Motion Picture News (May-Jun 1923)

June 2 , /p-'j ><>b5 Far Sighted Exhibitor In Effective Appeal Manager A. L. Middleton, Grand Theatre, De Queen, Ark., has forwarded to Pathe a copy of his effective appeal to his patrons for recognition of his theatre as a "public service institution." Mr. Middleton thinks that every whole-hearted exhibitor of motion pictures should endeavor to attract the same sort of cooperation. "Thank God for the Movies," is his slogan, quoted from a widely published statement made by the Rev. Hay Watson Smith, of Little Rock, Ark. All of the material of Manager Middleton's printed propaganda is displayed on the two sides of a small card headed with the slogan quoted here, together with credit for its estimable source : The matter of the card in part follows : "You'll say the same if you will only discard prejudice and SEE the movies. They will convince you by their own merit and power to entertain, educate and appeal through the eye, the particular one of the five senses that conveys 85 per cent of all human knowledge to the brain. "The management of the Grand Theatre needs the support and cooperation of every good citizen in De Queen and Sevier County to make of it the public service institution he wants it to be. Are you offering encouragement or throwing stones?" Realistic Duel for "Under Red Robe" What is said to be a most thrilling and tensely dramatic duel scene is that fought by John Charles Thomas and Captain Henry C. G. Mills who won fame with the Dragoon Guards of Australia during the war, in "Under The Red Robe." Thomas, who is making his motion picture debut in the new Cosmopolitan feature and who with Robert B. Mantell and Alma Rubens is featured, impersonates Gil de Berault. Captain Mills appears as a trooper. The duel, which is made doubly dramatic in that it is fought on horseback as well as on foot, was filmed this week at the 104th Field Artillery, Sixty-eighth street and Broadway, New York City. In addition to Mantell, Thomas and Miss Rubens, the cast of "Under the Red Robe" includes such well known players as Sydney Herbert, William H. Powell, Genevieve Hamper, Ian MacLaren, Mary McLaren, Jose Coghlan, Otto Kruger. Andy Dillion, Evelyn Gosnell, Gustave Von Seyffertitz and Arthur Houseman. Beauty Prize Winner in "Brass Bottle" Hazel Keener, who was awarded by a jury of artists selected by the Chicago Tribune, a prize of $1,000. as the most beautiful woman in the state of Iowa, has a part in Maurice Tourneur's forthcoming First National production "The Brass Bottle." As an Oriental princess of Solomon's day, Miss Keener has a magnificent opportunity to display the beauty which won her the Tribune prize and later the first prize of the International Photographic Fair in London, it is said. F.B.O. Has Elaborate Press Book Will Outdo All Previous Effort With Copy for "H uman Wreckage" **XJ EXT to having a good picture an exhibitor must have a good pressbook," says Nat G. Rothstein, and with this end in view the Film Booking Offices claim to have been making history in the way of an advisory sheet for the theatre. Despite the fact that press books of this company in the past have been unusual affairs their book now on the press for their picture "Human Wreckage" is by far the most elaborate of all, they claim. Carrying 36 pages that measure eighteen by twenty four inches the book will be printed in five colors. The thirty six pages consist of cuts, ads, scene mats and ad mats, newspaper stories and exploitation ideas. Photos of the paper are carried in colors so that the exhibitor knows exactly what he is ordering. In actual size the book is about six times as large as is generally printed. A line of novelties numbering fifteen are printed while over forty column of advance, during showing and editorial articles are reproduced. As a selling argument much credit must be given the press-book for the marvelous showing made bv the Emorv Johnson production "The Third Alarm," says F. B. O. Months before the picture was released and while it was showing at the Astor theatre on Broadwav many thousands of these books were mailed broadcast to theatres with a result of many contracts by the exhibitor before the actual screening of the picture. "Westbound" book was an almost duplicate for "Third Alarm" in size and make-up, but the forthcoming one on Mrs. Wallace Reid's anti-narcotic photo drama "Human Wreckage" is half again as big. Its opening pages are given over to the dignified angle of exploitation which gradually gives way to the real showman's campaign covering every possible angle from sympathy to force in getting them into the theatre. Three full pages are given over to newspaper copy alone. Advance stories, editorial copy, reviews and special interviews with world known figures. Over twentydifferent scene cuts are illustrated as well as over thirty different styles and sizes in advertising newspaper matter. The posters illustrated in the 1'f.ok are also of two styles dini ty and circus stuff. Of the paper printed for the release the radio is two sheets of circus to one of the more dignified. On the list of the paper their appears three styles of twenty four sheets, three of sixes, three of three sheet size, three ones, one two sheet and one half sheet. Runs on "Safety Last" Extended Exhibitors in Many Cities Demand Extra Time on Feature Bookings AS an upsetter of screen traditions, Harold Lloyd in his seven reels of alternate terror and laughter spasms, " Safety Last," adds to his popularity. This statement generalizes reports received by Pathe from big and little theatres in important and unimportant cities in all sections. Bookings made under the Pathe get-together policy producing contracts that are equitable and enable the giving of the maximum service to the patrons of each community, are said to be resulting in extension of runs far beyond expectations. For example, when the " Safety Last " contract was made with John Kunsky for the Adams theatre, Detroit, the " three weeks " clause was agreed upon with trepidation on both sides. But Kunsky got busy with up-to-date exploitation, including display newspaper advertising in which he autographed his own statement that " Safety Last " was the best comedy ever produced, and there never was a performance during those three weeks that did not see patrons turned away at the door, it is claimed. The added fourth week is reported to have failed to satisfy the demand of the Detroit patronage for the Lloyd masterpiece, but the carrying out of other contracts could not be longer deferred. Extension of the " Safety Last " run at the Rialto theatre, Newark. N. J., was inevitable from the start. in the opinion of Manager Kashin, who personally attended to a brilliant line of exploitation. For eleven days the crowds were so dense about the theatre entrance that the brass rail at the box office window was repeatedly swept away, it is said, and it was found expedient to have one or more policemen constantly about the premises. At Worcester, Mass., the management of Gordon's Park theatre, reported to Pathe that extension of its " Safety Last " engagement to three weeks was a public service necessity. The Strand theatre management at San Francisco wired Pathe threatening to " send Hal Roach a bill for broken seats — audience screaming every second." Another wire came from the manager of the Eastman theatre at Rochester, N. Y., saying : " Picture broke all records." Kathlene Martyn Given Extended Contract Kathlene Martyn, appearing in C. C. Burr's All-Star Comedies, will continue as one of the featured players in this series. Miss Martyn. formerly a " Ziegfeld Follies " girl, was originally signed to p'.ay in one comedy but did so well that she has been given a contract that will keep her busy for some time. RAINY FILM ABOLISHED Exhibitors and Producers Enthusiastic over the Dura Company's Method of Protecting Prints Producers have spent fortunes to give the public the best screen results that money could buy. They select their story, their director, their cast; they build elaborate sets, in short every detail is carried out to make a perfect picture. Finally the producer sees his picture on the screen and is delighted to find the result of his labors justified the enormous expenditure of money. The exhibitor with equal enthusiasm books the picture. On the first run showings the S. R. O. sign is ignored in the mad rush of the overflow attempting to gain admittance. Everyone is happy. The picture is called a "success." BUT : Every theatre does not have "first run." The same prints are used for second, third, fourth and subsequent runs. The same print which held the audience spellbound with its beautiful photographic quality, soon becomes full of rain, dirt and oil stains. It is full of jumps in action caused by the removal of much footage, due to broken perforations. Patrons lured into a theatre on a promise of a good show leave disgusted. Some of them never to return. The exhibitor protests to the exchange. The exchange manager shrugs his shoulders believing himself helpless. All the above is past history. The Dura Film Protector Co., Inc., 220 West 42nd St., New York City, has perfected a method fully protected by patents to overcome all the faults mentioned. It has registered the word "Duratize" in the United States patent office as its trade name. It Duratizes prints by applying a thin coating of celluloid over the emulsion of new prints. This in no way impairs the photographic quality of the print, but on the contrary gives it a more brilliant appearance on the screen. The emulsion is so protected that the Duratized prints will not become "rainy." Not only the perforations but the joins are greatly reinforced by the thin layer of celluloid. Duratized film is oilproof and waterproof, and to clean, it is only necessary to pass the film through a c'.oth moistened with cleaning fluid between rewinders. The price charged for Duratzing prints is two dollars per reel. One day's additional run will more than cover this cost. The exchange which has its prints Duratized profits by the added life to the film and will satisfy the exhibitor and please his audience. -ADYT.