The Film Daily (1924)

THE ■£M< DAILY iP Thursday, September 11, 1924 "Stop Crying Wolf" *'It's time for the independent operator to stop crying 'wolf and to get down to business," declared S. J. Briskin, of Banner Prod., yesterday. "Good pictures," he says, "and not yells for help against an imaginary harbinger of bad times, is what the independent needs today to solve most of his problems. "Crying and whining about the outlook doesn't help a bit and only invites the 'wolf to come and make a meal of the howler. Personally, I am so fed up with the chorus of 'glooms' we have been having about the future of the state rights market, that I feel somebody ought to call a halt to this clamor about 'hard times,' present and coming, and offer a few constructive suggestions. "Of course, it isn't easy going for anyone in the independent field just now — but then it never has been, and as far as I am concerned, I don't want it to become so. On the other hand, the big national organizations are not having it any easier than the rest of us, if that is any comfort, as the most casual survey of conditions will show. "Right now competitive conditions are acute and they are probably going to become more so, judging by the volume of product announced by all the companies for the coming year. But crying about it isn't going to help any and it is only what must be expected in any line of business, especially an industry that is growing as rapidly as ours. "Necessarily, it is a question of the survival of the fittest and it is that very thing, to my mind, that makes the business worth while. As a matter of fact, in many territories today, the independent is getting a better 'break' in bookings than the big national organizations. If you doubt it ask some of their exchange managers, if you know them well enough to get the facts. "The problems of the independent are no different than the problems of the other producing-distributing companies in the industry or at least no more perplexing. Good pictures— intelligently advertised and exploited — is the answer for most of them. "I maintain that with good pictures, the independent can get first runs in most territories and that the circuits — the alleged bugbear of the state right operator — are every one of them ready to give bookings to the exchange that has the right product. "I contend — and we have to date demonstrated it in the Banner organization — that the average independent can produce more cheaply than the big organization with its tremendous overhead can possibly make a production of similar quality. Consequently, we can compete with them effectually in spite of their high-powered sales force, and can make money, where they would sufiEer heavy loss. "To prove what I say, you have only to examine and contrast the record of business done, with the published statements of some of the loudest calamity howlers in the independent field. "One of them, who has been predicting the direst future for everybody in the state right branch of the industry, at the very time when his published utterances were gloomiest, secured a first run for one of his productions at a house in New York City, that had never previously played a state right picture. And he got the booking because the picture is a real box office attraction. "Another operator, who has been complaining that the circuits were crushing the independent and slowly starving him to death, a short time previously advertised a long list of circuits by name, who had booked his pictures to show what a wonderful line of product he had to offer. "I only mention these things because I feel that all this crepe-hanging talk is ab solutely harmful, and that, at bottom, there is no reason or excuse for it. "Selling pictures in the strenuous competitive conditions that exist, and which, in my poor opinion, are always going to exist in this business, is never going to be child's play — even with good pictures. But the concern that has the good pictures is going to win out, no matter whether it is an independent or a national distributing organization." Briskin has just left on a sales trip that will take in all the principal exchange centers of the country. Made Six Films Abroad Dudley Murphy, who returned recently from a two years' stay in Europe made six pictures abroad. He found the greatest difference in production methods of America and foreign countries Ts in the public's taste for stories and methods of editing. In Europe, the public prefers a continuity which tells the story in sequences which run pretty well to a close before taking up a new story thread and, while this makes a slower picture, it tends toward a greater variety in production. Murphy thinks. Art Mix Answers Fox {.Special to THE FILM DAILY) Los Angeles — Art Mix Prod, have filed their answer to the suit brought by Fox Film to restrain them from using that name. The answer alleges that Fox has never spent $350,000 in advertising Tom Mix, as claimed, and that no one has an exclusive right to the use of cowboy paraphernalia in pictures. Must File Wage Guarantees {Special to THE FILM DAILY) Los Angeles — Grand-Asher Dist. Corp. and the M. P. Directors Holding Corp., have been ordered to file a guaranty by the State Labor Department that overdue wages amounting to about $2,000 will be paid out of first proceeds of "Her Own Money." Six claims, totaling $1,974 have been filed. Claims Comedy Infringes {Special to THE FILM DAILY) Los Angeles — E. E. Paramore, Jr., of Carmel has filed suit for $25,000 damages against Mack Sennett, alleging the comedy, "Yukon Jake" is an infringement of "The Ballad of Yukon Jake," a poem written by the plaintiff and published in Vanity Fair for August, 1921. Constance Bennett in Grey Story? {Special to THE FILM DAILY) Los Angeles — It is understood Famous has signed Constance Bennett for one of the leading roles in "Code of the West," a Zane Grey story which William K. Howard will direct. Production starts Sept. 22. Whitehurst Reports Good Business J. H. Whitehurst who is running the Whitehurst chain in Baltimore, when seen yesterday, said that business was excellent at the Garden and the New, where "we are holding them out" and also reported business was good in the other houses. Creelman to Europe James Ashmore Creelman, scenario writer is en route to Europe. Delayed Bookings {Continued from Page 1) portant production to show during September," he said, "yet with ideal weather and good business conditions September should be one of the best of months. The pictures — and the only ones we can get — are not up to the standard of the big ones we must run later. "We not only have all Summer for poor pictures, but when the season opens, and when people want to come back to the picture houses, we haven't real pictures to show them. "On top of that, and because of the same reason, beginning in October for ten weeks we have tremendous attractions such as 'Secrets', 'Monsieur Beaucaire', 'The Covered Wagon', 'White Sister' — and there was no reason for holding up this release — 'America', 'The Sea Hawk' — which could have been released at least three weeks earlier — 'Dorothy Vernon', 'Manhandled', 'The Alaskan' and 'Feet of Clay'." "With some judicious arranging the releases of these pictures could have been developed so that we need not ride into this sort of a jam. Picture houses today are being built for all year service. We need a better distribution arrangement. The existing method is terrible." Keenan in "Dixie" {Special to THE FILM DAILY) Los Angeles — Frank Keenan will have the lead in "Dixie," a Gerald Beaumont story to be made by Metro-Goldwyn. New Lead for Bill Cody Los Angeles — Jesse J. Goldburg has signed Hazel Holt, a newcomer to appear opposite Bill Cody in the latter's series of Westerns for Independent Pictures. Expects N. W. Boom {Continued from Page 1) he was inclined to believe that many would reopen this fall. He verified Minneapolis reports that he would not again run for the chairmanship of the Allied States Organization, which meets at Topeka, Kans. Sept. 22-23, because of pressure of other duties. It was reported that Steffes was here to confer with the Hays organization relative to the proposed permanent committee to handle the uniform contract, but he declared he knew nothing about it. However, if he is called in to confer with Hays on that matter or any other, Steffes said he would be glad to participate in the deliberations. MOTION PICTURE EXECUTIVE! YOUNG LADY SECRETARY — STENOGRAPHER EXECUTIVE, correspondent, ten years motion picture publicity advertising experience, reliable, college education, first-class references, desires position, apply Box K 10, c/o FUra Daily, 71 W. 44th St., N. Y. C. C. B. C. Film Sales Corp. announce that they have now in course of production a picture which shall be known as "THE SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK." C.B.C. Film Sales Corp. 1600 Broadway N. Y. City. WHAT'S WHAT IN THE SHORT SUBJECT FIELD READ NEXT SUNDAY'S of FiLHDOM ^^f^fk^ ^^ Authority OUT SEPTEMBER 13 "THE ADS TELL A STORY »