The Moving picture world (January 1920-February 1920)

916 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD February 7, 1920 Universal Starts Big Sales Drive on * Jewel Pictures Beginning February 1 CLOSE on the heels of Carl Laemmle's hint to "Watch Universal" comes the announcement of a concentrated sales drive, scheduled for February 1, on Jewel pictures. It has been frankly admitted by Universal oflficials that their company is out after a three million dollar increase in business for 1920. For a long time exchange managers were aware that something was in the wind and were momentarily awaiting its breaking. The word has just gone forth to concentrate fire with Universal's big guns — Jewel pictures — for a period of two weeks. The sales offensive will be backed up by a simultaneous advertising and publicity campaign, also concentrating on Jewel productions. Jewel will be the only word heard around Universal ofifices for the two week period beginning February 1. Jewel productions are Universal's superpictures. Expense is not taken into consideration as will be evidenced by the costly settings predominating these pictures. Time does not figure at all, it having taken five months to complete "The Virgin of Stamboul" Priscilla Dean's latest vehicle. All Departments Aid. In the two weeks of the Jewel drive every department of the Universal organization will be straining its power to push these pictures. The drive will include everything under the Jewel name, the most recent releases, future productions and the older pictures. The advertising department will prepare copy exclusively Jewel for the drive. Every line of advertising that appears in any trade paper during this time will be exclusively Jewel. Efforts will be made to have as many Jewel pictures featured in newspaper advertising as is possible by concentration. The publicity department will work hand in hand with the rest of the Universal organization in helping along the movement. The numerous press agents scattered about the country will all pay particular attention to getting Jewel pictures extra prominence while the home office will conduct a general campaign. Burden Falls on Salesmen. .A.S this is primarily a sales drive the burden of work will fall on the salesmen. All other pictures will be pushed to the background for the fortnight while the salesmen are concentrating their efforts on Jewel bookings. They have been instructed to pay no attention to any other pictures whatsoever for the period. They are to talk and sell Jewel and nothing else. This does not mean that if a customer asks particularly for any one of the Universal pictures other than a Jewel, that the request will be ignored. It does mean that the salesmen will not mention any other Universal picture of their own accord. Anticipates Biggest Business. Harry Berman, Universal's general manager of exchanges, is enthusiastic over the outcome of the drive. "We expect in this period," he said, "to secure the biggest volume of Jewel business since the inception of our company because we are going to back up our salesmen with a wide and strong campaign. Every page of trade paper advertising for these two weeks ; every page in the Universal Weekly and every bit of publicity that emanates from this office will be on Jewel pictures. You can imagine for yourself what a smash this will be." Selznick Pictures in Cutting Room. The Selznick cutting rooms at the Fort Lee and Bronx studios are scenes of unusual activity in that five produc tions are now being worked on. Practically every one of the productions is scheduled for an early release. Pictures being cut at Fort Lee are the Ralph Ince production, "His Wife's Money" in which Eugene O'Brien is starred, the Olive Thomas production, "Footlights and Shadows," and Elaine Hammerstein's next feature, "Greater Tha'i Fame." The Bronx cutting room contains the Owen Moore production "Sooner or Later" and the two-reel subject, "The Land of Opportunitq," in which Ralph Ince has the leading role. This Americanization picture will be ready for release during Lincoln Birthday week, February 8. Realart Pictures Given Week Runs in Providence FOUR Realart pictures were run in six-day competition last week by four of the principal theatres in Providence, R. I. "We believe this is the first time in the history of the motion picture business that one concern's products have held possession for a week of the leading houses of a city as large as Providence,' says J S. Woody, Realart's general manager. First-run houses in Providence which featured Realart pictures during the same week were the Rialto, managed by William J. Mahoney; the Strand, Charles Williams, manager, and the Modern, of which Sol Braunig is manager. The Rialto showed "Soldiers of Fortune," an Allan Dwan production. "The Mystery of the Yellow Room," an Emile Chautard production, was shown at the Strand, and at the Modern the feature was Alice Brady in "The Fear Market." The Emery Theatre brought back "Ernstwhile Susan," Constance Binney's first Realart picture, to Providence. "The Realart achievement in Providence," said J. C. Ragland, general sales manager for Realart, "does very nicely for a concern that is just making its first bow. We have released only five productions and we showed four of the five in one week. It really beats our Broadway record. But the principal point is that we have demonstrated Realart is making productions big enough to occupy the amusement centers of large cities along for a whole week." Has South African Locale. The South African veldt should be an ideal location for a photodramatic offering, inasmuch as the country offers wide expanses of scenic beauty, which, however, may be wonderfully duplicated in Southern California. For example, in "Thou Art the Manl" Robert Warwick's newest Paramout-Artcraft vehicle, the scenes are laid in South Africa and the incidents have to do with the illicit trade in diamonds. The story is from the book by F. E. Mills Young, and the original title was "Myles Calthorope, I. D. B." These initials stand for "Illicit Diamond Buyer." Margaret Turnbull did the continuity and Thomas Heffron was specially engaged to direct. Lois Wilson is leading woman and Victor Ackland did the camera work. No, Agnes, This Isn't a News Reel Trip Through a Shad Factory. It'8 a little real color from "The Silver Horde," Rex Beach's story for Goldwyn. And the horde, Agnes, is the salmon horde. Pretty good, eh?