Motion Picture News (Aug-Oct 1920)

2590 Motion Picture News Smith Returns from Coast Albert E. Smith ALBERT E. SMITH, president of Vitagraph, has returned to New York City after a quick trip to his Los Angeles studios, where he spent a busy two weeks. Wilfrid North, for some years director general of Vitagraph's eastern studio, went west with Mr. Smith and was established in a like position under General Manager W. S. Smith at the Hollywood plant. While on the Coast Mr. Smith signed a new contract with Chester Bennett, by the terms of which Mr. Bennett confines himself exclusively to the direction of Earle Williams. W. S. Smith, general manager, will continue as before to maintain general supervision over the plant and its business administration, together with passing on each foot of film that goes out of the studio. Albert E. Smith arranged for the fall and winter production, inspected the new improvements and completed a general production schedule of serials. While there he also made the formal announcement that Antonio Moreno would be seen in feature productions at the conclusion of his current serial, " The Veiled Mystery." Enter the Special Agency for Music Features This week there is an important article telling about the newest kind of distributing agency — an exchange to send out musical features. See Page 2693 Tom McNamara New Editor of Paramount Magazine Tom McNamara, newspaper cartoonist and originator of " Skinny Shaner " and other popular characters, has been engaged by the Famous Players-Lasky . Corporation as editor of the Paramount Magazine. In addition to his newspaper cartoon work, Mr. McNamara is a veteran of the film business and has been largely responsible for the success of several well known feature productions. Producing Corporations May Locate in Atlanta There are rumors afloat in Georgia that a two million dollar producing corporation is on the look-out for an acceptable studio site in Georgia. The information emanated from the " Advertise Georgia " enterprise, which is to raise a fund of $300,000 to exploit Georgia. The company, which, it is said, is headed by Healey Brothers, the capitalists who are financing the company, has looked most favorably on Atlanta as a site, and it is believed that within the next six weeks actual work on the studio will begin. There is a possibility that Savannah will win out, owing to her many artistic homes, historic ruins, and access to the water. Atlanta Film Men Will Honor Newspaperman The Film Exchange Managers' Association, of Atlanta, Ga., representing practically the entire film industry of the southeast, will give a banquet on October nth, in honor of James B. Nevin, of the Atlanta Georgian and Hearst's Sunday American. The committee of five, who are in charge of the affair, is a comprehensive representation of the largest film exchanges and theatres in the territory. George Allison, of Fox, is chairman, while the others in the committee are J. R. Simpson, of ParamountArtcraft ; John Ezzell, of E. & H. ; Frank Hammond, of the Lynch Enterprises, and Willard C. Patterson, of the Criterion theatre. Special Showing Demands Two Theatres A precedent is being established with the special pre-release showing of the Harry Levey Productions feature release, " Uncle Sam of Freedom Ridge," on Sunday evening, by reason of the fact that it has been found necessary to secure two theatres for the same evening to take care of the number of persons who have made requisitions for tickets for the occasion. It was found impossible to accommodate all in the Selwyn theatre alone, and Mr. Levey therefore secured the Cohan and Harris theatre for the, same evening. How to Present the Opera "Carmen" Charles D. Isaacson, the NEWS music editor, presents this week his own plan of giving the famous opera, either in overture, selection of medley, or in the way of the Capitol theatre plan. Read the beginning of •" Carmen " — See page 2693. Alliance Film Corporation Denies False Rumors W. Walter Grotch, vice-president of the Alliance Film Corporation of Great Britain, who recently arrived in America, characterized as ridiculous the report that appeared in a theatrical trade paper to the effect that a committee of stockholders of his company had demanded an accounting. There was, it is said, a meeting of a few stockholders caused by a false rumor' that the company had stopped production. The report recently published in a newspaper article that the corporation had bought the British Actors' Film Company for £170,000 is also said to be false. From the Reader "Above All— Take the News " " Motion Picture News." " Gentlemen : " Will say I could not get along without the NEWS. Your reviews are worth the price many times over. I have a small house in a small town and have been in the business off and on for about four years, and I suppose I am getting on about as well as most of them are. As to service I give the best I can afford. " I use Fox, Paramount and Consolidated service for regular features. Will say all have given very fair treatment. I think a lot of trouble with the small fellows is they don't keep informed as well as they might ; that is one reason thev get skinned so much. WATCH YOUR BOOKINGS— DON'T LET THEM PULL IT OVER YOU. Know as much about the pictures as the salesmen know. Know what your patrons want and let them know you have it. PUSH YOUR BUSINESS— GIVE GOOD SERVICE and nine times out of ten you win. AboTe all — TAKE THE NEWS. " Wishing you success with your valuable magazine, I am, very truly, " E. LEE MARLER, • " Liberty theatre, " Fountain Inn, S. C." " Little Fellow Pays" Motion Picture News, New York, N. Y. Gentlemen : Enclosed please find my check for subscription to the News. I have been reading with much interest your recent editorials dealing with the rentals of the small town exhibitor compared with the first run city houses. I believe you hit the nail on the head when you state that the little fellow is carrying the lion's share of the load when it comes to rentals. I have been and always will be willing to pay every cent a picture is worth, for I realize that the producer must make a good margin of profit in order to make the kind of pictures that we want, but when they come to us little fellows and talk big figures they are slowly but surely digging their own graves. I will bet a dollar to a doughnut that I am paying ten to twenty times more for some of my pictures than is being paid by the big houses, taking the gross receipts as a basis of figuring. I say " some " of my pictures, for I have found a few of the exchange managers who are human. Before this industry can grow and become a fullgrown business built upon the stones of sound business principles there must be some changes, as to which one of these must be a better regard; a more real sympathetic feeling, for the little exhibitor. I think as a rule you will find the little fellow is game to the core (far more than many of the big ones) and is willing to go as far as the next one when it comes to paying fair and square rentals. Yours very truly, EARL M. FORSYTHE, Star Theatre, , Canonsburg, Pa.