Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

March 21, 1925 EXHIBITORS HERALD 79 The First National exchange got a nice break in The Tribune with an editorial devoted to “Quo Vadis” in which Universal shared with comments on “The Last Laugh.’’ * * Joe Desbergek, former branch manager of First National, St. Louis, is now managing director of the Washington Square theatre, Quincy, 111. * * Cameraman Charles Gets is back at the Chicago Rothacker studio-laboratory after several days at home humoring frost-bitten feet. Geis has been specializing on news weekly stuff since the Rothacker organization becaime the representative of Kinograms in the midwest territory. At the time Jack Frost became unduly familiar with Geis’ pedestrial extremities, Geis was cranking off footage on two youths taking a February plunge in Lake Michigan. * * * Joe Brandt, of C. B. C. Film Corp., arrived in town from New York Friday, and held a meeting with Harry and Jack Cohen, who arrived from the Coast, at the Webster Hotel. In “Fighting the Flames” with Dorothy Devor, Joe says he’s got a wonderful picture. Jerry Abrams is handling C. B. C. productions in this territory. * Hi * H. Mager announces he will manage Mrs. Machek’s houses at Libertyville, Spring Valley, and Depue, 111. He was a Film Row visitor last week. ♦ * * Bathe News after suffering a little hard luck when its plane dropped near Dayton, Ohio, with films of the Inauguration at Washington on Wednesday, finally reached Chicago via train and was shown in 25 theatres. ♦ * * The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, 111., enjoyed a prosperous three days last week when it repeated with “Tol’able David.” This is the picture this house opened with but according to the attendance Monday to Wednesday, quite a few missed the first showing of the picture. % >!c ^ Indianapolis office of Reelcraft has demanded the time of President Morris Hellman for the past two weeks. =i: * * The Linden theatre, 63rd street near Halsted, has installed two new projection machines and a new screen. 'This is one of the Coston circuit of theatres. * + * Henri Ellman, salesman at Universal, is happy over the receint of a check for $75 from R. V. Anderson, of the International News reel. Henri won second prize in the Dec. -Jan. news reel contest. Perrin to Run House Added to Buckley Chain (Special to Exhibitors Herald) ALBANY, N. Y., March 10. — Another chain in New York state is broadening out, C. H. Buckley, already owning and operating the Leland and Clinton Square theatres here, taking over during the past week the Empire in Glens Falls, sixty miles distant. The three theatres will be managed by Oscar Perrin, who has made a marked success in handling the other two houses. Pro-Dis-Co Names Brady (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, March 10. — Paul C. Mooney, vice-president of Producers Distributing Corporation, announced the appointment this week of Thomas W. Brady Canadian general representative with headquarters at Toronto office, succeeding J. L. Plowright, who resigned. Two scenes from "Dangerous Peach" produced by Century for Universal release. Hilliard Karr is in the cast. What an Exhibitor Should Know About Picture Production (Contimted from page 32) Man.” This story was purchased for its theme alone — the probability of a man, who had been away from the country for eight years, coming home to become involved in family trouble due to the acceptance of the post war psychology of morals. In the case of such a book the story or plot as a whole cannot be successfully transferred to the screen. It may be that the writer has built his story, for the most part, on the foundation of mental reaction and mental process. But as only acting can be shown on the screen it is necessary to rebuild the story in order to retain the thought or theme for which the book was bought. * * * Whatever the reason for the buying of a book or play it can readily be seen that it is bought mainly for the power that the story — properly treated for the film — will have to draw patronage to the theatre. All along the line the box office is the chief consideration while the photoplay is in the making. The supervising producer, who watches every step that is taken in the making of the picture ; while it is being placed in continuity, while it is being photographed or while it is being cut and edited — has been trained to know audience appeal. On the shoulders of the supervision producer falls the real burden of transforming a purchased story or play onto the screen. It is under his jurisdiction that the story is transferrfed to continuity form. To him falls the lot of choosing the director and the cast. In short, he keeps a constant watch on the story from the moment it comes to the studio for production until it leaves in film form. While the story is being built scene by scene by the scenario writers the supervising producer keeps an eye on every step taken. He is in daily conference with the writers during the building of the script, checking up every detail of construction in order that the maximum amount of drama is put into every scene and situation to be told on the film. * * With the continuity completed comes the task of choosing the director. On this allimportant choice hinges the proper handling of the subsequent steps to be taken in the progress of the picture. Directors are known for their types. A good director given the wrong kind of picture — something to which he is not suited temperamentally or artistically — cannot give of his best. To give a director a type of story to which he is not adapted, is as plain a case of miscasting as would be the wrong selection of players for the leading roles. The director can be likened to a link in the chain of production. In the filming of the picture he is the most important link. To him falls the responsibility of transforming the written story into terms of action. In doing this he must combine a knowledge of the three most important phases of picture production, writing of the script, the directing of the picture and the acting. He should be author, director and actor in one — trained in all three departments and sufficiently versed in each to properly coordinate the three. Granted that the producer has a story that on paper looks “sure fire” and that he has a director to handle the story who has all of the attributes toward making a success of this type of picture, he still has the all-important task of choosing a cast to interpret the story for the screen. Far too many pictures are injured by miscasting. Again the problem subdivides, for, the producer to insure audience appeal, must not only seek leading players most capable of interpreting the roles, but must also be sure that the names “mean something” at the box office. One player miscast in a picture can destroy the whole effectiveness of a picture. And it is not entirely in the choosing of the principal players that extreme care must be exercised. The casting of the atmosphere parts is also of surpreme importance. NOW BOOKING