Exhibitor's Trade Review (May-Aug 1924)

Page 48 Exhibitors Trade Revieic "Hansom Cabman," "Luck o' the Foolish," "Don't Park There," "Lizzies of the Field," "On Guard," "Our Congressman," "The Finer Points," "Hobbies," "The Lost Dog." "Maud MuUer," "Pathe Reviews Numbers 22-23-24-2526-27-28-29," "The Puritans" (Chronicles of America), "Seeing Nellie Home," "South of the North Pole" and "The Truthful Liar." UNIVERSAL CREATES NEW SALES MANAGERS Universal has taken a new step in the marketing of its Short Product. With the contemplated increase in important Short Subject releases scheduled by LTniversal for the coming season, it has been decided to establish a Short Product Manager in a number of the important exchange territories. These managers will co-ordinate and direct the work of the Short Product salesmen in the various exchanges and also will handle many of the big first run accounts themselves. "This is Universal's answer to the question of Short Product importance," asserts Fred C. Quimby, general short product sales manager for the Universal organization, and the right hand man of Al Lichtman, general sales manager, in the planning and distribution of short product. "We are making better short product today than ever before, and we mean to see that it is properly marketed," Quimbly explained. "We are putting as much care and thought into short product production as we put into features. It is only right that we should be just as careful in placing them on the screen. "We are confident our product has no equal. The Jack Dempsey — "Fight and Win" series alone would put up at the top. But we are also putting out a remarkable series of Gump Comedies — two reelers, and a series of one reel Hysterical History comedies that bid fair to be a sensation this Fall. There also are a series of Bert Roach comedies and a string of new idea Century Comedies on the way, snappy two-reelers, many of them featuring Wanda Wiley, a new comedy find, and the Century Follies of 1924 Beauties. LORD RENEWS CONTRACT FOR PATHE COMEDIES Del Lord has started work on his first picture under the new contract he signed with Mack Sennett for making of Pathe comedies. The renewed contract is for a year and calls for the making of several more series of two-reel slapstick comedies, featuring Billy Bevan, Sid . Smith, Vernon Dent, Andy Clyde and other Sennett comedians. The picture now in the course of con struction under the direction of Lord features Billy Bevan and Sid Smith with Madeline Huilock playing the feminine lead. ^ ^ ^ AL ALT, COMEDIAN. HAS EXCITING WEDDING Al Alt, starring in two-reel Century Comedies, has gone and done it ! Yes, he's married. He married Bebe Gorman who used to play opposite Larry Semon in screen comedies, but who now cavorts on the vaudeville stage in addition to being Al's wife. Al met Bebe three years ago but they didn't see much of each other until about a week ago when some moonlight, and no doubt some honeysuckle, tickled Al and he stepped on the gas. Things moved fast after that and two days later, while on his way to get his bride-to-be to take her to the church, Al's car was smashed by another car and badly wrecked. Al just about escaped being married on some other planet but insisted on going on with the wedding. He jumped into another car and in a short time the ac cident was forgotten in the thrills of a marriage which Al described as being as thrilling as any movie marriage. The couple will spend a week at Catalina Island before resuming their work before the screen and on the stage. ^i^ ^ ^ ASCHER CIRCUIT CONTRACTS FOR COMEDIES The Ascher Circuit of Chicago, a circuit comprising thirteen representative houses in that city, has contracted for practically 100 per cent of the two-reel product of Educational Film Exchanges, Inc., for the 1924-25 season. The contract includes the entire series of Educational-Hamilton, Mermaid, Juvenile and Christie Comedies, the new series of Bobby Vernon Comedies, Larry Semon Comedies and Walter Hiers Comedies, and is said to be one of the largest contracts embracing comedy subjects exclusively ever negotiated in Chicago. This contract follows a similar one between Educational and the Ascher circuit whereby the circuit played practically the entire two-reel output of the season 1923-24. ^ ^ ^ CHANGE IN CENTURY PROGRAM FOR SEPTEMBER Century Comedies announce that "Sahara Blues," a two-reel Centur}comedy scheduled for release on September 24, has been replaced by "The Trouble Fixer," the second of the Century comedies starring Wanda Wiley. It was said at the Century offices that this change was made because of the tremendous popularity attained by Wanda Wiley in her first starring vehicle for Century, "Her Fortunate Face." This two-reeler was released early this month and complimentar}' reports are said to be pouring in from every section of the country. Wanda Wiley has been signed by Century for a long term and is now at work on the last two of her first six starring pictures for that company. It is planned on the return from Europe of the Messers. Stern, to arrange for a special series of comedies for her, the stories to be written by a well known humorist. The first six will be released one each month through Universal. * * * PATHE GETS NEW HAL ROACH SERIES The many Pathe Exchanges throughout the country will receive prints this week of "Sweet Daddy," the first of the new Hal Roach Comedies, in one reel, featuring Charley Chase. The new Chase comedies will be released at the rate of one every two weeks and will be directed by Leo McCarey. The cast in the first picture' consists of Martha Sleeper, Westcott B. Clarke, Earl Mohan and Jules Mendel. Martha Sleeper, a m.ember of the cast and regularly employed in the Hal Roach studio stock company, is the niece of J. J. Murdock, vice-president of the B. F. Keith Vaudeville Circuit. Al St. John, in "Never Again," finds life one round of pleasure. An Educational Tuxedo Comedy. Here is depicted one of it's numerous hilarious scenes.