The Moving picture world (November 1926-December 1926)

SOMEWHAT less than two years ago, Winfield R. Sheehan, vice president and general manager of Fox Film Corporation, decided to concentrate his attention exclusively on the production end of his great organization's activities, and like everything else he has done in his interesting and exceedingly successful career, he has made a very thorough job of it. '"pHE climax of his efiforts in this direction to date, was seen at the Sam H. Harris Theatre on Tuesday evening, when "What Price Glorv?" the William Fox screen edition of the celebrated play by Laurence Stallings and Maxwell Anderson, had its premiere. by the way William Fox's "What Price Glory?" An Outstanding Cinematic Achievement Carl Laemmle's Newest Innovation In Publicizing ''Michael Strogoff" Will Be Welcomed By Exhibitors M. H. Hoffman 's Tiffany Pictures Show Way To Other Independents Charles L. O'Reilly, Unanimous Choice Of Theatre Owners Chamber Of Commerce For Fifth Successive Year As President entation and run, preliminary to sending it to other cities, Mr. Laemmle decided to give the picture a thorough "tryout" in film centers ranging from metropolitan size to towns of but fifteen to twenty thousand inhabitants, before oflfering it here. IN this way, Mr. T.aemmle figured, exhibitors everywhere could get an accurate line on the true attraction or box office value of "Michael .Strogofif," which would not be possible from a Broadway presentation alone. H ERE is a picture which can only be described m superlatives, which for technical perfection and sheer entertainment value will have no superior anywhere for many a long day and which will be rated in motion picture history as among the outstanding cinematic achievements of this or any other season. • PERFECTLY balanced in its story development, with its contrasts of humor and pathos, tragedy and romance, superbly blended and timed, perfect in cast and direction, and photographically flawless, "What Price Glory?" is unquestionably the finest production and probably the greatest box office attraction, which William Fox has vet contributed to the screen, and this is saying much. 1 T places the Fox Film Corporation on a new high level in the industry and sets a standard of quality which its ablest competitors will find it hard, indeed, to emulate, much less surpass. FOR Raoul A, Walsh, who has made in "What Price Glory?" the crowning achievement of his distinguished directorial career, for Victor MacLaglen, Edmund Lowe, Dolores Del Rio and all the rest of the splendid cast, as, indeed, for all those others, who may have had a part in the making of this great picture, there will be unstinted praise and credit for months and years to come. B ACK of it all, however, are the vast resources of the William Fox producing organization, now under the direct generalship of Winfield R. Sheehan, to whose tremendous energy and organizing genius, in the final analysis, must be credited the supreme box office quality and pictorial perfection of this masterpiece of cinematic art. GREATER era is dawning for Fox pictures, in all seeming, and "What Price Glory?" is but the vanguard of the host of great attractions that are to come. A CARL LAEMMLE. President of Universal, has inaugurated a policy in some respects quite unique, in publicizing "Michael Strogoff," the big Cineroman-Universal production, which will have its New York premiere at the Cohan Theatre on Sunday, Dec. 5th. • INSTEAD of roadshowing this massive attraction, which marks the American debut of Ivan Moskine, the great Russian screen star, and giving it a Broadway pres T N inaugurating this policy. President Laemmle has once more performea a signal service for exhibitors, who. When "Michael Strogofif" is released some time in January, will now be enabled to book it with the definite assurance that they are getting a proven box office attraction. I F other distributors follow the Universal President's lead, exhibitors everywhere will have cause to congratulate themselves and to thank Mr. Laemmle for a very helpful innovation, while film salesmen will find their jiroblem in getting better prices for their product much simpler. ly/T H. HOFFMAN, president and general manager of Tiffany Productions, in the two years since he has been making and distributing these fine attractions, independently, has achieved noteworthy success in impressing upon exhibitors everywhere that "Tififany" as a brand name for screen entertainment represents the last word in distinction and class in its box office quality. • TJTIS progress and record of accomplishment in this short iod with Tififany is surely indicative that there will always be plenty of room for the independent producer who can make attraction pictures. • ly/rR. HOFFMAN is a master of showmanship and ■'■ with his national distributing organization all but completed, a new studio in Hollywood planned, and a $2,000,000 production budget already appropriated for the twenty Tififany pictures, which he expects to make for next season, we look to see Tififany riding on top of the wave. • "C* OR the fifth time in succession, and by acclamation, the Theatre Owners Chamber of Commerce have chosen Charles L. O'Reilly to lead them for another year. • \ REMARKABLE tribute to a remarkable man, who has made the T. O. C. C. the strongest and most effective oflfensive and defensive alliance of independent, exhiI)itors in the country. • A PITY there are not more exhibitor organizations in other sections of the country, as efficiently organized and administered as the T. O. C. C. and more men like Charlie O'Reilly to head them.