Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1919)

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EXHIBITORS HERALD ^^tauattiutiiimiujjiiiij] iiuiitiitiiiiiiiiMiiiniiiiiititiiiiiiiiiiitJiitMUiitJiiiiiJiJiriniJiMiif JiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiririiiiiiiiiiariiiiititiiiitiiitittiinxiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiniitiiixiiiiitiiiiiiiJi LiuiiitiiiiMjiiiiiiiitiiiiiTiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiitiiniiiiiiiiT* ^= I KNICKERBOCKER RAISES PRICES | Nashville Theatre Uses Antia Stewart Film To Introduce Advance Ad missions and Plays To Capacity Crowds Throughout the Week iamroniiiMirauMiuuiHiiiiiM NASHVILLE, TEX X.— The Knickerbocker Theatre. Nashville's handsome photoplay house, under the management of Harry Sudekum, has put into permanent effect an increased admission price, which is thirty cents for all seats at matinees and fifty cents at evening performances. These prices exceed the scale of any motion picture house in this territory, and equal the admissions which have been asked in the past only for special feature attractions. The experiment by Mr. Sudekum, in establishing the higher scale, has been watched with great interest by other exhibitors in this territory, for many of them are facing the same condition which caused Mr. Sudekum to make the change. This condition is the inability to pay the increased cost of properly staging feature pictures, and other .increased expenses, on the scale of prices which had been charged. Heavy Newspaper Advertising In arranging the nev/ scale Mr. Sudekum did not have greater profits in mind, but arranged for the outlay of the entire proceeds of the increase, based upon the Knickerbocker average attendance. The improvements consisted chiefly in an enlarged house staff and a bigger orchestra, as well as a more generous use of advertising space. He put the new policy into effect at the beginning of a week's run of Anita Stewart in "The Kingdom of Her Dreams." Large newspaper space was used in advertising the First National attraction, but no other unusual exploitation was employed. The audience on the opening night was a little larger than those of the usual opening nights, but before the week was over the theatre was doing capacity business. Naturally, the week broke the house records for receipts, but it also established a new record for attendance. Sudekum Discusses Move Manager Sudekum in disussing the new plan of operation for the Knickerbocker, expressed his approval of high prices for quality pictures, saying that it was beneficial to exhibitor and patron alike. "By charging thirty cents for matinees and fifty cents for night performances," he declared, "the manager is assured of a reasonable profit and a sum sufficient to cover the ever increasing cost of exhibiting photoplays. By this same plan, the audience is assured of getting the high grade pictures which only higher admissions will permit, and getting them new and in good condition from the exchanges. The matter of booking quality films is not nearly so easy as it was years ago when the art had not advanced to its present stage, and the fact that we are charging higher prices is but conclusive proof of the fact that we desire to do our part by our friends, the public." Mr. Sudekum's sound version probably will have a far-reaching effect among exhibitors of the south. "The Midnight Bride" Scheduled for January One of Vitagraph's first pictures in 1920 will be the "Midnight Bride," which has just been completed by Gladys Leslie. Based on "The Marriage of Little Jeanne Sterling," a magazine story by Charles Stokes Wayne, it affords Miss Leslie another opportunity to demonstrate that her talents do not run entirely to comedy. As Jeanne Sterling she has quite the best role selected for her since Albert B. Smith, president of Yitagraph, gave her a serious part in "The Girl Women." William J. Humphrey directed the picture. Realart Star Aids In Safety Campaign Constance Binney Prominent in Detroit "Accident Prevention" Drive Constance Binney, whose first starring vehicle, for Realart, "Erstwhile Susan," now is being booked through Ohio and Michigan, gave Detroiters an illustration on November 11, of how not to cross that city's perilous streets. The occasion was the inauguration of Detroit's "Safety First" campaign, which ran for a week. Detroit's local news weekly service requested Mi^s Binney to pose as part of the campaign propaganda, and asked her to select her own way of conveying to the public the dangers attendant upon crossing busy streets at places other than intersections. Selects Dangerous Corner Miss Binney selected Woodward Avenue near Grand River Avenue as being the best location for the picture. Police records show that most of Detroit's traffic accidents occur at that corner. The Realart star crossed the street in the center of the block disregarding the traffic semaphore warning, apparently bent upon a shopping tour. An automobile whizzed by her at a rapid rate, almost running into her. A mounted policeman then galloped up to her and administered a well deserved rebuke, handing her at the same time a printed card issued by the campaign officials. Officials Thank Star Prominent police officials witnessed the filming of the picture, and afterwards expressed their appreciation for Miss Binney's contribution toward the campaign for making Detroit streets safe for pedestrians. The local news weekly, known as the Free Press Film edition, circulates among seventy-five leading theatres in Detroit and an equal number of motion pictures houses throughout Michigan, making a total distribution of one hundred and fifty theatres in the state alone. IS THIS ALLAN DWAN'S MASTERPIECE? Typical scenes from "Soldiers of Fortune," which is acclaimed in the East as Allan Dwan's greatest production. It is founded on Richard Harding Davis' story and was dramatized by Augustus Thomas. It was made at the Mayflower studios. Realart Pictures Corporation is distributing the production. 65