Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1922 - Mar 1923)

January 20. 1923 EXHIBITORS HERALD 49 NEWSPICTURES Duplication The occasional protest against duplication in newspicture editions is without foundation. All newspapers cover the big news, but the best newspapers carry it first and best. The best newspaper carries also the most and the best small news. The same applies to newspictures. Duplication is, in most instances, a matter of service. The newspicture, like the newspaper, is a service institution. * FINAL EXTRA* INTERNATIONAL NEWS No. 3: Dublin •ids Final Farewell to British Troops — Ocean ,tonn Baffles Rum Sleuths Off Long Island — ,mbassador Harvey Comes Home — Italy's New Embassador Calls at White House — Winter Winds opple Chicago Church Steeple — Locomotives ace at Altoona, Pa. — American War Ship Saves )0 from Burning French Transport — Territorial pecials. INTERNATIONAL NEWS No. 4: American ^d Allied Flags Protect 25,000 Exiles Leaving onstantinople — Dr. Emile Coue Arrives in New ork — Ambassador Harvey at White House — kate by Flare Light on Lake Placid. N. Y. — lameda, Cal., Firemen in Training — Motor Boats ace Off San Pedro, Cal. — Atlantic Fleet Leaves ir Panama Maneuvers — Trained Cheetahs Stalk intelope for India's Notables — Territorial Speak. i KINOGRAMS No. 2212: Ambassador Harvey orae — Noted Spanish Dancer Arrives — William | Leeds and Royal Bride in U. S. — Margaret llhams, English Artist, Here to Paint Harding ortratt — Chief Justice Taft Meets Senior Cirlit Judges — New Italian Ambassador at White °use — Dorothy Cannon, Chicago Girl, Inherits i 0,000,000— Frank Moran Trains in Paris for ight— Berkeley, Cal., Kiddies Have Tin Can Tchestra — Two Irish Consuls in Bloodless War Uniontown. 111., Woman Observes 112th BirthlX — "President Adams." U. S. Mail Ship Arves in Cherbourg — Girls Frolic in Snow at righton Beach — Territoral Specials. KINOGRAMS No. 2213: Doughboys on Rhine lay Santa Claus to German Kiddies — Cavalry rill at Presidio — Skating Stars Race at Xewrgh, N. Y. — U. S. Bluejackets Save 730 From urning French Transport — British Chancellor ere — Dr. Emile Coue Arrives in U. S. — Dictor of Moscow Art Theatre Arrives — Secrery Fall of Department of Interior, Resigns i*om Cabinet — Territorial Specials. PATHE NEWS No. 3: Allied Conference of emiers Breaks on Reparations Problem — Motor )ats Race Off Los Angeles — Unearth Treasures Pharaoh's Tomb at Luxor, Egvpt — Dr. Emile >ue in U. S.— Turkey Has Modern "Joan of c"— Berkeley, Cal., Kiddies Have Unique Jazz ln<J — Paris Taxicab Decorated and Placed in useum — Biggest Monument in Italv Repaired Milan— Skaters Frolic at Lake Placid, N. Y.— -Tntorial Specials. SELNICK NEWS No. 1107: "Divine Healer" ves in Cave on Coast at San Francisco — Paris .xicab Decorated and Placed in Museum — Sallv ilgnm Fashions Displaved — U. S. War Ship scues Passengers of French Transport — Will >gers Remarks on News of the Day — First Picres of Princess Hermine, Former Kaiser's ld* — "Sports to Suit All Climates": Winter orts at Jackson, X. H. : Football at Miami: otor Boats Race at San Pedro. Cal.— Dr. Emile >ue Arrives in U. S. Newspicture Resources Barely Tapped; Apathy General Among Showmen "The Chicago Tribune" for January 8 carries 81 motion picture theatre advertisements. One of these mentions the newspicture in a single line announcing : "News and Comedy.'' "The Chicago Herald and Examiner" for the same day carries 63 advertisements. The same theatre, the Harper, carries the same line. It is doubtful if any of the theatres represented fail to include a newspicture in the program. Why the secrecy? The answer to that question is the explanation of the occasional monotony in the newspictures of the week. There is very little encouragement in these statistics for the manufacturer of newspictures. There is no indication that exhibitors care in the least whether the product is good, bad or indifferent. Exhibitors know better than this. Newspicture merit is required by the booker, insisted upon by the patron: yet the exhibitor who pays for it and pays well, calmly ignores it in his advertising. A dense apathy is accountable. Chicago newspaper space, it might be argued, is expensive, yet the Harper theatre finds its newspicture worth a line of it. Several other theatres find their organists worth one, two or three lines. It is not probable that the best organist in the city, and there are excellent ones, is worth as much in an advertisement as the mention of one good item in the newspicture of the week. Several of the theatres advertise comedies, a few by title, and a few by title and star, others simply by the word : "Comedy." Certainly the comedy is worth this display, or more, but as certainly the newspicture is worth as much. Clearly the newspicture is not omitted simply because it is not an exclusive attraction, for neither is the comedy or feature exclusive save in the minority of ads that represent the first runs. Why the discrimination? If there is a tenable exhibitor alibi it is obscure. It is not mentioned along Film Row. Chicago showmen do not reveal it upon interrogation. In all probability the fault is mainly a matter of habit. In all probability its correction will follow only upon one leading showman's successful exploitation of a newspicture item neglected by his competitors and the consequent packing of his theatre. This can be done, and readily. This week, for instance, many Chicago theatres will show International News No. 4. This edition shows the arrival in this country of Dr. Emile Coue. whose writings have been published in two Chicago newspapers serially and whose curative ability has been the subject of countless stories and several editorials. Chicago knows Dr. Coue. Further, a great many people are earnestly applying the principles he advocates. Clearly, many would like to see him in that striking semblance of life in which he is revealed by the newspicture. Such a line as: "Arrival of Dr. Coue — In Newspictures," would cost very little, would bring returns paying for itself many times, would perform a real service to patrons. Yet there is practically no probability of the line being used. The Chicago case is not exceptional. It is very nearly typical. Rectification lies wholly in exhibitor hands.