Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1919)

2766 Motion Picture News Harmony Plea By Rembusch {Continued from pr-eceding page) under the guise that they have a great message to dehver to microbe enaangered humanity. The average exhibitor does not want these films. He knows that if he offends his audience with one of these pictures, he has forever lost a certain amount of his patronage. The average exhibitor has clean-minded people for his patrons and he must have clean pictures. The only exhibitors left to show the social disease films are those who, like the people who exploit them, cannot meet competition of the large calibred exhibitors, and who, by salacious publicity campaigns, endeavor to foster the picture on the public. The road has gradually been growing rougher for both the exhibitor, who shows this class of films, and those irom whom he rents them. During the past year, I have talked with a great many exhibitors throughout the country and I have failed to find one who approved of this form of entertainment. I was agreeably surprised at the manner in which they were universally condemned. This to me has been the greatest step, along the roadway of progress, taken by the exhibitor. The day for the disease ridden film is already at an end. The parasites, who contaminate the neighborhood in the attempt to glorify the social disease as a text book of warning for men, women, and children alike, are on their last legs. They are the leaches ot the industry. Keep up your splendid campaign for clean pictures. It is of invaluable assistance to the great forces in the industry, who are constantly trying to improve the tone of films by both producing and exhibiting pictures that are clean. Very gratefully yours, Monte N. Katterjohn. Poster Pirating Reacts Against Exhibitors Poster-pirating is becoming a practice that is working a positive harm to the exhibitors who allow themselves to be lured into it And unfortunately it is the smaller exhibitor who has slipped into this bad habit to the greatest extent; the very class of exhibitor who should be most careful in his showmanship and most scrupulous in giving his house a good name. Poster-pirating is a product of the day ; the efifort of a few individuals or firms to profit from another's property. In a number of the larger cities will be found the " pirates." They conduct a "business" to rent used posters, photographs, etc. They either get for nothing or buy from some exhibitor the advertising material he secures from his exchange and they in turn rent it to other exhibitors who show the same picture' later. Naturally, the second-hand posters are rented for less than the exchange can supply new posters. This evil is doing more than any one thing to spoil the appearances ot the fronts of smaller theatres. The exhibitor who uses second-hand posters is doing himself injury that cannot be estimated. While he is saving a few pennies, he is throwing away dollars in busines he loses, drives away. A theatre lobby decked with weather-worn, frayed, faded lithographs is not an inviting " show window." Second-hand advertising material unconsciously brings into the spectator's mind the thought of second hand pictures being shown within the theatre. The day of just showing "a film" is gone; the live exhibitor goes after business. His theatre front is his show window. If he fills that show window with old, dilapitated posters he can't expect to have his theatre stand very high in his community's respect. The small house may not be able to devise elaborate lobby displays, as do the bigger theatres, but they can at least present a clean, sparkling appearance — an invitation to enter and see the NEW, snappy program — not a second-hand affair. Poster-pirating is reacting against the exhibitor and he should know it and realize that he is practicing mighty poor showmanship when he decides to save five or ten cents by the use of mussy, soiled posters and photos in his lobby. He wouldn't have a barker stand in front of his theatre in patched, torn clothes to attract the public and cry out what a fine picture was inside. He'd at least have the barker dressel cleanly and neatly. Your posters are your barkers — only in a dignified, sincere way. The problem of the neighborhood or smaller theatres is greater in this connection than even that of the downtown, first , run theatres. The neighborhood house must make itself an inviting place to its public to keep that public from drifting away. It is a mistake lor a neighborhood house manager to think everybody in his comrnunity knows his theatre. He must "sell" his pictures even more intensively than do the larger houses. And one of his big selling talks is his poster display in the lobby and on the boards. If poster-pirating were to become much more general than it now is, what wo4Jd become of the supply of new posters? The {Continued in fourth column) Letter to Sydney Cohen Contains an Appeal to Band for the Tax Repeal A COMMUNICATION avowedly aimed to promte a closer relationship between exhibitors, has been sent Sidney Cohen by National Secretary Frank Rembusch of the M. P. E. L. A., and is here reproduced in part: "Your favor of August 18th at hand, and I am very glad to know that New York State Exhibitors are well organized and working successfully. Our ever hope is to see all States organized to the very last exhibitors promoting ihe best interests of the exhibitor and the entire industry, and it is this wish that we desire to express in our reply now. "Your letter states, "We must once and for all time build up a real representative organization." Every exhibitor will agree with this fact and we are urging that all assist in bringing this about, no matter what our personal feelings are. The National Organization is not wedded to any particular plan of organization. If the congressional plan of representation or any other plan should please the majority it will be adopted. "Our constitution, by-laws and basis of representation can be changed at any time by the Executive Committee composed of one member from each State. We can vote on a question by mail or wire, when urgent. "Therefore let me plead that we forget all differences and all personalities at this time and give our entire attention and energies to the one great problem before us, TAX REVISION. "Let us not go before Congress in broken groups and each group with a different idea and angle of what should be done and all working at cross purposes as we have in the past. If we go before Congress in any way except as one National Body we may just as well stay at home and save our efforts. "The very reason why we are burdened with more than our just share of taxes is because in the past we have always divided ourselves against ourselves. "Therefore it seems to me there can be only one thing to do and that is to all work together as one body in the tax revision work at this time, and whatever else is to be done to adjust such difference as soon as possible afterwards. "In closing let me reiterate again my appeal to you and all exhibitors to join in one effort to bring about tax revision. Let us do everything possible to the end that there may be one tax effort on the part of all exhibitors in one body, so we may be one in action, one in thought, and one in organization." Fox's General Sales Manager Increased Work Leads Sheehan to Name Herman Robbins to Important Position ANNOUNCEMENT is made from the main office of Fox Film Corporation of the appointment of Herman Robbins to the position of general sales manager of that organization. Mr. Robbins was formerly assistant general manager under Winfield R. Sheehan. Due to the additional work undertaken by General Manager Sheehan in connection with further expansion of service in foreign countries and the exploitation of the great Fox News, the general manager felt that the position of general sales manager of Fox Film Corporation should be created and placed in the hands of an expert who could give to this vitally important branch of the service his undivided attention. It was because of this expansion that Herman Robbins was appointed to the important position just named. Mr. Sheehan will confer, in a general way, with Mr. Robbins, but it is understood by the district managers and the managers of the Fox exchanges in the United States that Mr. Robbins will be responsible for the sale of Fox film in this country. The appointment of Mr. Robbins to this important position, now publicly announced, was made by Mr. Sheehan shortly before his departure on a transcontinental trip which concerns not only advertising and exploitation methods, but also production and studio expansion. The appointment of Mr. Robbins is in line with the policy of Fox Film Corporation to promote to the highest executive positions members of the organization who have demonstrated their ability and are well versed in the policies of the concern. Mr. Robbins has been with Fox Film Corporation since early in 1914. Mexican Paper Fights Film Pirates El Universal, the leading newspaper in Mexico City, has inaugurated a campaign against the film pirates who are harassing the legitimate film business transacted in Mexico. In a copy of an editorial announcement received by the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation the photoplay editor gives a brief history of the operations of film pirates and the part they have played in undermining the film industry in Mexico. He announces that El Universal proposes to defend the "honor of Mexico in the film markets of the world." Polo-Universal Group Now in Montreal Last minute news was received to the effect that the Eddie Polo-Universal serial expedition had arrived in Montreal, Canada, on Tuesday, September 23. The company will film a few scenes there and then proceed to Universal City instead of coming to New York City as was previously announced. The serial is titled "The Thirteenth Hour." Reader Has His Say (Continued from first column) only reason an exchange can supply the splendid posters now provided at such low prices IS that the lithographs are printed in great numbers. If exhibitors ao not uke advantage of this and the posters are printed in smaller quantities, then the price would have to go up. For instance. Famous 1 laycrs-Lasky exchanges are providing exhibitors with 24 sheets of highest quality lor $1, a price never before made in the history of the " show-business." This price IS made possible only by quantity printing and the quality is regulated the same way. In my opinion, an old, worn-out poster is expensive at any price. You cannot save money by using it. It is a certain businesskiller. It not only doesn't advertise your picture or create a demand for tickets it positively repels your prospective patron and sends him to another theatre that presents a more inviting front, a brighter promise of pleasing entertainment within. Harris P. Wolfberg, . Mgr. Cincinnati Exchange, Famous Players-Lasky. By Whom Is the Northwest Arraigned? My inclination from a purely Dersonal standpomt should be to assSme an '^tttt^de of complete indiflFerence toward the selfhrnnLnn'^ judge of the Northwest who so brilliantly, capably and otherwise efficiently expresses himself and so vividly pictures his statistical records" as relates to the inde 0?ptnn .f°^".i°P.7^*'"8 '° Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, in an article given space on page 1997 Motion Picture News of September 6, 1919. Knowing thi facts as I do and the real motive thJt inspired the article, I am referring to, I can get a lot of good comedy out of it— in fact the comedy element in that article stands out more prominently than it does in some ot the productions the author of it has sold world rights for (except the Northwest). However, m the face of a possibility that some one might be misled by the crude and ridiculous assertion of this "statistician," to the possible detriment of the interests I represent, I cannot afford to pass the issue by unnoticed. And in replying I wish it understood that I am not doing so in the spirit of indignation. I am not indignant On the other hand 1 deeply sympathize with any business man so seriously lacking in tact, diplomacy and other business essentials as to be unable to conceal or camouflage his smallness of calito better advantage than the aii»'-o.-»^ Northwest arraigned as Back'v done. -a™ has His motive is plain. His stf'f„„ , erroneous and in most cases '^^ements ar* a foundation of anything re» f-en His " seven tours " of dita r^'^.T'bling fact let's ho.n he gathered more^%'^T"8^— "'^l' other territories than he did • "1 '^^r^ 1° west. "le North As a member of Greater f' . t Seattle, the concern at whic' ^°'= ' °^ were chiefly directed, I wis " , statements brief facts concerning oursf-r '° independent distributors mai^i" 9°'/ O^e"" selves if they so desire. . ^ ^P"'' First I will say that Gre,,„ t is a real state rights excb ^'"/"t"-"" both progressive and pr.^"^^' "'^Ij^^ have sufficient capital to "/P^^f' "'^V ness along sane lines an.f""^"^*. us in the investment of 5°, buy pictures that we beli^/'^ "P"^^', ^e territory and at prices thf^J i't^ *° °"n warrant. ^* conditions will However, I will admit v servatively and do not f.f/ltJ Z ''"^f that comes along with '^""^ maker ever produced" tc ''l!,, 'P"' """"^J price to entirely satisfy b':/"" '° ' bition. highest am We are described bv <, . ^ . pert " as " an exchange I'^t''"""' ing state right attraction "b°'°"f"/^/i"';; ling the product of one slr'';,'?^^!,■ w *^ are the facts in this con t?""*""" ^er Our weekly film purch°^"'°? ^ , $2,000.00. On our list U^ji' ten producers are represe°;,i^^i" volume of short producti;,"*/!, h^T. ll eight features in \^^St'°^\T\\Tor ^or reels in the last six mc"^,v?* is a big special and --"^e features. XVe tV^wo fi\?t f ~s i road salesmen workinj, ^^^^j^. „ , ^^r^"^ consider ^^e most efficient e> L'ss"ff an7.'"'""°° -fi' -S"' Why does this gen.,,^^3„ ^ack in Ne York and try hror ^ the medium of th trade papers to lead ^t^er producers into tf belief that there ... an independent di tributing organiza'ion in the Northwest wii money or brains .^ough to properiy condu their business? poes he hope to force sale of his pictures „f '^^^ exchanp now e-xist.ng ir, ^^e Northwest? Does ! calculate that l,;^ graphic picture of cone tions here will induce other capital to ru '^?T"ory to open independent e changes? Or he so fond o( seeing 1 (^'^''tinued on page 2823)