Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

April 7 , 19 2 3 1665 Planning of Sets in Miniature to Save Expenses Wilfred Buckland has introduced a system of planning picture settings by means of quickly constructed models. Buckland is now engaged in laying out the setting for Richard Walton's film version of the du Manner's classic, " Trilby," which will be released by First National. Experience has taught that production work has often been delayed and casts held idle while stage carpenters tore down and rebuilt sets that were found at the crucial moment to be inadequate to convey the idea or impression sought for. The plotting of sets in miniature is expected to eliminate such wasteful delay and make for greater economy and efficiency. Schulberg Offers $10,000 Each Word for Title Shortly after his arrival in New York last week, B. P. Schulberg, president of Preferred Pictures, after a conference with J. G. Bachmann, treasurer, announced that he was in the market for titles. He has set a price of $10,000 a word for appropriate titles. If a two-word title is purchased, $20,000 will be paid. For a threeword title the rate per word will be given a cut to bring the total to $25,000. Schulberg explains that he is seeking alluring titles which when set forth in electric lights will create a desire for further information. He adds that this is not in any sense a contest but a bona fide market he is creating for the specific commodity. Preferred Pictures now owns the rights to a. dozen or more plays, books and stories which in many cases require a change to better picture titles. Toronto; Joseph Skirboll, Western District, Los Angeles. Mr. Skirboll has been managing the Pittsburgh exchange, but will go direct from the convention to Los Angeles. Scenes fron " The Tie That Binds." which is to be distributed by Jacob Wilk. A group of views from Alice Brady's new starring production for Paramount titled " The Leopardess " First Nat'l Dist. Managers Meet Plans and Policies Outlined for the Coming Season at 5 -Day Convention DISTRICT managers of First National held a five-day convention at the Hotel Astor, starting Monday, March 26th, and concluding Friday. The primary purpose of the meeting was to lay the ground work of plans for next season, to consider the fall product and to discuss ways and means of improving First National's service to exhibitors in all its details. A new advertising and publicity policy about to be adopted was explained. Floyd M. Brockell, distribution manager, who presided at the meeting, gave a detailed analysis of First National's sales policy and spoke of the conclusions reached as a result of the three months' tour of the country from which he recently returned. Mr. Brockell was most enthusiastic about the prospects for the new season in almost every section of the counti'y. In an address delivered on Wednesday, H. O. Schwalbe, secretary and treasurer, spoke of the pictures promised for the coming season. He considered the production plans of the company as formulated and stressed the need for real service to exhibitors. Hawley Turner, representing the Saturday Evening Post, explained the exact purpose of First National's full page advertising that starts in the Post April 7 and continues every other week thereafter. He declared it to be directly beneficial to the exhibitor in as much as it sought to sell to the public the picture lie is playing. Among others who addressed the meeting were S. O. Spring, of First National's Legal Department: D. Farralla, of the Financial Department; Sol Shernow, of the Print Department, and Stanley Hatch and Jay Gove, of the Distribution Department. The district managers who attended were: H. A. Bandy, Central District Cleveland O.; Roy C Seerv, Mid-Western District, Chicago, 111.'; W. E. Callaway, Southern District, New Orleans. La.: Louis Bache. Canadian District. Shipman Outlines Policy of Distribution In response to numerous inquiries received concerning his policy of distribution, Ernest Shipman announced this week that his deal with the W. W. Hodkinson Corporation in no way alters his original plan to reserve for himself the foreign and Canadian rights on his Canadian-made productions. Hodkinson already lias contracted for the distribution of three of these pictures, namely, " The Man from Glengarry " and " Winner Take All" (based on "Glengarry Schooldays"), both by Ralph Connor, and "The Rapids," by Alan Sullivan; but this distribution will be limited to the United States. Shipman will negotiate independently for the foreign sales; while in Canada he is distributing through his own e changes. He is represented in Quebec and the Maritime Provinces by the firm of Burpee & West, Montreal, and in Ontario and Western Canada by Canadian Educational Films. Ltd., with exchanges in Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver. Production Work on "The Fog" Well Under Way Actual production work is now well under way on " The Fog," the newest Graf production for Metro, which is being made under the personal supervision of Max Graf. Players who will have principal roles are Mildred Harris, Cullen Landis, Louise Fazenda, David Butler, Ann May, Ralph Lewis, Marjorie Prevost, Edward Phillips, Ethel Wales and Frank Currier. Paul Powell is directing and John Arnold is the cameraman.