Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1916)

August 19, 1916 MOTIONPICTURENEWS 1055 Twenty National Publications for McClure Publicity Large Publishing Interests, Now Making Features with Ann Murdock, Holbrook Bhnn and Five Other Stars, Will Advertise Their Features to 50,000,000 Readers— The Campaign to Make Known Their Pictures Will Not Be Sporadic, But Is to Continue from Month to Month and Year to Year THAT the McClure production plans are not being held up by the litigation between McClure and Para , mount interests is shown by the following announcement in McClure's Magazine for September : " Miss Ann Alurdock, who is about to appear on Broadway in her latest success, ' Please Help Emily,' has been chosen to play the star part in the first motion picture written, produced and exhibited under the McClure trademark. Miss Murdock is not new to pictures, having already starred on the Metro, V-L S-E and Paramount programs." The suit brought hy Frederick L. Collins, president of the McClure Publications, Incorporated, against the Paramount Pictures Corporation and certain of its stockholders to enforce a twelve million dollar option on the company's capital stock, is still pending in the courts. In the meantime, the McClure interests are already actively engaged in the production of features for distribution. Mr. Collins authorized the following statement : " Yes, it is true the McClure Pictures are now being produced under the McClure trademark. Ann Murdock is doing the first picture and Holbrook Blinn the second. Five other stars, including one of the very biggest box office attractions in the picture business, are already under contract. " The first feature will be released in the early fall, but no one picture will be shown until at least six have been completed and the nucleus of a high class service to exhibitors absolutely guaranteed. We are making these expensive productions ourselves with directors and stars controlled by us, instead of in co-operation with other manufacturers, as has been our custom, to make absolutely sure that the quality of the pictures will be up to the McClure standard. " Our plan is to assemble into one group the stars of all the programs, and then, to give to each picture released the same vast national publicity hitherto accorded only to the fifteen-part serials. This is the first time that five-reel features have been so advertised. We believe that McClure publicity through the national magazines, newspaper and other channels controlled by us, placed behind a really high grade star in a big feature production, will drive people to the theatre to see McQure Pictures, and will make these features more profitable even than the ordinary moving picture serials, which we invented and which, I am willing to admit, have yielded many thousands of dollars in profits to our house. " The stars now under contract to McClure's have formerly appeared on the Paramount, Metro, Fox, World and V-LS-E programs. To their known box office value will be added at least a half million dollars worth of publicity and the moral Ann Murdock backing of the McClure list of magazines and newspapers. " I am firmly convinced, by five years participation in the motion picture business, that the day of the ordinary five-reel feature is past. The extraordinary or superfeature is the only thing that Will make money for the exhibitors. The unusual thing, the extraordinary star, the timely subject, the tremendous force of publiciliy — one or all of these elements must be present to guarantee an exhibitor packed houses. The only absolutely sure element that never misses fire is the publicity. However, every McClure feature will be an advertised feature. " Full details of our advertising campaign will be announced in the near future. For the present it is sufficient to say that we shall use a list of twenty national magazines and weeklies, totalling fifty million readers, and approximately one thousand newspapers, each geared up to aid the local exhibitor showing McClure Features. Our magazine list will include every motion picture magazine of importance — and every trade paper that stands for the best things in pictures. " This is not a sporadic advertising campaign, but is to be continued from month to month and year to year, reaching every community in which McClure Pictures are shown. " It is too early to talk about distribution plans, but I am in a position to predict that McClure Pictures will be distributed by the most powerful distributing organization in the United States, controlling two and possibly three of the existing companies, abundantly financed by McClure interests, and managed by the recognized leaders in the distribution and sales business." Twenty-four Advertising and Publicity Men Organize They Form the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers and Elect Arthur James, President, Wallace Thompson, Vice-President, and E. L. Masters, Secretary and Treasurer TWENTY-FOUR advertising and publicity men representing, with two exceptions, every important motion picture producing company with offices in New York City, met at the Claridge on August 2, to approve the articles of incorporation, which had been drawn up for the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers by its council, Arthur Friend. The meeting had been called by the temporary officers, and the first business transacted was the election of permanent ones for the ensuing year, as follows : Arthur James, of the Metro, president. Wallace Thompson, of Paramount, vicepresident. E. Lanning Masters, of V-L-S-E, secretary and treasurer. Executive Council : John C. Flinn, of the Jesse L. Lasky Photoplay Company. Paul Gulick, of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. Carl H. Pierce, Oliver Morosco Photoplay Company. S. B. Van Horn, World Film Company. Harry Reichenbach, Frohman Amusement Company. Hopp Hadley, of the Mutual. The three elective officers are also members of this Council ex-officio. Mr. James, in accepting the presidency, made it quite plain to those who had not attended the previous meetings that the A. M. P. A. was an organization without connection with any other body or board, and that it was the intention of its founders to confine its activities strictly to matters which appertain to advertising, and the welfare of advertisers. The articles of incorporation were th^n read and approved, and a vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. Friend for his efficient and expeditious work. Mr. Friend was also unanimously elected an honorary member of the A. M. P. A. The president then appointed a membership committee consisting of E. Richard Schayer, of the Louis J. Selznick Enterprises, Inc., Nat G. Rothstein, of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, and C. J. Meegan, of the General Film Company, and the following publicity committee: Paul Gulick, of the Universal, chairman; Terry Ramsaye, of Mutual, and Ben Schulberg, of the Famous Players. Until permanent headquarters can be secured the regular meetings of the A. M. P. A. will be held in the Claridge, the next meeting being called for Wednesday, August 9. GROSSMAN IN NEW OFFICES L. Grandin Grossman of Washington, D. C, has moved his offices to Suite 817, Riggs Building, Washington.