Exhibitors Herald (Jul-Sep 1922)

July 8. 1922 EXHIBITORS HERALD 27 Civic and Welfare Leaders Favor Censorship Abolition Representatives from Sixty OrganizationsShow Keen Interest in Hays' Effort to Place Industry on High Plane (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, June 27. — Will H. Hays is assured of plenty of assistance in putting the motion pictures of the country on the high moral and artistic plane which he has pledged. At a meeting held last Thursday at the Waldorf-Astoria representatives of about sixty of the leading civic, educational and social welfare organizations of the country gathered for an all day discussion on the subject with Mr. Hays. Contend Censorship Has Accomplished Little While few of those present had any concrete ideas for betterment, the keen interest shown in Mr. Hays' efforts was most gratifying. With few exceptions those who spoke were of the opinion that censorship had so far accomplished little if any good, promised nothing better, and should be abolished. Hudson County, N. J., Exhibitors Convene Newly Formed T. 0. C. C. at First Meeting Elects Its Officers (Special to Fxhibitors Herald) XEW YORK, June 27.— The Theatre Owners' Chamber of Commerce of Hudson Count3', X. J., recently organized, held its first business meeting last week in the Roosevelt theatre, Hoboken. Owners of more than thirty of the leading houses of Jersey City, Hoboken, Bayonne, and other cities and towns in the county were in attendance. The following officers were elected: Kaiserstein Made Chairman Chairman — D. Kaiserstein, Strand theatre, Bayonne. Vice-Chairman — H. Harring, Central, National. Monticello and Tivoli theatres, Jersey Citv, and Lincoln theatre, Union Hill. Secretary — S. Sobelson, Empire theatre, Bayonne. and Strand theatre, Jersey City. Treasurer — F. H. Mertens, Fulton theatre, Jersey City. Board of Directors — J. Moody, Orient theatre, Jersey City; G. Brennan, Orpheum theatre, Jersey City; A. Ungerfeld, Liberty theatre. Hoboken; N. Reister, Apollo and Minerva theatres, Jersey City; F. H. Mertens, Fulton theatre, Jersey City. Like New York Body The organization is formed along the same general lines of the Theatre Owners' Chamber of Commerce of Xew York, and has in its membership, in addition to those above, the following: M. Kitinsky, Academy theatre, Jersey City, and City theatre, Hoboken; A. Reister, State and Ritz theatres, Jersey, and U. S. theatre, Hoboken; B. Rosenblatt, Plaza theatre, Bayonne; H. Stern and H. Schwartz, Bishop theatre, Hoboken: L. Cook, Ideal theatre, Hoboken; I. Binkov, Temple theatre, Union Hill; W. Goldfarb, Cortlandt theatre, West Hoboken; G. Robinson, Roosevelt theatre, West Hoboken; J. Vase!, Rialto theatre, West Xew York; P. Bacile, Bijou theatre, West Xew York; T. Fardy, Wilson theatre, West Xew York; S. Goldman, Fulton theatre. Union Hill: G. Golomb, City theatre, West Hoboken: J. Dunbar, Danforth theatre, Jersey City. A. Nacht Sees Marked Improvement in East (Special to Exhibitors Herald) XEW YORK, June 27. — A marked improvement in general business conditions throughout the Xew England states is reported by A. Xacht, manager of the sales control and statistical department of Associated Exhibitors, who has returned to Xew York following a tour of some forty or fifty cities in Xew York. Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Exhibitors in some cities informed him. he said, that conditions were vastly better than at this time a year ago. A return to normal by fall is forecast. Larry Semon Increases Personnel of His Staff Tom Buckingham will co-direct with Larry Semon, Vitagraph comedian, beginning with his new comedy, "Golf." now under way at the west coast studios. Joe Basil and Vincent McDermott are to be assistant directors. Both are new staff additions. George Xoble becomes business manager of the Semon interests. Earl Olin will be technical director. Among the suggestions offered was beginning the work of reformation at the source by a proper supervision of stories, scenarios and production; better labor conditions for mechanics in the studios and for lesser actors who appeared in the "mob scenes;" better advertising and the creation of a vigilance committee in every community to force exhibitors and producers to advertise the truth about their pictures; the creation of a foundation along the lines of the Russell Sage Foundation to support the production and distribution of purely educational films; more news in pictures; more history and more pictures suitable for the intelligence of the average American audience; the making of films suitable for helping educate the feeble-minded. Rogers and Walker Talk Among those from the industry who spoke, in addition to Mr. Hays who explained the object of the meeting, were Sol E. Rogers, vice-president of Fox Film Corporation, who described the complex problems of the producers in their efforts at betterment; Senator James J. Walker, who made an eloquent plea against censorship and urged effort towards modification of the laws regulating the attendance of children at motion pictures; Sydney S. Cohen, who offered the screens of the country for educational and betterment pictures, and Rex Beach, who said he didn't represent anyone but himself. After explaining that he expected to be thrown out for what he was about to say but that didn't worry him for he had been thrown out of larger meetings, Mr. Beach said: "Too Much Patent Medicine" "Everybody will admit that motion picture production and business are sick. They are suffering from too much patent medicine. Too many doctors have been called in. The patient has been done to death. We ought to >-ealize that the motion picture industry is fullgrown. It ought to be given a physic, get a slap on the back and be turned out into the open to regain its health. Too many people are meddling with the screen and have meddled with it. There was a time when people meddled for nothing. Xow they make meddling a profession and are well paid for it." Mrs. Hoover on Program Among others who spoke were Mrs. Herbert C. Hoover of the Girl Scouts. Ernest L. Crandall of the Visual Instruction Association of America, Mrs. Louis Slade of the League of Women Voters. Dr. John W. Withers of the Xational Education Association, Henry Fleischman of the Educational Alliance, Mrs. Milton P. Higgins of the Xational Congress of Mothers and Parent Teachers' Association, Dr. Anne Xicholson, National Council of Catholic Women, the Rev. F. E. Clark of the United Society of Christian Endeavor, and Mrs. Richard M. Chapman of the Federation of Women's Clubs of Xew York City. It was finally decided to select a committee of fifteen or twenty from among those present to act as an advisory body to Mr. Hays and assist him in his efforts. A committee of three, consisting of James E. West, Mrs. Oliver Harriman and Lee F. Hanmer was elected to aid Mr. Hays in the selection of the permanent committee. Nashville Houses in GotoTheatre Week (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NASHVILLE, TEXX., June 27.— Goto-Theatre Week opened with a bang here yesterday when 10,000 theatre tickets were dropped over a local park by aeroplanes. Hoy in Chicago The Hoy Reporting Service has opened a Chicago office in Room 204, 310 South Wabash avenue. Rapf to Produce New Wesley Barry Feature Harry Rapf has left for the Warner Brothers West Coast studios to begin production of the second Wesley Barry feature, "Little Heroes of the Street," which will be directed by William Beaudine. Jack and Sam Warner have also left for the coast. The finished print of the first Barry picture, "Rags to Riches." was brought east by Mr. Rapf, and it is reported :t will be the first of seven productions to be distributed by the Warner Brothers this coming season.