Canadian Moving Picture Digest (May 1926-Apr 1927)

Page Forty-eight CANADIAN MOVING PICTURE DIGEST Who's Who with First National Robert Lieber Robert Lieber, president of First National Pictures, Inc., built the second largest theatre in the United States devoted solely to motion pictures at a time when screen enertainment was in_ its formative stages. The Circle Theatre, Indianapolis, is a testimonial to his faith in the movies, a faith which has been rewarded by his present position of outstanding prominence as the head of a powerful producing and distributing organization. Indianapolis is President Lieber’s native city. He was born in 1870. In 1907 he opened an exchange for the distribution of films, later selling out to the General Films Company. In 1915 he joined in the building of the Circle Theatre. Upon the organization of First National Pictures he became one of the founders and a year later was named president, an office which he has held ever since. Throughout the industry President Lieber is held in the highest esteem because of his unusual qualities. In the organization of which he is the head he is honored and loved by everyone, from the greatest to the humblest. A. W. Smith, Jr. A. W. Smith, Jr., First National’s sales manager for the Eastern district, was born in New York. His first motion picture position was that of salesman for Pathe, with the lower East Side of New York for selling territory. He quickly became booker and assistant manager of Pathe’s New York exchange and during the course of the next few years was assistant manager of Pathe’s Boston, Cleveland and Dallas exchanges, becoming a full-fledged manager of the last exchange. After the war he became general sales manager for the Hodkinson Corporation, then returning to Pathe assumed direction of the sales connected with the Harold Lloyd specials. In 1923 he. came over to First National. The fact that the best showing in the recent Lieber Month Drive was made by the Buffalo exchange under his supervision is taken as evidence of the success of his sales methods in the East. Ned Marin Ned Marin, sales manager for First National in the West and supervisor in the Canadian territory, was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. After being graduated from New York University, he studied law at Columbia University. Subsequently he acted as correspondent for the New York Herald. His first motion picture position was with the Famous Players-Lasky company, where he rose to the position of assistant general manager of the theatres department. Then he became manager of Distinctive Pictures and later general manager of distribution at Universal. Before coming to First National he was sales director at Universal. Marin is called the leader of the “grizzlies,” as the Western sales force is known, and during his tenure of office at First National has brought the Western and Canadian divisions up to new high levels of productiveness. ! E. Bruce Johnson E. Bruce Johnson, foreign manager for First National Pictures, Inc., was born in The Dalles, Oregon. While studying law in Stockton, Calif., he worked as a motion picture operator at night in a theatre owned by Turner & Dahnken, who also conducted an exchange. Following his graduation, he was offered the position of general manager of the concern. For the next thirteen years he occupied this post, at the end of this time being called as assistant to J. D. Williams, then general manager of First National. Subsequently he was appointed foreign manager, which position he has held ever since. Under his efficient management First National’s foreign department has shown a_ remarkable growth until today it occupies a place of outstanding importance in the field. William A. Bach William A. Bach, First National’s Sales Manager in Great Britain under the general supervision of J. Franklin Brockliss, is a Canadian by birth. His first position was as Publicity Director for Universal in Canada, which post he held for several years, later doing special sales work for Hodkinson. Returned to Canada in 1919 as Assistant General Manager when Famous opened its own offices, subsequently becoming Canadian General Manager for that company. A year and a half ago he was appointed Canadian District Manager for First National, which position he held until E. Bruce Johnson, Manager of the Foreign Department, selected him for the post he now occupies. With his extensive experience in foreign sales, he is considered one of the ablest foreign sales representatives in the business. Google Samuel Spring x Samuel Spring, secretary-treasurer of First National Pictures, was born in San Diego, Calif. He was graduated from the Harvard Law School and after serving as special assistant attorney general of Massachusetts, and later as head of the industrial bureau of the Emergency Fleet Corporation, was retained as general counsel for First National Pictures, Inc., in 1922. Three years later he was elected secretary-treasurer, which office he still holds in addition to being head of the sales cabinet. Among his numerous successful sales innovations was the recent formation of the K. O. Club, an exclusive organization for high-powered First National salesmen who, by their membership in the club, are put in a direct line for advancement into the executive end of the company. Mr. Spring has written several law books and has contributed articles to the Atlantic Monthly, Century, Harpers, Review of Reviews, North American Review, The Nation, Harvard Law Review, Yale Law Review and other publications of equal consequence. Ned E. Depinet Ned E. Depinet, First National’s sales manager for the Southern division, was born in Erie, Pa. where he lived until he was fourteen. Thereafter, his father engaging in the new motion picture business in New Orleans, he took up residence in the Southern city, later removing to Dallas, Texas. He started as salesman with the Consolidated Film Exchange and became in turn assistant general manager and general manager. When Universal took over the exchange he became general manager for the Southern district for Universal and in 1924 came to New York to become sales manager of the South. In 1925 he joined First National and is now one of the trio of the powerful sales cabinet, headed by Secretary-Treasurer Samuel] Spring, and including A. W. Smith, Jr., for the East, and Ned Marin, for the North and West. Under his supervision the South has become one of the most productive territories in the nation, a remarkable tribute to his sales policies and shrewd management.