Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

24 EXHIBITORS HERALD March 14, 1925 ^ Until we wake up to the realization that we must eliminate all envy, ^ malice, hatred from our systems so we will have plenty of room for the higgest thing in life — Happiness — we will still grope in the dark. — JOHN HAMRICK. WHAT Is It All About? By John Hamrick This everlasting struggle for wealth — struggle to outdo the other fellow — to outguess him and sometimes to actually cheat in the game of life’s business — after all, we hear you say, “Is it worth the while?” For we, everyone of us, are struggling for that indescribable something. Some of us apparently do not know what that something is. But in reality it is nothing less than Happiness. Oh, what a word when we think of it in its truest meaning, this happiness thing! Happiness in the home should be the first requisite, but this home happiness cannot exist if we are not happy in our business. The day and most of the night is spent in our line of endeavor, and we have so little time with the wife and children. I think every man, to be successful, must stop and ponder on arranging his affairs so his family has the proper amount of time to satisfy them as well as himself. In order that his business be not neglected his next step should be to analyze carefully just what he actually has to do, and he can program his work, without neglecting any factor, to accomplish everything required in his business and still have some time with his family. ^ ^ When we jump around like a chicken with its head cut off, from family to business and business to family, without either one having been properly considered — well, as a rule, we fail at both ends. Think this out, for if you get straight on this sort of a foundation the rest of the things generally take care of themselves. Probably the thing which causes us all more trouble than anything else is being envious of the other fellow’s accomplishments. Jealousy is our biggest stumbling block, and the day you are able to give Old Jealousy the big licking, thrash it out of your system, that’s the day you start upward on the journey to success. When the other fellow does something w'orth while, tell him about it. Just be sort of glad you know him. Be more thankful about things. Don’t go around knocking and always saying, “Well, he is sure lucky; everything comes his way.” Don’t stand around on a corner telling everyone what a h of a fellow that guy is and that he does this and that. Say something good about him or just don’t say anything. You know, sometimes I walk down the street by myself and just wonder what’s it all about — this thing we encounter every second — this thing called life. We dig, we think — or I had better say we think we think — but most of us don’t do much real honest-to-God thinking — we just drift. We should be up and at it every second. At what? Life, of course. It is a grand thing when you get right down to it. We encounter many big things and should be really proud and happy that we have the big thing in life — Opportunity — opportunity to really do something. And when we take full advantage of opportunity and win — what a glorious feeling! And right here is where we should pause and be thankful we were given opportunity that we might accomplish something in life. * * * You may say, “I am never given opportunities; I just barely exist.” You are wrong. You are in this old world battling life, and you are given opportunities for they are before us almost every day. But there’s the rub — there’s where the old Think Pot comes in — you only think you think, you don’t actually think when you say opportunities don’t ever come your way, for when they do come maybe you are asleep on the job. You have to be wide awake to think, to think quick and to think clearly, and then you will grab Old Man Opportunity and start working on him. It is very interesting work, 1 can assure you, and the more interesting you find it, the bigger and better job you do on the old man. But you who lag behind and cannot find the work of sufficient interest, you drop clear out of the parade. That is where a lot of us are today — out of the opportunity parade, and all because we are sound asleep on the job. STORIES EXHIBITORS ^ WANT FILMED^ THE BROAD HIGHWAY, by Jeffery Farnol, suggested by J. L. Harriman, New Empress Cinema, Nottingham, England, who adds that this is “an old English costume, but a fine story.” (Mr. Harriman makes this comment: “If its a short story it should be a short picture. That’s the trouble! Too many short stories made into long films. Nine tim.es out of ten plays rely on their dialogue for their action, or rather dramatic punch, and no one. can film dialogue. Novels of the outdoors seem to always come off best in film form. If the stories have had action and not conversations between hero and heroine, etc., then they have been good.”) A MOVIE FAN of Oklahoma City, who says that he or she “takes in all the theatres here but do not care to give my name to any theatre manager to send in,” offers the following: “Give us more pictures like ‘The Little Church Around the Corner.’ The people are sick and tired of all this other rot. For instance, the scene where the miners are shown working below the surface while the society people are dancing and having a highheel time. Hats off to Warner Brothers for producing such pictures. I am for them teeth and toe nail. The following plays ought to be screened by all means and shown to the public: ‘Best People,’ ‘Rain,’ ‘Singing Jail Birds’ and ‘What Price Glory.’ ” JOHN HAMRICK, prominent independent exhibitor of the Pacific Northwest who has written especially lor the "Herald,” a series of business articles, of which this is the fourth. The Blue Mouse theatres in Seattle, Tacoma and Portland, are the properties of Mr. Hamrick. Until we wake up to the realization that we must eliminate all envy, malice, hatred from our systems so we will have plenty of room for the biggest thing in life — Happiness— we will still grope in the dark. Tbis is my idea of “What is it all about?” I thank you. John Hamrick. First National to Turn $2,500,000 of Stock Issue Into Production (S fecial to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, March 3. — First National Pictures, Inc., will convert $2,500,00 of the authorized stock issue into working capital for the promotion of the production program. Official announcement of this follows : “An issue of first preferred 8 per cent participating stock to the amount of $2,500,000 will be underwritten and issued by Hayden Stone & Company. The authorized issue will be $4,000,000. $1,500,000 will be retained in the treasury. The proceeds of the issue of $2,500,000 first preferred stock will be used entirely for additional working capital. “It is expected that the stock will be listed on the New York stock exchange.” Kills Pitney Sunday Bill (Special to Exhibitors Herald) OMAHA, NEB., March 3.— A bill for Sunday closing of all thatres in the legislature was killed in committee last week, after it had been introduced by Pitney of Webster county. Pitney said he had introduced it by request, and only because he thought it was customary for the representatives to introduce bills. 61 Beats Sunday Shows (Special to Exhibitors Herald) OREGON, ILL., March 3. — Voters here have voted to close motion picture shows and other Sunday amusements. The contest revealed a majority of 61 votes in favor of closing.