Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1921 - Mar 1922)

66 EXHIBITORS HERALD December 31, 1921 Essay Contest Promoted to Boost Product During R-C Pictures Week Exhibitors Will be Supplied With Slides Announcing Details of Observance Beginning February 5 and Ending February 11 Comprehensive advertising and exploitation plans have been launched for the national observance of R-C Pictures Week, February 5 to February 11. Co-operating with Charles R. Rogers, general manager of distribution, and his staff, is the entire publicity and advertising department of the organization, which will put forth its best efforts to obtain nation-wide publicity that will be of direct aid to the exhibitor. $1,000 Offered R-C Pictures announces that it will purchase the fifty best stories or essays of not more than 200 words each, dealing with R-C Pictures, that are offered to the organization. The amount to be paid for these manuscripts, which will be available for use in advertising and publicity text issued by the organization, will be $1,000. For the best manuscript submitted, $200 will be paid; for the second best, $150; for the third best, $100; for the fourth best, $50, for the fifth $35 will be paid, the price to be paid for the sixth is $25, and forty-four others ranking next in merit will be purchased at $10 each. Equal awards will be made in cases where contestants tie. Slides will be issued to the exhibitors announcing the details for use long in advance of R-C Pictures Week, in order that the information may be widely disseminated. Other slides will be supplied to exhibitors, to be shown just ahead of R-C Pictures, advising the public that the picture to be shown is an R-C Picture, and that it may be described in the manuscripts to be submitted for purchase. These slides will be given to the exhibitors free of charge. Heralds Distributed Gratis Heralds outlining the details of the story purchase plea will be distributed free in large quantities to the exhibitors for general distribution to the public. The slides and heralds now are available to exhibitors. One-sheets announcing the story purchase plan also have been placed in the exchange and will be supplied to exhibitors with other advertising accessories and side. Window cards carrying the same message now are going forward. Snipes are being distributed to all exchanges for use on all billboard displays for R-C Pictures, tying up with the manuscript purchase plan. A special edition, "Ye Towne Crier," the exploitation organ of R-C Pictures, suggesting many novel and practical means of putting the picture across during R-C Week — and every other week — is being issued. Plan Two-Page Spreads In addition to the general advertising which is carried in the various fan magazines in their December issues, two-page spread has been prepared to be run in the February and March issues of a large number of magazines. These will be on the stands and in the hands of subscribers in January and in the first week of February. The mauazines that will carry this advertising are Photoplay Magazine. Shadowland. Motion Play Magazine. Motion Picture Classic, Movie Weekly, Motion Picture Magazine, Moving Picture Stories, Picture Play Magazine, Film Fun, Film Play Journal and Photo Drama. Additional aids will be given free of charge to exhibitors booking a solid week of R-C Pictures, including all advertising accessories. This will apply to all theatres except first-run houses that run R-C Pictures for a week. First-run houses that run R-C Pictures for a solid week, with a solid week either immediately preceding or immediately following R-C Pictures Week also will be supplied with such accessories free of charge. New Universal Film Ready The last scenes of "The Golden Gallows," starring Miss Du Pont, have been taken and the film is now in the process of cutting at Universal City. In the cast are Jack Mower, Edwin Stevens, Barbara Tennant, George B. Williams, Douglas Gerrard, Eve "Southern, Elinor Hancock and Oliver Cross. Brunet Presents Film to Foch Through the courtesy of Paul Brunet, of Pathe, Marshal Foch, of France, took with him when he returned to France, a two-reel motion picture record of America's reception to him on his 21,000-mile tour of the United States and Canada. The presentation was made on behalf of Mr. Brunet, by Emanuel Cohen, editor of the Pathe News, whose special representative accompanied the Foch party on its entire trip, and made a celluloid record of all its important events. The marshal expressed his sincere appreciation of Mr. Brunet's courtesy and thoughtfulness, and before sailing dispatched to the Pathe president an autographed photograph as a token of his esteem. The two-reel picture is titled throughout in French, and bears the head title: "Tribute to Marshal Foch by America," and a sub-caption, "Presented with compliments of Paul Brunet, President of Pathe Exchange, Inc., of New York." Vitagraph's Production of Barrie's "The Little Minister" Is Completed David Smith Directs Picture Which Features Alice Calhoun and James Morrison — Film Will Be Presented In Six Reels of the cast is equally excel Yitagraph has completed its production, "The Little Minister," adapted from the story by James M. Barrie. Tht film was produced in California under the direction of David Smith, and in the settings, costuming, acting and in those little directorial touches which can hardly be classified is reflected the quaint Scotch atmosphere of the piece. Alice Calhoun, fulfilling all predictions, it is said, has proved an ideal Lady Babbie. IJnder the careful direction of David Smith, who was entranced ■ ith her personality and her adaptability to the role, all the varying moods of the whimsical character were brought out. Whether appearing as Lady Babbie, or masquerading as the Gypsy, Miss Calhoun is reported to display an art mellowed beyond any comparison to her youth. Praise Work of Player Those who have been privileged to see the film in advance have declared that Miss Calhoun's beauty, her youth and charm, her acting ability, have made her the real heroine of Barrie's story. The title role is played by James Morrison, one of the best known of the younger leading men on the screen. He has been identified with many big successes, and nlayed leading roles in two of the biggest successes ever put out by the Vitagraph Company — "Over the Top" and "Black Beauty." Morrison's Best Role As Gavin Dishart, the little minister of Thrums, he is said to give one of the best performances of his career. The remainder lent. Among others in the cast are Henry Hebert, as Lord Rintoul; Alberta Lee, as Mrs. Dishart; William McCall, as Rob Dow; Dorothea Wolbert, as Nanny Webster; Maude Emery, as Jean; George Stanley, as Captain Halliwell. In addition there are hundreds of minor characters— townspeople, gypsies, soldiers and the like. President Smith on Lot Albert E. Smith, president of Vitagraph, journeyed from Brooklyn to the West Coast studios that he might be present during the filming of many of the special scenes of this production. In a wire to John M. Quinn, general manager, he expressed himself as more than pleased with every phase of the production, and stated that by her work in the star role Alice Calhoun had more than justified his selection of her for the part of Little Babbie. Big sets, including several sections of the village of Thrums, were built especially for "The Little Minister." Offered in Six Reels "The Little Minister" will be presented in sioc reels. The interest of the exhibitors in this picture has been intense. One exhibitor wired Vitagraph: "I have, with but two exceptions, never booked a picture sight unseen for my theatre. I wish to do so in the case of 'The Little Minister.' The reason is that yesterday I saw your stills on this production. If such scenes arc in your stills, they must be in ••our film, and all my theatre staff and myself have become enthusiastic over these."