Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1927)

22 MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 1, 1927 N INETEEN twenty seven unfolds before us, full of optimism, possibilities, prophecies of prosperity, and more than usually significant in its promise of the industry’s development, if the year just past may be taken as an augury. Advertise First To Sell Your Picture Then To Show The Theatre-Owner How He Can Sell It To His Public Emanuel Cohen To Join Famous Players? HP HAT the high standard -*■ of production set in 1925 and 1926 will doubtless be maintained in 1927, goes without saying, and may even be surpassed in a few single instances, if we may judge from reports already current concerning the impressive production plans of all the great companies and pictures known to be already in or on the way to the cutting room. • '"p HEREFORE the progress of this industry during the -*■ coming year will largely depend upon the theatreowner, himself, and his showmanly ability to so broaden the appeal of his box office, that new millions will be added to those already constituting the patrons of the screen. • THIS means that the highest and most intensive showmanship, nothing less, will be necessary, and showmanship of a broader, m|ore far-seeing and intelligent quality, than we have been accustomed to observe on the average, in the past. • p\NLY by bringing about a closer spirit of co-operation between the hitherto more or less antagonistic elements of the industry, the producer, distributor and exhibitor and by creating a better and more sympathetic understanding between all three, can this much-to-be desired result be achieved. • A ND if this co-ordination of these great groups can be attained, even in a measure that is far from complete, it will mean a greater prosperity for all of us, a greater industry than, perhaps, any of us have ever dreamed of or believed possible. V\7'E submit to Mr. Zukor, Mr. Loew, Mr. Schenck, Mr. * * Rowland, Mr. Fox, Mr. Flinn, and all the other leaders of the industry and the heads of our great companies, that the problem of developing this intensive showmanship and spirit of understanding and co-operation lies in their hands. • TT will call for a widespread campaign of education and expertly applied effort, if the theatre-owner is to give and receive the co-operation essential to its success, such as never before has been attempted in the history of the motion picture, but it is surely well worth while. • A ND the point of contact, the medium, through which this campaign can and must be conducted, gentlemen, is your trade press. 'THE possibilities and powers for helpfulness, which your -*■ trade papers have in them for you, and which only wait your word to serve you freely, must not be limited, and are entitled to your fullest consideration, especially in the year just opening before us, when your individual and collective success, in the measure which your productions deserve, depends so much upon the showmanship of the individual theatre-owner. by the way HAPPY NEW YEAR Progress Of The Motion Picture In 1927 Calls For Intensive Showmanship Qualities Leaders Of Industry Must Aim To Encourage Closer Co-peration And Understanding Between All Elements Within It HpO foster and encourage these showmanly qualities in the theatre man, your trade papers are ready and eager to give co-operation, but your able advertising and publicity men, must also do their part in concentrating their good gray matter on more than merely selling your pictures to the theatreowner. HP HEY how must show him to sell your pictures to the public, not only in the free space offered as a part of each paper’s service to you and the others in the industry, but in authoritative, well conceived and well written paid advertising display. TN no other industry, save this one, do trade advertisers A seek only to sell the retailer, (who in our case is the theatre), as we do, but they also design their trade paper advertising copy with the view of helping the retailer to sell their product to the public. • T SN’T there a thought in this, gentlemen, which is worthy A of serious consideration, especially in view of the sales and showmanship problems, which will present themselves to you and the theatres showing your pictures during the coming year? • D UBLISHED reports that Emanuel Cohen will shortly *■ retire from Pathe to head the short film production activities of Famous Players-Lasky, while not yet confirmed, have brought to a focus rumors which have been in circulation in the trade for several months. • A S the dean of news weekly editors and for a year or ^ more past in charge of all short reel production for Pathe, Emanuel Cohen has a record of achievement which is unrivalled. to join year, it T F the reports be true and he really is going A Famous Players-Lasky after the first of the will undoubtedly mean that Famous will immediately become a big factor in the short subjects field, once it enters it, for no one in the industry is better equipped than “Manny” Cohen to turn out a product that can match the best in the market. • /"A UR heartiest ^ his great newspaper, 21st birthday this week. congratulations to Variety , Sime Silverman and which celebrated its J^ONG may both of them thrive and flourish T • O our friend, “Herb” Cruikshank, photoplayboy of The Morning Telegraph, who takes us to task for certain comments made last week anent the newspaper “movie” critic, we will only say that we take nothing back or side-step any statement made in the article referred to, even though “Herb” seemed meant some things, we didn’t say. • HAPPY NEW YEAR to believe we