The billboard (Jan 1921)

The Bitiboardad JANUARY: 15; 1921 ; w. STEPHEN THE SCREEN WORLD & HONEST NEWS, VIEWS AND OPINION FOR THE EXHIBITOR BUSH Editor (MARION RUSSELL Associate Editor. TOO MANY SEX PICTURES. BENJAMIN B. HAMPTON TO ORGANIZE PUBLIC SENTIMENT A STRONG AND EXTENSIVE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN He g vee & 5 t = ye i itt Bi ees s “MADONNAS AND MEN” SELLING Gets Hold in First Run Houses President of the Jans Plc @ decided leap in the past week. During that time he sold three separate territories, and one Of the big first-ran theaters. ‘Tho territory now loved is as follows: . Gimax Fitm Corporation, Greater New Yrok; Independent Film Exchange, Maryland, District ‘Michigan; Allen Bros., Cansda; Co. Upper New Yor \ Attractions, “Eastern Pennssivania and South‘ema New Jersey; Export and Import Co., entire foreign rights; Federated Exchanges, New England; Masterpiece Film Company, Obio and Ken“tacky; Federated Exchanges, Texas, Oklahoma ‘and Arkansas; Superior Seren Service, Illinois _ and Indiana. ‘Mr. Jans feels that before the new year ia another month old he will havé sold the remaining territory now open. SPECIAL PICTURES CORP. [ “Eddie” Bell and Abe Levy, of the Special ‘Bictures Corporation; Jerry Wilson and Arthur + Gershwin, of the New York Independent Sales, (and Matty Caban, formerly with Select, have all Rerigned. their’ respective positions, and have the sales force of the Alexander Film tion. ‘The latter corporation. recently thok over the entire output of the. Triangle Fim Corporation, which includes one bundred and fifty features and Afty-two single and two-reel comedies for distribution in Greater New York and Northern New Jersey. ' “MOVIE” BALL ‘The Grand Ball and Reception held by the ‘Theater Owners’ Chamber of Commerce at the Hotel Astor, New York, was a great success, and no untoward incident happened to mar tho festivities of the evening. mcasio trum esd cates st“asthne i. Tunes, oie of The Pictorial Review. ‘The publication has eet aside a fund of $75,000 to advertise the first of the Hampton articles, Thirty thousand Postérs, in two colars, are to be supplied to the newsstands. ‘The field forces of the magazine will be instrocted to secure endorsements from prominent ‘people for the Hampton movement... In his ar‘ticles Hampton will point out that the cure for oor pictures. rests with the publle. ‘In Its essence the campaign will be An effort Ja to arouse the public consclence and then mobilize public sentiment against pictures in which the element of vex constitutes the whole appeal and attraction. to the Herbert Hoover organisation ax the plcture ‘indastry’s contribution to Europe's nelplesa war sufferers. A sample‘ of the hearty spirit of cooperation from exhibitors is shown in the following ietter from E. D. Helns, of Roanoke, Va., who op ‘exates five: theaters: ‘Motion Pictute Committee Barypean Reliet “Couselt” 7. Forty-ninth 6t., pew York city. Gentlemen—I think this 1s a splendid spirit that 1s belng shown. We have five, theaters at FoR dion Whe, Mare. already paid for re ge. insertions on this BILLBOARDSERVICE. APPRECIATED ‘The Hersker-Sidari Theater Circuit ‘controls four big motion picture houses in Hazleton, Pa, and McAdoo, Pa. : The general business manager of the clrcult, William @. Bilote, writes thla lotter to THE BILLBOARD: “I think your reviews on features are great." If the ‘movio trade journals’ would review them as ‘you do THERD ‘WOULD BE: MORE OWNERS RUNNING THEIR HOPSES ‘THAN EXCHANGE MANAGERS.” ‘We thank. Mr. Eiliott for the appreciation of our, efforts. Where thousands of dollars are being spent by: producers to sell pictures ‘no one tells the exhibitor the real facts—no one but THE BILLBOARD. BILLBOARD is not, never has been and never will be “subsidized.” THE Our first duty is to the reader, 1. e., the man who owns the motion picture theater. ‘The exchange managers very naturally are working for their loyers—the producers—and, consequently, can not serve the exhiitors. THE BILLBOARD SERVES THE EXHIBITOR Yoyally and zealously, and will continue to do so. a HIBITORS: STAND ae BACK OF HOOVER ¢ea January 26 Will Show the Power of the : ‘Screen “Bxhibitors thruout the ‘country are respond ing enthusiastically to the call of the Motion Picture Committee of the European Réllef Council for, aid-in making January 26, sfotion Picture Day, a red letter one ia the industry. At the’ headquarters of the committee, 122 to save 250,000 starving children. ‘Many of the picture theaters signify their Sntention of contributing a part. of “thelr recelpts, and in afew cases all of thelr receipts on Motion Picture Day to the starving children fond and are arranging with churches and 1o cal rellet orgeniaations to suoply apeaters ana* them to Join me in making workers to ald in the big drive for a ey a a in force some live wire owners and managers 1g with the local authorities to alow special performances, on Sunday, the pro‘ceeds from which will be devoted to the fond. ‘Various plans are being worked out by the exhibitors to ald the cause. Soine of the theaters will give several benefit performances, culminating in the big special morning matinee for children on Saturday, January 29, for ‘which tickets will be sold at $1 ech and the ‘entire proceeds’ to be contributed for the relief Of the children. ‘The enthusiastic’ response of exhibitors to the request of the Motion Picture Committee is '& source of keen satisfaction to those who have set the drive in motion. ‘They feel that the motion picture Industry fs alive to Its responsibilsties and that the’ sum of money necemary to ‘save 250,000 lives will assuredly be tuned over Performance: We pose tnd. wii have several ‘more ies ere he Sunday howe, are giver We cities 7 also suggest that receptacles be placed in all Tobineg Phere donations may be, made, ‘With Dest wisbes, American, committee under date of December 31 in part as follows: “T see you are asking the motion picture owners to help this great cause, ‘This ‘morning I went to see the ministers of the ‘varlous shurches sind the Red Cross and ‘asked uary 26 = bis day. My plan is. to bave each church give a Sye-minote entertainment, miakiog a, total of ‘one our, then give a” good feature play to close the~show, making a. charge of 30¢ per ticket, the tickets to, be. sold by ‘school, chilGren avd members of the various churches. Wo seat 600 and it should meke-a fine sum for ‘the cause. Still another ts from M. 0. Howe, mansger of the. New Star Theater of Erskine, Min He writes: “We are with you in the drive for the starving children of ‘Europe and any Uttle thing our screen ean do for you will: be cheerfully done. Among those who have pledged thelr full cooperation to the committee are: 0. I. Gresham & Sov, Art Crate Theater, Mooresville, N 0.5 ©. F. Kunz, ¥. B.C. A. Theater, Spray, N. J.D, Jameson, Brosdway-Odeon Theater, CoTnmble, “Mo.; M.D, Womack, Colonial Theater, ‘Jasper, Als.; Paul’ D. Overton, Lyric Theater, = effort to eave children in Centra ‘Winchester, Onkeloose, press ‘Theater, Owensboro, Ky.; 8. 8. iw ral and East ‘Burope.” Mr. Lynch also stated he Producing Corp., Broadway. are the D, $4,000, and It is alleged that the labuities re $900,000 and and rights to the. company. wa prodacing and ‘was personally directed by David W. Griffith, and that on or about December 28, 1015, the company borrowed. money from various indlvidwuals.and that were fasved covering extent of ‘$800,000, .of wh: een paid oft, “The fs claimed, ‘Decame’ doe on! ‘come pany is financially ‘tons. ‘is ‘thought affairs of eh tons ‘that the petit pamed by Judge of Bo Ugubders, “According to = made by the receiver of the company, tore will be paid in full and all matiers straightened out satistactorily tn less than two weeks. NEW FILM STUDIO IN FLORIDA Parchase by Fine Arts Pictures, Inc., of New ‘York, of a tract of nearly 800 acres at Camp Joseph B. Johnston, Jacksonville, for what ts Planned as the Inrgest and most complete motion picture production center in the Usited States, bax been announced by Murray W. Gars‘son, president of the company. ‘The constroction of the firet of twenty studios will be atarted immediately. ‘The property comprises what was formerly the United States Quartermaster Corps training camp, converted into studios and every “de taken of the possibilities, provided camp. “WAY DOWN EAST” D, W. Grimth's elaborate production of “Way Down East’ has reached its twentieth week at the Forty-fourth Street Theater, New. York, ‘where it has Deen shown more than two bundred ‘cast of principals axe Litiian Gish, Richard Barthelmess, (Continued on page 83)