Motion Picture News (Apr-Jun 1919)

Motion Picture News 3008 Theatre Men Claim Five Points Sydney S. Cohen Presents Desires of Exhibitors Before the Film Exchange Men of New York "\Y/E want a standard equitable book W ing contract to be used by all distributing companies," declared Sydney S. Cohen, president of the New York State exhibitors, at a meeting of the F. I. L. M. Club of New York City. This was the first of five points urged by the prominent exhibitors assembled at the Hotel Astor Wednesday night, April 30, as guests of the exchange men in a combined open meeting called at the request of the exhibitor officials. While discussion waxed fast and furious on several of the points advanced, and ofttimes strayed away from the main points under discussion, it was conceded by many to have been intelligent and constructive. I. E. Chadwick, an official of the F. I. L. M. Club, presided at the meeting and there were about one hundred representative exhibitors and exchange men present.' Mr. Cohen pointed out the absolute necessity of a standard contract so that every exhibitor would know what he was signing and thus do away with the so-called "jokers" which he stated were the cause of so much friction. He stated that the standard contract prevented flagrant abuses and that it was used universally and very effectively in England and Ireland. Others who took a leading part in all the debate ensuing were Messrs. Manheimer, Berman, Brand, Brecher, Picker, Asher, O'Reilly and Eckman. Mr. Cohen was commended heartily on the successful fight he won on the Sunday opening legislation, and he in turn warmly praised the efforts of Messrs. Berman, O'Reilly, and all the up-state exhibitors, several of whose names he mentioned with glowing terms. The second point urged by the exhibitors was equal representation on the Grievance Committee with the exchange men. It was generally conceded that the current and Kirkoatrick Leaves Mutual to Produce A. S. Kirkpatrick, for the last year assistant general manager and director of sales of the Mutual Film Corporation and Exhibitors' Mutual Distributing Corporation, has resigned effective May 3 to return to the producing field, it has been announced. Mr. Kirkpatrick leaves New York on May 7 for Los Angeles, Cal. In his new connection Mr. Kirkpatrick re-enters production after five years in distribution. His first experience in the motion picture industry was in producing, and it was his original intention to be a producer. He was, for a brief period, a salesman for Metro on the Pacific Coast. He entered the service of the Mutual Film Corporation as a salesman at the Portland Exchange and was shortly appointed branch manager there. past rulings of the Grievance Committee had seemed just and impartial, but the moral effect of joint representation was emphasized strongly. While the first point on the standard contract suggested would have to be taken up by the parent companies, the second point of joint representation will be threshed out by the F. I. L. M. Club at a future meeting in executive session. The third point requested was thV actual acceptance or rejection of a booking contract by an exchange within seven days of the exhibitor's application. Mr. Cohen stated that when an exchange contracted with an exhibitor to supply him with a certain feature, the verification was often held up by the exchange or home office for several weeks and of ttimes was rejected just a few days before the scheduled play date. Point number four urged that the exchanges employ more bookkeepers so that the exhibitor would get his bill before playdate instead of after. The point that invoked the most discussion was the last one — Number Five. This was a request that a committee from the exhibitors act jointly with a committee from the exchanges augmented by the efforts of able attorneys on both sides to find a credit system or involve ways and means of evading the advance deposits at present in vogue. The meeting lasted four hours and was considered generally as but a forerunner of many more to come. Charles Hoy, of the Hoy Agency, was secretary. His reporting system is used by the F. I. L. M. Club of New York City and he announced that the New England Film Managers' Association of Boston, covering six states, had just contracted for his agency's service. Booking combinations of exhibitors in certain sections, and the alleged practices of some exchanges in forcing one exhibitor to bid against a competitor until the price of rental was sky-high, formed a pro and con which occasioned much debate. Broadway Orchestra Signor Ronualdo De Martin, formerly of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, has been engaged by B. S. Moss to conduct the New American Symphony Orchestra of forty pieces at the Broadway theatre, which opened May 2 under the direction of Mr. Moss, with " The Unpardonable Sin," the multi-reeler, as the chief pictorial attraction. Mygatt Leaves Hodkinson Gerald Mygatt, director of publicity for the W. W. Hodkinson Corporation, has resigned from this organization to take the circulation managership of The Outlook. Mr. Mygatt has had considerable experience in the publication field, having been assistant promotion manager for Collier's, and promotion manager for Leslie's Weekly and Good Housekeeping Magazine. Interviewing Louis Bennison By Peter Milne LOUIS BENNISON, the star of the Beztwood Pictures, whose productions are released through Goldwyn, paid a short visit to New York last week just to take a few deep breaths before beginning his next picture. He was accompanied by Ira M. Lowry, his director and production manager. But Mr. Bennison and Mr. Lowry declared themselves on a hunt for good stories and practical continuities. " Anything that will fit Mr. Bennison's personality will suit," declared Mr. Lowry, " the story can be comedy, comedydrama, melodrama as long as it gives him the proper part — it must fit his personality." Such an easy-going, likeable personality as that possessed by Mr. Bennison ought to offer a fund of material for authors. Those who have seen his pictures feel this star as one to be reckoned with and his work and the popularity he has already taken to himself substantiate this feeling. Mr. Bennison isn't the kind of man to be interviewed. Most of the time a representative of Motion Picture News was with him he told of little anecdotes of the West — the West in which he was raised. " I'd like to see the real West of today put on the screen," he said, "it's so different from the West that is pictured in the melodramas. All its unique characters, its spirit, are neglected in the mad rush for the saloon and dance hall scenes." And probably because Mr. Bennison would like to see the real West on the screen it will shortly be there in one of his own pictures. Mr. Bennison's early life, spent on the western plains, has endowed him with a knowledge of locations that even the most ambitious and well travelled assistant director would envy. And for the next Betzwood picture the company will probably board a transcontinental limited and drop off somewhere in Colorado or Wyoming, to return with unusual and magnificent backgrounds for the production's western action. Mr. Bennison's present plans are to produce six pictures during the year for Betzwood, all of which will be released by Goldwyn. The headquarters of the company will remain in Philadelphia where a wide variety of scenery is obtainable. Preparing for Kansas State Convention The outlook is already bright for a successful convention of the exhibitors of Kansas this year. Hutchison, Kansas, is the place and May 19 and 20 the dates. It is the intention to perfect a one hundred per cent exhibitor organization and to thresh out plans for coming activities inside the .industry and in legislative matters. The Hutchison Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club are cooperating, while local merchants will finance a trip for the girl who wins the popularity contest. Exchanges supplying the territory are also helping.