Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

34 EXHIBITORS HERALD February 14, 1925 Back From War! Discouraged? Not Robert Slote Second of the Sketches Relating to J. M. Loughborough’s Impressions of the American Exhibitor By J. M. LOUGHBOROUGH CUMBERLAND, MD., February 3. — Not long after the signing of the Armistice a young Maryland soldier returned to his native State “broke,” unsettled and wondering what he could do to fit himself for a “come-back” in civilian life. He had been in the show business since he was a boy, and was doing fairly well as a vaudeville manager when the World War called him to the colors. Then, with the Big Fight over, this American soldier of the show business found another man handling the job that had been his. Ij ID it discourage him? Not much. He welcomed the situation as an opportunity to break away from vaudeville and get into motion pictures. With the $60 paid him as bonus money he went to Washington, D. C., and landed a place as booker for the old Metro exchange. Soon afterward he became a salesman and next assistant manager for Exhibitor’s Film Exchange, a Crandall state right organization. From this end of pictures he switched over to the management of one of the Crandall houses and then was sent to the Strand, Cumberland, Md. He is known as one of the most progressive managers in the Washington territory. This man is Robert Slote. Crandall used to own the Strand, but recently he sold it to a group of Cumberland financiers. Slote remained right on the job. And he wasn’t content to sit at a desk and “manage” the house. He became his own publicity and exploitation man. One morning he saw an announcement of the Beauty Show at Atlantic City. Slote, who is a bachelor, realized that Maryland has the reputation of having the most beautiful girls in the country. Then this thought struck him : “Why not have a Beauty Contest in Cumberland and send the winner to the Atlantic City show?” He proceeded to follow up the idea. He interested the mayor, the council, the newspapers. * * * The contestants appeared on the stage of the Strand and were voted for by the audience. A special committee selected the winner, who went to Atlantic City and won fifth prize. The idea went over in such great style that it is now an annual affair in Cumberland and Slote, the bachelor, swings it. Incidentally the regular patronage at the Strand has increased 50 per cent since he took hold of that theatre. One of Slote’s recent innovations at the Strand — he is always swinging something new there — was to book acts from New York putting on one a week either as a prologue or a presentation. Cumberland picturegoers have responded to this with enthusiasm. When Slote took hold of the Strand its music consisted of a pipe organ and a couple of musicians. He installed a symphony orchestra. And he did not do it because it was “quite the thing” in New York or Chicago or Los Angeles. He did it because, after sounding out his patrons, he found they wanted that sort of a musical atmosphere. Slote studies his crowds in such a way that said crowds do not know they are on the motion picture managerial dissecting table. Unlike some managers, he does not stand in the rear of the theatre during first night showings and note the effect of his music and his presentations and his pictures. What he does is quite simple. He makes it a point to get acquainted with as many patrons as possible, engages them in conversation after a show and, without their knowing it, gets from them their candid opinions of what they saw in his theatre. “Maybe that’s a ‘Rube’ idea,” says Slote. “Maybe it’s small town stuff for a manager to descend from the dignity of his position and talk to his patrons as if he were a member of their families. It’s a lot of work. I’ll confess. But it brings results. I don’t care whether it’s tried in a ‘one-aweek’ theatre in a town with a population of 500, or a big first run house. It gets the crowd interested in the theatre and it gives the manager the ‘low down’ on what they think of his place. I am willing to gamble that I can call hundreds of my patrons by name. Many of them invite me out to their homes for dinner. There they have their families discuss pictures, stars, shows in general and give expressions as to what they would like to see. Sometimes they give me ideas for publicity and exploitation — ideas that are given ‘off guard.’ What I mean is that, without intending to do so, they mention crackerjack stunts in a joking manner. * * * “I am a great believer in exploitation, properly done, i give my people all the exploitation in the world — if I have the picture to back up that exploitation. If I haven’t the picture I refuse to exploit. “Motion pictures, like a faithful follower of Dr. Coue, are ‘growing better and better every day.’ Maybe Will Hays is the Coue in the case. Maybe it’s Old General public. But they are improving steadily, and so is every branch of the industry. Exploitation is getting better because it requires more thought and dignity and less ‘horse play.’ Publicity is getting better because it is more truthful. Production is improving because it is becoming more sane. Exhibitors are getting better because they study pictures before booking them. Maybe, after while, we will all sprout wngs and have our world’s premiere showings on Mount Olympus, with Jupiter acting as censor and Mark Antony, Cleopatra and Phyrne clamoring for more ‘sex drama’ and less comedy; while Nero plays a fiddle and Dante appears in the prologues. But of one thing we may be certain : We are progressing. My public say so, and that’s good enough for me.” Bischoff Heads New Releasing Company (Special to Exhibitors Herald) HOLLYWOOD, Cal., Feb. 3.— The new releasing organization, headed by Samuel Bischoff of the California Studios, was put into action a few days ago with the signing of contracts for the distribution of 36 two-reel comedies to be made at the studios this year. The productions which will be made under Bischoff’s supervision have already been started. Council Slips Over Bill That Hits All Chicago Exchanges Chicago’s twenty film exchanges woke up to the fact last week that the city council in passing the recent omnibus bill, had slipped over a fast one on them by putting through an amendment to clause No. 2791 of the city ordinance governing the granting of film permits. The city, prior to August, 1924, collected $3 a reel for censoring original prints and $1 for every reel thereafter, but on August 11, following a demand for the correct interpretation of the ordinance, they only collected $3 a picture, for originals, and $1 a picture for additional prints. In the recent omnibus bill, which was slipped through council along with a number of other appropriation bills, the former charge of $3 a reel for pictures was restored. During the six months the $3 a picture clause has been in operation the censor board has shown a deficit in its receipt column. The film exchanges buzzed with indignation during the week when it was learned that permits would cost as formerly, $3 a reel for originals. At the Metro-Goldwyn exchange. Manager L. A. Rozelle stated the cost for permits on censored films would total $20,000 a year under the present plan, whereas under the former schedule of charging ‘‘per picture” his exchange paid in the neighborhood of $1,300 annually. Small Town Competition (Continued from page 32) I hold no blame to anyone’s door on account of my Astoria experience. The business men who invited me down there were sincere and I may say finer men do not exist, for I made several of the best friends in Astoria I have ever had. They just didn’t know — I am the only one who should know my stuff. I should have investigated in a know-hoiv way. I just did not do my stuff, that’s all. I do not blame the public for not sticking, for human nature has endowed the public to be fickle and that’s that. Neither do I blame my competitors for they exercised God-given right. But I blame one man, and I am that man. I just didn’t do my stuff. I should have known better by an honest investigation. Think this over. I thank you. Sincerely, John Hamrick. **Pershing for Chief/* Independent Slogan {Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, Feb. 3.— 1. E. Chadwick, president of the Independent Motion Picture Producers & Distributors, announces that prior to General Pershing’s departure for Peru, he was offered the leadership of the independent organization and that the general practically might name his own salary. Said one independent: “The big three (First National, Famous Players and Metro-Goldwyn) are playing together. The other members of the Hays group are out in the cold.” As proof of his statement he cited the taking over of McVickers in Chicago, a Paramount house, by Balaban & Katz, First National franchise holders.