The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

November 13, 1926 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 75 Presenting SaM M ORRIS of Warner Brothers By MERRITT CRAWFORD YOU don't hear much of Sam E. Morris. His name seldom appears in print, even in this fastmoving business, success in which, it has been said, is half publicity and half in outguessing the other fellow. Sam Morris doesn't care a cent for publicity— for himself. When it comes to Warner Brothers, liowever, where Sam sits in the general manager's office, when he isn't out on the road telling some of his "boys" how to sell Warner Brothers product, that's another matter. He wants all the Warner publicity that's coming and caji tell you more interesting facts in half a dozen minutes about Warner Brothers fine features like "Don Juan," "The Better 'Ole," and all the other noteworthy attractions which have put Warner Brothers so far out in front this season, than can be extracted from the Warner publicity department in half a day, and that's saying a lot. As to outguessing the other fellow, which, as referred to above, has been said to be the other half of success in this business, it isn't the Morris way to do any worrying. He lets the other fellow do the guessing and the worrying too. This, perhaps, is one of the reasons why Warner Brothers, in a manner of speaking, is sitting on top of the world right now, for the Warners, all five of 'em, from H. M. down the list, have much the same habit of mind as their general manager. However, as this article is concerned chiefly with Sam E. Morris, personally, and with the great organization of which he is the general, manager only incidentally (we couldn't get away with this, if Sam were reading -over our shoulder) we will confine ourselves from now on to the subject in hand. One thought we want to get over. Sam Morris is a big man. He rates with the biggest and measures up to full size, any way you take him. 'So far he has kept himself well back out of the lime light, because he has been busy doing big things. He Avoids Limelight Let us illustrate. Eighteen months or so ago Warner Brothers took over the old Vitagraph Company, lock, stock and barrel, fur, feathers, fins and hide. Warner Brothers had to have a system of exchanges to distribute its pictures, which up to that time had been released on a franchise basis, so it just went out and bought one, and Vitagraph, somewhat dried out and stiffening in the joints, being the only one available, Warner Brothers annexed it. Now when a merger of this kind occurs, there is bound to be a lot of lost motion. Friction is sure to occur. Old habits and old systems and methods of doing business are difficult to eliminate or reform. It was right here that Sam E. Morris came in. He took over the job of bringing order out of chaos and he took it to like a duck to water. Today Warner Brothers in its office and field force is like one big family. Every one is happy. Everyone is working at top pressure to make the Warner Brothers organization and Warner Brothers pictures the greatest ever. No finer esprit de corps exists in any organization in the industry today. Every man and woman in it, from top to bottom swears by the Warner brothers, individually and collectively — and Sam Morris. It is the policy of Warner Brothers and Sam Morris to give every individual member of their big organization full responsibility for all that conies within the confines of his job. Suggestions or ideas are welcomed and the executive's office doors are never shut to any employee. There is no buck-passing. Each individual stands on his own two feet and recognizes that it is up to him to make his own opportunities. Warner Bros. "Block" System Warner Brothers' field force of salesmen and exchange executives is organized on the "block" system, a method originated and devised by General Manager Morris. Under this plan the entire country is divided into "blocks" and each salesman is responsible for the sales and collections in his particular "block." The plan works well, for each man thus knows that he, and he alone will get the credit for results in his assigned territory or the contrary criticism if he "falls down." Another policy for which Sam Morris is chiefly responsible, is that when a good idea is suggested, Warner Brothers permits the man making it to carry it out nationally, with the full co-operation of the home office. This serves to give the Warner district or exchange managers a national viewpoint and a wider perspective, that is of the utmost benefit to them and to the company in the operation of their respective territories. As an illustration, last summer Joseph S. Hebrew, Warner Brothers' district manager in the Philadelphia and Washington territory, suggested that the month of October be selected as an "Opportunity Period" during which the sales force would make a special drive for "booking days" and pledge from exibitors to use Warner product during the coming season. The idea appealed to General Manager Morris and he authorized Mr. Hebrew to go ahead with it, with the full co-operation of the home office. The result was that the sales force turned in between 12,000 and 15,000 "booking days," which Warner Brothers now have on their books, a large proportion of which in all probability might have gone to other companies had it not been for the receptiveness and ready co-operation of the Warner executives. Sam Morris was born in Oil City, Pa., but spent most his boyhood in Cleveland, Ohio. When he finished his schooling he went with the Aii.erican Tobacco Co. and as foreign manager for that big organization travelled all over the world. SAM E. MORRIS, General Manager of Warner Brothers, a man of ideas. Later he settled in Pittsburgh, having purchased the first slot machine franchise ever issued for that territory. He found the slo» machine business profitable, but not sufficiently satisfying to a man of his temperament and activities. So he sold out arid joined forces with his brother-in-law, L. H. Wilk of Cleveland, and together they owned and managed the Home Theatre, a suburba i house, and two or three other theatres in that city. Originated Arbitration Idea It was during this time that Sam Morris was elected Chairman of the Film Committee of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, where he originated the idea, which has sinCe taken form in the Film Arbitration Boards, now in operation so successfully all over the country. During this lime also Sam Morris \va'< in charge of the Selznick Cleveland Exchange. L. J. Selznick, always on the look out for brains and initiative, soon took notice of the fact that his Cleveland office wa.-; topping all his other exchanges by a big margin. He looked for the reason and finding that it was Sam Morris, brought him on to New York and made him his viepresident and general manager. Later Sam Morris went abroad in the in terests of the Selznick organization ami ou his return associated himself with Warner Brothers. Warner Brothers have prospered and grown great since then and are destined, ii appears, to grow even greater. And in every advance they have made Sam Morris has had an important part.