Exhibitors Herald (Jun-Dec 1917)

26 EXHIBITORS HERALD "Men Who Made Love to Me" Film Starring Mary MacLane Will Have Elaborate Sets Essanay Using Most Expensive Props Yet Employed at Studio on Forthcoming Drama Which Presents Noted Author in Leading Role Some of the most elaborate and expensive sets ever used in a picture are being employed by Essanay in the forthcoming drama, "Men Who Have Made Love to Me," in which Mary MacLane, the author, appears herself in the leading role. One set represents an apartment in a richly appointed hotel. It contains eight rooms, arranged so that glimpses of all other seven rooms are obtained when the camera is trained in the spacious library. Where the average set can be erected in "For the Freedom of the World," Ira M. Lowry's big production which is being issued through Goldwyn Distributing Corporation offices, comes closer to showing the actual conditions of European warfare than any of the productions ever achieved for the screen. The several million persons who last week in New York City witnessed the parade of 30,000 women nurses in the Red Cross march down Fifth Avenue, will in "For the Freedom of the World" see the Red Cross nurses under fire, at work back of the battle line, in the field and base hospitals and fulfilling their That the campaign against the advance deposit system being waged by the American Exhibitors' Association is beginning to be recognized by some of the producers as a just fight is shown by the following letter received by L. H. O'Donnell, president and general manager of the O'Donnell-Eskridge Amusement Company, Washington, Indiana, from the Metro Pictures Service, Inc., Chicago, Illinois: Mr. L. H. O'Donnell, Washington, Ind. Dear Sir: Our representative, Mr. Mitchell, states that during his last call you mentioned that you would be glad to do business with Metro, your only objection being to the deposit required by our company, as you did not care to have film exchanges conduct their business on your money. If this is the only objection it is not very serious and can be easily overcome. It would be satisfactory for us to have you put up an amount in escrow with your local bank equal to two weeks' film service, the interest on which amount could be paid to you, and the bank could pay us in the event of your desiring to cancel or violate your contract. a few hours, Director Arthur Berthelet consumed several weeks in completing the apartment. Another interesting scene is staged in the sunken gardens of a summer resort hotel. The setting is correct in every detail. As an instance of the care being expended by Director Berthelet, in a sun room scene there is a wicker bird cage that blends with the wicker furniture. Mr. Berthelet held up the scene half a day until the right kind of a canary could be found for the cage. errands of mercy under conditions exactly similar to those that confront them in battle. One of the greatest thrills in the picture is given to spectators when the coward in the drama rushes across a shell-swept field and rescues a wounded man and brings him safely back to the trenches. Trade prints of this production already have been inspected and shipped to Goldwyn Distributing offices in North America and special exhibitor showings will be held next week to facilitate the prompt booking of this war panorama. Trusting that we may have the pleasure of doing business with you, and with best wishes, we beg to remain, Yours very truly, Metro Pictures Service, Inc. C. E. Smith Manager. Mr. O'Donnell made the following reply to this letter: Metro Pictures Service, Inc. Chicago, 111. Gentlemen : We are in receipt of your comunnication of the 10th and the writer wishes to compliment you upon the contents of this letter. Your statement is just exactly what we have always been contending for; it is based on sound business principles and if you would adopt this policy and notify the trade to that effect, you would at once get the good-will and business from all responsible exhibitors, and in doing so you would get the support of the State and City Associations, none of which would ask you to open an account with an exhibitor whom his own bank would not guarantee payment of his account. Just at this immediate time we cannot make the change, but wish to assure you that we shall give you a contract within short time and will continue using your service as long as the policy outlined in your letter is carried out and the service is satisfactory. We have no doubt of the continuing of the high standard productions which you have been giving in the past. Yours very truly, L. H. O'Donnell. Mr. O'Donnell is one of the exhibitors who played a big part in the formation of the new A. E. A. in Chicago last July. SPOOR IS ORGANIZING ILLINOIS EXHIBITORS IN U. S. ECONOMY MOVE George K. Spoor, president of Essanay, is busy organizing motion picture exhibitors throughout Illinois in the interests of Food Director Hoover's food economy campaign. Mr. Spoor, who is chairman of the Motion Picture Bureau of Food Administration of Illinois, is doing the work at his own expense. The state has been divided into districts, with an exhibitor appointed in each district to arrange with other theatre owners to show the food economy film. Two hundred feet of film will be shown each week. They will show how to prepare foods in an economical manner, how to peel potatoes with the minimum of waste, how to live on less meat, and the relative food values of various commodities. TWO SCENES AND STARS IN "EMPTY POCKETS" Nurses' Daring on Battle Fields Shown In "For the Freedom of the World" Feature Ira M. Lowry's Big Production with War Theme Is Being Die tributed Through Goldwyn; Shows Women Under Fire Producers Recognize Justice of Fight Against Deposits, A. E. A. Letters Show