Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1920)

November 6 . / Q 3 o 3507 FILMS ASSOCIATION \ NEW5 VOLUME 1. NO. 11. CHICAGO, U. S. A. RECORD CROWD AT NEAL HART FIRST RUN KANSAS CITY Gayoso Stands 'Em Out On "Hell's Oasis" Against Big Competition Kansas City, Mo. (Special to The News) — "Hell's Oasis" opened at the Gayoso Theatre, first run in Kansas City. Saturday, to one of the biggest crowds that ever attended that theatre on the opening day of any picture. They stood them out all day Saturday and duplicated the same thing on Sunday. For competition the Gayoso had a group of big special productions opening at the Twelfth street theatre, the Regent, the Victory and the Idle Hour, all within a block's distance. SLOCUM OF LITTLE ROCK SIGNS 21 BIG HOUSES ON HART E. R. Slocum, manager of the Little Reck, Ark., branch of the R. D. Lewis Film Company, reports a list of twenty-one first run theatres in his territory which have closed contracts for the entire series of eight Neal Hart productions. "The pictures are going over big in this territory," writes Mr. Slocum. "and exhibitors are very anxious to contract for them." "DAMF00L TWINS" ARE SELLING FAST Among the additional territories closed for franchise rights on the Pinnacle "Damfool Twin" Comedies last week were Saniel and Steinberg of the S. & S. Film and Supply Co., Pittsburgh. Pa.. Dresner of the Exhibitors Film Exchange. Washington. D. CM and Dave Warner of Warner Film Attractions, Cleveland, O. At this time practically all sections of the country are covered by contract or option on these comedies. Releasing will begin November 15. PRINTS OF "SKYFIRE" READY FOR SHIPMENT Prints of "Skyfire," the second Neal Hart release, are now being made at the laboratories in Chjcago. and shipments will be ready to go forward to the exchanges by the time this issue of The News is published. The principal players included in the "Skyfire" cast are as follows : Barr Conroy NEAL HART Joe Beaupre William Quinn Marette Rita Pickering Father Malloy Hugh Saxon Pierre Piquet Al Garcia Little Wolf Artie Ortego Pete Lamoose Les Bates Published in the interest of INDEPENDENCE By The INDEPENDENT FILMS ASSOCIATION Eddy Eckels, Gen. Mgr. Consumers Bldg. Chicago Richard Robertson. Editor "HERE'S YOUR MAN!" A bit of tense action from "Skyfire," the second Neal Hart release in the series of eight Pinnacle Productions. "Skyfire" is brim ful of action — a big spectacular drama of the Canadian Northwest. It will be released November 15. Peering Ahead This colyum is compiled with the aid of our best wee-ja board, by which we are able to forecast the events of .the future. Marcus Loew, eastern distribution manager for the Independent Films Association, telegraphed the Chicago office this week that he closed for the New York Hippodrome for Independent's colossal all-star show, which will be made up of one former star from each of the disorganized program organizations. Addie Zukor, Bill Fox, Samuel Goldwyn and other ex-film magnates will quit Wall street to sit in a box at the unprecedented performance and all New York is on its toes for the date announcement. Neal Hart was a Chicago caller two weeks and was given a rousing reception by the genial Independent gang. Neal had to make a speech, in which he recalled Independent's first picture, "Hell's Oasis," in which he 6tarred and which, incidentally, was the beginning of real film independence. STUDIO EDITION OF NEWS NEXT WEEK Beginning with the next issue, The News will have a studio edition each week, packed to the margins with production news on the Neal Hart features and the Pinnacle Comedies starring Leo White. Big stories of interest to exchanges and exhibitors handling the Harts and the comedies are developing every week at the West Coast studios. These will be fully covered. quidge lums; One of our foremost exchange men — talking to us over the long distance telephone a few days ago about some extra prints — got balled up for a moment and wanted to know "where's them 'Hell's Fire' prints I ordered?" We thought he was cussin' us out, but he explained that ht was thinking of two pictures at once. "Hell's Oasis'' and "Skyfire." He got the prints and we got his apology. NEALrPBASESFTTLI, AN INDEPENDENDENT YEAR— WITH I. F. A. BLAZING THE WAY "This is surely the year of the independent's big chance; as it is also the opportunity for the exhibitor to put the independent to the test." The above was part of an editorial published last summer in the Motion Picture News. And it proved prophetic — for the exhibitor has put the independent to the test and it is now an admitted fact in the industry that THIS IN AN INDEPENDENT YEAR. It is an independent year because the independent exchanges have placed themselves in a position to supply what exhibitors want, namely series productions, built around the personality of an established star — such as the Neal Hart series of eight Pinnacle Productions and the series of twelve two-reel Pinnacle Comedies starring Leo White, and exploitation and advertising of the sort that the Independent Films Association has become famous for in the independent field. Advertised pictures of high merit — that is what the theatres have demanded of the independent exchanges. The Independent Films Association, through its member exchanges, has not only led the way from the standpoint of being first in the field with advertised series pictures of high merit, but will continue to blaze the trail from the standpoint of increased number of releasing units and increased volume and variety of advertising. Roy Springer, magNUT a la movie, of Forth Worth, Texas, who, incidentally, operates the Orpheum Theater in that southwestern metropolis, piped this : "Oh you Southern Championship baseball games — but please let me see Hell's Oasis FIRST." DAMGOODSERVICETOO They are telling a rich little yarn about L. J. Selznick around the tall buildings in New Yawk. It seems that L. J. got Pinnacle Productions mixed up with the national pastime along Broadway. He is quoted as having remarked: "Say. how they get that Pinochle stuff? I saw 'Hell's Oasis' three times, and I'm dimmed if I saw a single deck of cards." WE'LLTAKEACHANCE MEMBERS OF INDEPENDENT FILMS ASS'N KEY CITY EXCHANGE ADDRESS EXECUTIVE *Atlanta tBirmingham ♦Boston ♦Buffalo fBuffalo *tChicago ♦Cincinnati *tCleveland ♦tDallas ♦fDavenport ♦Denver ♦fDetroit ♦Kansas City ♦Little Rock fLos Angeles ♦Louisville ♦Milwaukee ♦Minneapolis ♦New Orleans ♦New York ♦Oklahoma City ♦tOmaha ♦tPhiladelphia ♦fPittsurgh ♦San Francisco tSan Francisco tSt. Louis ♦fSyracuse ♦■(•Washington Pearce Films Queen Feature Service Major Film Corp. Dooley Exchange Gardiner Pictures Co. 111. & Ind. Film Ex. Fine Arts Film Ex. Warner Attractions Lewis Film Co. Magnet Film Co. Arrow Photoplay* Ind. Master Films Federated Film Ex. Lewis Film Co. Consolidated Film Corp. First Nat'i. Ex. Ct. First Nat'l Ex. Ct. First Nat'l Ex. Ct. Pearce Films Commonwealth Film Co. Lewis Film Co. Magnet Film Co. 20th Century Film Co. S. & S. Film Co. Co-Operative Film Ex. Consolidated Film Corp. St. Louis Film Ex. Dooley Exchange Exhibitors' Film Ex. 146 Marietta Potter Bldg. 54 Broadway 338 Pearl St. 257 Franklin St. 63 E. Adams 310 Film Bldg. Erie Annex 1913 Commerce 418 Harrison 1735 Welton, 105 John R. Film Bldg. 1114 Markham 718 S. Olive Nat. Theatre Bdg. Toy Bldg. Loeb Arcade 608 Canal 1600 Broadway 114 Hudson 1312 Farnum 256 No. 13th 414 Penn Ave. 90 Gold. Gt. Av. 107 Gold. Gt. Av. 3628 Olive St. 445 S. Warren Mathers Bldg. Gene Pearce W. S. Bell E. J. Farrell Thos. Dooley T. R. Gardiner A. Lowy L. W. Foster Dave Warner L. T. Pellerin C. C. Bridwell E. J. Drucker W. B. Seifert AI. Kahn L. T. Pellerin M. H. Kohn Fred Levy H. J. Fitzgerald J. F. Cubberly Gene Pearce Sam Zierler L. T. Pellerin C. C. Bridwell Gene Marcus Abe Steinberg Floyd St. John M. H. Kohn Roy Dickson Thos. Dooley Abe Dresner ♦NEAL HART SERIES +PINNACLE COMEDIES *f HARTS & COMEDIES