Exhibitors Herald (1927)

32 EXHIBITORS HERALD September 17, 1927 Hodes Asks For Ideas on Accessories News Reels in Intermissions Would Help Stage: Stevens Pictures Have Sped Up Action of Plays and Made Twelve Scenes Grow Where Only Three Grew Before, Says Chicago Newspaper Critic “The nezvsreel, neatly melodised, would he about my idea of the perfect intermission for any theatrical performance.” This statement by Ashton Stevens, dramatic critic of the Chicago HeraldExaminer, made in his column August 12, is arousing considerable interest in the motion picture field through the developments from that statement and its possibilities. Quotes Quigley Editorial Martin J. Quigley, commenting editorially on the suggestion in the Herald of September 3, stated in part that “this looks to us like a decidedly good idea; one of interest to the industry and likewise something that the public certainly would welcome.” MR. STEVENS, amplifying upon the suggestion in the Herald-Examiner of September 8, declares that “what the movies have done for the stage is to speed up the action of the plays.” He first quotes from Mr. Quigley’s editorial article as follows : “Mr. Stevens is by no means a motion picture fanatic, and his suggestion ( thut newsreels be shown in the dramatic theatres between the acts of the plays) may only be interpreted as one conceived primarily for the public’s benefit without any particular thought to the industry’s interest. Now that the idea has been auspiciously — and expertly — proposed, the industry should follow it up and seek to contrive its execution.” Then Mr. Stevens goes on : “I haven’t seen a play this week — and I have already seen three — which could not have improved the evening by serving the pictorial news of the world during the intermissions. “Time was when the intermission was for men only and led straight to the little bar next door or ’round the corner. But now it is simply an amble for half the audience, women smoking with the men on the sidewalk, and everybody bored. “Solace Dull Intervals” “It would be only common justice for the movies — which have done much to and little for the stage — to solace the dull intervals of scene-shifting with animated photographs of Mayor Thompson denting a hammer with a horn, or Mr. Levine, the impulsive angel of aviation, being fitted to an Oregon boot by the missus, or what have you. “ What the movies have done for the stage is to speed up the action of the plays, make sometimes twelve scenes grow where only three grew before, and with the camera, which does not lie, show the actor that overacting is weakness and not strength. “What they have done to the stage is to give it a sudden undisciplined audience that, unfamiliar with the traditions, conventions and niceties of the drama, demands its theatre crude, nude and peppery. “Movies Killed Vaudeville” “The socalled legitimate theatre survives because it largely caters to the screengoers who can afford its steep prices. But vaudeville has not fared so well. Twoa-day vaudeville is dead, the Billboard tells us, in all save some six major cities. The movies killed it. “Mr. Jolson, instead of enjoying a wellearned rest in the two-a-day, is (for $17,500 a week) risking the most valuable part of his neck by singing four times daily in a Los Angeles picture palace. “The Exhibitors Herald is right in surmising that my suggestion for newsreels between the acts was made in simple good faith. And it is still right when its writer wittily adds, ‘But it is likely that there is also a bit of appeal for self -protection’.” In his first article on the subject Mr. Stevens declared that newsreels “are the best part of the movies to me, and I don’t see why they shouldn’t help our ailing friend, the Drama.” That article, in part, follows : “Dan Roche (Chicago publicity representative of Pathe-DeMille) tells me that when I attend the opening of ‘The Spider’ — a melodrama whose action is supposed to take place in a vaudeville house — I will notice, much to my ‘chagrin and amazement,’ that the first number is a newsreel, booked with biweekly change by George Lederer. “Amazement is all right, but I don’t know just where Mr. Roche gets my chagrin. If the newsreel is all that it ought to be I shall most likely try to give it an encore. I dote on newsreels. They are the best part of the movies to me, and I don’t see why they shouldn’t help our ailing friend, the Drama. “In fact the newsreel, neatly melodized, would be about my idea of the perfect intermission for any theatrical performance.” Exhibitors, your comment on the question of whether you are receiving the right kind of ideas and material for exploiting your Short Features is not only being read carefully, but also is being requested by the home offices of the distributors. The distributors, and particularly their accessories departments, are vitally interested in your thoughts as to how they best can help you to put over your Short Features. The columns of this department are open to you, as they have been throughout the course of this discussion, which was prompted by Exhibitor Jay E. Gould. The latest to enter the discussion is Hal Hodes, sales director of the short product and complete service departments of Universal. Mr. Hodes wants your ideas. He writes this department of the Herald as follows : “I read with great interest the letter written by Jay E. Gould on ‘Better Accessories for Short Subjects’ as contained in a recent issue of the Exhibitors Herald, and the replies thereto made by Messrs. Bader and Mack. “Universal awaits the reaction of exhibitors to these letters in the hope that the information they contain will result in ideas which would enable us to make our short product accessories more valuable than ever to the shoivman. If all exhibitors were showmen of the same high caliber evidenced by Mr. Gould, the accessory problem would be simplified for our organization.” Mr. Hodes’ letter contains a number of things to think about. Possibly some exhibitors will disagree with some of his comment, and undoubtedly he will welcome hearing from you through this department. His letter goes on as follows : Years ag o Carl Laemmle took his place as the most aggressive advertiser in the industry. Realizing what advertising has done for his organization, he has hammered away at the exhibitor for the purpose of making the latter realize how necessary it is for him to advertise every element of his program. Because Mr. Bader, manager of our accessory department, has already so ably discussed the manner in which Universal endeavors to make our accessories of increasing help to the users of Universal “shorts” it is unnecessary for me to enter into that phase of the discussion. However, it has been my experience that “accessories” seldom means more than paper and slides to the average exhibitor. That is because he thinks along narrow and single-track lines. The encouraging thing about the situation, however, is that every day sees augmented the number of exhibitors who understand that short subjects properly exploited can be made to increase box office receipts. When we folks of Universal think of accessories, we think not only in terms of