Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1919)

6U Motion Picture New Continued from Preceding Page to pay the lowest prices for his subjects that the exchanges will accept? Shall we dare to hope that he will then ' ' get religion ' ' and greet the next visiting salesman with the declaration, "I'm going to pay you twice as much for your program as I have in the past. I know I'm foolish because you can't sell anywhere else in this town. But I read an editorial in the News and I've seen the error of my ways. Haven't you some short subjects I can pay you real money for — instead of demanding them in the bargain as I used to ? Have a couple of cigars. ' ' Shall we? Or shall we tell our producer friend that he is supposed to be a business man ; that there is a business method to meet every business problem — if a business man goes at it. The Sunday Question in New York THERE'S little need for alarm over the fact that a division of the Supreme Court in New York State has denied the petition of David Cohen, a Binghamton exhibitor, to make permanent an injunction against his local police interfering with Sunday performances. Contrary to opinion in some quarters this is not a test case, and has not the backing of New York's organized exhibitors. With two conflicting decisions of the Supreme Court regarding Sunday openings in New York on the records, and the only further court prospect a doubtful appeal to the higher court, the State League is wisely satisfied to refrain from court actions. With the laws as they stand on the statute books now there could be little hope in carrying the case to the Court of Appeals. The State League has plans of its own to secure justice on the Sunday question. A Court of Appeals decision against us would smash these plans to smithereens. It's a wise moment to refrain from bungling. Let the State League work out its own course. FREE TO SERVICE MEN! Your Uniform is your Ticket for Classified Ads. in Our Columns ^ The classified columns of Motion Picture News are open free of charge to service men now returning to civilian life and seeking to resume their activities in film ranks. ^ Operators, musicians, studio employees, men in all branches of film work who have been in the service of their country may avail themselves of this opportunity to run " Situation Wanted " advertisements without cost. <I In addition to these free ads all the facilities of Motion Picture News are " At the Service of the Service Men." Call on us. Dealing in Personalities 'They Have to Create Jobs for Him' JOE BRANDT has a new job. After rea ing the announcement we can't give y& a very definite idea of what the job is, bo our own experience tells us that some where in the Universal organization ther has developed the need of a ninety horse power executive mind, with the observa tion powers of a microscope, and a dii taste for remaining in any one spot longe than one-sixtieth of a second. That's th new job Joe Brandt has. It's the sam one he has held on various occasionsbut the externals change. This time it i a roving commission to co-ordinate a branches of the organization into a ma chine co-operating one hundred per cea with the exhibitor. From the days of th Universal's Union square offices Jo Brandt has held about every job there i around that organization — and now it's gc so bad they have to create brand new one for him. Well, he's the boy who ca handle 'em — new or old. A Few Odds and Ends William Keefe— We have Pete Milne's authority for it, thougl that they all call him "Bill" — is in town from Los Angele: Bill, who is David Griffith's production manager, made quite a impression on us as we talked over a lunch table this week. Harry Carr, of the Los Angeles Times and the Mack Senne Beauty Shop, left for Los Angeles on Monday after a visit t New York on business. Harry repeated Bill's performanc with us. Samuel Goldfish left New York for Los Angeles a few weel ago, but never arrived. Samuel Goldwyn is expected to sta for New York from Los Angeles within a few weeks. Sydney Cohen and quite a number of New York State exhib tors will be guests at the inauguration of " Al " Smith as Go^ ernor next Wednesday. Eugene Richards, of New Orleans, is in town for a view £ the White Way. Myron Selznick and " Selznick Productions " have broke loose on Broadway with a big electric sign announcing Olh Thomas as the star. William A. Johnston returns to these parts within a fe days after some few weeks resting in the Southern clime. After a week's stay, Watterson Roth acker jumped the Cei tury for Chicago last Saturday. Arrived in time to send us cheery Merry Christmas telegram. Santa Claus made a present of a package of tonsilitis to ot justly famed Frances Klein this week and Motion Picture New office hasn't been the same place since Monday. 'He Has Evoluted Into a Corporation" WE had intended to break a big nev story here. We wanted to tell yc about the MacManus Corporation. It's existence ; that we know. Perhaps that news enough. We had hoped to give yc the details, but the past two weeks ha^ been busy ones, and the trip to West Fo ty-seventh street suffered a continual pos ponement. And as for getting the detai out of genial Eddie — why Houdi couldnt be more mysterious. So we mu content ourselves with the bare announc ment that the same Edward MacManus. wl invented serial exploitation, who directi Hearst's film activities for so long, ai who had considerable to do with son Pathe serials that enjoyed considerat success, is now — The MacManus CorJ ration.