Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1921 - Mar 1922)

26 EXHIBITORS HERALD February 18, 1922 .AY ART IN J. QTJIGLEY PUBLISHER/ G5 EDITOR Published every Wednesday by Martin J. tluigley. Editorial and Executive Offices: 417 South Dearborn street, Chicago, Illinois. (Telephone: Harrison 9348-9249. ) New York Office: 1476 Broadway. (Telephone: Bryant 136S and Bryant 5111.) _ Los Angeles Office: 453 South Spring St.. (Telephone 6C0-10.) All Editorial and Business Correspondence should be addressed to the Chicago Ofttces. Subscription Price: United States and Its Possessions, Mexico and Cuba, $3.00 a year; Canada, $4.50 a year; Foreign Countries (Postpaid), $5.00 a year. Single eopy, 25 cents. Copyright, 1922. All Bights Beserved. Copyright throughout Great Britain and Colonies under the provision of the copyright act of 1911. Vol. XIV. February 18, 1922 No. 8 To Mr. Harry Crandall: At this time of poignant distress with the appalling thought of the Knickerbocker theatre tragedy vividly in your mind you are entitled to the consolation afforded in the fact that the entire motion picture industry sympathizes heartily with you on the misfortune that has been visited upon one of your enterprises. There is further consolation for you in the opinion held by all who know you that no investigation, however rigorous, will hold thoughtlessness or negligence to account for the tragedy and that the disaster will go down in the record solely as a turn of Fate for which no man can be held accountable. The penalty of prominence, and especially motion picture prominence, is again being made plain in the circumstances following the death in California of William D. Taylor. At the moment these lines are being written there has not been discovered in connection with the tragedy a single fact which would warrant the type of stories that are being given space by the newspapers. Frantic efforts are being made to identify the names of prominent motion picture people with the murder, despite the fact that not the slightest clew to justify such action has been obtained. In the few days since the news of the tragedy was sent out from Los Angeles the industry again has been made the victim of much undesirable publicity. Newspapers, not content with the legitimate news of the murder that was being sent out by the regular news agencies, have dispatched special correspondents to the scene and several of these have been guilty of the rankest mis-representation and lying that could be conceived of — all for the purpose of making a scandal, irrespective of the facts as found. Persons who have been linked up at random with the murder probably must seek consolation in the fact that such is the price of popularity. The industrv generally need not and should not dismiss the matter without making proper entries upon the record for future action. The business of motion pictures certainly has some rights and also has the means of compelling respect of these rights. It would appear that it might be a good idea for the industry in New York and the New York newspapers both to take steps to discover the existence in the same neighborhood of the other. Just before and since the appointment of Mr. Will H. Hays, several stories which have been both absurd and harmful have been printed by New York newspapers. It being fair to assume that these newspapers are seeking facts it seems that the industry should establish relations which would give the press what it wants — thereby preventing the business and the newspapers from being made to appear ridiculous. Re -Takes J. R. M. At least everybody knows by this time that Mabel Normand eats peanuts and throws the shells on the floor of her auto. ,* * * According to C. L. Yearsley, of First National, an optimist is "a publicity man who boasts to his boss before his stuff is printed." * * * Joe Weil says: "Won't it be great when they take the movies out of the headlines." * * * That Kinda Pictures A paragrapher in the Richmond TimesDispatch, in commenting on the proposed Virginia state censorship bill, says: "Our private suspicion is that this motion picture censorship is being promoted in the interests of those who go to the movies to take a nap." * * * Up at Mamaroneck, N. Y., they've got a quartet that sings "Give a Man a Horse," at all their first-class concerts, and D.onald Chalmers is the basso lead. The James Horse We have compiled a lot of data (date-a) on the James horse fund (the hound in the next kennel insists it is "dat-t-t-a," Mr. Century, Mr. Standard and Mr. Webster, notwithstanding) from the Questionnaire recently printed in this col. and herewith are the results: — Do you read this col? 11,469 answered "sure." Do you know what the James Horse Fund is? 11,470 "Uh Huh's." What trade papers give you a pain? All answered "Not Exhibitors Herald." What name would you suggest for the Horse? 5,767 wanted to call it "Foolish." Another 6,000 chose "Sooner." Are you going to be in N. Y. on HORSE WEEK? All voted "The dream of my life." There are a few outlying precincts still to be heard from, including Japan, Germany and Alaska and until the votes are all in we'll hold up the name announcement. Chicago is cutting down its daylight saving by two months this year, but the tanners refuse to change their watches for the golf players, so there will be the usual argument as to what time it is when a Chicagoan ventures beyond the city limits. * * * They arrested a girl bootlegger in Chicago last week, but she insisted she wasn't bootlegger — she wore galoshes. * * * That Russian worker who wooed and won an heiress in ten days must have used Russian methods. * * * Making It Last According to a press agent that hit Chicago last week, they're serving strong drink out on the w.k. west coast with an eye dropper. And I thought because of the nearness of the oceans IN THIS ISSUE OK SPECIAL INTEBEST The First of n Series of Articles on the .VI. P. T. O. A. by Monte W. Sohn 20 Hofkford, III., Exhibitors Stage Successful "Co to Theatre" Week.... 45 m:\\ s of the WEEK .\cw York Convention to Launch Drl»c for Itentnl Cut 27 Hit: <l ■■<">< l"» Murk Surrounds Plans of win ii. Bay* 27 Paramount Commemorates Death of William l». Taylor 2S l(i-pcnflng \otcrs Seek to llepeal lllne Law Ordinance .17 Deducts Itnlse In Car Karr from Admission Prices 37 \ ssoclatcd i:\hlhllorM Sign Florence \ lilor to Slar 37 W id Cunning Has Profit Sharing Distribution Plan 38 vi Llchtman Goea West without Closing First National Deal 38 Wesley Barry Honor Guest nt Press Dinner In Chicago 38 DEPABTMENTS Pictorial Section 31 The W eek in \<-« I nrk 86 Money flaking Ideas 38 The Theatre 30 Public Itighls League 51 Itevlews 53 Letters from Headers flli whin tin Picture Did for Vic «3 Thentre Equipment 73 Toplca of the Day 75 Chicago Trade Event* 78 Culdi lo Correal Pictures MO