Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1921)

November 5, / 9 2 1 2409 5 Fox Film to Celebrate Ninth Anniversary "Anniversary Week,*' January 29 to February 4 Elaborate Plans Being Made THE Fox Film Corporation is now preparing for a world-wide celebration of the ninth anniversary of its establishment. The celebration will be i staged during the week of January 29 to February 4, which will be known as Anniversary Week." The point aimed at in this Fox Anniversary Week is to i have every theatre, at home and abroad, which has ever shown a Fox picture, prer sent a series of Fox productions from January 29 to February 4, inclusive, and to bring into line as many other houses as possible. The full list of Fox releases, ini eluding features, comedies, animated cartoons, and the Fox News reels is to be jj made available for the situation. A statement which was issued from the Fox Film home-office during the week in connection with the anniversary celebration, follows : " An important milestone will be reached by Fox Film Corporation at the close of next January. The corporation then will be nine years old. And certainly big for its age. A birthday celebration is being arranged, has had a birthday party apI proaching in size this jubilee affair as I already outlined, it is not a matter of record. Like Fox Films, it will circle the earth. Two hemispheres, and every conj tinent thereon, will participate in the doings. " Fox Anniversary W eek " is the label the big celebration will bear in every land. " For this world-wide celebration all : Fox branch managers even now are at work, bending every effort toward making it a " howling " success. The earliest reports from the twenty-seven branch offices in the United States and the half-dozen in Canada contain a sufficient number of contract arrangements, Fox officials say, to indicate that the exhibitors will make it unanimous. " Certain it is that, on an occasion of this sort, exhibiors are not likely to forget or overlook the fact that William Fox more than once has stood as a bulwark between them and monopoly seekers who aimed to destroy their independence — to enslave them or drive them out of business. Especially do they recall his long up-hill but successful fight, begun in 1908, against the General Film Company and the Motion Picture Patents Company — a battle which resulted in keeping the business open and free to competition. " Of special interest to exhibitors in the current year's Fox output are the superspecials, the general release of all of which will be preceded by runs in New York City and a number of which have already had their Broadway careers. Included in release before the close of 1921 are " Over the Hill," " A Virgin Paradise," " A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," " Thunderclap," " Shame," " Perjury" "Footfalls." "The Last Trail," and " Oueen of Sheba." A. M. P. A. to Hold " Installation Ball" Nov. 7 THE Associated Motion Picture Advertisers have hit upon the scheme iof holding an " Installation Ball " for the purpose of celebrating the induction of the new officers recently elected. The affair will take place in New York on Monday evening, November 7, at the Cafe Boulevard, Broadway and Fortyfirst street, the place where the A. M. P. A. holds its regular weekly luncheons. This means that C. L. Yearsley, the new president; Jerome Beatty, the new vice-president; Victor M. Shapiro, the re-elected treasurer, and Thomas G. Wiley, the new secretary, not forgetting the members of the board of directors, will be made to feel the importance of their responsibilities by a celebration the like of which never before has been attempted by this thriving organization of advertising and publicity men. " Exhibitors probably will not have to be reminded that in the matter of these specials Fox set a pace that certain others have been forced to follow. He determined to release these big features direct to the exhibitor instead of sending out " road companies." The decision caused a sudden change of plan by others engaged in similar enterprises. Here again the pioneer spirit was in evidence — to the manifest financial benefit of the showmen of the country. " Bearing in mind the great box office advantage accruing from this generous policy on the part of William Fox, it is expected that exhibitors everywhere will help put over this Fox Anniversary Week celebration with a bang. " Vast quantities of banners, posters and other accessories are bing provided for distribution by the exchanges. The entire Fox personnel appears to be on its toes to put over the big birthday party in a manner worthy of the Fox record in screen achievement. " Beginning January 29th and continuing to the night of February 4th " Fox Anniversary Week " will be flashed in electric lights from hosts of Theatre fronts in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Great Britain, and the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa and Australasia." Film Conference in Winnipeg Is Well Attended Three hundred persons attended the conference and re-union of moving picture exhibitors and representatives of film exchanges which was held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Thursday, October 20, under the auspices of the Manitoba Moving Picture Exhibitors' Association, the chief object of the event being to stimulate a proposed organization of all exhibitors in the Canadian West into one body. One of the features of the convention was the luncheon which was held in Manitoba Hall with President R. Kershaw of the Manitoba association as chairman. Among those at the head table were Mayor Parnell, Vera Gordon, Johnny Hines, Ralph Thorpe, Mr. McGrath of the Provincial labor bureau and others. Mayor Pamell declared that he looked upon moving pictures as a great educative factor and expressed the belief that pictures made a greater impression upon people than any other medium. The other speakers included Vera Gordon, Johnny Hines, Mr. McGrath, George Graham, a wellknown local exhibitor, and Ted Hardcastle, representing the exchange managers. The orchestra of the Lyceum Theatre provided appropriate music. Favorable Action by Senate on Repeal of Film Rental Tax Expected This Week ACCORDING to advices from the headquarters of the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry, everything points to a favorable reception by the Senate of the recommendation of its Finance Committee to repeal the 5 per cent film rental tax. Action by the Senate on the measure is expected this week. In the event that the Senate upholds the recommendation of its FinanceCommittee, the final fate of the 5 per cent film rental repeal will rest in the hands of ten men — five Senators and five Congressmen, comprising the Senate and House Conference Committee. These men are: Senators Boies Penrose of Pennsylvania, Reed Smoot of Utah, Porter J. McCumber of North Dakota, Furnifold M. Simmons of North Carolina and Peter G. Gerry of Rhode Island; Congressmen Joseph W. Fordney of Michigan, Nicholas Longworth of Ohio, William R. Green of Iowa, John N. Garner of Texas and William A. Oldfield of Arkansas. The House conferees will determine whether or not the Senate Finance Committee amendments to the Revenue Bill, if adopted by the Senate, are acceptable to the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives. Any unacceptable amendments will immediately become subject matter for discussion between the joint groups of conferees and all points at issue must be ironed out and agreed upon before the measure is returned to the House for final passage. Saul E. Rogers, chairman of the Taxation Committee of the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry, urges that every possible effort should be immediately made by representative men of the industry to convince the Senate and House conferees that the rental tax repeal is essential to the welfare of the entire motion picture business, and that without such relief it is going to be an almost impossible task for the industry to work back to normalcy.