Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1918)

September 28 , 1 p / 8 1991 Fourth Liberty Loan Film Distribution Massive Output of Special Films Made for Fourth Liberty Loan Drive Will Be Distributed by Each Respective Producer — Companies to Handle Product of Their Own Stars PATRIOTIC exhibitors will probably welcome the broad and equitable distributing arrangements decided upon to secure wide and quick exhibition of the comprehensive and varied production of short special propaganda films made by the most prominent motion picture stars to augment the Government's huge Liberty Loan campaign. The wide diversity of the many films which center on the one topical theme is considered astonishing. A great many of these contributions of the various stars were shown at the Rivoli theatre September 18 and registered so heavily that they were pronounced masterpieces. The remainder were shown at the Paramount projection room in New York September 19 and from all reports they were as good as those already seen. National Association Plans Plans for the motion picture industry's Liberty Loan drive in co-operation with the Treasury Department were greatly broadened during the week with the announcement of an elaboration in distribution plans and with the arrival in New York of practically all of the film contributions made by the various stars. As a result the executive departments of the various units of the industry, as well as the National Association's committee in charge of the Liberty Loan drive, are now concentrating on the details of the plan to obtain 100 per cent, distribution for the nearly two-score Liberty Loan films which will be shown in moving picture theatres throughout the country. The change in the distribution arrangement was announced by Adolph Zukor, Chairman, following a meeting of the committee on Monday. Under the new arrangement each company will distribute the pictures made by its own stars, which, it is expected, will promote greater effiiency and eliminate a great deal of canfusion in the handling of the 3,000 prints which will be used in the forthcoming :ampaign. Members of the committee in attendance it the conference were Chairman Adolph £ukor, Walter W. Irwin, Marcus Loew, J. F. Brulatour. Al Lichtman, manager of listribution, and John C. Flinn, secretary )f the committee. The problem of obtaining 100 per cent, listribution for the Liberty Loan films, vhich had been discussed at a conference eld by Mr. Zukor and Frank R. Wilson, lational director of publicity for the "ourth Liberty Loan campaign, was the rincipal business considered by the comlittee. Al Lichtman presented the preiously announced plan of centralized ookings from a master sheet, and this ras discussed at some length. Walter W. Irwin, who is in charge of le Distributors' Division of the National association, proposed that each company lould distribute the pictures contributed y its own stars. It was pointed out by tr. Irwin that promiscuous booking would :sult in disputes, discussions and controjrsies in that many exhibitors who have :en booking pictures of the various stars ^presented in the loan drive would find ctures by these stars in other theatres. POINTS OF LIBERTY LOAN FILMS 1. — Each Company will distribute the films in which its stars appear. 2. — Exhibitors can book them from any exchange, regardless of whose films the exhibitor uses regularly. 3. — There is absolutely no charge for the films. 4. — No exhibitor can book a Loan film for more than one day, and no more than one on any one day. 5. — The films are shipped via Parcels Post under a Government frank, and there is no express charge. 6. — Exhibitors are urged to report to exchanges the amount of Loan subscriptions secured each day on which a picture is used. The only equitable way of handling the distribution of the prints, according to Mr. Irwin, would be for each company to distribute its own pictures. He stipulated that no restrictions should be made on bookings under this plan. The Irwin proposal was adopted by a unanimous vote of the committee. The Government Approves The proposed plan of distribution, as outlined by Mr. Irwin, was called to the attention of Mr. Wilson at Washington, who, in acknowledging receipt of the plan, stated that it certainly had the approval of the Government. Exhibitors are being urged to make the fullest possible use of the large number of patriotic subjects which are being offered by the various producing and distributing organizations, in connection with the Liberty Loan Specials available through the exchanges of the organizations listed on this page. Many exhibitors, according to reports which have been received by the Liberty Loan Committee of the N. A. M. P. I., are planning to feature the Liberty Loan films during the period of the drive, a practice which is expected to become of wide vogue when the large army of exhibitors who are co-operating with the other departments of the industry become fully acquainted with the high quality of the Liberty Loan Specials. Great stress is being laid by the committee upon the fact that each film carries a story which, for other purposes, could easily have been extended to five reels. Enough action and punch have been compressed into the few hundred feet allowed for these stories to give them the standing of regular features. • It was announced by the committee's chairman, Adolph Zukor, that thirty-six prints, ranging from 300 to 1,000 feet in length, would be used in the motion picture campaign. This does not include the large number of photoplays and educational films of a patriotic nature which will be available to the exhibitors who wish to offer well rounded patriotic programs to their patrons during the period of the big drive. Liberty Loan films which are to be distributed under the co-operation of the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry by the various producing companies are as follows : Titles and Stars There are thirty-six pictures, each of which features an appeal to buy bonds. Virtually every star in the movie world has contributed a film. The following is a list of them : Enid Bennett, Alice Brady, Betty Blythe, Marguerite Clark, Dorothy Dalton, Mrs. Sidney Drew, Geraldine Farrar, Elsie Ferguson, Corinne Griffith, Lillian Gish, Alice Joyce, Gladys Leslie, Mae Murray, Mme. Nazimova, Mary Pickford, Emily Stevens, Norma Talmadge, Edith Storey, " Fatty " Arbuckle, " Charlie " Chaplin, George M. Cohan, William Duncan, Sidney Drew, Douglas Fairbanks,, William Faversham, Dustin Farnum, William Farnum, William S. Hart, Sessue Hayakawa, Frank Keenan, Harold Lockwood, Harry T. Morey, Charles Ray, Wallace Reid, Mack Sennett and Earle Williams. The players of the Kalcm and the Goldwyn companies contribute two of the films. Some of the titles are : " A Bullet for Berlin," " The Taming of Kaiser Bill," "Liberty Bond Jimmie," "A Woman of France," " Stake Uncle Sam to Play Your Hand," " Sic 'Em, Sam," and " Banzai." The pictures were made, in various studios in the country under the auspices of the Treasury Department and the Liberty Loan Committee of the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry. Producer Co-operation The film concerns that co-operated in producing the pictures are the Metro Pictures Corporation, the Famous PlayersLasky Company, the Vitagraph Company, Select Pictures Corporation, Fox Film Corporation, Universal Film Company, Hayworth Pictures Corporation, Sherman Pictures Corporation, First National Exhibitors' Circuit, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, Kalem Film Company, V. B. K. Film Corporation and the Pathc Exchange, Inc. The plan of distribution provides for the (Continued on page 1994) iiiraiiiiini iiiiniiiimiran 11 iiiiniiiiiiiii'BUY LIBERTY BONDSm uiiiiiiiiinuii 1 1111111111111111111111 11