Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

April 2 8 , 1923 2033 Ka nsas Convention Subscribes Funds Exhibitors Raise $5,000 in Opening Session for Support of Organization First National Officers Named for Year at Atlantic City ELECTION of officers constituted the chief business of the second day's session of the annual meeting of Associated First National Pictures, Inc., at the Ritz Carlton, Atlantic City Wednesday. Sol Lesser of Los Angeles was elected first vice-president, succeeding J. B. Clark of Pittsburgh, who was added to the board of voting trustees, vice Fred Dahnken of San Francisco. All other officers and trustees were re-elected. The list follows: President, Robert Lieber; secretarytreasurer, H. O. Schwalbe; first vicepresident, Sol Lesser; second vice-president, John H. Kunsky of Detroit; third vice-president, Jacob Fabian of Paterson, N. J.; voting trustees, J. G. Von Herberg, Seattle; M. L. Finkelstein, Minneapolis; Robert Lieber, Indianapolis; J. B. Clark, Pittsburgh, and Nathan Gordon, Boston. The vacancy in the board of voting trustees was created by the purchase by Sol Lesser and his associates of the Turner and Dahnken interests in Northern California. Addresses at the morning session were made by Joseph M. Schenck and Dr. A. H. Giannini of the Bank of Italy, N. Y. Will H. Hays spoke at the banquet in the evening. Chinese Protest Picture Exaggerations The Chinese Students' Club, of Ohio State University, Columbus, 0., has made a protest to the Ohio department of film censorship of Ohio against alleged exaggerations of native Chinese life, to be found in many modern motion picture productions. In the protest, which came in the form of a formal communication with the censorship offices, the club stated that these exaggerations prejudice the American mind unfavorably toward Chinese people and civilization. THE Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Kansas literally assumed a new lease on life at the semi-annual convention in Wichita, Kansas, Monday and Tuesday. A fund of $5,000 to support the organization was raised in such a short period of time that it surprised even those in charge. An additional fund of $700 also was subscribed to fight the music tax. The consolidation of the M. P. T. 0. of Kansas and Western Missouri was left to a committee appointed to confer with the Missouri committee at the national convention at Chicago. The Kansas committee consists of: R. R. Biechele, Kansas City, Kansas; M. D. Shanberg, Hutchinson, Kansas; E. E. Frazier, Pittsburg, Kansas ; A. F. Baker, Kansas City, Kansas; and Stanley Chambers, Kansas City, Kansas. Only one resolution introduced failed to pass, that being a resolution endorsing the exhibitors' distributing corporation. It was tabled as it was felt exhibitors were not sufficiently familiar with the proposition and it was desired to await future developments. R. G. Liggett unanimously was re-elected to his second term as president. Other officers elected: First Vice-President R. R. Biechele, Kansas City; Second Vice-President Harry McClure, Emporia; Third Vice-President I. E. Runyon, Hutchinson ; Fourth VicePresident A. Davidson, Neodesha; Secretary C. N. Smith, Kansas City; Treasurer Fred Mein, Kansas City. The board of directors was changed to seven men instead of five, the following being elected: M. B. Shanberg, Hutchinson; Stanley Chambers, Wichita; A. F. Baker, Kansas City; Harry McClure, Emporia; R. R. Biechele, Kansas City; J. B. Tackett, Coffeeyville, and Gr. L. Hooper, Topeka. A talk which will serve as a precedent, and which was cheered to the roof of the Broadview Hotel was made by Captain C. L. MacLean, superintendent of the Kansas State Industrial School for Boys and state commander of the American Legion. " There is not a boy in my school, or one in one thousand that is there as a result of motion picture shows," Captain MacLean said. " Juvenile delinquency never comes as a result of attending motion picture shows. As superintendent of an institution which handles ' bad boys ' I never have found a case where a boy's delinquency could be traced directly or indirectly to attending picture shows. I regard the films which are used as part of the educational program in my school just as I have as many instructors." A tie-up with the Kansas State ParentTeacher Association also is of significant importance. In a talk before the convention, Mrs. Z. Wetmore, national committeewoman of the parent-teacher association and state chairwoman of the state organization, urged that inserts in exhibitors' advertising stating that the production had been endorsed by the parent-teacher association be used. The Kansas body in the future will be a closed organization serving only exhibitors who are paid-up members. Well-equipped headquarters will be established in Kansas City and the organization operated upon a strictly business plan. A. A. Kiplan and H. H. Kipald of the Minnesota exhibitors' organizations attended the convention, but were not speakers. The banquet Monday night was attended by 150 and was the most elaborate setting ever staged, it being sponsored by the exchange men of Kansas City. These delegates to the National convention were named: E. E. Frazier, Pittsburg; R. R. Biechele, Kansas City; S. A. Davidson, Neodesha ; Stanley Chambers, Wichita ; G. A. Kubaugh, Abilene; L. A. Wagner, Eureka; C. M. Patee, Lawrence; M. B. Shanberg, Hutchinson. Alternates: H. L. Gees, Mulberry; William Meyn, Kansas City; Fred Mein, Kansas City ; Lee Gunnison, Atchison ; G. L. Hooper, Topeka; Willard Frazier, Paola; H. P. Warham, Manhattan; I. E. Runyon, Hutchison. Memorial Service Held for Royale Rothermel Memorial services for Royale Valra\r Rothermel, organizer and former president of the Filmcraft Association and prominently identified with the motion picture world from its inception, who died last February at the family's Western home in Tucson, Ariz., were held Thursday evening at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in West 69th Street, Rev. Nathan Seagle, rector, officiating. The church was filled with friends, including the fraternity brethren of the deceased from Pi Kappa Alpha chapter of Alpha-Upsilon of New York University. Mr. Rothermel, who during the past year made his home in Greenwich Village, was an influential and rising figure in the motion picture world when he gave up his brilliant prospects to fight in the great World War. At Brest his health became impaired and he steadily declined until the end came at Tucson. Illinois M. P. T. O. Hold Annual Convention and Name Board of Directors MEMBERS of the Illinois Motion Picture Theatre Owners met at the Sherman Hotel, Chicago, April 18th and 19th for the annual convention of the association. President Rubens, who refused to consider a re-election, was in the chair and important amendment to by-laws and election of directors occupied the first day's session. An amendment proposed by W. D. Burford was adopted which provided for the election of twenty-seven directors, sixteen to be from territory outside Cook County and eleven from Cook County, the board to meet within forty-eight hours and elect the president and other officers of the state organization. A second amendment was adopted giving members one vote for each theatre when more than one is owned by members and dues for theatre paid up. The debate was heated but feeling prevailed that voting power would be an inducement to chain theatre men to join the organization and would not give them undue influence. The directors elected were Ben Berve. W. D. Burford, Adam Dernbach, J. F. Dittman. Kenneth Fitzpatrick, Felix Greenberg, Joe Hopp, Chas. Lamb, J. C. Miller, Wm. Olson, Wm. Pearl, Charles Pyle, Glenn Reynolds. Dee Robinson, J. H. Rubins, and W. W. Watts from outside Chicago, and Sam Abrams\ C. E. Beck, Leo Brunheld, Geo. D. Hopkinson, Andrew Karzas, V. Lynch, H. C. Newell, Ludwig Siegel, Mike Seigel, John Silha, and Sidney Selig from Chicago. Wednesday night a large get-together dinner was the big feature. Three hundred exhibitors and exchange men gathered round the tables in the Tiger Room and enjoyed the speeches and entertainment. J. J. Rubns was toastmaster and kept the crowd laughing by his clever boosting for the forthcoming Palace of Motion Picture Progress. In the second day of the convention a notable array of out-of-town speakers, including Messrs. Sydney Cohen, Al Steffes, W. J. O'Toole, Theodore Hayes, Woodhull and others were scheduled to appear and lively sessions were anticipated as the uniform contract, music tax and the National Association's record were also to be taken up on the floor of the convention.