Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

42 EXHIBITORS HERALD March 21, 1925 The “Oldest” Exhibitor Whose Career Has Just Begun /. ff . Rodgers Is the Subject of the Last of Loughborough’ s Series of Articles on American Shoivmen. By J. M. LOUGHBOROUGH CAIRO, ILL., March 10. — Proudly proclaiming himself the “oldest motion picture exhibitor in the United States,” I. W. Rodgers, of Cairo, 111., who, in partnership with his wife, runs a chain of twelve theatres in Missouri and Illinois, and has an interest in many others, says his “career” as a showman in the silent drama has just begun. <<T’ve been successful,” he adds, “but I A attribute most of my success to my wife. She can tell a good picture just like a hunting dog can point quail. She’s a marvel — a genius, and so I have her do all of the booking and buying, while I handle the exhibiting end of our fine partnership. “I never know what we are going to have until a couple of weeks before the showing. Then I rip loose with the advertising, publicity, bill posting, and I do these things on a large scale. To any exhibitor who is a married man and wants good pictures for his house I would say, ‘Let your wife do the booking.’ Women have an unusual aptitude for picking good pictures in advance. And why shouldn’t they? After all, isn’t it the women who are the great patrons of motion pictures? Don’t they have their children or their husbands or brothers or mothers or sweethearts take ’em to the shows? And don’t they have a whole lot to do with public opinion regarding the pictures?” Mr. Rodgers bases his claim to being the “oldest exhibitor” on his statement that he first began showing pictures in New Orleans in 1896. He now is 48 years old. When he went into the game he was “just a kid,” as he expresses it. His partner was W. T. Rock, father of the successful Rock of Vitagraph. Rodgers had been running nickel-in-the-slot phonograph places when Mr. Rock came along with the idea of opening a picture house. The films then were fifty feet long and were run through a “sausage mill.” Three of these fifty-foot films were shown for 10 cents, and the number of shows a day depended on the speed at which they could be sent through the “mill.” * * The receipts were relatively large and Saturday and Sunday were the “cleanup” days. The first projection machines owned by Rock and Rodgers looked like weaving machines. As the film became longer it was run into a bag or a box. Then came the one-reeler. The biggest receipts for Rock and Rodgers in one day at New Orleans were $623. This was during Mardi Gras, when they showed to 6,230 people. Everything was on a roadshow basis then. The exhibitor traveled around with his stock in trade. Rodgers advocated sticking in one place. “This was after I had traveled a whole lot,” he said. “A woman went ahead for me and did the booking. Then I followed with the show. The crowds wouldn’t come around the first night. They thought it was a stereopticon show. But when they heard from others that the pictures really moved they would storm the box office. The business certainly was in a ‘wild cat’ state then. Shows were overlapping one another and much confusion resulted. For this reason I advocated stationary shows, with the booking to be done on a circuit basis. Other exhibitors called me ‘visionary.’ They seemed to have the idea that the picture game would ‘peter out.’ They said it was a novelty and their one idea was to clean up in a hurry. I made $221, 000 out of my shows, invested it in the hotel business, lost it and then got to a substantial business in the show game when the rental basis was started. “But it was not until after my marriage that my real success started. And the same goes for any other man who has prospered. Throughout my work as an exhibitor I have followed three set rules for success. These are: “(1) Knowing how far to advertise and vohen to stop. “(2) A fixed policy for all of my houses. On certain days my public wants certain shows. For instance, Mondays and Tuesdays, society plays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, mixed shows; Fridays and Saturdays, Westerns. The motion picture public goes shopping for pictures. Give them what they want on the days they want it. “(3) Politeness in the theatre and particularly at the doors. People don’t have to go to shows. They have to eat. But when they come to your theatre they feel that they are spending their money on pleasure, and they want a pleasant atmosphere.” * * * “Good projection and a clean theatre are essentials needless to dwell upon. Having the box office employe get acquainted with the patrons and greet them cordially — by name where possible — is a big asset. It creates a personal interest in the house as well as the show.” The Rodgers chain of theatres consists of the following; CAIRO, 111., — Gem, Kimmel, Bijou, Opera House. CARBONDALE, 111.,— Barth and Grand. CARRUTHERSVILLE, Mo.,— Liberty and Dixie. ANNA,I11., — Yale and Lyric. POPLAR BLUFF, Mo.— Criterion and Jewel. Mrs. Rodgers is well known to film people in the St. Louis territory. She is a shrewd buyer as well as a good picker of pictures with box office value. At the same time she doesn’t object to paying big prices for pictures that will bring big returns. Before her marriage to Rodgers nineteen years ago she was Miss Grace Sawyer, of Clarksville, Tenn. She has one son, Carson, who is attending the Western Millitary Academy at Alton, 111. “And that boy is going to be an exhibitor,” said Rodgers. “I have great faith in the future of pictures. I believe we are standing on the threshold of great things. My boy will inherit these things.” Rodgers is a member of the national board of the AI. P. T. O. A. ; president of the M. P. T. O. of Missouri and holds many other responsible positions in the field of motion pictures. Theatre Loot Brings 5 Years ALBANY, N. Y. — Found guilty of grand larceny in the theft of money and a diamond ring from a woman in Mark Strand theatre here, Thomas Ross was sentenced to five years at Dannemora. Herman Vineberg, house manager, instructed ushers to watch out for men seen changing their seats more *han once during the show. Censor Law Would Go Hard with Shakespeare The picture that brought forth the decision was “The Deadwood Coach,” Fox production featuring Tom Mix. Circuit Judge Ira Ryner had rendered a decision restraining the city of Chicago from interfering with the show. The decision was reversed with the opinion that “where . . . the shooting of human beings is the essence of the play and does not pertain to the necessities of war nor to the preservation of law, and thus becomes murder, the picture may be said to be immortal.” The opinion confirms the contention of city censors. By the same decision handed down by Appellate Justices Taylor, Thompson and O’Connor that a picture based on murder is “an immoral picture” the filming of Shakespeare’s “MacBeth” would fall into the definition of Immoral films. T ruog Joins Laemmle, Price Put in Philly, in Sales Staff Shift {Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, March 10.— Outstanding among the host of transfers, promotions and negotiations that Carl Laemmle has effected in the Universal sales organization recently is the acquisition of W. E. Truog as assistant sales director for the territory in and around St. Louis, Omaha and DesMoines. Another important shift is the transfer of Walter J. Price from manager at Washington to a like position at Philadelphia, replacing M. V. Landow. His place in Washington is taken by Mr. Epstein, just promoted manager from the New Ymk Exchange. Ely Epstein, no relation of M. Ejv stein, who has been in the Philadelphia office and in the home office during recent years, has been advanced to assistant to Price. Lou Hess has been promoted from manager of the Portland office to St. Louis manager. James Shea of the St. Louis office, is the new assistant to Hess. George E. Jackson takes Hess’ place as head of the Portland office. Julius Singer, manager of the Albany offices, has been called into the home office for an important position in the sales promotion department. His place at Albany has been taken by S. Wittman, formerly of the Philadelphia office. H. Harsha has become manager in the Sioux Falls office while up in Canada, R. A. Scott, formerly manager of the Vancouver office, has been promoted to be Western manager for the Canadian territory. In Calgary, C. R. Dippie has taken over the reins of management. H. C. Borger, of Cleveland, is now assisting manager of that exchange, and Harold Weinberger, of Pittsburgh, has taken over a like position in the Pittsburgh oflfice. I nee Publicity Man Turns to Free Lance {Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, March 10. — Louis P. Kramer, for sometime Eastern press representative of the Thomas H. Ince studios and the only person now employed in a publicity capacity for the late producer, has resigned to found a motion picture and theatrical service business. Publicity and advertising men associated with him, including Murray Craner, of the New York American, and Robert Bolton, advertising display manager of the Consolidated Gas Company of New York. He made an enviable record in handling Mrs. Wallace Reid’s personal appearance tour throughout the United States and Canada in conjunction with her. anti-narcotic film, “Human Wreckage,” and “Broken Laws.”