Exhibitors Herald (Apr-Jun 1922)

50 EXHIBITORS HERALD April 15, 1922 PUBLICITY as some "almost" press agents see it, is truly a fearful and wonderful thing. The cause of this cogitation is a long screed labeled "publicity" and "exclusive" which has just come to hand. Two sheets of typewritten copy tells in glowing terms and with many adjectives of the wonderful abilities of a certain picture theatre manager, in building up the business of his house, and winds up with this peroration : "His daily advertising bills look more like the total on a check for a dinner for two at Childs than they do like the charges for a theatre's advertising and publicity. Blank knows how to get the business without spending money to do so." Inasmuch as he writes it himself about himself, can't you just get a mental photograph of him sitting in front of a mirror and reading it to himself. And, of course, publications which can sometimes be induced to accept money in exchange for advertising space, are tickled to death to print it. And they killed men like Lincoln. * ♦ ♦ Several members of the A. M. P. A. who took part in the festivities attending the "Naked Truth" dinner, have taken us to task for failing to give credit where credit is due in the matter of one of the best features of the entertainment. All this was brought about by our failure to state that the young man who threw such a wicked finger over the piano ivories was Victor Nurnberg, of the Pacific Films Company. All right, Vic, we here and now give you double credit. * * * One of the above mentioned credits is for the AM PA function. The other is on a song which has just been accepted for publication by one of the big music publishing houses, the music being written by Nurnberg with Herb Crooker dallying with the lyrics. The music is what Herb Crooker describes as an "Oriental foxtrot'' (whatever that is) and its title will be "The Isle of Zorda," being named for the Pathe picture. * * * But to get back to that AMPA dinner; while one of the old time films was being shown, a picture magnate of the old vintage of exhibitors, remarked: "I used to charge people a nickel to see pictures like that in my nickelodeon, but now they make me pay ten bucks to peep at them." * * * Every day we see or hear new indications of the ubiquity of those censors. A bunch of stills received a few days ago bore this rubber stamp legend : "Approved March 25. Motion picture Commission. State of New York." And that means that they are enforcing the order issued a couple of weeks ago that all advertising for exhibition purposes, must be submitted to the censors. * * * Bill Leahy, the man who put Derby, Conn., and Springfield, Mass., on the map. has returned to his old love and is now doing publicity. After serious study on the subject of what is wrong with the movies, Bill opened a free lance publicity bureau, looking after the work of several favored clients. Ace Berry, after a season on the road with Fanchon & Marco's "Sun-Kist" musical review, has joined the First National exploitation forces, and from now on will get his mail at Indianapolis. * * * Jesse Lasky is still commuting, being on his way to New York from the coast on another of his frequent visits. While here the question of the reopening of the Long Island City studio will be decided, and the betting over at the Paramount shop is that it will remain closed as far as productk., is concerned. * * * John Brownell, of Universal, has solved the problem of pleasurable living during the summer months. He has rented his home at Mamaroneck to Jack Lloyd, of the Griffith forces, and with Mrs. Brownell will take up their abode in three tents on Orienta beach. One tent is for living purposes, one for cooking, and the third for the family auto. And nearby will be anchored the Brownell sloop, so it will be quite homelike. Major LaGuardia, having become legal advisor of the Dolores Cassinelli Company, the A. M. P. A. can expect new outbursts of eloquence when the fiery little orator has served his time in the industry long enough to put in his application for membership. They still tell, down at the City Hall where the Major was president of the Board of Aldermen, how the news reporters would don asbestos earmuffs whenever he started the fireworks. * * * Matt Taylor, for the past two years connected with the editorial department of the Motion Picture News, has joined Nat Rothstein on the publicity staff of R-C Pictures. His particular job is 1 looking after the trade papers, and he has already started looking. * * * Bert Adler stopped in town last week long enough to attend the "Naked Truth" dinner, confer with Arthur Friend at the offices of Distinctive Pictures, and then hie himself off to Washington. * * * Which brings to mind that Charlie Hastings, once a familiar figure on the trade papers, is reposing his robust figure at the offices and studio of Distinctive Pictures, where he handles studio publicity for George Arliss. * * * The job of the motion picture censors is not always conducive to happy thoughts. One day last week Mr. Levenson and his aids were taking the official look at Official Urban Movie Chats No. 9, when the following quotation from a speech of Rev. Thomas Dixon, was thrown on the screen : "Censorship is the vilest word in history. It reeks with the memories of tyranny and of blood. God has not yet made the man wise enough to be clothed with the autocratic power to strangle human thought." No deletion was ordered. i * * * A conspicuous number of P. A. mothersin-law have already announced their prospective funerals for the afternoon of April 12. Bill Yearsley says that nothing short of a doctor's certificate or an undertaker's bill will be accepted as an excuse for ab Notables to See "Four Horsemen" President Millerand, Marshal Foch, Premier Poincare, American Ambassador Robert T. Herrick, and other distinguished members of social and diplomatic circles of France will be present at the Vaudeville theatre in Paris when Metro Pictures Corporation will present the first European showing of Rex Ingram's production of "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse," the screen adaptation of Vicente Blasco Ibanez's famous novel. The presentation will be under the direction of Harry Cohen, foreign manager of Metro. sence the day the baseball season opens in New York. * * * Someone recalled to W alter Eberhart the famous admonition of Harry Reichenbach addressed to every self respecting press agent : "Try and get a salary that will make you proud of your profession." Quoth Walter : "Huh — try and get it." John S. Spargo. ' Zukor's Radio Talk Features Big Dance Paramount Club Guests Are Royally Entertained at Anniversary Ball (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, April 4.— They've all gone back to work at the Famous Players-Lasky home offices. The annual ball of the Paramount Club is over. And it was some ball, as about 1,200 persons who attended would vote if put to a referendum. The annual party this year had special significance as it marked the tenth anniversary of the organization of the company, and everyone from the highest official down to the newest newcomer, set himself, or herself as the case may be, to make it memorable. Zukor in Radio Talk One of the features of the occasion was the use of the radiophone for specchmaking and for making music for the dancers. A strong receiving set had been installed in the big ball room at the Hotel Commodore, and Adolph Zukor, accompanied by an orchestra loaned for the occasioned by Hugo Riesenfeld, journeyed to the Westinghouse broadcasting station at Newark. There Mr. Zukor made an address which was heard not only by the merryn;akers gathered at the Commodore, but at many of the Famous Players theatres throughout the country. In his talk, Mr. Zukor told of his trials and tribulations — now amusing in the light of the expansion of the industry — in organizing and establishing the company which now bears his name, and of the events leading up to the making of the first feature production. Guests Enjoy Dancing Following Mr. Zukor's speech the Riesenfeld orchestra played in Newark and the guests of the Paramount Club danced to the strains at the Commodore. After the broadcasting a regularly installed orchestra in the ball room furnished the music for the remainder of the dancing.