Exhibitors Herald (Jan-Mar 1920)

36 E X H 1 13 1 I O Kb HhKALU March 27, WM Associated Producers May Reach Definite Decision Within Week Thomas H. Ince and J. Parker Read, Jr., on Way to West Coast to Discuss Distribution Proffers With Their Association Definite decision as to the method of distributing its product may be made by the Associated Producers, Inc., at a meeting to be held in Los Angeles the latter part of the present week. Notwithstanding any rumors to the contrary, it is definitely known that no negotiations of any nature have been closed between the Associated Producers and any organization or individuals up to the present time. Ince and Read Return to the Coast J. Parker Read, Jr., business manager of the "Big Six," and Thomas H. Tnce, president of the organization, left New York Monday, March 15, after spending two weeks in the East during which they held conferences with all of the distributing companies. On their return trip, they spent a day in Chicago before continuing to the Coast. have become associated in the new organization has been eagerly sought by practically all of the large distributing companies. Many individuals are said to have added their offers to this list. "Regardless of any rumors that may have been heard, the truth is that no negotiations have been closed," declared J. Parker Read, Jr., when interviewed in Chicago. "We are not in a position to even indicate what direction any future negotiations will take. Await Meeting on Coast "Nothing definite will be consummated until our return to the Coast immediately following which there will be a meeting of the Associated Producers to consider the result of our different conferences while in New York. "You can rely upon the fact that when we have arrived at any definite decision, public announcement will be made immediately." It is understood that the president and general manager of the "Big Six" are returning to the Coast with a half dozen propositions from as many different companies. The product of the six directors who i^J 1 1 1 n 1 1 r 1 1 : u I u l ! i J i : i m 1 1 : 1 1 u i : ■ : i 1 1 : 1 1 . i . ■ r 1 1 1 : i r : ■ i 1 ■ : 1 1 i • i j i r ! 1 1 ■ r i r i M i j i r i ■ : I ■ i : I r ■ r i r ] 1 1 rj i: r i rj u i:tr I . i ! i John Ince Denies He Will Quit Metro as a Director John E. Ince of the directorial staff at the Metro studios in Hollywood, Cal., has repudiated a recent report that he would leave Metro to direct the productions of another company on the Pacific coast. Official announcement is made from the home offices of Metro in the Longacre building, New York, that Mr. Ince will continue to direct for the company. Mr. Ince, when shown the report, said that he had been offered a three-year contract and his own company, but did not sign a contract. He is the youngest of the three Ince brothers, of whom the other two are Ralph and Thomas. !i!!uuiiniiiiumuiimiiiiiiiiou*£ I One Comedy Produces Three Fortunes With a Prospect of Making Two M ore What the cinema has done to pile up heaps of money for authors, play| wrights and various other people is illustrated by the history of "45 Minutes j | From Broadway," which Charles Ray now is producing as a motion picture. I | With the completion of that operation no less than five separate fortunes § | will have been made by this historic coniedy-drama, it is said. First, the author, George M. Cohan, is said to have made more than | $100,000 in the first nine months of the play at the New Amsterdam theatre | I in New York and probably as much more on the road with it. Second, the play is said to have made another fortune for Mr. Cohan since | | its use by stock companies. Third, Mr. Ray paid Mr. Cohan $50,000 for the picture rights. Fourth, the picture star expects to make a fortune for himself by filming | | and selling it. Fifth, the First National Exhibitors' Circuit, which is the distributing j | organization, expects to make perhaps the biggest fortune of the five in its j | theatres. Mr. Cohan's play is interesting for the further reason that it was not | | written but was "built," as the author expresses it. He says that when he | | had only the first act written he called his company together and went to ■ | work on rehearsals. While this act was being whipped into shape he was § I developing his ideas for the second, and so on to the end. "To finish the play after calling the first rehearsal for the first act," | i explained the actor-playwright, "took me about four weeks, and, believe me, I 1 1 was some busy boy directing the work of the company and framing up the 1 1 structure of the piece. While I had this complicated task in hand I was § I also revising. I would find that a certain character was worthy of more im j | portance in the scheme and would set about enlarging the scope of that char j | acter and minimizing the importance of others to fit in with the changes. Mr. Cohan hardly was more than a boy when he gave this success to I | the stage in 1904. In the original company were Victor Moore and Fay | | Templeton. PliiBiramiMiminiim^ wm hi iiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimimaK U. P. T. Directors Convene in Chicago Twenty-Three Representatives Meet to Discuss Deals of Importance Officials and directors of United Picture Theatres of America, Inc., gathered in Chicago on March 16 at Hotel Morrison for their quarterly convention. Twenty-three representatives from all over the country were in attendance at the sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. Both J. A. Berst, president, and Milton Goldsmith, treasurer, were reticent regarding the future plans of the organization. Neither would discuss reports that important deals were pending. Besides Mr. Berst and Mr. Goldsmith, those present were: Herman Hertz, assistant treasurer. New York; Harry Hall, vice president, New York; C. C. Johnson, secretary, New York; Neil Burk, auditor, New York; D. G. Rodgers, manager of Southern division, Kansas City; I. W. Rodgers, Criterion theatre, Popular Bluff, Mo.; Phil W. Myers, Strand and Arcade theatres, Minot, N. D. ; Tom Norman, Rex theatre, Racine, Wis.; H. A. Giles, Link theatre, Walkcrton, Ind.; H. H. Treffer, Liberty theatre, Davenport, la.; M. H. Gwynn, Lyric theatre, Terrell. Tex.; Leo Brecher, Plaza, Orpheum and other theatres in New York; Harry Savage, Royal theatre, Atlantic City, N. J.; C. M. McCloskey, Lyric, Imp and Penn theatres, Uniontown, Pa.; Fred C. Seegert. Regent theatre, Milwaukee; W. P. Cuff, Empire theatre, Chillicothe, Mo.; George J. Schade, Schade theatre, Sandusky, O.; Walter J. Hartford, Imperial theatre, Pawtucket, R. I.; Abraham Goodside, Empire theatre, Portland, Me.; W. H. Linton, Hippodrome, Utica, N. Y., and A. B. Hettesheimer, Orpheum theatre, Cincinnati, O. Plan $500,000 Theatre For Chicago North Side Negotiations are under way for the erection of a $500,000 combination vaudeville and motion picture theatre at the corner of Broadway and Irving Park boulevard, one of the more prominent Chicago neighborhood locations. Otto J. Lorenz has purchased the site, 79x151 feet, from the W. C. Ohlendorff estate for a consideration of $55,000. The property is now improved with a two story and a four story store and flat building. Barth Theatre Opens CARBONDALE, ILL.— The Barth theatre, a new 1,000-seat house owned by Edward and Arthur Barth, was opened with "Soldiers Of Fortune" as the initial attraction. The theatre represents an investment of $60,000. $40,000 Consideration COFFEY VILLE, KANS.— Dr. C. H. Fortner has purchased the Jefferson theatre from Wm. Ashton McClarey for a consideration of $40,000. Dr. Fortner stated that he had made the purchase as an investment and would make extensive improvements.