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Xovember 7. 1925
M O V I X G PICTURE WORLD
25
Personalities — Pic tures — Positions
An Interview with Richard A. Rowland
By William J. Reilly
RICHARD A. ROWLAND, general manager of First National Pictures, returned last Saturday from a five weeks' tour of the continent, and almost immediately discovered that what he thought was the Statue of Liberty was Dame Rumor in a bronze kimono. He saw the statue from the deck of the Berengaria, with Mrs. Rowland, his niece, Miss Gladys McCracken, and M. L. Finkelstein of Minneapolis.
Broadcasting, later, the statuesque Dame said that Mr. Rowland had left First National.
We saw Mr. Rowland on the day the report was being circulated.
"I 'leave' the First National office every Saturday night," he said.
The fact, more to the point, that Mr. Rowland has gotten back to the job every Monday morning was borne out even while he was abroad.
All over the continent he witnessed the box-office success of First National pictures he had put into production. One of the first sights that greeted him in Paris was the crowd waiting to see "The Lost World" at Reginald Ford's Cameo Theatre.
It is a thrill to know that you have rung the bell of appeal on the Boulevard, Paris, as well as on Broadway and Main street.
"Some of the world," said Mr. Rowland, "recognizes the play, the novel, or the story if it has been written by an author of inter
/i //
IKD A. ROWLAND Just Relumed from "Over There" and Who Talks of Pulliiuj It Over — Over Here.
national reputation. But all of the world recognizes personality. First National has on its roster of artists personalities known tile world over.
ITS A THRILL to See Your Pictures Stattding Them up on the Boulevard, Pans, as Well as Where Broadway Crosses Main Street. This is the Stght That Greeted Rtchard A. Rowland in Paris— Reginald Ford's Cameo Theatre, Whose 385 Performances of ' The Lost World" Broke All Records on the Paris Boulevards.
"Personality is the known quantity in picture production. Over here at First National we try to give each producing unit an individuality, feeding well balanced direction and showmanshi]) into every script. We try to give the showman pictures that will give him, not the minimum, but the niaxinuini profit."
Rumors have been flying fast over the heads of several prominent film executives in the past week. Mr. Rowland took time out to talk over the telephone to newspaper men who wanted a statement from him regrading his reported leaving of First National. All he said was that as far as he knew lie would "leave" First National on Saturday night and come back Monday morning.
We did not talk long either over his opini(in of the Manhattan sky line or of foreign competition.
"V'ou know as well as I do," said Mr. Rowland, "that the companies abroad cannot overnight come into a field which we have developed for fifteen or twenty years and expect to compete with us. Some American companies, even with all their experience, find it hard times to make winners. We welcome foreign product — certainly any good product — that w ill lend variety to our screens."
We venture the opinion that Richard A. Rowlnad, for some time to come, will be giving continental producers something to shoot at.