Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

January 3, 1925 EXHIBITORS HERALD 41 Film Booking Office tendered a luncheon to Major H. C. S. Thomson, President, on December 12, at the Hotel Roosevelt, New York, in honor of his return to the U. S. A. and to announce the 1925 schedule of pictures. Representatives of the motion picture papers and New York dailies were invited guests. 4 New Reid Film Off to Flying Start in Bookings, Premiere Initial Showing at the Orpheum Theatre, Chieago, Reveals Exploitation Angles of Production — 'Important First Run Chains Schedule Film for Early Showing (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, Dec. 23.— That Mrs. Wallace Reid has again struck a note of popular appeal in her latest production, “Broken Laws,” is indicated in reports from Chicago, where the picture is having its world premiere at Jones, Linick & Schaefer’s Orpheum theatre. Substantiating these reports is an announcement by Film Booking Offices which shows that “Broken Laws” has been quickly and widely booked by leading first run theatres throughout the country. Premiere Reveals Exploitation Possibilities A noteworthy feature of the picture’s premiere is the number of tieups and exploitation angles possible with the production as revealed in the campaign carried on by Ralph T. Kettering, general press representative for Jones, Linick & Schaefer, and Louis P. Kramer of the Thomas H. Ince organization. This campaign, it is declared, will serve as an excellent aid to theatres subsequently playing the production. Big Crowds Greet Betty Bronson at Chicago Theatre Betty Bronson, star of Paramount’s "Peter Pan,” arrived in Chicago on Saturday morning, December 20, and departed on Monday, December 22, for New York. Those three days were probably the busiest that the youthful star has had at any time during her motion picture career. On Sunday she made six personal appearances at McVickers theatre, she talked over the radio and she received the press at the Blackstone hotel. In addition, she was the guest of the Junior League. Her appearance at McVickers brought out a throng of interested theatregoers anxious to see and make the acquaintance of the little star, whose name, since she was assigned the coveted “Peter Pan” role, has become almost a household word. A special show at the McVickers theatre, starting at 12:30 o’clock, in which Miss Bronson was the feature attraction was given Sunday and Miss Bronson made subsequent personal appearances until departing for New York Monday, where she arrived in time to be on hand for the “Peter Pan” Christmas Tree Party at the Plaza, given by Famous Players-Lasky. The Chicago Tribune, in connection with McVickers theatre, will show “Peter Pan” for the first time to thousands of cripples and orphans at a gigantic Christmas party in the big Chicago Coliseum. Corporations in East Keep Weekly Average ALBANY, N. Y., Dec. 23.— Eight motion picture companies were incorporated in New York state during the past week, this number showing a good weekly average for the closing days of the year, with the amount of capitalization aggregating $150,000. All the newly incorporated companies will be located in New York city. The companies chartered included Ames and Bostwick, Inc., capitalized at $20,000; Coolidge Theatre Corporation, $50,000; International Comedies Corporation, $20,000; Royal Laboratories, Inc., capitalization not stated; Court Estates, Ine., $10,000; Court Zone Realty Company, $10,000; Sicania Film, Inc., $25,000; Houses of Sand, Inc., $15,000. Wedding Bells in Film Row ALBANY, N. Y. — Wedding bells rang out along Film Row in Albany, N. Y., last Saturday, when Miss Marie Wheeler, former manager of the Merit exchange here, and prominently identified with the industry for several years past, became the bride of Attorney Frederick M. Garfield, of Jamestown, N. Y. Among the circuits for which “Broken Laws” has already been booked are the A. H. Blank theatres in Iowa, the first run being scheduled for Des Moines on January 11. It will play Sioux City, Clinton, Iowa City, Mason City, Boone and Davenport simultaneously. Further bookings are the American theatre. Salt Lake City; Fred Dolle’s Alamo, Louisville, Ky. ; Ray Steinnett’s Capital, Dallas ; F. J. Quimby for the Allen, Fort Wayne, Ind. ; E. V. Jensen for the Peoples theatre, Portland; Frank Newman for Newman’s Kansas City; Ben Appel, for the American, Troy; Nomo Suckno, for the Albany, Albany, and Ed Fay, for Fay’s theatre. Providence. Is Booked by Poll Circuit The Poli circuit will play the Reid film, and A. P. Botzum has booked it for the Orpheum, Akron; Strand, Canton. Ted Prekas will play “Broken Laws” at the Dreamland, Columbus. High spots of the world premiere exploitation campaign were inaugurated with a showing of the picture before the law enforcement committee of the Illinois Federation of Women’s Clubs, which approved and endorsed it. Plans were made by the club for a “Law Observance Week” and a committee of the women called upon the mayor, further arrangements including speeches by the chief of police and other city officials, followed by a screening of the Reid picture. Both the film and the Women’s Clubs received valuable publicity. Signs were placed about the city calling attention to the Law Observance campaign and the picture at the Orpheum. An entire page of “reader copy” was a feature of the extensive newspaper advertising campaign. Buys United Kingdom Rights Film Booking Offices have just announced that Harry Rowson, representing the British firm of Ideal Films, Ltd., who has been in this country for several weeks, has consummated a deal with Major Thomson whereby Ideal acquires United Kingdom rights to the production. The new Reid vehicle is a story of mother love that is said to strike a universally respondent cord among all classes of theatre patrons. In support of Mrs. Reid are such players as Percy Marmont, Jacqueline Saunders, Ramsay Wallace, Pat Moore and Jane Wray. Adela Rogers St. John is author of the story and R. William Neill directed the production. Metro Signs Browning (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, Dec. 23. — An agreement has been reached by which Tod Browning, film director, will make a series of productions, for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer according to an announcement made by Irving C. Thalberg, studio executive with the Metro company. Browning’s first production will be “The Unholy Three.”