Motion Picture News (Nov 1915-Jan 1916)

64 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 12. No. 22. bought the BufYalo, .Mbany and Syracuse exchanges of the United Film Service, adding them to the three he already owned, in Boston, Bangor and Springfield. Murphy, early in his film career in Boston, was assistant manager of the .Mutual exchange. Then he became manager for the Mutual and opened up the Maine territory for that office. After this he became manager of Warner's Features and when the United came into Boston he bought an interest. Recently he bought over the whole exchange. Murphy, for a while at least, will make his headquarters in Boston. He has recently taken on the Standard service and opened a special feature department for films of four, five and six reels. The first of these is "Oliver Twist," which was produced by the Celeljrated Players of England. The News representative saw the run off of this film, and at the same time had a chat with Sam Moscow, who has been promoted from assistant to Mr. Murphy to the managership of the Boston exchange. PROHIBITION EXCHANGE FORMED l\ PHILADELPHIA The Prohibition Film Company is the latest exchange to be formed in Philadelphia. P. J. Cropper is president; Steve Talbot, vice-president and general manager; Arthur Graver, secretary, and Jay Emanuel, treasurer. The offices are at present located at 1734 Ridge avenue. The company has acquired territorial rights to "Prohibition" a six reel melodrama reviewed in Motion Picture Xews. The company purposes for the present to confine the showing of "Prohibition" to such churches and institutions that desire to use it as propaganda. As many prominent personages, notably William Jennings Bryan, appear in the film, it was sought for political purposes in the receat local campaign. All such offers were rejected by the company, who considered it unethical to involve national figures in municipal elections. ST. LOUIS BECOMING IMPORTANT EXCHANGE CENTER St. Louis is again flowering into a motion picture center. At present there are located in this town the branch offices of the following film distributors : Universal, General, Mutual. United, Kritprion, l-"ox. Paramount, Metro, V-L-S-E, Triangle. Pathe, and Picture Playhouse. Among the individually owned film distributors are the Svvanson-Crawford Film Company, Great Western Film Company, Kellys F"eatures, Vale Features. Interstate lilm Company, Clockcnbrinck Features, Eagle Film Coinpany, and the Liberty 1^'ilm Coinpany. Among the equipineiit concerns, Lears Supply Company, Erker Bros. Equipment Company, and the Ainusement Supply Company, are the leaders. Withal there are about ten other small film exchanges, slide manufacturers, film manufacturers and supply houses. The Exhibitors' League in this town is considered one of the strongest in the country. TORONTO TO HANDLE WORLD FILMS' CANADIAN BUSINESS The Canadian rights of all the World Film, Equitable and Paragon features will in the future be handled by the World Features, Ltd., with chief offices at Toronto. Of World Features, Ltd., H. B. Wright is secretary and treasurer as well as general manager of the corporation. Mr. Wright is an experienced exhibitor and successfully conducted a chain of Canadian motion picture houses called Regent Theatres, Ltd. He intends instituting a wide advertising campaign on behalf of motion picture exhibitors using World Film features in Canada. His first release under the new management will be "A Butterfly on the Wheel," with Holbrook Blinn in the lead. UNION FILM BRANCH IN LOS ANGELES SOLD TO KLOPOT The Los Angeles branch of the Union Film and Supply Company, owned by O. V. Traggardh, has been sold to Chas. Klopot and Jake Cone, who took possession this week and renamed the establishment the California Comedy and Feature Film Company. Mr. Klopot has long been identified with various exchanges in Los Angeles, and was formerly manager of the Golden Gate. He is very well known in this territory as an exhibitor and exchange man. E. H. Emmick, formerly manager of the Golden Gate and All Star Feature Distributers here, it is understood, will be affiliated with this organization, having charge of the feature department which he will own. Mr. Emmick is now in San Francisco. PURCHASE OF 6 EXCHANGES IN 3 YEARS IS MURPHY'S RECORD A man named Fred B. Murphy broke into the exchange end of the motion picture business in January, 1912. Now, in a little more than three years' time, he has just GREAT NORTHERN IN ST. LOUIS HANDLING BIG FEATURES The Great Western Film Company has opened its new offices at 401 Princess theatre building, St. Louis. It is at present handling state rights on a number of capacity-inducing features, among them being F. O. Nielson's "Guarding Old Glory," in five reels. This concern is at present on the market for some big features. STOUT MADE VICE-PRESIDENT FRISCO FILM TRADE BOARD X. K. Stout, who recently succeeded J. R. Crone as manager of the Mutual Film Corporation at San Francisco, has been chosen vice-president of the Film Exchange Board of Trade of San Francisco, an office formerly held by Mr. Crone, who was one of the organizers of this body of film men. RC. CROPPER, Universal manager in • Kansas City, has opened up for the benefit of his exhibitors, a publicity department that will co-operate in everj' way with the exhibitor. H. G. Gill is in active charge of the department. He has working with him on the road Herbert Thatcher, whose duty it is to show the exhibitor how to advertise so as to get the most business. He also works on the newspapers in the towns through which he travels, in an endeavor to have them open moving picture departments. It is Manager Cropper's idea to have the advertising of the exhibitors changed from the wrong kind to the right kind. A new face appears in the staff of the V-L-S-E. It is that of A. J. Reed, a former newspaper man who is now working in the publicity department for Manager Pearson. Roy W. J. Bettis, who has been manager TALLY LEAVES GENERAL TO JOIN WORLD FILM FORCES L. E. Tally, formerly with the General Film Company, has joined the World Film forces, where he will look after the development of new business. Mr. Tally, during the five years he was with the General, held nearh every position in the office, and the experience he gained in that time makes him one of the most thorough film men in St. Louis. CRONE, MUTUAL MANAGER, GOES TO VOGUE, PRODUCERS J. R. Crone, in charge of the San Francisco branch of the Mutual Film Corporation for several years, has been made manager of the Vogue Film Company at Los Angeles and left San Francisco a few days ago to assume his new duties. He has been succeeded as exchange manager by X. K. Stout, a member of the local force for more than a year. of the Picture Playhouse Film Company in Kansas City for the past few months, has resigned and will handle in that territor}', "Silver Threads Among the Gold" and "Neptune's Daughter." He will open an office there in the Ozark Building. Simon Libros is in Kansas City to appoint a new manager to take the place of Roy W. J. Bettis. Mr. Libros is the district manager for the Picture Playhouse Film Company, and will remain there until such a time as he secures a man for the managership of this office. The Central Motion Picture Company, controlled by O. D. Rose, has opened in Kansas City' at 918 Oak street. The booking is in charge of Max Ward, who forinerly was with the Kansas City Feature Film Company. \\'alter Davdige is on the road. This new firm handles the old films of the Famous Players in Missouri and the .Alco program in Missouri and Kansas. AUTUMN DAYS BRING CHANGES TO KANSAS CITY EXCHANGES