Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1921)

November 5, 1921 2407 Threatened Strike Will Fail to Cripple Picture Industry Nat9 1 Ass'n Arranges Traffic Scheme: Rothacker Prepared for Tie-Up ALTHOUGH at the present writing the railroad strike cloud appears to be dispersing and the entire situation has taken on a brighter hue, the National Association, the various Film Boards of Trades and the Rothacker Film Company are prepared for the worst. If the strike should come — and the "if" seems to be assuming larger proportions with each day's strike news — the producers would still get their prints from the laboratories, and the exhibitors their pictures from exchanges. This now seems assured. The National Association of the Motion Picture Industry has effected, in record time, a complete and effective nation-wide traffic organization to insure the uninterrupted forwarding of film shipments and accessories in event of the strike; exhibitors within a radius of one hundred miles from Chicago are promised, by the Chicago Film Board of Trade, regular delivery of film by motor truck ; in Buffalo the F. I. L. M. Club will utilize areoplanes ; and Watterson H. Rothacker will also use the air route to transport First National negatives from Coast and New York studios to the Chicago laboratory of the Rothaker Film Company. W ith traffic managers in every key center mobilizing all available transportation facilities, relay stations established and pick-up systems worked out to cover every zone in the country, a deliver} service, thorough in every detail, has been effected by the National Association in rapid-fire order which will prevent any serious interruption in the film industry. No time was lost by the National Association in preparing against a tie-up when word was received that the trainmen would start their walkout on Sunday, October 30th. William A. Brady, President of the Association, immediately telephoned from Atlantic City to Frederick H. Elliott. Executive Secretary of the organization, requesting that a meeting of the Transportation Committee be called and on Tuesday, October 18th, the Committee, composed of representatives of each producer and distributor member of the National Association and of the general division, were hurriedly called together by Secretary Elliott. Their meeting was presided over by P. H. Stilson, Chairman of the Committee. After a thorough analysis of the situation telegrams were dispatched to every exchange managers organization in the country Tuesday night asking them to meet immediately, choose a traffic manager, list their emergency transportation facilities and report the inforrr.ation to the headquarters of the Na'.onal Association at 1520 Broadway. On Wednesday these Recent Incorporations in State of New York APPROXIMATELY $400,000 represented the capitalization of motion picture companies incorporating in New York State during the past week, this amount showing a slight increase over the week previous. The concerns, with the amount of capitalization and directors, include: Out-of-the-Ink-Well Films, Inc., $50,000; Max Fleischer, William Ferguson, Charles W. Lucas, New York. Sona Realty and Construction Co., $10,000; Solomon Schwartz, Nathan T. and Joseph Schwartz, Brooklyn. Wray Physioc Productions, Inc., $20,000; Isaiah F. Cummings, Yonkers; Terese Vaughey, Jersey City; Fred W. Nellie, Staten Island. Belmont Theatre Corporation, $75,000; Richard G. Herndon, Ralph W. Kerbe, Minnie Horowitz, New York. A-G-S Theatres, Inc., $20,000; C. M. Conway, R. W. Richter, A. P. Kaufman, New York. Laff-O-Graph Films Corporation, $15,000; Selem Dushey, James Judiche, Isaac N. Weber, Brooklyn. Bertan Pictures, $200,000; Charles Hollender, Mathilde R. Hartmann, Paul Munter, New York City. meetings were held throughout the country and telegrams began to flood in, giving vital information relative to available emergency transit service in each territory. All this information was immediately tabulated at the National Association headquarters, interlocking transit systems were charted out for through shipments, and the field corps of traffic managers instructed as to the method of relaying shipments from one territory to another. The Chicago Film Board of Trade has engaged H. O. McDonald, formerly general traffic manager of the Wells Fargo Express Company, to act as transportation manager, and already he has completed charts of the territory showing the best truck routes and necessary stopping points within a radius of one hundred to one hundred and fifty miles from Chicago, and has also made arrangements for trucks which will handle film. The Chicago central district depot will be established at 806 S. Wabash Avenue, which will be the central point of call for trucks, which will radiate in all directions throughout the state, dropping film at depots to be established along their routes and at key centers, at which points exhibitors can obtain film without trouble or delay. The Film Board of Trade transportation committee includes Chairman R. C. Seen-, of First National; Joseph Friedman, of Celebrated; Clyde Eckhart, of Fox; I. R. Lesserman, of Universal, and W. C. Brimmer, of Vitagraph. Lieut. Ralph C. Diggins, Rothacker Film Company staff aviator, who pilots for industrial bird's-eye views, is all set to take to the air with film shipments when Mr. Rothacker says the word. Lieut. Diggins says that by operating relays a Coast negative can be delivered at Chicago in twenty-four hours. Without relaying and with time off the trip can be made in thirty-six hours. Aerial transportation New York to Chicago is comparatively simple. When it first became apparent that the railroad men might mean business, Mr. Rothacker began negotiating with Forrest J. Alvin, general manager of the United States Motor Truck Company, for the automotive delivery of prints. In case the emergency warrants truck delivery of Rothacker prints, Mr. Alvin would come to Chicago personally to direct the U. S. truck forces. Under his plan " trunk line " trucks loaded with prints would depart in all directions. John Kimberly, manager of the Vitagraph Buffalo exchange, has been appointed chairman of the transportation committee of the Buffalo F. I. L. M. club, and he has completed plans for the delivery via motor truck, airplane and automobile of films to all parts of the big Buffalo territory. Arrangements are being made for delivery of films by airplane to Hammondsport, where there is a Curtiss landing field. There the films will be picked up by salesmen in automobiles. Exhibitor to Make Public Stockholders in Company Frank W. Fisher, operating some ten picture houses in Illinois and Wisconsin, including the Majestic at Madison, has announced that he will try to make his patrons stockholders in the theatres they attend. The Fisher Paramount Theatres, with capital stock of $200,000 in 20,000 common shares at $10 each, has been organized. Mr. Fisher retains the control of the new enterprize, putting approximately $50,000 worth of stock on the market. Considerable stock has already been sold to Madison patrons of the Majestic. Woody Attends Opening of Chicago Theatre In response to a telegramatic invitation from . Balaban and Katz, J. S. Woody, General Manager of Realart, went to Chicago to attend the opening of their new Chicago Theatre, which took place on Wednesday, October 26th.