Motion Picture News (Oct 1914-Jan 1915)

December 26, 1914. MOTION PICTURE NEWS iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiin^ 41 piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 1 AMONG THE EXCHANGES iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^^ I ALLIANCE EXCHANGES REPORT INCREASING BUSINESS THE past week has been a banner one for. all of the Alliance exchanges. The reports received by George T. Ames, head of the sales department, show that the volume of business being done by this firm is increasing in all parts of the country with great rapidity. M. F. Tobias, president of the All Theatres Film and Accessory Company, says that his concern, which controls the booking rights to the Alliance program in New York State and City, finds the Alliance features the best money-getters on his list. "In New York City," remarked Mr. Tobias, "where competition among exchanges is the keenest of any place in the country, the Alliance has been most successful. There are but a few of the high class photoplay houses in the cit}' that are not regular users of the Alliance program." LOS ANGELES EXCHANGE MEN UNITE CAMPBELL WILL MANAGE BOX OFFICE IN BOSTON HARRY F. CAMPBELL, formerly assistant manager of the New England Universal Film Exchange and manager of Warner's Features, has been prevailed upon after much effort to accept the management of the New England branch of Fox's Box Office Attraction Company on Piedmont street, Boston. Louis Levine. who has been acting manager, will remain as assistant manager. w WARNER'S INDIANAPOLIS. MOVES ARNER'S FEATURES, INC., c United Film Service, Indianapolis, has moved from the Lemcke building to 135^ North Illinois street, in the Lyric theatre building. THREE meetings have been held in Los Angeles, attended by all film exchange men, for the information of an organization of a protective nature, beneficial to the exhibitor as well as the exchange, and within the next few days steps will be taken toward securing a charter or incorporation papers. There will be no capitalization and no stockholders, but instead memberships will be issued to employees of recognized substantial exchanges and dues will be assessed. The first of the meetings was held early last week, at which time a temporary organization was made, and after a discussion of the plan it was decided to have R. E. Stebbins, manager of the San Francisco Film Exchange Board of Trade, organized about two months ago, come here, meet with the exchange men and assist them in forming an organization. The San Francisco manager accepted the invitation and spent several days here, during which time he went over the constitution, by-laws and all regulations of the organization now perfected, and which has been in operation for the past thirty days to the benefit of both exhibitors and exchange men. Primarily the Los Angeles exchange men propose to adopt a credit system which will be protective for the exhibitor and the renters, against the fly-by-night exhibitors and junk film concerns. There will be regulation relative to credit, so that it will not be possible for an exhibitor to go from one exchange to another as fast as he wears out his credit, and by thus doing secure a number of weeks' service and dead-beat the exchanges for all of it. Attention will also be given to exhibitors who employ incompetent operators or permit the use of ALCO STARTS EXCHANGE REPORT SYSTEM THROUGFI the medium of a new and original arrangement instituted this week by Walter Hoff Seely, of the Alco Film Corporation, the parent office of that concern is being kept in close touch with conditions throughout the entire United States, from coast to coast. .\ large, double page report sheet, 'printed on both sides and captioned "Weekly condition report" has been furnished the various exchange managers, with orders to fill out accurately each week and forward to home office so as to reach there by first mail. The report sheets bear lines calling for 'reports on the following conditions : Number of bankruptcies in your district; number of shops, mills, stores and factories to close ; number of vacant stores on prin-. cipal streets ; what theatres contemplate improvements, or have made improvements in their premises during past month ; assets and previous business of men entering the motion picture industry ; what factories, stores or industries announce salary decreases ; what factories announce salary increases; what is the condition of the unemployed in your territory: have there been any bank failures in your district ; how is your booking sheet? What increase or decrease in your bookings occurred during present week? Do your clients favor costume, modern, society, problem, se.x or melodramatic features? a machine which injures the film more than ordinary wear and tear. Further than this it is proposed that a standard rate for lithographs be established between the exchange men either for leasing or selling lithographs, as well as photographs and lobby displays of all kinds. Los Angeles exchanges are to a more or less extent affiliated with the exchanges of San Francisco, and it is very probable that the organization here will be very similar to the one at the northern city. BARGMAN TO MANAGE GOLDEN GATE, LOS ANGELES TED L. BARGMAN has been appointed manager of the Golden Gate Film Exchange, at Los Angeles, a branch of the film renting institution of which Sol Lesser, of San Francisco, is president, and which has exchanges in many of the principal Western cities. Mr. Bargman has been connected with the company for the past six months in the capacity of salesman, and has made en enviable record during that period of time. EDWARDS-ZETLER TO HAVE CINCINNATI BRANCH ? WORD is going through real estate circles in Cincinnati that the Edwards-Zetler Feature Film Company will in the near future open a branch agency in this city. The company has branches all over the country, and its Cincinnati branch is slated to occupy space in the Savoy Hotel Building, on East Sixth street. The lease is said to have been made through the firm of Cleaney, Nourse and Huntington. UNIVERSALS IN GREAT DEMAND AT WASHINGTON SJ. MAYER, formerly of the General • Film Company, is now at the head of the Universal forces at the Washington Film Exchange. Mr. Lavelle, the former manager, remains there as assistant. Mr. Mayer reports everything prosperous "Universally," with "The Master Key" much in demand. TRI-STATE TAKES KRITERION THE Greater Tri-State Feature Film Company of New York has closed with the Mica Film Corporation to handle all their releases under the Kriterion program. David Kren concluded this arrangement, whereby all the eastern district will he handled by them.