim nnmuti nifiiinniiiiniitniirifiiiinii imuniiiti nnnmiiimn nninhnnuminnniiimiii nlini nmm iiimnRiinfii niimif im innn rnnmnmnininitiininmiintii:i iiniinnmi^ 57