Exhibitors Herald (Sep-Dec 1923)

October 6. 1923 EXHIBITORS HERALD 41 Northern California Is Cold on T.O.D.C. Thomas D. Van Osten Fails To Enthuse Over Its Entry in Field While the M. P. T. O. of Southern California has enthusiastically endorsed the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation, the Northern California showmen have failed to enthuse over its appearance in the distributing field. Van Osten Makes Comment Thomas D. Van Osten, spokesman for the Allied Amusement Industries of California, makes the following comment in the organization's official organ: The announcement of the much heralded Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation, which has been some two years in materializing, comes to our desk in a formal letter, and as advertised by an insert page in the national trade publications. Like all, who should have the uplift and welfare of this wonderful motion picture industry at heart, we will gladly welcome any innovation that will tend to help those who are downtrodden. If the T. O. D. Corporation can obtain better pictures than their competitors, reduce the cost of marketing and give that saving to exhibitors, who in turn can sell them to the public, then the problem of improved distributing conditions will have been solved. There is no announcement of product, hence we cannot speak intelligently of the project. The whole proposition resolves itself to the goods you've got to sell and selling them. If the T. O. D. Corporation lines up a mediocre program of pictures to which the fickle public refuse to stampede their patronage, the very members and stockholders of the T. O. D. Corporation will decline to buy their own product. The play and the star is the whole basis of amusement valuation. If the play makes a new star that the public idolizes, increased valuation of that star to producer automatically raises. The public is the sole governing medium. Exhibitor Support Fails Regardless of what independent motion picture or unknown screen actor the T. O. D. Corporation may be responsible for bringing to light, they will be forced to buy and sell that produce on the valuation placed upon it by the stamp of public approval. With the advertised physical distributing tie-up of the T. O. D. Corporation, and no product announced to compare with the wide variety now on the market, we fail to discern any difference in the basic foundation of the T. O. D. C. from any other distributing concern now striving to get their product before the public. We have in our mind the history of a theatre owner's state-right distributing corporation, formed in California something more than a year ago. While it was not particular feature product that was handled, nevertheless the exhibitor-support the corporation received, as compared to that given to other state-right distributors, was a sad illustration of industrial and fraternal co-operation. We believe the corporation liquidated at a small fraction of the dollar. So much for exhibitor distribution— and we hope the T. O. D. C. has a rosier path. Mail Order Service in N. D. Begun by F. B. O. (Special to Exhibitors Herald) MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., Sept. 25.— A mail order department to serve small town exhibitors in North Dakota has been instituted by Film Booking Offices at the Minneapolis Exchange. A salesman has previously been maintained for the state but has now been discontinued according to Manager M. J. Weisfeldt. The new system will save a substantial sum to both exhibitor and the exchange, Mr. W eisfeldt declares. Studio Visitors Cost Companies $100 Each (Special to Exhibitors Herald) LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25— The recent ruling among studios to bar visitors has disappointed many tourists but, according to various film people, has already saved the industry a small fortune. Conway Tearle, has estimated that during his appearance opposite Norma Talmadge in "Ashes of Vengeance" at the United Studios, $25,COO was lost by the producer through visitors. On some occasions when high salaried players and gigantic scenes were held up, the mere introduction of a person to Miss Talmadge or one of the leading players in the particular scene, resulted in a loss of S150. The holding up of big scenes with their army of workers who are compelled to cease activities, is the most costly waste the producer has to contend with and when computed into dollars and cents runs into surprisingly large sums. M. C. Levee, president of the United Studios, in talking with Mr. Tearle on the matter, placed the estimate of average loss caused by each visitor who enters the studio, at $100. Paramount District Heads Hear Details of New Sales Policy (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, Sept. 25.— District managers of Paramount have been in convention at the home office of the company, the sessions, presided over by S. R. Kent, general manager of distribution dealing with plans for the promulgation of the new Paramount sales policy recently announced. Tuesday evening the members of the convention and home office executives were guests of President Adolph Zukor at a dinner at the Ritz-Carlton. In addition to the home office executives connected with the distribution department, those attending the convention were George J. Schaefer, of Boston; H. H. Buxbaum of New York; W. E. Smith of Philadelphia: H. A. Rose of Detroit; R. C. Li Beau of Kansas City; F. F. Creswell of Atlanta : Louis Marcus of Salt Lake City: Herman Wobber of San Francisco; Philip Reisman of Minneapolis and Leslie F. Whelan, Eli M. Orowitz and Russell B. Moon, exploitation representatives respectively at Washington, Philadelphia and New Haven. To Star Blanche Sweet (Special to Exhibitors Herald) LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25.— Blanche Sweet will have the stellar feminine role in "The Human Mill," Allen Holubar's first Metro feature. Kansas Exhibitors to Vote Aid to Farmers Tax Repeal Petitions Will Be Broadcast — Capper Pledges His Support (Special to Exhibitors Herald) WICHITA, KAN., September 24.— The Motion Picture Theatre owners of Kansas may go into the wheat growing business before the adjournment of the two day convention here. A committee has been appointed to formulate a plan whereby the exhibitors of the state may help the farmers in the western part of the state in the matter of seed wheat. It has been suggested that one day's proceeds from each theatre be placed in the seed wheat pool and indications are that the committee will recommend the plan when it reports to the convention tomorrow. Have Tax Repeal Plan Repeal of the 10 per cent admission tax also will come before the convention tomorrow. Petitions have been prepared for signature by patrons of theatres throughout the state. The petitions, urging repeal of the law. will be forwarded to congressmen from the various districts. A telegram from Senator Arthur Capper in New York indicated that he would vote for repeal of the law and use his influence in congress looking to that end. Henry J. Allen, former governor of Kansas, in addressing the theatre men at their banquet tonight, prophesied that in a few years censorship would be a thing of the past because the producers and the exhibitors have sensed the public feeling in the matter of objectionable films and have ceased to produce that sort of pictures. Reports on "Music Tax" Attorney Sam A. Handy of the exhibitors organization reported that progress has been made in the fight against the "music tax." Two cases testing the validity of the tax will be heard in the United States district court next month. Saxe Theatre, Almost Finished, Collapses; One Killed, Four Hurt (Special to Exhibitcs Herald) JANESVILLE, WIS^— T h e new $100,000 Saxe Amusement Enterprise theatre in this city, which was nearing a stage of completion, suddenly collapsed while scores of men were at work on the structure, killing one man and injuring four. According to accounts, the roof fell in at the rear and this was immediately followed by the falling of the front portion. The entire side of one wall and a part of another wall also gave away. Carpenters and other workmen in the building fled to safety with the exception of Claude E. Cochrane, a plumbing contractor of this city who was caught in the avalance and fatally injured. Thomas Saxe of the Amusement Company, who had come from Milwaukee to inspect the building was dining at a nearby restaurant at the time of the collapse. f. BY MARTIN J. QUIGLEY on a subject of vital im *^ f\ M m I _ portance to every branch of the motion picture industry II _ _ 3 A I OrnrnPnTQ are Polished in this issue cf the HERALD. "Costs and I /I V P l^l V Ullllli V/ll lO Prices" deals with one of the disturbing elements of the A Ui» v XJ * industry. READ IT ON