Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

October 2 g , i p 3 i 2273 Plans Laid for Transportation of Films in Event of Rail Strike Traffic-Managers in Key Cities to Supervise Relaying of Shipments Ox the West Coast and in the East plans are being rapidly formulated to install emergency transportation service in case the railroads of the countryare tied up by the impending walk-out. Motor-trucks, interurban trolleys, motorcycles, and even aeroplanes are included within the scope of the plans being laid down, A dispatch from Los Angeles states that the officials at Universal City are negotiating for a fleet of aeroplanes to carr>' negatives to the Eastern laboratories and to distribute prints to the key-cities. The shipment of prints, paper, accessories, etc.. by relay service between keycities throughout the countr}-, with traffic managers appointed in each of the keycities to arrange and execute the details of this inter-city transportation, is in brief the general plan of action recommended for immediate operation by the transportation committee of the National Association in the face of the threatening nation-wide railroad strike. This general plan of action was laid down at a meeting of the transportation committee, held on Tuesday of this week at the National Association's headquarters. The general provisions of this plan are embodied in a bulletin of recommendation issued to the distributing organizations by the committee with the urgent suggestion that the recommendations made be adopted at once and put into immediate operation. The details of distribution will be worked out at once in each exchange center and arrangements made whereby a traffic manager, chosen by each exchange managers association or F. I. L. M. club, will be responsible not only for shipments in his own territorj', but for the relay shipments of film and accessories which pass through his city from New York on their way to more distant points. The national Wire Briefs from Coast IN the hope of adding to the efficiency to the staff at Universal City, Irving Thalberg is planning to open a night school for the teaching of motion picture technique. Charles Ray and his wite will leave on their first trip to New York on November 15th. Cyrus J. Williams, who just recently returned to the Coast from New York, will resume production activities in the near future. The new Wilshire theatre, located at Third and Western Avenue, Los Angeles, opens on October 20th. This house is operated by the West Coast Theatres Company. The initial feature presented is Jackie Coogan in " My Boy." W. E. Schallenberger is still in Los Angeles. He has made no announcement of his plans during the week. distribution campaign will be directed from the headquarters of the National Association, from which shipments are planned to be routed all the way to the Pacific coast. Yesterday's meeting was under the auspices of the National Association's Transportation Committee, P. H. Stilson, Chairman, and was called at the suggestion of William A. Brady, president of the association, to lay out necessary plans for the emergency handling of all film transportation wherever railroad service is suspended. Those at the meeting were members of the transportation committee, which embraces representatives of most of the film distributing companies, as well as manufacturers, of lithographs, press books, slides, and other film accessories. Chairman Stilson, who presided, outHned the situation which confronts the industry in the event of a freight and express tieup and urged the immediate necessity of forming a traffic organization with representatives in everv^ key center to be selected by the exchange managers so that responsibility should be centered in one man in every exchange city. He said that in the New York territory there was no serious menace, owing to existing motor truck services which cover not only nearby points but New Jersey, as well and that an expansion of this service could easily be effected to include Albany, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Boston and other points from which shipments could be relayed to cities further away. Harr}^ T. Nolan, First National franchise-holder of Denver, told of the manner in which film shipments were effected after the Pueblo disaster when train service was suspended. He said emergency relay stations were established and with the active cooperation of exhibitors in forwarding film by automobile from one town to another, practically all bookings were met. His advice to the company represe'ntatives was to maintain release dates as nearly as possible by getting out shipments with all possible speed — giving preference to far away points. It was disclosed at the meeting that most of the companies are now working far ahead of schedule and are rushing to their exchanges prints and advertising matter of subjects that are not scheduled for release for from one to two months hence. As a result of the meeting the following telegram was sent by the National Association to each exchange managers association and F. I. L. M. club in the United States : " Our Transportation Committee recommends that you arrange for a meeting of your local managers' organization to appoint a traffic manager to supervise the handling of local and through shipments and relaying through shipments in the event of a strike. Wire the undersigned the name, business and telephone address of traffic manager appointed. We will supply traffic manager with names, addresses and telephones of traffic managers of all other exchange centers. Imperative that traffic manager prepare to utilize all facilities for shipping, including interurban trolley, motor car, motor boat and motorcycle. Mail special delivery shipping facilities and plans adopted. Must have this immediately to enable us to route shipments." Jn each exchange center the traffic manager will be asked to hold a meeting with the delivery companies and determine the extent of emergency service that can be secured and to list with the National Association the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all such delivery companies so that a co-ordination may be effected in routing the relay shipments from one city to another. The following telegrams have been received in response to an inquiry from the National Association : "Responding to your wire seventeenth we are now shipping film via bus line extending south in Missouri for one hundred miles and are arranging for three other lines to operate in three different directions to principal cities and will require exhibitors to pick up shipment at nearest key town on route and return there to be picked up for us. This will be the rule in the event adequate parcel post arrangements cannot be made and as a last resort. We have good established truck routes out of .St. Louis. "Floyd Lewis, President, ''F. 1. L. M. Club of St. Louis." "In event of strike this territory protected by interurban system carrying express all traction cars hourly. Presume that parcel post service will not be interrupted which will take care of any point interurban does not reach. If embargo placed will use truck service to leading cities and insist that exhibitors relay shipments to points from there. "C. E. Penrod, President, "Indianapolis Bd. of Exchange Mgrs." The headquarters of the National Association will be open day and night during the tieup, if it occurs, and a traffic expert will be constantly on call, it is announced. Chamber of Commerce aring for Annual Ball Prep ANNOUNCEMENT was made this week that the Theatre Owners' Chamber of Commerce would give its second annual ball on Saturday night, December 3rd, 1921, in the Gold Room at the Hotel Astor. The affair last year given in the same hotel was so successful and gave so much pleasure to those who attended that already many requests for reservations have been made, and from present indications the demand for tickets will far exceed the supply. President William Brandt announced the committees who will have complete charge of the event.'