The Moving Picture Weekly (1919-1922)

20 The Moving Picture Weekly May 27, 1922 A Thousand Summer OF all the companies in the motion picture business Universal is readiest to help exhibitors when they need help; is most practical when the help is offered. Carl Laemmle, president of Universal, is morally convinced that for the last few months we have been slowly but surely coming back to normal. He is convinced tnat this improvement of our condition is permanent. He is convinced that this summer will be better than last if we make it so. And it can be done. Capitalize Showmanship Following his usual custom, Mr. Laemmle has given orders to his organization to devise a plan which will make it possible for those exhibitors wno don't expect to do more than hang on during the summer to make money, and make big money, and for those who under ordinary conditions would close up during the summer to keep open and thus pay for overhead and depreciation and living expenses. The following plan was decided upon and has Mr. Laemmle's fullest endorsement. It is a plan that capitalizes showmanship, a plan that makes it possible for a man who takes full advantage of it to make a profit proportionate to the amount of product he uses and the cleverness with which he selects his shows.^ There will be a very material reduction in rental charges and quite a saving in shipping charges through shipping an entire show in one can. Everything will be done to make the net to the exhibitor as great as possible by eliminating all the little expenses that can be doubled u*> or dispensed with. Box-Office Tonic This far-reaching innovation involves an entire year's supply made up into complete shows, each including a feature, a comedy, another short subject and a news reel. They are now being assembled and will be distributed as complete summer shows at summer prices. Universal-Jewels, UNIVERSAL Devotes an Entire Year's Product of Motion Pictures to the Services of Exhibitors to Make Money for Those Who Are Standing Still and to Keep the Houses of Those Who Are Losing Money from Closing. Special Attractions, Westerns, Serials, Century Comedies, Star Comedies, International News Reels and other special productions will be included in the make-up of the various shows. Mr. Laemmle predicts that the exhibitor who is debating the question of keeping open during the summer will find it cheaper to use these solid programmes and keep open than to close and dig down for the overhead. "I learn from the various Universal exchanges that an increasing number of exhibitors are going to make every effort to keep open during the summer," said Mr. Laemmle, in a statement concerning the "Summer Shows at Summer Prices" plan. Worry Eliminated "I have made up my mind to do what I can to help them to keep open. That is why I nave evolved the Solid Programme Summer Show plan. By this plan an exhibitor will be able to get a complete show in one shipment at summer prices. Not only will he be saved the time, expense and worry of complicated booking, but will be able to receive his show all at one time and return ft the same way, thus saving more time and eliminating worry and expense by these combinations. "They will include the popular Universal-Jewels, the successful Special Attractions, and the pick of our tworeel Westerns, two-reel Century Comedies and other products. The best of the Universal serial output also will be available in a novel method of presentation which I believe will prove highly advantageous for summer business. "These solid programmes will include feature pictures made by such stars as Priscilla Dean, Harry Carey, Lon Chaney, Gladys Walton, Marie Prevost, Frank Mayo, Hoot Gibson, Herbert Rawlinson and others. The Westerns will be those made by Hoot Gibson, Eileen Sedgwick, Jack Perrin, Art Acord, George Larkin, Josephine Hill, Percy Pembroke, Laura La Plante, Gertrude Olmstead, Eddie Polo, Tom Santschi and Reginald Denny. The comedies will be those of Lee Moran, Baby Peggy, Brownie. Harry Sweet, Charles Dorety, Joe Martin, Billy Fletcher, Roy Atwell and Neely Edwards. Includes Denny Included among the solid programmes will be the six rounds of 'The Leather Pushers,' that popular series of H. C. Witwer's prize ring stories done by Harry Pollard with Reginald Denny as the star. A series of six Eddie Polo Westerns, 'The Return of Cyclone Smith' also is scheduled for inclusion. "Universal's idea is to put out solid shows that will help the exhibitor to keep the pot boiling during the coming summer. The exhibitor who closes for the summer not onlv loses Cuddle Up to Universal!