Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1923)

674 Motion Picture News Meeting Advocates Clean Selling St. Louis Exchange Managers and Salesmen Plan General Uplift Movement A DECIDED step toward better selling methods in the St. Louis film territory ; closer eo-operation with the exhibitors and a general uplifting of the motion picture industry in this territory was taken Saturday, January 27, at a joint meeting of film exchange managers and salesmen held in the new headquarters of St. Louis Film Board of Trade. The affair was in the nature of a luncheon given by the exchange directors for the men in the field. Floyd Lewis, president of the Film Board of Trade presided, while C. D. Hill, manager for W. W. Hodkinson, and Joseph Desberger, American Releasing Corporation manager, as the committee on arrangements, took care of all the details. There were no set speeches. Everything was impromptu, everyone who wanted to getting up and saying his little speech. The trend of all addresses was that motion pictures should be sold in the St. Louis trade territory strictly on their merits; that a salesman should not boost his own products by knocking some other exchange's product, and that above everything else lie should not make any promise to an exhibitor that he did not intend to keep or was not in a position to fulfill. The salesmen were advised that immediately upon returning to the exchange office they should advise the management of the conditions under which films had been sold so that any promises they may have made the exhibitor could be taken care of. Following the luncheon the salesmen held a meeting of their own and perfected a temporary organization. Tom McKean of F. B. 0. was named temporary chairman, and Lester Bona of First National, temporary secretary. Permanent officers will be named next Saturday. This club will meet every fourth Saturday with the exchange managers for the discussion of mutual problems. The tentative plans of the salesmen organization call for the drafting of a rigid set of rules, setting forth the ethics of the profession — the chief motto of which will be, Sell your own pictures and don't unsell the other fellow's." The courtesy of the St. Louis Film Board of Trade Headquarters has been extended to the Montreal Houses Show Big Attendance Advance CONTINUED advances have been made by the moving picture theatres of Montreal, Quebec, according to figures compiled bv A. Bienvenu, civic superintendent of privileges and licenses, for the three months of September, October and November last. The report for this quarter showed that 4,848.216 people had paid admissions to performances where the amusement tax had been charged. The revenue derived from the amusement tax during the three months amounted to $176,765.05, half of which goes to the city for local charities and the remainder to the Provincial treasury for distribution under the Public Charities Act among Provincial institutions. Inspector Bienvenu estimated that the total patronage at the local houses amounted to approximately 17,000,000 and for the previous year it was about 15,000,000. salesmen and the city and road men are free to make use of the rooms at any time, availing themselves also of the club features, etc. The salesmen will appoint a grievance committee which will hear complaints against members violating the rules of the organization. Should this committee find itself unable to cope with any situation that may arise it shall meet with a similar committee from the St. Louis Film Board of Trade, and the joint committee will then take such steps as are necessary to straighten out the situation. The exchange managers and salesmen are confident that the new salesmen club and the regular monthly get-together luncheons will place the business on a better basis than ever before. Pastor Conference Plans Stricter Censorship At the Fourth Annual State Pastors' Conference, held last week in Columbus, a program was outlined for strengthening motion picture censorship in Ohio, and for enforcing the Sunday observ ance statutes of the State. This is an answer to the M. P. T. O. A. of Ohio, which is trying to abolish the present Sunday law, and which is also trying to establish an open minded system of censorship. A resolution also adopted is aimed at the attempt of the M. P. T. 0. A. of Ohio to demand protection of motion picture theatres which are suffering by reason of acute competition with churches and schools. The matter is being centered in Salem, 0., where an exhibitor with a heavy investment, is about to go under because he cannot compete with the schools and churches which are showing complete picture programs at lower admission prices than he can afford. A test case in court is being made to determine whether it is legal for a non-tax paying institution to operate in direct competition with a tax paying institution. This is said to be the first time that the subject has been taken into court. Sam Bullock, field representative for the M. P. T. 0. A. of Ohio was present at the Pastors' Conference. Bullock made the statement that " in seeking the repeal of censorship and the establishment of Sunday movies, the exhibitors are only acting upon the wishes of the majority of the people. Xo exhibitor, even in the smallest town, will open his place on Sunday unless a majority of its citizens demand it." Scenario Writer Wins Suit Against Producer Judge Murray in the Third District Court rendered a decision in favor of Merle Johnson-against-Iroquois Productions, Inc., for $500.00 and costs, after both sides had submitted briefs. The case was tried on Jan. 23rd, and, Johnson, a scenario writer, who was featured by Wm. Fox as " The Mysterious Mr. X," testified that he had been hired by Caryl S. Fleming to retitle "The Valley of Lost Souls." Fleming testified both that he understood that Johnson was working "gratis," and, that Agnes Egan Cobb had agreed to pay Johnson out of the proceeds of the picture. \Ls. Cobb's testimony was a flat contradiction of Fleming. Missouri Censorship Bill Would Be Costly ST. LOUIS — Missouri will have a nice bill to foot yearly if the Committee of Fifty's censorship bill now before the state legislature becomes law. The minimum salary roll alone is $21,020, including $9,000 for the three commissioners. Travelling expenses, etc., and additional employes would bring that total to about $50,000 per annum. Lyman Howe, Pioneer of Industry, Is Dead Lyman H. Howe, president of The Lyman H. Howe Films Co., Inc.. Wilkes-Barre, Pa., died on Tuesday morning, January 30, in. a hospital at Brookline, Mass., where he has been ill since last June. Mr. Howe was 68 years of age and was one of the very first of the pioneer exhibitors of motion pictures in this country. He started his amusement career with the exhibition of a miniature coal breaker at Glen Onoko Park in Pennsylvania and then around 1890, when the phonograph was still a novelty, went on the road giving phonograph concerts in theatres and elsewhere. In 1896, when the longest films obtainable measured about 50 feet, he added motion pictures to his entertainment, and Lyman H. Howe pictures have been on view every year from that time to the present, a period of 27 years. His enterprise became elaborated into the entertainment known as " Lyman H. Howe's Travel Festival," which enjoyed a very long and successful career as a motion picture roadi show, appearing in auditoriums of all kinds from the Xew York Hippodrome to a small village church. Mr. Howe always kept his entertainments scrupulously clean and wholesome and his activities in the motion picture industry have been a credit to it. The funeral and interment will take place at Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Clinton Square, Albany , Is Leased to Leland Owners Announcement was made last Friday that the Clinton Square theatre of Albany, X. Y., owned and run for many years by Fred P. Elliott, had been leased for ten years to C. H. Buckley and J. E. Tarsches, owners of the Leland, four blocks distant. The deal is said to have involved about $200,000. Mr. Elliotf s future plans are unknown at present. The new management will assume control on February 5. Oscar Perrin will handle the Clinton Square theatre along with the Leland. Mr. Perrin assumed management of the Leland last July and has made a marked success. It is said that the owners of the Leland are seeking other houses in this part of the state, and that a deal has been virtually closed whicl will give them one theatre which will be devoted to the spoken drama. Fire Destroys Theatre in Manchester Fire last week damaged the Star theatre, t motion picture house of Manchester, N. H., t(, the extent of $40,000. The cause is unknown The fire originated in the basement early ii the morning and soon spread to the audito rium. A recently installed organ costins $15,000 was totally destroyed. The theatri is owned by Coulter Brothers.