Exhibitors Herald (Jul-Sep 1922)

September 16. 1922 EXHIBITORS HERALD 63 Morris Kahn (right) who has returned to Select Pictures Corporation as treasurer of the company. THE somewhat radical change in the production plans of the Selznick Pictures Corporation naturally will affect the selling policy of Select Pictures Corporation, wnich distributes the Selznick product. Each of the new Selznick specials will be marketed individually, strictly on its own merits, with only the prestige heretofore established by Selznick productions to back it up. Select, however, will not be confined to the publication of the Selznick product and is at the present time engaged in preliminary arrangements for the handling of a series of productions to be made by three well known directors. During the early part of this year J. S. Woody assumed the general management of Select Pictures Corporation. Since Mr. Woody's return to the organization < he having been a former cabinet member of the same company) but few changes have been made in the selling ranks. While there may be a new face or two in a few of Select's branch offices, as a whole exhibitors will find it possible to do business during the ensuing season with practically the same men who have been serving them for a long time. Select Pictures is proud of its representation on the selling line. And in turn it is quite apparent that "th>boys" of the Select family manifest an unusual loyalty to the parent office. Such coordination naturally makes for an ideal combination. Then again, the home office reposes aii unusual faith jn the ability and judgment of its representatives, thus affording the latter much more leeway than is customaryOf course. General Manager Woody has •aid down, for each branch manager to follow, his own personal code of business ethics, which is well known to exhibitors everywhere. Henry E. Wilkinson ("Wilkie") will be found in charge of the Albany branch. Mr. Wilkinson formerly was an exhibitor, having been managing director of the Olympic theatre. Pittsburgh. subsequently coming to Arthur S. Kane Pictures Corporation as sales manager. "Ezell" is a password in film circles down South — it's known from El Paso to Jacksonville and when it's mentioned Southern showmen hang out the welcome sign. John T. Ezell who guides the destinies of the Select Atlanta exchange is an old time Selectite. Benjamin P. Rogers has been in charge of Select's New England affairs tor several years and it is said that exhibitors in the Boston territory swear by him. Harry E. Lotz not only is a pioneer in the picture selling business but is a Select pioneer with it. having held the position of Western division manager for the corporation some three years ago. He returns to the organization and incidentally to his old home town, Buffalo James U. McCormick is just plain "Mac" down in the '"tarheel state" where the trade in general has come to look upon him as a fixture. Mac opened the Charlotte office for Select and has been there ever since. Edwin Silverman grew up with the Chicago branch from boyhood — he started as a booking clerk five years ago and he's now manager, but the men he does business with never have stopped calling him "Eddie." Chicago claims Eddie as its own and well might they be proud of this forceful, progressive young executive. Otto P. Hall, in Cincinnati, is in new territory, having spent the major part of his fourteen years in the picture business in New England and on the South Atlantic Coast Albert W. Eden, familiarly called "The Antelope" out West where he previously did time in the service of Fox, Select and Realart, is a stranger in a strange land in Cleveland, but ATs willingness to please and his knowledge of taking care of exhibitor wants and disposition to cooperate will win a place for him in his new surroundings. Every exhibitor in Texas knows Diaz Callahan. He did some fine work down there for the Fox and Realart corporations and it will certainly be good news to his army of friends and well-wishers to know that he's back home. James S. ("Jimmie" | Hommel came back from the big fracas in France a first lieutenant and his friends still call him "The Loot." Los Angeles exhibitors will recall the smiling Jimmie as a Select salesman. He returns to his old stamping ground. Denver, which he ha? adopted as his homeJames O. i "Jimmie" } Kent is a Select landmark in Detroit. He opened the place some five years ago and is still the boss. Dudley ("Dud"} Williston has a wide and favorable acquaintance in the Hoosier state. He earned promotion in Select ranks from salesman to manager James B. ("Jim") Reilly is absolutely brand new in Kansas City but he isn't new to the branch managerial end of the picture business by any means. Jim dates his experience back to the old O. T. Crawford days, fifteen years ago. when he introduced talking pictures throughout the South. Later he came to Illinois and entered the exhibiting business in Kankakee. He opened up the Realart Exchange in Cleveland and made a wonderful record there. Oren F. Woody's able hands will hold the Select reins in Los Angeles. Woody returns to Select after an absence of three years. Oren grew up in the business in the Pacific Coast region and knows exhibitors from Seattle to San Diego bv their first names. Frank M. DeLorenzo. Milwaukee branch manager, won the promotion to this post some time ago because of the wonderful record he established in the selling ranks. John E. ("Jack") O'Toole is one of the best known branch executives in the Middle and Northwest country. In Minneapolis, where he holds forth as Select directorin-chief. Jack actually numbers among his personal friends every exhibitor in the territory — it's a large order but Jack candeliver on it. Frederick F. Goodrow needs no introduction to the trade in the Gulf Coast section. He has been extremely successful as Select's New Orleans manager for the past several years Henry Siegel has been directcr of sales in the New York territory since Select's inception and if there's anybody in the Manhattan. Brooklyn or Up-State districts that doesn't know Henry, he certainly can't be an exhibitor. Nat Beier. who sells the New Jersey territory and has his office in Siegel's New York exchange, is a veritable Select trade mark in the "skeeter state." Charles D. ( "Charlie") Touchon has been doing big things for Select down in Oklahoma for a long time and he's built vp a mighty fine standing with exhibitors out that wav. (Onffwu^i fag* i-L John S. Woody (left), general manager of Select, has his field force in readiness for a prosperous 1922-23.