Motion Picture News (Oct 1915)

October 30, 1915. MOTION PICTURE NEWS 53 Rothapfel’s Success in Countrywide Lecture Tour Most Prominent Motion Picture Theatre Manager Will, by Arrangement of President Freuler of Mutual, Tell Exhibitors in Twenty-seven Film Centers by What Methods He Arrived at His Present Distinction — His Experiences Full of Suggestions for Others Working for High Achievement in the Exhibiting End of the Business L. ROTHAPFEL, known as America’s most successful motion picture exhibitor, will make a tour of the United States to deliver to exhibitors a message of success. This announcement comes from the office of John R. Freuler, president of the Mutual Film Corporation, which is conducting the tour as a constructive contribution to the development of the motion picture theatre. The itinerary covers twenty-seven of the biggest centers of the country, where Mr. Rothapfel will address gatherings of exhibitors. It has ony been possible for the Mutual to get a limited portion of Mr. Rothapfel’s time, and it is hoped that conditions will make it possible later to have him speak before the exhibitors in many centers not covered in his present itinerary. This tour will deliver to the exhibitors of the nation first-hand knowledge of the methods and experiences by which Mr. Rothapfel arrived at his many successes — among them the management of the Lyric theatre in Minneapolis, the organization of the projection for the Keith Circuit, the Regent theatre in New York, the famous Strand theatre and — next to come — the new Rialto theatre, now building at Forty-second and Broadway. Mr. Rothapfel will tell the exhibitors of the country at first hand just what have been the factors of his remarkable success and how the lessons drawn from his experience may be applied to the improvement of any theatre and applied to the solution of every exhibitor’s problems. Message for All Exhibitors “The message which Mr. Rothapfel will carry,” remarked President Freuler, “is in fact a message to the whole great body of exhibitors, regardless of their affiliations. “We are not sending out Mr. Rothapfel with an impression that the exhibitors need to be lectured to, but rather with the idea that every live exhibitor will enjoy the experience of hearing from the nation’s most successful exhibitor and his methods. “I am sure that every exhibitor in the United States, if he came to New York, would be interested in visiting Mr. Rothapfel, and inspecting the very remarkable work that he has done. “Now since the exhibitors cannot come to New York and Mr. Rothapfel, we are sending Mr. Rothapfel to them. "I feel that we are making an important step toward the establishment of scientific, effective business practice in the operation of motion picture theatres. “Because we are doing this to help the industry in general, we are sure to receive in turn important benefits. It is the realization of the great value of this unusual service to the exhibitors which has led us to make the very large expenditure which will be necessary to carry out this tour. “As an exhibitor of long and successful experience myself, I know just how thor oughly this effort of ours will be appreciated by the great body of earnest, hardworking exhibitors of the country. "The exhibitors who are forging ahead and who will remain in the business as it continues in its wonderful progress, are those who will most deeply appreciate this opportunity to get Mr. Rothapfel’s message of success.” Rothapfel’s Itinerary Mr. Rothapfel’s itinerary as it is outlined follows : October 21, Philadelphia; October 22, Washington; October 23, Atlanta; October 25, New Orleans; October 27, Dallas; October 29, El Paso ; October 31, Los Angeles ; November 3, San Francisco; November 7, Portland, Ore. ; November 8, Seattle, Wash.; November 10, Salt Lake City; November 12, Denver; November 14, Kansas City, Mo. ; November 15, Omaha, Neb. ; November 16, Minneapolis, Minn.; November 17, Milwaukee, Wis. ; November 18, Chicago, 111. ; November 19, St. Louis, Mo. ; November 20, Indianapolis, Ind. ; November 21, Cincinnati, O. ; November 22, Detroit ; November 23, Cleveland, O. ; November 24, Pittsburgh, Pa.; November 25, Buffalo, N. Y. ; November 26, Albany, N. Y. ; and November 27, Boston, Mass. This itinerary will be strictly followed, as Mr. Rothapfel’s varied interests demand his return to New York on schedule time. Mr. Rothapfel’s present position among exhibitors has been attained by experience which began in the humblest possible conditions. No exhibitor in the world ever had farther to travel on his road to success. He was born the son of a shoemaker, in Stillwater, Minn., became a copy boy on a Brooklyn newspaper, married a tavern keeper’s daughter at Forest City, Pa., and tended bar for a living. Right there at the wayside inn he got the inspiration which brought him ultimately to New York and made him the “Master Exhibitor.” Of course there were many incidental adventures in this career of rapid pro ^lllllllllllllllllllllllll|l|ll!IIIIIIIIII|||lt|lll|||||||||||||||||||||||||||!||||||||||||||[|||||||||||||||||||]||||||||||||||[|[|||i^ | “NEWS” INDISPENSABLE AS A | BUSINESS PROPOSITION UNITED FILM SERVICE OF SEATTLE | 1 Incorporated October 7, 1915. I | Motion Picture News, New York City. | Gentlemen: ^ Your magazine has shown wonder 1 | ful growth and development and as a | | business proposition, as well as for i | pleasure, I find it indispensable, i Yours truly, 1 | A. W. WALKER, General Manager, i illllllllllllllllll|linilllilliinilllllllllllllllll!llllllll!llllllll!!lllllllllllllllll!ll!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIH gression. He joined the U. S. Marine Corps and had a trip around the world in the service of his country, pausing to take a dip into the Boxer rebellion in China. He became a second lieutenant, and resigned with a characteristically good record. After all this experience in the drama of real life, he was prepared for the successes which began with his motion picture show in the dance hall at Forest City. There he had two hundred “undertaker’s chairs,” a sheet screen and a rattle-trap projection machine. He painted his own cards, booked his films, sold the tickets and ran off the picture. After that he had nothing to do but sweep out and close the house. Takes Charge of Lyric in Minneapolis In Forest City he made just as big a success as the field would permit. By rapid steps he reached the point where he was called in to organize picture projection for the Keith Circuit — and this was the first time projection was really organized, and then came his remarkable success with the Lyric in Minneapolis. Success there did not escape the attention of the East, and New York called him. His work for the Regent in New York stands out in the history of pictures, and then came his crowning achievement at the Strand theatre, a success known to the whole nation. Now capital has’ given to Mr. Rothapfel a new token of recognition in the form of a ten-year contract as the controlling genius of the Rialto theatre, which is being built today at Broadway and Forty-second street. The backers of the Rialto project think well enough of Mr. Rothapfel’s value and his store of knowledge as an exhibitor to insure his life for $250,000. Mr. Rothapfel will be accompanied on this tour by Silas Bent, special representative of the publicity department of the Mutual Film Corporation. Mr. Bent will, in addition to “covering” the Rothapfel tour, give general publicity co-operation to Mutual branch managers in the cities visited. ALTERING EDISON STUDIO TO MAKE ROOM FOR NEW PERSONNEL Along with the changes in personnel, the Edison studio itself is being considerably altered to make room for the new organization which is now headed by L. W. McChesney, formerly stationed at Orange, N. J. New offices are being built in where formerly stood dressing rooms, the idea being to centralize each department’s work for greater efficiency. McChesney has transferred several of his office staff at Orange to the studio. R. H. Webber, who was formerly an aide to McChesney at the Orange headquarters, now occupies the position formerly held by Miss Bannon. John Gill is also now stationed in the Bedford Park studio, which promises to become the headquarters for the Edison Motion Picture Division. Table of contents will hereafter be found every week opposite inside back cover