The Moving picture world (January 1920-February 1920)

902 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD February 7, 1920 Sam Berman Stirs North Caroli na Meeting with Talk on Advertising THE mid-winter convention of the North Carolina Exhibitors Association closed in Charlotte, N. C, January 23, after two days of constructive work by the largest assemblage of representative theatre owners of North and South Carolina that have met in convention in years. Chief interest of the convention attached to the presence of Sam I. Berman, executive secretary of the New York State Exhibitors' League. Mr. Berman addressed the exhibitors in behalf of the newly organized Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, and later received the unanimous approval of the North Carolina League, which will become a member of the organization. He made a spirited and, at times, sensational, address before the convention Wednesday evening at their opening session. He paid his respects to the motion picture producers, whom, he claims, are packing many of their supposedly "legitimate" films full of paid advertising, reciting specific instances where this had been done. He charged certain magazine and educational releases with being "paid advertisements, pure and simple," for which the producers were receiving big money to produce and distribute. Mr. Berman even named a certain five-reel "feature" put out by one of the large producing organizations, in which he stated a package of "Bull Durham" smoking tobacco appeared on every sub-title. Berman Makes Some Statements. "'One of your own North Carolina industries paid thousands of dollars for this advertisement, and you suckers in turn paid your good money for the privilege of running it on your screens," Mr. Berman exclaimed. He mentioned the trade controversy being waged between the organization he represents and the Motion Picture Exhibitors of America, challenging the latter organization to show eighty bona fide members. He added that the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America had over 1,100 members in New York State alone, with about thirty other states strongly entrenched. Through the system adopted by the North Carolina Association, 50 per cent, of the income from the organization will go into the treasury of the Association. The remaining SO per cent is to be distributed pro rata, every six months, to the exhibitor-members. Matters pertaining to legislation were discussed and committees appointed. It was decided to hold the annual convention in Wilmington the last week in June — just prior to the meeting of the special session of the state legislature. The convention was in charge of President Percy W Wells, Wilmington, and Henry B. Varner, Lexington, secretarytreasurer. Through invitation. President George C. Warner, of the South Carolina Exhibitors Association, attended and entered actively into the work before the convention. Convention Side-Lights. R. D. Craver, owner of the Broadway, Charlotte, and six other theatres throughout the Carolinas, held open house to the exhibitors during the convention. Craver is owner of the First National franchise, and gave pre-release screenings of the serial "The Lost City" and other productions being distributed by the First National in this territory. As an extra treat to the exhibitors Graver showed 'em how to put over a picture for a solid week in a small city, the first time it has been doae in North Carolina. He was playing Mary Pickford's initial United release, "Pollyanna," the entire week of the convention, having opened with the picture upon its release date. The convention had as an honored guest a woman exchange manager — Mrs. K. H. Sessions, of the Republic Distributing Corporation's Atlanta office. Mrs. Sessions, it was conceded bv all the film salesmen here, signed more contracts than anyone at the convention. George V. Atkison, special feature manager of the local Pathe office, moved over to the Selwyn Hotel so he could be on hand to answer the slightest wish of his exhibitor friends — and George numbers them by the hundreds, having been in this territory longer than any sale.sman here. Charlotte is quite an exchange center, thank you. We have Paramount, Pathe, Universal, aho three flourishing states rights exchanges — the Eltabran Film Company, the Hyart Pictures Corporation and the Premier Pictures Corporation. BAIN. Briton N. Busch Declares for Independent Service PREDICTING that the next five years will be the biggest ever experienced in the motion picture industry, Briton N. Busch, president of Republic Distributing Corporation, has expressed his satisfaction at the start already made. Furthermore he says: "The company confining itself to the physical distribution of pictures and not combining with its labors the arduous task of producing at the same time, affords the independent producer the medium whereby his merchandise can be sold wilh the maximum of results. Such distributing companies are not influenced in neglecting the ether man's product in order to get the greatest returns on such pictures as he makes himself. "Bearcat" Proves Contention. "The Republic Distributing Corporation, of which Lewis J. Selznick is advisory director with me, has had an experience in the distribution of 'When Bearcat Went Dry.' The gross takings on this release are as large as those obtained by a feature made and distributed through the most important companies in the industry. "This shows that the organization specializing on distribution and not producing can give to the independent producer results that he cannot hope to obtain by putting his pictures with organizations which have their awn list of stars, whose features must be sold regardless of contracts made by the man who turns out one or two, or even a half dozen pictures a year."