Exhibitors Herald (Jan-Mar 1920)

60 EXHIP.ITOR S HERALD March 13, 1020 iJ'IIIIIIINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINl',11: i1 ,|!„m lll]l,i!:jl,i:;iililllNlllilllllllll llnllllllUlllllllllllilllllMIIIII ■ ■ mi, ;iiiiiiiiiiniiiiiimiiuuiiiiiiiiiiim!U!i4!i!ii'iL.;i: iitiuiiiiiiiiii OFFERS THEATRES VARIETY BILL Celebrated Players Film Corporation Has Stimulant for Business — Suggests Getting Away From Features At Least Once Each Week ihlUllllillMUira iiiiiiiiuiiiiiiaiiiniuiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiml Answering the constant call for "something different," the Celebrated Players Film Corporation of Chicago, one of the largest independent film exchanges in the world, has prepared a list of twentyfour complete programs for its clients in the belief that it has a real "business stimulator." J. L. Friedman, president of the company, is a devotee of the vaudeville stage, and from it conceived the idea of giving the motion picture patrons a variety program — a scries of short features, the longest of which is two reels. Plan Announced in Booklet In announcing his plan to exhibitors, Mr. Friedman has prepared a booklet, explaining the origin of the idea and putting forth its merits in a convincing manner. The booklet contains the twenty-four programs, running from six to nine reels. The programs are made up of the short features on which the Celebrated Players has built up its prestige in the Central West. "Variety Is the Spice of Life," is the keynote of the announcement. It is straight to the point, easy to read and understand and exceptionally artistic. The letter addressed to exhibitors over the signature of J. L. Friedman explains the plan. It opens with the query, "Do the vaudeville theatres know their business?" and continues: "It is our earnest belief that the average audience of a motion-picture theatre would appreciate, once a week at least, a change from the regular feature proposition. "For the past four or five years, you have shown features of all kinds — some good; some bad; a big number indifferent. "Your patrons, during this time, have seen every conceivable kind of a feature. Isn't there a possibility you may be overfeaturing your patrons? "The very foundation on which the vaudeville circuit is built is an entertainment made up of a scries of short acts. "And vaudeville is the best paying of the legitimate end of the theatrical business. "If it is a good theory in vaudeville to give seven or eight numbers an evening, we contend it must be equally as good a proposition for the motion picture theatres to institute a similar program at least once a week. "Is our reasoning faulty? — We believe not! Management Says "Lost City" Sets Attendance Record in Face of Storm Kubie to Exploit in Cuba Joe Kubie, who has been connected with the film industry in the Orient and Hawaiian Islands for a number of years, passed through Chicago this week on his way to New York, where he will go to Cuba and Mexico to exploit "The Confession." Mr. Kubie has purchased the rights for the above mentioned territory. LEON (IKXDRO\ Director Robert C*. \'i^nola*s new screen find, who has an important juvenile role in the all-star screen adaptation of "The World and His Wife" (International). In the face of a blizzard, which greatly interfered with business throughout Ohio, records were established in the first showing of "The Lost City," the Selig wild animal serial featuring Juanita Hansen, at the New Orpheum theatre. Cleveland, on February 15, according to the management. This tremendous business continued all week, it is said, establishing an attendance record. Try an Experiment Showing of one episode of a serial for a week was an experiment being watched by exhibitors throughout the country, according to reports. This first showing of the production, arranged by George Ryder, general manager of the Paul Gustanovic theatres, and by the staff of Standard Film Service company, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Detroit, which is handling the Warner Production in Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky, was an experiment in more ways than one. Mr. Ryder said, and an experiment which the first week proved a success beyond expectations. He had not given his patrons a serial for more than four years, according to the management, but Mr. Ryder expresses the opinion that the result justified his experiment. Trailers In Two Houses In exploiting the production, trailers showing bits of the serial were shown in the New Orpheum and also in the Strand, another of the Gustanovic downtown houses, for two weeks in advance of the opening of the picture. The lobbies of both New Orpheum and Strand theatres were filled with animal cut "The main theory of motion picture is entartainmcnt, and we argue with a diversified program your chances to please all of your patrons is greater than with a feature every single day. "We don't eat the same food every day — we don't visit the same people every day — why then see a feature every day? "If the vaudeville managers know their business, and we believe you will agree with us they do, the suggestions herein for a program one night a week will appeal to you." Test Proves Its Value The plan has been tested by several theatres and has proven a big moneymaker in practically every instance. It has never been given the trial offered by Celebrated Players, however. Theatres which have tried it have limited their programs to serials, comedies, and news reels. The Celebrated Programs offer a wide variety, including serials, comedies, news reels, educational scenics. north woods dramas, and other short features. Moranti Leases Studio One-half of the Balboa studios at Long Beach, Cal., has been leased by the Moranti Comedies, Inc. The company was reorganized recently with a capital stock of $100,000, including eastern and local capital. Milburn Moranti, star and head of the company, has signed a contract calling for a series of twelve tworeel comedies a year. Work on the first picture, "Barbershop Gossip," has started under direction of Al Moranti. Helen Williams has the leading feminine role. outs also. The lobbies also displayed framed paintings from the serial. The house program carried announcements for two weeks in advance of the showing. The newspaper exploitation was of the briefest description. No advertising appeared until Saturday before the Sunday opening. Then quarter pages were used in the two evening newspapers. In the Sunday papers half pages appeared. All of these advertisements stressed the wild animals. Publication Date of "Empty Arms" Awaits Byron Park's Return Lister Park and Edward Whiteside will not announce the publication date and distribution plans for "Empty Arms" until the return to New York of Byron Park, president of Photoplay Libraries, Inc., exclusive selling agents for the Park-Whiteside series of productions. Mr. Park is touring the principal cities of the country in the interests of the picture. Gail Kane stars in the production, which was directed by Frank Reicher. Cities on Mr. Park's itinerary are San Francisco. Los Angeles, Portland, Ore.; Seattle, Wash.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver. Colo.; Dallas, Tex., and Kansas City, Mo. It is Mr. Park's intention to screen "Empty Arms" for all interested parties in the various cities. He believes the best argument he can advance is contained in the picture itself.