Motion Picture News (Apr-Jun 1919)

3012 Motion Picture News Exhibitors Gather in Toronto for Convention Many Canadian exhibitors gathered at Toronto, Ontario, on Monday and Tuesday, May 5 and 6, for the annual convention of the Motion Picture Exhibitors' Protective Association of Ontario, and' for the first general meeting of the stockholders of the Canadian Exhibitors' Exchange, Limited, which is being promoted by the Ontario association. The first day's program consisted of consideration of general business by the association member and on the second day more definite attention was paid to the new co-operative exchange proposition. The shareholders elected their permanent directors for the new company on Tuesday. The convention was held in the Sons of England Hall, Richmond and Berti streets, Toronto, with theatre men in attendance from all parts of Ontario and Quebec. The outof-town visitors were treated to a number of entertainments which had been arranged by a special committee consisting of the following Toronto exhibitors: Messrs. J. C. Brady, Alexander Feighen, William Stugess, Ferguson, Redway, Welsman and Cardie, along with Secretary Thomas Scott, of the association. In preparation for the convention, the Ontario association held a special meeting on Tuesday, April 22, at the association headquarters, 143 Yonge street, some thirty members being in attendance. A letter was received from the Toronto Operators' local, in which it was pointed out that the organized projection operators had decided to do business with churches on the same basis as moving picture theatres. The Toronto local will supply union operators for moving picture shows in churches whenever asked to do so — which has been quite often recently. The exhibitors had protested against the of union operators in the churches on the ground that the churches were competing with the shows. The association had asked the Toronto local to refrain from supplying the needs of the churches for the special shows. The meeting decided to take the matter to Mr. Otto Elliott, chief theatre inspector for the Province of Ontario. The meeting also received a letter from Messrs. Jule and J. J. Allen, the Canadian exchange managers, respecting the complaint by exhibitors that the rates for lithographs, heralds and other accessories were too high. After a thorough discussion, it was decided to appoint a committee to confer with the exchange managers on this subject. They Read About Pictures The doughboy is in the grip of the motion picture. It has him. That is the decision of the American Library Association. The boys in France and Germany want to know more about the screen, according to the latest dispatches from overseas. Two hundred copies of Homer Croy's book, " How Motion Pictures Are Made," have been ordered and are now being read by the boys in France. It is one of the most called for books in the library. Mr. Croy is now in France. ADVERTISE ! Exhibitor Bryant Has the Right Idea OME valuable advice from a small town exhibitor: "First of all take a good trade paper. Look over the reports and reviews of late film productions and buy the best you can find. ADVERTISE — ADVERTISE— but do not advertise a picture that is not worth it. Do not disappoint your patrons; when you tell them you are going to have a good show you must have it. Take your patrons into your confidence. Make each one a booster for you. " My town here is a very small place, only 422 population, and have only been having one show each week (Saturday). I contracted with First National for some of their big pictures for two days, Friday and Saturday, billed the country like a circus and stood them up for two days to a capacity house. Am showing " Romance of Tarzan " this week, two days; following week, " The Better 'Ole." Have shown " Mickey " and cleaned up for two days. " P. S. Nothing is too good for my patrons." (Signed) W. G. BRYANT, Prop. & Mgr., Pleasureville theatre, Pleasureville, Ky. Providence Ball Graced by Selznick Stars The Providence Moving Picture Ball, held at the Armory last Thursday evening proved a gala success. The attendance packed the Armory to the doors and the affair received considerable space in the Rhode Island newspapers. Governor Beekman, of Rhode Island, and other city and state officials were in attendance. Olive Thomas and Eugene O'Brien, Selznick picture stars, accompanied by Mrs. Lewis J. Selznick, Myron Selznick, David Selznick, Charles R. Rogers, director of sales, and Morris Salter of the Select Boston exchange, journeyed from New York to attend the affair. New York Court Can Handle C. K. Y. Suit Under the terms of a decision rendered by Justice Donnelly, of the New York Supreme Court, in the suit between the C. K. Y. Corporation arid Clara Kimball Young the jurisdiction of the New York courts in the suit was upheld. Miss Young has been in California all summer and it had been claimed that service of papers must be made in that state. With the Justice Donnelly decision the way is now clear for a decision on the application of the C. K. Y. Corporation for an injunction restraining Clara Kimball Young from making arrangements for production elsewhere. South Needs Dose of "Pep" Says Wells (Continued from page 3011) factor. Invariably the higher priced balcony seats for negroes at the Royal, the Victoria and the Academy are the first to be filled, matinee or night. " Southern theatre operators should provide segregated seating arrangements for negro patrons. They are a considerable part of the population of the average Southern town. They need entertainment. White patrons do not object to them, providing the proper divisions are made. Why should exhibitors permit hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in admissions to go into really vicious diversions when an investment of a few thousand dollars, at the most, will give the necessary seating accommodations to bring that money into the film industry? The Salesmen Handicapped " The average Southern exhibitor can be awakened to the vast hidden resources that surround him, but it is going to require an impartial, unbiased propaganda to do it. A film salesman can do a certain amount of missionary work, but his motives are always open to question. The comparatively few really progressive exhibitors are too intently occupied with their own affairs to have the time to contribute any personal attention to a campaign that will open he minds of he indolent, indifferent type. But there should be some form of effort put forth to encourage these fellows to sit up and take a new grip on their respective enterprises, and put the force of ambition, enthusiasm, and progress behind their propositions. " It does not seem fair to let month after month roll by with its penalty of millions of dollars kept from the business by lack of a prompting agency that will arouse .the Southern exhibitors to a true appreciation of the fact that a theatre owner or operator is a potential business man in any community, with market possibilities that are not more than forty per cent developed." Mulligan Succeeds Pico at Vicksburg B. A. Mulligan is now manager of the Saenger Amusement Company's theatre at Vicksburg, Miss. He succeeded L. P. Pico who resigned after affiliation with the Saenger interests for several years. Mr. Mulligan took charge at Vicksburg April 1 and has had charge of Saenger theatres at Pensacola, New Orleans and Houston. He is well known in motion picture circles throughout the South and is said to have been in the business for a dozen years. Theatre Changes Hands The Royal Alexandra theatre, at Lachine, Quebec, has passed into the hands of Mr I, Rosenblum, who is the proprietor of another moving picture theatre in Lachine. The Royal Alexandria has been operated by Messrs. Jule and J. J. Allen for a year or more.