Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1921 - Mar 1922)

24 EXHIBITORS HERALD January 21, 1922 .MARTIN J. QUI G LEY PUBLISHER/ ZP EDITOR Published every Wednesday by Martin J. Qulgley. Editorial and Executive Offices: 417 South Dearborn street, Chicago, Illinois. (Telephono Harrison 9248-9249.) New York Office: 1476 Broadway. (Telephone: Bryant 5111.) Los Angeles Office: 543 South Spring St. (Telephone 660-10.) All Editorial and Business Correspondence should be addressed to the Chicago Offices. Subscription Price: United States and Its Possessions, Mexico and Cuba, $3.00 a year; Canada, 94.50 a yean Foreign Countries (Postpaid), $5.00 a year. Single copy, 25 cents. Copyright, 1921. All Bights Reserved. Copyright throughout Great Britain and Colonies under the provision of the copyright act of 1911. Vol. XIV January 21, 1922 No. 4 Akin to the meteoric rise and huge expansion of the industry itself is the career of .Mr. William Fox, head of the Fox film and theatrical interests, who will soon celebrate the eighteenth anniversary of his connection with the motion picture business. * * * Mr. Fox's career is not without much of the dramatic significance of the product with which he has been concerned; it would, in fact, supply a ready-made Horatio Alger type of script. * * # The head of the Fox Film corporation became identified with the business at a time when little or nothing was required for admission. The business was either an object of derision or pity. Amusement potentates of the day regarded it as an ephemeral gee-gaw that was below their notice. That portion of the public which was then attracted offered no hope of a future for pictures except to a person of considerable mental courage and vision. * * * Although the requirements to getting into the business at that time were negligible, the requirements necessary to stay in the business were great and many; witness, for example, the long list of persons whose names appear in the early activities of the business but whose owners eventually lapsed out of sight because the industry soon struck a pace that was beyond their reach. * * * The pace not only did not became too fast for William Fox but at various stages of the game he has stood out as the pace-maker. As the medium with which he was concerned had great possibilities, so also, it is now apparent, William Fox as an executive, as a producer and as an interpreter of public taste had great possibilities which have proven to be the cornerstone of the huge commercial and artistic institution which bears his name. * * * An outstanding feature of Mr. Fox's career has been his aggressive independence. When as an independent operator he found his way blocked by the Motion Picture Patents Company, he put a herculean effort behind the task of wiping that combine out of existence and opening the road for a free and independent development of the industry under conditions where merit would not be hindered by mechanical patents and trade combines. * * * As a producer Mr. Fox has been similarly aggressive and independent. Knowing public taste — and knowing that he knew it — he has ignored precedent and practice and has developed a product which was guided only by his own choice. And this product, when viewed by the public, has represented to them some of the most popular subjects of the screen. Re -Takes J. R. M. How many times didja write it "1921" instead of 1922? * Now that bread is down to 5 cents a loaf, somebody ought to tell the restau« rants about it. * Getting at the Facts Joe Weil wants to nail a lie that's going the rounds of the trade anent the number of wild animals in "The Jungle Goddess," the serial he's exploiting, and thr so-called wild animals in another American-made picture. Joe says Director Conway used 470 — all the Selig Zoo contained — while the opposition claims they used 1,500. "All I have to say," sez Joe, " is that there are not 1,489 circus fleas in Selig's collection. His figure of 470 must, therefore, stand undefended." Probably Overworked The spirit of Christmas is still hovering around but he looks a little weak. * Doin' a Lot o' Knockin' Santa must have brought at least one Editor down East a couplea hammers 'er something. * I'll Have the Same These cold, dry, winter days arc getting the Chicago councilmen's goats. They held a special session the other day and voted for light wines and beer. Personally we prefer dark beer, but we won't crab if Congress orders "light." In the old days one didn't vote for it — you just told the waiter what you wanted and lie brought it * It Can't Be Did A Western newspaper asks: If Charlie Chaplin wants to do something serious why doesn't he try playing Simon Legrcc without a mustache. * An optimist — a Chicagoan who saves his trolley transfers thinking some day he'll get three cents apiece for them. Mi'Mm. /.h was the first one to kick at a poor subtitle. "Rotten" he declared as lie glanced at the handwriting on the wall. IN THIS ISSUE OK SPECIAL IMKHKST Review of "Orphans, of the Storm"-. . 30 Fox lo I elclirnlc ClKliteenth Anniversary 57 NEWS' <>i THE \\ I :i K Present German. Version of "Two Orphans" to Griffith sr. Nina-Inn Exceptional Pictures Sehedii led in 1929 20 Plan ti> Launch School for Producing Moral Reformers -7 Marcus Loevi i* Sleeted President of Metro Pictures 27 llrllnlie s 11 ml 11 > ( lo«lll|c l.nw ProllOHeil for \\ riNhlllKton, I), C 27 Toot Hhtiv»» Costlj Prologues Not Vital Rlesenield 28 New Distributing Company Formed by Warren end Greene 2l> Cecil Hepvvorth Will Invade V. S. With English Pictures :ti Arbitration Agreement May lie Model for Oilier Sillies :t:i DBF \ktmi: vi s The Week In New \ttrU. 82 Mone) Making Ideas 84 The Theatre as Public uiniiis League 17 Reviews Bl Letters From Readers 04 Tuple., of Hie liny 04 What the Picture nid for Me u." Theatre Equipment 7ti Chicago Trade Events 7H Guide to Current Pictures so They Like It Griffith may have the greatest picture of the season but we've got the greatest horse fund. So popular has the James Horse Fund become with the trade that we are daily showered with requests to "keep the good work up," "Smoke him out" and "Go to it." From Joplin, Mo., to Portland, Me., and from Tampa, Fla., to Walla Walla, Wash., the contributions and good wishes flow. Yes, it looks like a big week— HORSE WEEK— in New York. We'll see you there.