Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

October 21, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 2531 San Francisco Film Exchanges Enjoying Prosperous Season; Pathe ExcJiange Will Move to Market Street ADVERTISING CARD BROUGHT OUT BY BOWLES IS A SUCCESS The success of the card advertising which George H. Bowles, publicity manager of the Kansas City Universal Exchange, has been so marked that he has received orders from the large cities of Oklahoma City, St. Louis ; Atlanta, Georgia ; Indianapolis, New Orleans. Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia, for the attractive advertising. Mr. Bowles prints the cards at Kansas City and sends them to the different cities. The name of the city to which they are sent is printed on the cards. Mr. Bowles has also been getting orders for the Universal Weekly, which he edits, and which in the past three months has grown to national proportions. Large orders of these papers have been gotten out and sent to many large cities all over the countr}-, including San Francisco, Chicago and New York. The importance of the paper in the mind of the patrons in the territory surrounding Kansas City is shown on everjhand. KANSAS CITY SCREEN CLUB IN DIFFICULTIES It recently was brought to the attention of the Kansas City Screen Club that the club-house built by them would have to be paid for. Accordingly on the latest meeting it was decided that the club should be incorporated for an amount large enough to cover the expenses of the building — about three thousand dollars. The president, Frank Newman, proprietor of the Royal theatre, has made the statement that each member of the club would be allowed to buy from two to ten shares at $5 and $10 per share. It is in this way that the club expects to raise the necessary funds. Some action of this nature was necessary, and this seemed the best way out of the difficulty. CHANGES IN KANSAS CITY EXCHANGES C. W. Potter of Kansas City has resigned as advertising agent of the " Yellow Menace " in the United Film Service. L. J. Schlaefer, who years ago worked for the United Film Service in western Canada, and later with the Universal exchange in Seattle, Wash., and with the Unicorn exchange in Chicago, will handle the " Yellow Menace " in Kansas City from now on. Mr. Schlaefer intends to get out some new advertising, which will attract much attention in the city. Mr. Schlaefer, under Joe Levy, manager of the local exchange, will also take care of the publicity of the Omaha branch. LEVY MAKES TOUR OF THE MIDDLE WEST M. A. Levy, president of the United Film Service of Chicago, stopped in Kansas City, recently, coming from the West. Mr. Levy had been making a tour of the West to see for himself the result of the serial " The Yellow Menace." Mr. Levy received a telegram while in Kansas City, making it necessary that he return at once to Denver to take care of some important business. AVERY marked revival in business is being noted in film exchange circles in San Francisco, and exchange managers are now looking forward to one of the best fall and winter seasons in the history of the business. During the past month there have been a large number of houses reopened throughout northern and central California that had been closed for the summer season, and several fine new theaters have been placed in commission in this city and in Oakland, enlarging the field materially. Manager X. K. Stout, of the local Mutual office, is wearing a broad smile as a result of the increase in business and of the healthy demand for Chaplin productions. The only disturbing feature at the present time is the lack of adequate facilities at the present location on Turk street. Efforts have been made for some time to secure more advantageous quarters, but so far no arrangements along this line have been concluded. Several building sites are available on Film Row, as Golden Gate avenue is now known, and it is believed that the owners of these will shortly arrange to erect structures that can be used for film exchange purposes. The All Star Feature Distributors, Inc., is meeting with unexpected success in booking the Clara Kimball Young productions, and this is saying a great deal, as President Sol L. Lesser is never lacking in enthusiasm. The pictures have been placed in most of the large cities of the State, and exhibitors are eagerly awaiting the first release, the advertising matter for which is now at hand. This concern has decided to enter the Rocky Mountain field again, and has sent John McCormick to Denver to open an office. Irving Lesser, manager of the Los Angeles branch, vras here a short time ago to talk over the policy that will be pursued in putting out the Clara Kimball Young pictures. He is making a good start in the southern city, and states that conditions there are quite promising. The Pathe exchange is making preparations to remove from its present quarters on Turk street, having completed tentative arrangements for taking space in a fine building on Market street. Even if this deal does not materialize, the headquarters of the firm will be moved, as the lease on the present quarters expires within a few months and is not to be renewed. The San Francisco branch is now in charge of H. E. Lotz, a recent arrival from the East, but Harry W. Oviatt, who has been manager there for almost two years, is still here. The Progressive Motion Picture Company is also feeling the business revival, and to care for the increased trade that has come its way of late has been compelled to take over more space in the Pacific Building, which has been its home for several years. District Manager Herman Wobber has returned from a trip of inspection through the Northwest, and is enthusiastic over the manner in which Paramount releases are being received there. Although the Artcraft Pictures Corpora tion is the latest concern to enter the San Francisco film exchange field, it already /las a volume of business booked that would be envied by many old-established film exchanges. Arthur S. Kane, the Pacific Coast representative, has been covering Southern California of late, but is expected back at division headquarters in San Francisco shortly. Offices have been taken over in the Pacific Building on Market street, and Local Manager C. M. Simmons has been very busy of late receiving applications for service. One of the busiest places on Film Row at the present time is the George Kleine exchange, through which will be handled the Kleine-Edison-Selig-Essanay Service releases. The office is being completely rearranged to care for the increased business that will be handled, and several additions are being made to the booking force. W. O. Edmonds, who has charge of the Coast offices, will make a trip to Seattle as soon as the local office is in shape again, and will move the exchange maintained there to new quarters, the present facilities being inadequate. The Billie Burke serial, " Gloria's Romance," is still going great in this territory and promises to be a good money-getter for exhibitors for some time. The last chapter is being shown at the Tivoli theatre this week, and the management of this house has expressed a wish that the serial had been longer. Manager William Citron of the San Francisco branch of the William Fox Film Corporation, states that the local office has more business booked than ever before, both locally and in the country districts. " The popularity of Fox features is so apparent," he said, " that but few exhibitors handling them make a change in service. Most of the theatres now showing them are the ones which booked this service when it was first placed on the market. If any one wishes to see how they draw locally they have but to go to the Rialto theatre and see the crowds that come up this far on Market street to see them. The success of this house is the talk of the entire Pacific Coast, and proves that location lacks much of being the whole thing. The pictures shown play their part, a great one, in determining the success of a house." A. Markowitz, who has just been placed in charge of the local Bluebird office, succeeding Charles Luntz, who has resigned, is very enthusiastic over the quality of the Bluebird releases. " These pictures are getting better all the time," he said, " and this fact is becoming recognized, as can be judged from the number of new houses that have used Bluebird films for their openings. Conspicuous among these was the new Royal theatre in this city, one of the finest houses that has been opened in many months." The Western Film exchange, recently opened by Dan Markowitz at Golden Gate avenue and Leavenworth street, is marking time until the arrival of some feature productions from the East. Several good films have been purchased.