The educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Page 140 The Educational Screen of events in the non-theatrical field with even a casual attention, the plan bore many points of resemblance to a pro- posal which Charles Urban had oflfered for discussion in Dolph Eastman's Edu- cational Film Magazine in February, 1920. Urban had suggested there, as a possible line of development, that all individuals and groups in each com- munity, that wanted motion pictures to show non-theatrically, might pool their funds for creation of a local film library to which all subscribers might have access. When Mr. Kincaid had supplied the needed financing, riglits to use a quantity of existing material were acquired, and spaces to handle the reels were taken at 729 Seventh Avenue, one of New York City's approved film buildings, and in Chicago, at 808 Wabash Avenue. As to product, an announcement about the end of January, 1922, said that Ollie Sellars had completed several photoplays for the Clubs, and was then collaborating with Pacific Coast churchmen on "a drama of historical interest." William R. Ligh- ten was reported to be adapting several of his Saturday Evening Post stories for the service, and Archer McMaken was allegedly directing two-reel Bible dramas. In all, six production units were said to be at work for the Clubs on the West Coast. "Headquarters," says my source of this information, "formerly at Chat- tanooga, have been moved to New York" —which is a little confusing, because Chattanooga was presently to become the swaddling place of an entirely differ- ent non-theatrical venture involving John Edgerton. By the spring of 1926 branch offices of Pictorial Clubs had been established at Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Detroit, Cin- cinnati and Omaha—although, for some reason, the Detroit office was presently dropped. Beginning with the efficient John F. Burhorn, in Chicago, one could read the familiar non-theatrical names of branch managers down the list and realize that, in this division, too, Kelly was following through his idea of utiliz- ing existing forces. Naturally diere had to be some shaping. The acquired prod- uct demanded readjustment, and exami- nation of that process reveals some un- usual facts. To edit and title one series of Bible pictures Bruce Barton, no less, high-priced author of a best seller book about Jesus, was engaged, and seven animated cartoons were made especially for the Clubs by Walt Disney, then un- known to fame, however, because he still had to present his immortal Mickey Mouse. Carpenter and Goldman were the technical experts in charge, and they must have anticipated a heavy volume of business from this source, for it was about this time that they removed their studios to the Canadian Pacific Building on Madison Avenue, nearby. President of Pictorial Clubs—or "Kelly Clubs," as the organization was known informally to those engaged in non- theatricals — was Henry Breckinridge, who had topped his service as assistant secretary of war under Woodrow Wilson with a brilliant A.E.F. record, and in J922 was resuming a long neglected law practice. A large body of directors, giving at least the support of their names, included Maude Adams, who had retired from the stage and was always on the verge of doing something original and different in films; George Barr Baker, distinguished journalist and editor, then lately director of the American Relief ."Administration and about to become pub- licity director of the Coolidge presi- dential campaign; William Beebe, the scientist; Harry F. Guggenheim, copper magnate, aviation enthusiast and philan- thropist ; Mrs. Aida de Acosta Root, social service worker, publicity director of the American Child Health Associa- tion, whom Henry Breckinridge was to marry in 1927; Gertrude Lane, editor of the IVoman's Home Companion; .Arthur W. Williamson, president of the William- son Heater Company of Cincinnati; John D. Parmain, associated with Edward Bok in the World Court Movement; Walter L. Post, New York corporation lawyer; Kenneth Widdemer, Jerome F. Mantilla and F. Wallace Doying. The names especially recognizable to the non- theatrical field were Mrs. Elizabeth Richey Dessez, then head of the Pathe educational department; F. Lyle Gold- Drawn i).v s. .1. Wooir John Edgerton opened his mills each day with prayers. He held that a great church film circuit would soon clean up the theatres. man, Arthur Carpenter and Edward A. Eschmann, sales manager of United .'Artists Corporation, theatrical producers. A slogan frequently used in the origi- nal advertising of Pictorial Clubs was "The Organization the Non-theatrical World Has Been Waiting to See," but the '"old guard" in the business, who were not at all in agreement upon what they had been waiting to see, looked upon this new adventure with misgivings which were not allayed in the sight of such sumptuous offices as had been as- signed the executives. As to the output of the Pictorial Clubs, it showed pretty much the old familiar numbers, among them "Maker of Men," "The Stream of Life," "The Four Seasons," some of Fitzpatrick's "Men of Letters" series made for Urban, and Pathe's twenty-five single-reelers on the Holy Land. What was so exciting about this? It really was exciting in many respects, if they had only known it, for the ef- fort was thoughtful, sincere, well-financed and aimed to correct the notorious fault of an unorganized non-theatrical market. It might have shown results in time, al- though a longer time than business men generally are willing to allow for a new- enterprise to prove itself. Unhappily, the success of a project such as this is based on the assumption of the coopera- tion of grateful customers. In the state of affairs then, in the current condition of the non-theatrical field, there was little chance of that and, after two or three disheartening years, the backers decided to sink no further money. In the middle of 1926 it was announced to customers that thenceforth distribution of the Pictorial Clubs Library would be handled by Pathe Exchange, whose own regular, long-established non-theatricai services were warmly recommended for the provision of additional subjects. American Motion Picture Corporation The early season of Kincaid's experi- ence with Pictorial Clubs had been ob- served, with shrewd appreciation of his problems and shrewder judgment of his approach to them, by Paul Smith, who had been thwarted temporarily with his International Church Film Corporation. Henry Bollman, who in 1922 had been .sojourning in the service of Lincoln & Parker at Boston for a few months, re- turned to New York to find Smith out of his elaborate suite in the Flatiron Building and occupying a very small office on lower Broadway. Smith was in reduced circumstances, perhaps, but he was not in the least depressed otherwise. On the contrary, he was in prime fight- ing spirit, and he now had a still better plan. This time he would not rent films to churches; he'd provide them free. Possibly he was thinking of Francis Holley and the Bureau of Commercial Economics just then. Bollman wrote Smith a promotional booklet around the idea, and with it he is said to have raised another $50,000. That money was soon gone, but Smith's angling this time brought in a splendid catch—John E. Edgerton of Tennessee, wealthy woolen manufacturer, president of the National Association of Manu- facturers, and pillar of the Southern Methodist Church. The free film idea was then abandoned in favor of a new one having greater flexibility for the promoters. Smith had called his new enterprise the Church Film Company, but Edgerton, and the other business asso- ciates now coming in, wanted something less restricted, a name which would in- dicate a scope of service to the entire non-theatrical field. The title under which they finally incorporated, in 1923, was the American Motion Picture Cor- poration. (To be eonfinued')