Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1917 - Jun 1918)

[EXHI B I TORS -HERAL D~] Universal to Issue "Dorothy Phillips Productions" Alone Although continuing to publish through Bluebird exchanges, photoplays in which Dorothy Phillips stars hereafter they will be designated as "Dorothy Phillips Productions" Universal announces. There will be no brand designation, and the method of handling the pictures will apply as though they were independent productions without being any part of the regular Bluebird program. "The Grand Passion," lately shown at the Broadway Theatre, New York, will be the initial "Dorothy Phillips Production" to reach exhibitors under the new plan. William Stowell, who has been Miss Phillips' leading man in Bluebirds, and Jack Mulhall, who has been a star in other Universal features, appear as Miss Phillips' principal supporters in this Ida May Park production. Miss Park has completed another offering in which Miss Phillips will star, "Her Fling," a feature based on Katherine Leiser Robbins' story of the same title. William Stowell, Sally Starr and Joseph Girard will head the supporting company. "The Girl Who Dared" is still another Dorothy Phillips production now being finished at Universal City, under the direction of Allen J. Holubar, with James Oliver Curwell's novel as the basis of the scenario. Lon Chaney and William Stowell will play the principal male characters with Priscilla Dean, William Burress and Joseph Girard concerned in essential supporting roles. Bluebird exchanges will conduct a separate campaign for marketing the "Dorothy Phillips Productions," with these three offerings to begin with. Others will follow from time to time, as suitable material may be found. M. H. Hoffman Offers Aid in Distributing Great Lakes Scenes Foursquare Pictures, co-operating with the Great Lakes Naval Relief, is preparing to aid this patriotic cause by distributing through its twenty-one exchanges the picture now being made showing the training of the recruits. M. H. Hoffman, administrative head of this independent organization, has just sent to Chairman Mrs. Moffet, of the Great Lakes Naval Relief, at Great Lakes, 111., the following letter: "I cannot too strongly endorse the excellence, at this time, of the film entitled "Our Boys and Your Boys," showing the work that is being done at the Great Lakes Relief Training Station in the cause of democracy's freedom. It is my belief that the distribution of this film will not only be of the greatest interest to the public at large, but that it will appeal to and stimulate a patriotic feeling within all who see it. "Foursquare Pictures will be only too glad to do its share in this splendid work by distributing, without charge, the film in question. Our twenty-one exchanges in the United States and Canada are at your service in this matter." Former Models Star in Flagg's Satires Motion picture patrons who saw the first of James Montgomery Flagg's series of "Social Satires" are anticipating with interest the showing of the next one. "The Screen Fan" is an amusing and familiar type — a Twentieth Century product— and these one-reel sketches in which Mr. Flagg employs alike his gifted brush and witty pen, are a diverting innovation in motion pictures. For "The Screen Fan" Mr. Flagg selected Eleanor Masters, a petite and vivacious brunette, as the ideal type, and in his next sketch, "The Bride," Peggy Hopkins, a tall and stately blonde, will be presented. Both girls have posed for many of Mr. Flagg's illustrations. Manager Arthur Kane Adopts Sales Slogan For Select Staff Select Pictures Corporation has adopted the slogan "Stars to Sell Stars," as applied to its sales organization. The phrase is the choice of Qeneral Manager Arthur S. Kane. "The one best man in each particular territory — that has been our aim," said Mr. Kane. "It would make no difference if the man who covered Cleveland, for instance, could not sell cheeses in Atlanta. The point is, is he the very best man to sell Select Pictures in Cleveland, bar none? When we are able successfully to apply that test to a manager and record an affirmative answer, we know we have the one man of all men for the particular field under consideration. The old routine has been superseded by the new order of things, in which a highly specialized, individualized relation is maintained between branch manager and exhibitor. The branch manager is no longer an office manager. The routine of his office is systematized and organized to the end that the branch manager spends most of his time out of office. "Naturally the relationship between the branch manager and the home office has also undergone a change. It is the policy of Select to give the territorial head the utmost freedom of action compatible with a responsible organization, and to hold him to account for results. This policy of responsibility based upon authority is the only one under which the individual initiative necessary for the intelligent conduct of a high grade campaign may be secured. Having secured men who are territorial specialists, Select proposes to avail itself to the fullest extent of their highly cultivated knowledge of the field under their command." Substitute for Scenery Louis Burstein, president of the KingBee Films Corp., has been approached by a California inventor, who claims to have perfected a scenic illusion which he projects through a magic lantern, that will do owoy entirely with studio scenery. A demonstration is promised shortly, and if proctical, Mr. Burstein and his associates in the King-Bee Films Corp. will handle the business end of the invention, which, it is said, should revolutionize the studio end of the motion picture industry. Samuel S. Hutchinson, Contributes New Word To Film Vocabulary Samuel S. Hutchinson, president of the American Film Company, has been overwhelmed with inquiries from his friends as to the meaning of the word "grouse" as used in a recent article published in The Exhibitors' Herald. Mr. Hutchinson, in his Chicago offices, where the American laboratory is situated, only smiled when they wanted to know what in thunder "grouse" meant. A lot of them evidently thought it was a second cousin to a quail; but Mr. Hutchinson only smiled and took another whiff from his constant companion, a well-colored meerschaum, and remarked that "quail" wasn't a good word for a film man to become acquainted with. As a matter of fact the word "grouse," or "growse," as it is spelled in the trenches, is a word commonly used by a seasoned campaigner in the trenches to indicate a soldier with a habitual grouch or a case of cold feet grumbling, arid "Don't Growse" is a common admonition in the trenches when a new trench-man complains of conditions. "Therefore, it is absolutely a proper word for a seasoned campaigner in the film world to use," asserts Mr. Hutchinson. Select Stars Choose Directors for Plays Charles Giblyn will direct Alice Brady in her next Select production, at present called "Ruthless Russia." Mr. Giblyn has just completed a picture with Ann Pennington and prior to that launched Constance Talmadge on her flight to stardom, when he directed her in "Scandal," "The Honeymoon" and "The Studio Girl." Clara Kimball Young has chosen Robert G. Vignola to direct "The Reason Why," the next picture she is planning to make for Select. Mr. Vignola recently completed Alice Brady's Select feature, "The Knife." Edward Warren Soon To Start Production For Arrow Film Corp Edward Warren, who recently signe a long term contract with the Arro Film Corporation as a result of whic all of his future pictures will be pub lished through the latter organizatio will shortly begin work on his first supe feature under the new arrangement. "I expect to produce some noteworth features throughout the next year as result of this new affiliation with th Arrow Film," said Mr. Warren, in di cussing plans for the future. "We sha decide within the next few days on th first picture. This will be selected fro several big stories that we have optio on by a special board of experts a pointed by the Arrow Film Corporatio and the Warren organization and pre duction will commence immediately af erwards." "Souls Redeemed" and "Weavers < Life," the last two Warren production have been taken over by Arrow Ftl for distribution. 44