Exhibitor's Trade Review (Sep-Nov 1921)

October 22, 1921 EXHIBITORS TRADE REVIEW 1433 Twenty Dollars for Pearson Mr. Kingsley of Nebraska Comes to New York to Pay a Debt to the Pathe Executive and Also Pays Tribute, 4 4 f I MERE'S a Mr. Kingsley outside and J. he wants to talk to somebody 'in charge.' It's something about twenty dollars," said the telephone operator. "Send him in," said we, thinking that we were about to have returned to us part of the money we lost on the White Sox. Mr. Kingsley arrived. He explained, quickly, that the twenty had nothing to do with bygone world's series. The twenty, it seemed, belong to Pearson— Elmer Pearson, of Pathe. "Well, what's the idea of coming here? we inquired, politely, but disappointed that we were not even distantly related to the twenty. "Mr. Pearson's office is over on Forty-fifth Street. He's general manager of Pathe." "I know that," interrupted the visitor, with some impatience, and plunged into a brief introduction of himself in explanation. He was an exhibitor. He was from some small town in Nebraska, and he wanted to know if we could fix it for him to see Elmer, excuse him — Mr. Pearson. Eight years ago he borrowed this money from the film executive and clean forgot it till about a month ago. Yes, sir ! You wouldn't believe it, but he found an old note book that reminded him. He wouldn't bother Mr. Pearson, only he felt he couldn't quite explain it in a letter. So when he came East — We reached for the telephone. Sure we could fix it. Anybody could fix it. Anybody could see the general manager of Pathe as easy as he could see Joe Reddy, its bright young press agent. Mr. Kingsley laid a restraining hand on the arm that reached for the telephone. "Wait a minute, young friend," said he. "Before you call him up, I'm goin' to tell you a little story. You needn't tell him I told you. I guess he'd raise hell. But you print it if you like after I leave town." More editorial politeness. It was near press time. There were seven hours work and four hours to do it. But we listened. And as we listened, we forgot we were trying to be polite, forgot press time, as the story of a plain farmer boy's rise was unfolded. Mr. Kingsley sketched lightly the early details of Elmer Pearson's life. But even these were the conventional tale of a dozen decent Americans we personally know. And then, suddenly, Elmer, backing a patent paper making machine with all he had in the world, and thousands of dollars of several friends went broke. "Yes, sir! Busted. "Now there was a lot of good advisers, tellin' him what to do. And most of them advised him to go bankrupt. Well, sir, he didn't. "He worried and worried. And an old banker f'm Hamilton county, Nebraska, that's where y'member, he was born — his home town — dropped in on him. 'Elmer, sezze, 'you're in a bad mess.. You ain't got any money, and near's I can figger, if BY MONTA SOHN you insist on keepin' y'good name, it'll cost you twenty thousand dollars. Where y'goin' to get it? "Elmer didn't know. He didn't have any security. He didn't even have a salary. "Well, sir, the old man looked him in the eye and said, 'Elmer, you gimme your word?' Elmer nodded. 'Then I'm goin' to give you that twenty thousand. You pay it back when y'kin. Damn the security.' "Every nickel of that twenty thousand was paid back. That's gospel. I guess it's kept him to a salary all these years, but that's the kind of a man he is. So you see if it can be fixed 'thout any trouble, I want to apologize along with this twenty. I owe' em both to him. "That ain't all," continued Mr. Kingsley. "I started in the picture show business some years after that, — in nineteen — well, it must've been ten or eleven, I guess. He just started about the same time, working for General Film. They hired him for a salesman to work out of the Omaha office. "But while they broke him in at the office, the manager discovered Elmer could get more business sittin' right there at the desk. Between his human letters and his honest t'God handling of exhibitors that come in, he run the business up — well, that branch office did three times as much volume in September, 1911, as it done six months before in that same year. "He was the first manager in America that stopped the practise of selling exhibitors anything that was lyin' around loose so long ' as they could pay for it. He stopped the gyppin'. "He cleaned out the graft among the bookers in those days and he comes darn close to being one of the very first square shootin' sonsuhguns that hit this business, and the exhibitors of Nebraska'll tell you it's true. "I've watched him ever since. I dealt with him when he went over to Pathe the first time as their branch manager at Omaha, and I found him the same Elmer Pearson when he went to World Film in 1917. "At Minneapolis, when he run First National and Universal branches, both of 'em at once, I didn't deal with him. But I know lots o' boy't did; same story. "When he went to Essanay as general sales manager at Chicago in early 1917 I begin to see that this business was goin' to amount to something and when I heard of his comin' over to Pathe as head of the exchanges, me, says I, for Pathe. And I'been playing Pathe as a favorite ever since, right on the nose. "I wouldn't criticize Pathe. I guess there's other pictures just as good. But Elmer Pearson's my ticket when I vote." Mr. Kingsley, .from Nebraska came to a pause. "I guess I'm talking too much," he said, with some embarrassment. "But you don't know this young feller as we do. Why, the only thing bothers us out there is he may run for senator or something, and we couldn't vote for him 'cause he lives in New York." The listener to Mr. Kingsley reached into a convenient desk drawer and drew out a memorandum book. Opening the book, he read to the gentleman from Mr. Pearson's state the figures on Pathe's increase of business — 1918, six and a half million dollars, 1919 nine and a half, and 1920 in excess of fourteen millions. "Well," said Mr. Kingsley, "you can take my word for it. It's all account of this boy Pearson." We raised a pair of editorial brows. "Boy?" we inquired. "Sure," said the visitor. "He wasn't born till about '84.' "But where did you get this dope about the money he paid back?' asked the skeptical interviewer. "Well, sir," answered the Nebraskan, "it's straight. The old banker's my uncle and I ought to know." £ $ ♦ ♦ # * ♦ "Please get Mr. Pearson of Pathe on the wire," said we to the operator. A moment later the telephone bell tinkled. We shoved the instrument across the desk to Mr. Kingsley. "You answer it," said we. He was reluctant at first, but we were insistent. "Excuse me, Mr. Pearson," said the Nebraskan, addressing the transmitter, "but my name's Kingsley — f'm Omaha. I want to ask — " "Art Kingsley?" "Yes, sir." "Well, for the love of Mike, wherever you are, come on over." And from all we hear, Mr. Kingsley got at least twenty dollar's worth of greeting from Pearson; Elmer Pearson, once of Hastings, Nebraska; later of Omaha but now of Pathe, which is America. R. A. White New Fox Official Fox Film Corporation announces this week the appointment of Richard A. White to the post of general sales manager with charge of distribution business and branches throughout the United States. He succeeds Herman Robbins, who had been with Fox since 1914. This appointment, which became effective Oct. 6, is another step in the progress made by Mr. White since he first entered the employ of the Fox organization in June, 1919. At that time White, who was well-grounded in business experience, but without knowledge of the picture industry, joined the contract department at the Fox home office. From this beginning his rise has been rapid. He spent part of the summer of 1919 in the Washington branch and acquitted himself so well that he was recalled to the home office and made manager of the contract department in October, 1919, which position he has held ever since.