Motion Picture News (Mar-Jun 1920)

Motion Picture New Paul Busch, Chicago manager for Republic, has arranged some special exploitation for "The Girl of the Sea," which will have its premier loop showing next week. Special newspaper advertising, a poster on every "L" station in the city, and a tie-up with Guyon's Paradise, one of the largest and most popular dance halls in Chicago, which will give a Girl of the Sea Dance and present a cup to the prize " trotters," are among the publicity plans already made. " The Forbidden Woman," featuring Clara Kimball Young, has broken all house records at the Playhouse, the fashionable " Bold Mich " picture theatre, according to Manager Smith. An unusually extensive campaign of advertising helped pul the picture over. "The Virgin of Stamboul " will follow •'Tiie Forbidden Woman" at the Playhouse a. id Harry Rice and Main Reichcubach arc collaborating in planning a big exploitation ■ iii.l advertising campaign for this lug Universal production. Chicago and the Mid West Covered By L. H. MASON ports one of the biggest contracts signed up in Chicago has been closed with the Harry Moir houses, who will take practically the entire Robertson-Cole output. Hundreds of exhibitors were saddened last week by the news that J. A. Humphreys, veteran Vitagraph salesman for Indiana, had died with pneumonia, at the Palles Hotel, Fort Wayne, Indiana, following a brief illness. During the four years he had covered the territory he had endeared himself to all those connected with the industry and was known far and wide as "Dad." Vitagraph, on learning of his death, presented his widow with a substantial sum in token of its regard for "Dad." The body of Mr. Humphreys was taken to Paw Paw, Michigan, for burial. direct the principal productions for that company. Chicago manager Paul Busch, of Republic; Manager Ben W Bcadetl, ..t Select, anil Assist Manager Edwin Silverman will leave Ihe latter pan of the week t.. attend ihe conference of Selznick managers, New York. A number of oilier western managers, who arc going to the convention, will join the party here and travel from Chicago in a body. The Chicago office of Select will be n moved from the quarters it now occupies in the Consumers' lauldniK to the fourth Hour of the 1'ilm Exchange Building, 207 S. Wabash Avenue, about Mav 1st. The new offices will occupy part of the space now used by Republic. Lee Hcrz, of the Silee Film Company, has bought the rights to the Jester Comedies for northern Illinois, from the Territorial Sales Company. The pictures will be issued every other week and Mr Herz, who is enthusiastic over them, has alreadv arranged for a loop showing of the first release, Chickens in Turkey." Mr. Herz has also acquired the rights for the Foundation Film Company's single reel educational, which will be issued weekly, for Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. The first release in this territory will be about May 1st. " Crimson Shoals," ! ,, ,aluve P'cture now being handled by the Silee exchange, promises to be a big success in his territory, according to early bookings. Becomes of the Children?" for Illinois and Indiana. He has also bought the Capital Pictures fivereel feature, "The Secret Trap," and has acquired from Clark & Cornelius, all the old Mutual reissues featuring well-known stars. The big billboard campaign, advertising the Vitagraph feature, "The Courage of Marge O'Deane," is under way in Chicago and the adjoining territories and 24 sheet posters appeared last week on 135 billboards in Chicago alone. Vitagraph a so is using 100 billboards to exploit Larry Semon Comedies in this territory. A "Film Post For Film Folk" drive was planned at a meeting of Chicago Cinema Post 494 held at the Rothacker Film Mfg. Co's studio last week. A membership campaign will be started to get all Chicago war veterans, who are in any way connected with the motion picture industry, together into one American Legion Post. It is planned to launch the membership campaign with a dinner about the middle of April. Chicago exhibitors, members of the Allied Amusement Association, are raising a fund of $10,000 or more for the benefit of the widow and three children of Wm. A. Mills, manager of the Crawford theatre, who while counting the days receipts in the box office, was killed by bandits a few days ago. I be Allied Amusements Association funded the subscription list with $500; Jones, Linick & Schae»?nngave,^50: Ll.bliner & Trinz WUU; Ascher Brothers, $250 and smaller subscriptions are coming in at a rapid rate. The F. I. . -ii ft*5Sf2SSon " is understood, will add $2,000 to the fund. Si Griever was in Cleveland and New York this week on business connected with Griever Educational, which alreadv have been booked extensively in the Chicago territory. C. A. Mead, secretary of C B Price, Inc., of New York, was a Chicago visitor last week and it is reported closed some important picture deals while in the Windy Clara Kimball Young was the nrst to subscribe for the relief fund to aid the sufferers who were injuredin the hurricane which swept the Chicago North Shore suburbs Sunday and also arranged for the opening of a sixty-bed hospital in Wi mettc 10 «" /or the injured. Miss Young remained in Chicago [or ihe meeting of Equity directors Wednesday and Thursdav and then returned to the Coast. " J.odd,,.Br.owninK. who directed Ihe Virgin of Stamboul," was m Chicago Saturday and Sunday on his way to the coast and expressed himself as highly pleased over his new arrangement with Universal. It is understood that in the future Mr. Browning will Mayor William Hale Thompson was the Mayor and his handsome city hall office the location of a picture filmed last week, under the direction of Ben Beaded, manager Selects Chicago office. The purpose of the .picture is to boost the proposed bond issue which will provide funds for building a municipal convention hall seating 34O00 people. The continuity for the picture was prepared by Spearman Lewis, well-known newspaper writer and the Essanay Company furnished a truck full of lights' gun.er?„men. etc., in charge 0f Fred Wagner Saturday morning the actors, including his honor, and a throng of prominent citizens were on hand and rehearsals began, one of the scenes showing Mayor Thompson explaining plan! to he group of P. C.'s. The com! pleted picture will be shown in every Chicago theatre. Aaron Sapperstein announces the acquisition by the Empire Film Company of the rights to "What G. E. Pomeroy has joined the Vitagraph sales force and will work out of the Chicagc. office under Manager Aiken. Harry Tanner of Pana, Illinois has opened his theatre to big business and reports that he attributes the success of his new house largely to the beautiful music rendered by a Bartola just installed. John Julius who has had one of these instruments in his Strand Theatre at Fort Dodge, Iowa, for four years re Thl I w'?ken 5ver the Unique Theatre, Webster City and installed a new model of Bartola therein. I,^r'bhUr S' H>;man Attractions, inc., has arranged with New Era to their pictures in northern Illinois and with Doll-Van of Indianapolis to distribute their fea ana" Thf rv™ m2°''S and Indi" ana Ihe Chicago office of Arthur S. Hyman Attractions, Inc., will be closed about May 1st. Manager McCoy w,ll g0 t0 the D . ^ and it is rumored, he may be pfaced ■n charge of that office. The new Plan of Arthur S. Hyman Attrac tons .s to center their efforts in the Michigan territory. mt ColtS MaX W of RobertsonLole Exchange, antic pating a hirr business with the forthcoming Rob? a dedn"as hefeatUreS' which a« heaided as being some of the finest Pie , ires ever filmed, is re-zoning h territory and strengthening his fate C„UK add'ti°ns are, Mort Goldberg, formerly with SelectFrank Miller, who recently has re^ turned from military service and ce\ TV"'?'?? the co,ors ™* a successful exhibitor; and Harry Roll who a lso recently has been released from the army. Manager Levy re J. Allen Boone, in charge of production for Robertson-Cole on the west coast, stopped over in Chicago enroute to Los Angeles, last week, to visit with Exchange Manager Max Levy. Mr. Boone announced that the picturization of "Kismet," featuring the famous actor, Otis Skinner, who achieved a remarkable success m the play, will start within two months. This week two continuity writers are to join Mr. Skinner who is on a tour, and start work on the continuity, by collaborating with Mr. Skinner. Mr. Boone regards this as one of the most important pictures RobertsonCole has ever offered. W. C. Hoffman, who, although not a veteran in years, is an oldtimer in the moving picture industry, and who recently has been connected with the Mickey Film Corporation of Chicago, left for Kalamazoo, Michigan, Sunday to become manager of the Fuller Opera House and Elite Theatre, hoth of that city. These houses are owned by the Kalamazoo Amusement Company. C. H. Ritter, president and H. H. Jonson, treasurer and managing director of the Luna Amusement Company which owns and operates the Luna, a 1,100 seat picture theatr<j_at Lafayette, Ind., the Lyric a 1,000 seat house at Fort Wayne and the Luna, with 950 seats at Kankakee, 111., announce that they will start the erection of a $250,000 theatre at Lafayette at an early date. 7"xl50 foot lot already has been acquired and the new house it is said will be operated as a legitimate theatre. A $15,000 organ will be one of the features of the proposed theatre . Edward Browarslcy has purchased 1 lc,t at the corner of Sixty-third St., and Harper Ave., Chicago for a reported consideration of $170,000 and will erect a 3,300 seat theatre and a hotel and office building.