The Film Daily (1923)

iTHE 7Ae BRADSTREET of FILMDOM ZfeRECOGMIZEl Authority Vol. XXVI No. 74 Friday, December 28, 1923 Price 5 Cents A PROTEST By DANNY William Brandt, President of the M. P. T. O. of New York writes: "I note in your column Thursday morning that you quote a prominent iMiddle West exhibitor, who makes the statement that the average exIhibitor does not lose money on three pictures a year. "My guess is that the man who imade the statement is Aaron Jones, ,but I do not guess when I say that he is completely in error. "The average exhibitor loses money jon considerably more than three ptcItures yearly because, under the present system where he is obliged to ibuy in block bookings, he takes many pictures which he knows will be a dead loss to him in order to get good ones that go in the batch. "It is a well known fact that practically every distributor who releases a batch of pictures dresses his window up with some big pictures, carefully thrusting into the background the dead ones. "Mr. Jones fortunately is in a position where he does not have to run the dead ones, but when he discusses the average exhibitor who must do so, and makes the statement that he does not lose money on three pictures a year, he speaks from no definite knowledge." Visitors Jce Friedman, Celebrated Players of Chicago is here. Leaves for home today. Richard Weil, of Progress Pictures, Cleveland is spending the holidays here. R. Sobler, First National exploitation man in Chicago, is here for the holidays. Local Ass'n for Chicago m (Special to THE FILM DAILY) Chicago — Sam Katz of Balaban & Katz and Max Ascher of Ascher Bros, are fostering a move for the organization of a local exhibitor body. A 10-cent per seat tax per year on each house will cover the dues. The next meeting will be held Jan. 4. Kellog Succeeds Dexter Mark Kellog has resigned his position with the Burroughs Adding Machine Co. of Detroit, to become director of advertising and publicity of First National, succeeding Bob Dexter. He starts his new duties on Wednesday. Mabel Normand, "The Extra Girl," in the big screen success of that name, in which Mack Sennett presents the popular star. Distributed by Associated Exhibitors. — Advt. Hearst Resumes Plans Three Companies in the East — Dr. Goodman Becomes Production Manager Cosmopolitan intends resuming production on an active scale in the near future. Pictures planned immediately include "The Flaming Forest," a James Oliver Curwood story which the company has owned for several years and "Never the Twain Shall Meet," Peter B. Kyne's new book. Dr. Daniel Carson Goodman who has been making his own pictures for Equity joins the company next week as production manager in charge of all the units as soon as actual shooting starts. An effort was made to locate him yesterday in order to find out whether he would continue his series for Equity but he could not be reached. E. Mason Hopper who is under contract will make the major portion of "Janice Meredith," the new Davies picture on which Lynn F. Reynolds did preliminary work. The picture is about one quarter completed but (.Continued on Page 7) Contract For Ind'p'ts Standard Form Planned For Use Between Distributor and State Right Exchanges The Independent M. P. Prod. & Dist. Ass'n intends drawing up a standard form of contract for use between state right distributors and the exchanges with which they do business. The proposed uniform contract will not touch upon exhibition in any way. It will be an agreement entered upon by the distributor and those exchanges with which he makes business transactions. Several forms arc being considered. First, an agreement between the distributor and the exchanges; secondly, a contract between the producer and the distributor, and thirdly, a dual form contract between the distributor and the foreign buyer. The latter form will cover general foreign distribution and also distribution in a specific country. This matter was discussed at a meeting held yesterday, at which a committee, headed by John Lowell (Continued on Page 7) Appeal To Hays To Check Non-Theatrical Showings —Would Work Through F. I. L. M. Clubs Billy Brandt stated yesterday that he has received a number of complaints regarding competition of nontheatrical exhibitors such as churches, Y. M. C. A.'s, schools, town halls, dance halls, opera houses, and the like. He said exhibitors have complained that these places are not subjected to the rigid requirements which a theater has to undergo, such as proper facilities for exits, fire appliances, ventilation and a host of other requirements, and that this type of users of films are not obliged to pay a Federal seating tax, a local license fee, nor charge a tax on their admissions while the theater is obliged to do all these things. While not paying much for film rental, or in many cases nothing at all for the service, the nontheatricals invariably undersell the local theaters on admission price, according to Brandt. "The New York State organization," said Brandt, "has been very apprehensive for some time that an accident in a wooden town hall or other building while showing film would bring a dire reaction upon the entire industry as a whole, with more rigid requirements, stricter inspection for the theaters and the apathy of the public following a disaster. (Continued on Page 7) First National in Argentine Following an announcement by Paramount to open offices in Buenos Aires, First National have made known their intention of operating their own exchanges in the Argentine Rubin Ronuns J. Robert Rubin returne from his visit to the coast yesterda, . New Lighting System Maude Adams Develops High-Pow ered Incandescents and Series of Reflectors Some of the secrecy surrounding Maude Adams' activities in the General Electric laboratory in Schenectady, where she is said to have developed new lighting and color effects in photographys, has been partially lifted by General Electric officials. One means by which Miss Adams hopes to get away from the flat effect of pictures is artificial sunlight developed by thirteen 100,000 candle power incandescent lamps, said to be (Continued on Page 2)