We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
April 5, 1930
EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD
35
Those Who Sell ’Em and Those Who Play In ’Em
JOE GOLDBERG
General Sales Manager
RUBE JAKTER Assistant Sales Manager
in 1922. This picture starred Lillian Gish and Wallace Reid, two of the most popular stars of the day. It was distributed through the Robertson Cole exchanges.
Polly Moran enters Columbia history in the same year, teaming with “Smiling” Bill Jones in Carnival Comedies, the first two being “Nell’s Busted Romance” and “Why Wives Worry.”
Expansion Begins
In May, 1922, expansion first began. New studios were leased to produce more of the increasingly popular “Hallroom” comedies and a new series, Sunrise Comedies. In the same year Pathe took over the distribution of “Screen Snapshots.” “Heart of the North,” a super-special, is said to have received the distinction of being the first production to enter the foreign field, the rights going to Australasia. So far, C. B. C. stressed short subjects and adopted the slogan, “Short Subject Kings.”
May of 1922 found C. B. C. with six melodramas, which were released as “The Six Box Office Winners.” They were directed by Edward Le Saint, who produced many of the Fox super-attractions, and starred Rosemary Theby, Gladys Lake and Philo McCullough. Their titles were no less dramatic than “Only a Shop Girl,” “Sidewalks of New York,” “Pal o'Mine,” “The Lure of Broadway,” “Forgive and Forget” and “Temptation.” The first New York premiere of these “supers” occurred at the old Broadway theatre the last week in September, 1922. The picture was “More to Be Pitied Than Scorned” and was a tremendous hit. “Only a Shop Girl” contained players who were destined to remain in pictures for quite a while. The cast was composed of Mae Busch, James Morrison, Willard Louis, Wallace Beery, Estelle Taylor, Tully Marshall, Claire Dubrey, William Scott and Joseph Adair. “More to Be Pitied Than Scorned” was booked over the Lynch circuit, which included the awe-inspiring number of 29 theatres. Loew’s Warfield theatre booked “Only a Shop Girl” as its first anniversary feature on May 14, 1923.
Edward Belasco Joins
In March, 1923, Edward Belasco, younger brother of David Belasco, entered the motion picture field with “Her Accidental Husband,” followed by “Dancing Feet” and “Baldy of Nome.” They were directed by Dallas Fitzgerald and featured Miriam Cooper, Mitchell Lewis, Maud Wayne, Forrest Stanley, Richard Tucker and Kate Lester. “Her Accidental Husband” was
premiered at the Granada theatre in San Francisco.
During the same month, C. B. C. adopted the policy of securing the approval of its buyers on story titles. Synopses as well
as titles were submitted to franchise holders for suggestions. That is said to be the first time any company had consulted its buyers in the matter of production, and the resulting pictures, the first cooperatively approved productions. Questionnaires were sent to all exchanges and exhibitors. In addition, Hal Hodes made personal visits to all territories in an effort to learn public sentiment in reference to feature productions.
During the season of 1923-24, the name Columbia first appeared on the original C. B. C. product. Six productions, entitled “Mind Your Own Business,” “Innocent,” “Discontented Husbands,” “The Marriage Market,” “What About Children?” and Buyer of Souls,” were distributed through C. B. C. under the name of Columbia.
In June, 1923, the prerelease showing of “Temptation” was given on the Sunday night program at the George M. Cohan theatre in New York. At the same time it was given its premiere at the Broadway theatre.
During 1924 C. B. C. produced and distributed the “Perfection” series under the brand name of Perfection Pictures. These included “Women First,” “Fight for Honor,“Beautiful Sinner,” “Fatal Mistake,” “Tainted Money” and “Fearless Lover.” By the end of 1924 the name Columbia was firmly established in the public’s mind and the company was really underway.
18 Pictures in 1925-26
For 1925-26, the company announced 18 pictures, six to be known as Columbias, six to be called Waldorfs, and six to be released as Perfections. The Columbias were “The Danger Signal,” “SOS Perils of the Sea,” “Ladies of Leisure” (incidentally, the title of their latest special), “The Unwritten Law,” “The Lure of Broadway” and “Midnight Flames.”
The Waldorfs were “The Thrill Hunter,” “Sealed Lips,” “The Fate of a Flirt,” “The Price of Success,” “The Penalty of Jazz” and “An Enemy of Men.” The Perfections were “Fighting Youth,” “The Speed Demon,” “A Fight to a Finish,” “The Great Sensation,” “The New Champion” and “The Handsome Brute.”
Columbia’s roster of stars included Elaine Hammerstein, Lou Tellegen, Jane Novak, William Haines, Dorothy Devore and Madsre Bellamy, and its directors were Erie C. Kenton, Edward J. LeSaint, Frank Strayer, Reeves Eason, Jay Marchant and Tony Gaudio.
By 1926 Columbia had arranged, through extensive franchises, for national distribu
Dorothy Revier
Sally O’Neil
Molly O’Day
w
M. Livingston
Wm. Collier, Jr.
Evelyn Brent
dt1
i
Jack Holt
Pauline Starke