Exhibitors Herald (Jun-Dec 1917)

ARAMOUNT ABSORBS SELZNICK IN EXPANSION Fifty-One Per Cent of Capital Stock Secured by Big Distributing Concern; Will Publish Mayfair Films; C. K. Y. Corporation Is Independent The Paramount Pictures Corporation has purchased fifty-one per cent of e capital stock of the Selznick Enterprises and the Selznick productions will : published by Paramount under the name, "Select Films." The new arrangement is scheduled to go into effect September 3. These are the facts of the story which has given rise to considerable rumor i id speculation about the readjustment of the controversy between Clara imball Young and Lewis J. Selznick and the rumor that Lewis J. Selznick U lid Miss Young had allied forces with the Adolph Zukor interests, i As far as can be learned at this time the forthcoming productions of the . K. Y. Film Corporation will be published independently, although there 1 a likelihood that these productions also will pass through the Paramount ■cchanges. I Widens Zukor s Interests A fact of great significance in this tuation is that the new arrangeent is additional testimony of the reatly \videning scope of the Zukor iterests in the motion picture trade, ."ith the adding of the stellar celebties who have been allied with elznick to the Artcraft-Paramount rganization, this company will have radically a majority of the biggest vers in motion picture work. Jl It is understood that the combination between Zukor and Selznick was '-. -fleeted during the recent exhibitors' i onvention in Chicago, and that final llctails of the purchase of fifty-one per r|[ent of the Selznick company by the : 'ukor interests were worked out after he return to Xew York of the inerested officials of the respective ompanies. Gets Mayfair Pictures Also, the Mayfair Pictures, which lave been widely advertised lately, vill be published through Paramount, t is pointed out that with the absorpion of Selznick, and the contracting or handling the Majestic products, hat Paramount plans to go even urther in taking over other concerns' jroducts. It is known that there is to be a ^organization of the sales force of Paramount. Arthur S. Kane, who was general sales manager for Artcraft at the Pacific Coast, and later , .assistant sales manager to Al Lichtman. of the Artcraft home office in Xew York City, will have charge of the sales department for Select. Norman Rose, who now is handling publicity for Artcraft, will be publicity director. Augmented by many new subsidiary concerns. Paramount now towers in the film industry as one of the most powerful distributing concerns. Led by Thomas H. Ince, the t noted director, who formerly contributed exclusively to the Triangle program, many of the screen's most talented players have come under the , .banner of Paramount. Among the more notable stars which followed Ince when he severed his connection with Triangle are William S. Hart, the delineator of western characters, Charles Ray, Enid Bennett and Dorothy Dalton. Roster of Noted Stars Appearing with the Ince players under the Paramount banner are Marguerite Clark, Pauline Frederick, Rillie Burke, Lina Cavalieri, Julian Eltinge, Jack Pickford, Vivian Martin, Wallace Reid and Sessue Hayakawa, the Jap. Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford and Geraldine Farrar are three other stellar lights who stand alone in their respective arts as big attractions for any exhibitor. George M. Cohan, the inimitable American comedian, is another film luminary connected with Paramount through the arrangement with Artcraft. Cohan is an attraction with the Fairbanks-Mary Pickford-Farrar trio. The Paramount roster of players and noted directors, of whom Thomas H. Ince and Cecil B. de Mille stand foremost, not to mention David Wark Griffith, who has been in Europe for several months, shows that many of the most noted artists of the screen have been "cornered." One of Biggest Combines But this is not the end of engaging stars, directors and contracting for the distribution of other concerns' films on the Paramount program, it was pointed out this week. As the concern now stands with its wealth of noted players, directors and films if. is one of the biggest combines so far formed in the annals of the motion picture industry. Just what the combine will mean to exhibitors who have heretofore been booking features with the big stars now appearing on Paramount program is hard to tell at this juncture, is the opinion of several leading exhibitors. A. E. A. RECRUITS BIGGEST EXHIBITORS IN U. S. TO NEW BUSINESS ORGANIZATION Theater Owners Throughout America, Seeking Trade Progress and Protection, Throng to State and City Locals Now Being Formed, Says Pettijohn Despite the fact that the American Exhibitors Association is still in its infancy as a business organization composed of theater owners and for the furtherance of their interests, General Manager Charles C. Pettijohn announced this week from the New York headquarters that the representative theater owners in all sections of the country are being recruited to the scores of state branches now being formed. The initial drive to weld together the exhibitors of the South is proceeding nicely under Jake Wells of Richmond, Va., who is president of the A. E. A. North Carolina exhibitors, led by Percy Wells, president of the state organization, and H. B. Varner, the man who saved the exhibitors from a heavy tax burden, will attend the convention held under the auspices of the Virginia branch, at Ocean View, August 30, 31 and September 1. Also, South Carolina, Maryland, District of Columbia, and other states will have large representations. It is pointed out that "the South is in the saddle." Percy Wells of Wilmington, X. C, who operates a large chain of theaters, and one of the foremost men in southern exhibitors' affairs, promises the state solid to the A. E. A. Virginia has capitulated in a solid body to the A. E. A., as has Indiana, led by President Rembusch. Michigan Is Solid Michigan is solid for the new organ ization, with a local in Detroit and a state branch already formed composed of the most powerful array of business men conducting film theaters in the state. Fred J. Herrington, who is one of the best known theater operators in the country, declares that Pennsylvania exhibitors are coming over to the new organization, as is West Vir( Continued on page 14. column 3)