Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1916)

250 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 14, No. 2 Mutual Exchange in Washington Located in Commodious Quarters, Each Department a Model of Efficiency BALDSDON ADDS EHRGOTT TO HIS STAFF IN BOSTON Manager Balsdon of the V-L-S-E in Boston has added A. L. Ehrgott to his staff. Mr. Ehrgott is popular throughout New England and especially Maine. He was formerly in charge of the general office at Bangor, and later at New Haven, Conn. Mr. Balsdon is booking Big Four films consistently at the Beacon, Park, Orpheum, Bijou, Fenway and Globe, Boston. He reports good vacation business. The Eastern Feature Film Corporation, Inc., Herman Rifkin, manager, reports the addition to the sales force of Mr. Rambonnet, formerly star salesman of the General Film Company. The Eastern is pushing " One Day," sequel to " Three Weeks " and also films featuring John and Emma Ray. Their serial, " The Yellow Menace," will be on the screen August 21, and bookings are being made. They have the New England rights for " Diana," recently playing at the Strand, New York. " Better pictures " is the slogan of Manager Rifkin. R. D. Marson, manager of George Kleine and Kleine-Edison features, reports signing twenty-two new houses for.Billie Burke in " Gloria's Romance " the past week. The theatres report unprecedented success for the film. Walter Preston, manager of the New Bedford theatre, gave a clambake to exchange men and exhibitors last week. Forty-five attended and later repaired to the New Bedford theatre where the general good time was continued. Fred M. Murphy, eastern manager of the Unicorn, left Boston the middle of the week to open a new Unicorn exchange in New Haven, Conn. He had just returned from a trip through New York and Canadian territory. J. W. Mullen, formerly manager of the Mutual in Albany, is the new manager of the Universal for New England, vice Mr. Shepard. BILLY MORAN MARRIES IN DENVER Billy Moran, well known among the exchange men and exhibitors of the Intermountain territory, and Nellie Fishback were married in Denver the latter part of June. Moran has served in the capacity of exchange manager for the Mutual in Salt Lake City, later went to Denver to manage the Universal exchange. With the news of his marriage came the report that he will manage the Kleine-Edison exchange at Salt Lake City. Moran has many friends in the territory and is one of the youngest exchange managers in the business. PICTURES MAGAZINE IS HELP TO EXHIBITORS, SAYS BUGBEE Circulation of The Pictures Magazine, the Metro " house organ," has jumped to more than 20,000, according to Karl A. Bugbee, Metro manager in the Crescent City, throughout the states of Louisiana and Mississippi. Ten thousand copies, approximately, are distributed each week in the two states through Mr. Bugbee's office. Backed up by an extensive advertising campaign in Louisiana and Mississippi country newspapers, circulation of The Pictures Magazine is daily growing by leaps AGAIN the Mutual Exchange of the national capital has outgrown its quarters and has been compelled to move into larger and more commodious offices. Due to the increased business, the additional releases and the extra prints now being operated from this exchange of Mutual-Chaplin's and special features, the Washington office has just taken over the commodious quarters of 419-421 Ninth street. The new location is just across tlie street from the one just vacated, in the building equipped by Tom Moore for motion picture enterprises. Located in the heart of the film district, it is an ideal spot for a film exchange. Ever}' arrangement in the new home is pleasing to the eye. The seven distinct departments are as follows : service, including the film and advertising accessories ; sales ; clerical, cashier ; booking and film record ; supply and executive. Each of these while separate in itself is easily accessible to every other department, so that work is facilitated without being hampered. A survey of the new quarters is ample proof that these two features have been given the careful consideration of an expert. In the Advertising-Accessories department, with Mrs. Emma Walters in charge, there has been constructed in a systematic lay-out over 15,000 feet of shelving for the easy handling of lithographs, photographs, slides, newspaper cuts, heralds and press sheets, each so indexed that any paper or advertising material for any film, old or recent, may be obtained at a moment's notice. Adjoining this is a spacious film room and bounds. Exhibitors who run the Metro program are ordering the magazine in quantities of thousands. They have found it of great help to their business, inasmuch as the name of the theatre is printed on the front page of the magazine. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii I GOLDSTONE FINDS BUSINESS | I HELPS IN SCRAP BOOK COM | I PILED FROM ITEMS IN MO | I TION PICTURE NEWS 1 g Manager Ph. Goldstone of the S S World exchange in Omaha keeps g M leather bound books for his road g g men,' in which reviews of plays, ad S g vertising ideas, and other " pointers " g M clipped from Motion Picture News g g are placed. These books contain ex = g tracts from practically every issue for g B the last year or eighteen months, and g g are a constant source of aid to the H g roadmen. g g "I wouldn't trade these books to = S day for a big sum," said Goldstone. g g The items, whether reviews, advertis g g ing ideas, or others, are classified and g g can be turned to in an instant. To g g their constant use Manager Goldstone g g attributes some of the remarkable g g success of the Omaha exchange. g iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy^^ with Hugh Bierman in charge, to which is connected the film inspection department, equipped with the most modern all steel film inspection tables. Provision has been made that no film shall be exposed except when it is in charge of an employee. The sales department, presided over by Messrs. Abby, Price and Boggs, is in the extreme front of the building, with ample desk room for each. A special feature of this is a display department, separated from the sales representatives by a low railing, for examination by prospective customers of lithographs, photographs, cuts and advertising matter for the exploitation of films. This permits the exhibitor to see at once, while making contracts for films, what will be his display, and offers a more intelligent understanding between customer and sales manager. The manager's office is located in the central front part of the building, adjoining the sales department on one side and the clerical force on the other side. The latter is under the efficient charge of Annie Wood. Mr. Cunningham's office is attractive and neat — nothing obtrusive in its furnishings. It seems to invite a free business talk away from the hum of the exchange working, of which this particular office forms the hub. Beyond the manager's office is located the schedule department presided over by Clara Anderson and next to this is the cashier's office, with W. K. Harlow in charge. The cashier occupies a strategic position inasmuch as he can observe all deliveries of films and advertising accessories and at the same time his department is in close touch with the other clerks. APPLEGATES WILL WAR ON MEXICO WITH TWO 6-SHEETS OF "WHO'S GUILTY? " The Mexican War situation seems to have its effect on J. S. Applegate, manager of the Denver Pathe Exchange. After hearing that the state militia had been called to mobilize, Applegate started out single handed on a trip through New Mexico. The only weapons on his person were two six-sheets of "Who's Guilty?" We are aware of the fact that the Mexican sharp shooters hit any object they might chance to aim at and Applegate only weighs about two hundred and fifty pounds. He is expected back in Denver some day — within the next three weeks with his suit-case jammed with new contracts for Pathe service. ST. JOHN-BRENON VISITS NEW YORK Chandos St. John-Brenon, the manager of the William Fox interests in Montreal, was a recent visitor in New York. He devoted most of time to discussing Canadian conditions with the Canadian district manager, L. T. Rogers. He reports a fine steady business and offers four theatres in one block, all within sight of each other and seven runs on the main thoroughfare, as an example of the drawing power and quality of a Fox Feature.