Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1929)

1244 M o I i o n P i c lure X World Tour of Trackless Train Ends After Four Years of Travel Interest of All Peoples Evidence of U. S. Leadership in Films and Equipment MOVIE fans and theatre owners of the whole world pay flattering tribute to American rilm producers and equipment manufacturers bv the recognition, found in all lands and quarters of the globe, that so far as movies go "if it's American it's the best," according to the man who piloted the mobile ballyhoo that has set a new record for theatrical exploitation — the M-G-M Trackless Train that was brought back to Xew Vork last month by Edward Carrier after three and a half years of travel that took him around the world. Carrier and his Trackless Train, accompanied by his wife, his son and mechanic William Parsons, "made tracks" over 15,000 miles of the earth's surface and shipped over 32,000 miles of water to visit Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain. Italy, South America, the Argentine, Uruguay, Brazil. Chile. China, India and Northern Africa. In every city and hamlet through which he passed with his mobile exploitation conveyance ballyhooing Metro-GoldwynMayer pictures, Carrier and bis train were greated by crowds as large as tin population of the places could make them. Everybody, it seemed was interested in this personal representative of American movies. "Theatre men throughout the world." Carrier said, "an' equally enthusiastic about American-made theatre equipment and tin Amerii -Is of operation." This remarkable feat of exploitation wa started in March, 1925. Launching The M-G-M Trackless, train arrived back in the States last month. Onright. Broadway greeting to returned traveler. Below, the Train in the shadow of the Great Pyramid. Lower left, in Australia, crowds addressed by government official. out from Indianapolis, where the Trackless Train was built, Carrier and his mechanic began a tour of cities from there to Xew Vork. Then he set out for the West Coast, which according to the original plan was to be the final objective of tin.' tour. However, after a zig-zag tour across the States, the evidences of public interest in the Trackless Train decided William Ferguson, exploitation chief of the company, to interest officials of the organization in continuing the tour about the States and then shipping to Great Britain and from there continuing around the globe. Accordingly in May 1926 the Train was 1 nit aboard the S. S. Minnewaska and with Carrier in charge started around the world. The crowds thai gathered to view the unique conveyance at cities in the nl States an<l Canada, were duplicated when the Train appeared on the streets of European cities, and later on the other continents it visited.. Under its own power it traveled 15,000 miles, carrying on over the sands ot the Sahara and the mountains of South America as faithfully as it ili<l on the im proved motor roads of America and Europe. The result was that of all the appointments which Carrier made to appear in different cities and towns on an appointed hour to participate in a civic demonstration in honor of the Train's visit, only one such appointment was not kept on time. Carrier and his train arrived an hour or so behind schedule in one of the German cities, after a mishap caused by a bad spot in the road going over a mountain. In addition to receiving the honors of official visits from the royalty of many lands and the government chiefs of all, the Trackless Train went to work for the motion picture theatres in every locality it visited. Theatre men welcomed the opportunity to impress the Train and the veteran and skilled exploiteer who was in charge of it, to publicize their playhouses, and in many instances to act as ambassador to officials or groups not altogether in sympathy with pictures and therefore the source of many difficulties encountered by exhibitors. In each country he visited. Carrier said, there was the most conclusive evidence from public and the theatre operators that the product of Hollywood represents the cream of the motion picture entertainment available in the world. Equally tirm was the conviction that the best in theatre equipment and the machinery of presentation was designed ami built by American manufacturers, and every effort to obtain it is made by theatre operators with sufficient resources ami sufficient cause, based on the potential box office possibilities, to operate quality houses. Carrier recites main exciting experiences, and there were many hardships as well as many occasions which called for a high degree of skill in diplomacy. He brought tack with him an autograph book which contains the signatures of all ot the world's leading figures as well as the important government officials of alt countries. Though it has traveled 15,000 miles, consuming 15,000 gallons of gasoline the (Continued 011 page 1249)