Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

412 Motion Picture News Asks Bids on “Foolish Wives” “r AFTER waiting a year and a ha'f for “ Foolish Wives,” Carl Laemmle now announces the final arrangements for its showing and distribution to exhibitors. The past week has seen the completion of the distribution plan and has received thousands of assurances that exhibitors are highly appreciative of the decision he made to let them have it direct instead of following a long period of extended engagements in individual cities. For the purpose of distributing " Foolish Wives ” the Universal has created an extraordinary sales force operating directly from 1600 Broadwav, New \ ork City. This extraordinary force consists of eight men to each of whom has been assigned a territory or zone. These men have nearly all of them been busily engaged with H. M. Berman, the exchange manager, on the details of the selling plan for the last three weeks. They will be occupied for some time only with the big cities in their zones, and it will be necessary for them to do a great deal of traveling in order to cover the territory which the Universal for ordinary selling purposes has divided into 33 exchanges. For this reason it has been thought best to announce to exhibitors that all inquiries about the release of this picture in their territories should be addressed direct to 1600 Broadway, in order to receive the prompt attention which it is Mr. Laemmle s desire shall lie given to every offer from exhibitors. Mr. Laemmle resolved to follow up his move giving America’s most costly picture direct to exhibitors by an equally startling and unprecedented departure. He has, in the statement just issued, asked every exhibitor who. is interested in ‘‘ Foolish Wives” to make him personally a bid on “ Foolish Wives. The following is his statement addressed to exhibitors : “What Do You Bid For ‘Foolish Wives’? “ You have never before been asked to bid for a picture. “ But Universal’s Million Dollar Picture is so totally beyond the class of any production ever before attempted that it must be handled in a revolutionary manner. “ Universal can never get its money back on this stupendous super-production. It has already cost so much that by the time we have exploited it and have made the prints we will have to take in two and one-half million to break even ! “ I could take in more money than this by road-showing ‘ Foolish Wives.’ But there are two powerful arguments against such a method. First, road-showing is a slow process. Second. I consider Laemmle Addresses Exhibitors Direct in Selling Special it unfair to you exhibitors, and therefore poor policy, to make regular moving picture theatres wait for months and months, and maybe years, after release date before showing the screen’s greatest effort. “ I want moving picture theatres to have first crack at the biggest achievement in the history of the industry. “ I say I want this. But I can't afford to sacrifice a million dollar picture — the only one ever made — to accomplish it. “ Therefore I can’t go through with it unless you meet me more than half way. Some of the greatest exhibitors in the world have made handsome offers for first-run of “ Foolish Wives.” But, as handsome as those offers have been, they do not cover that part of the negative and positive cost chargeable against their cities. Better still, such men as Tom Moore of Washington, Felt Brothers of Philadelphia, Ruben & Finkelstein of St. Paul and Minneapolis, and others, have offered me their theatres on any terms I see fit to make, because they say the industry owes this tribute to Universal! It is a great spirit, a new spirit, a spirit which will inspire Universal to reach greater heights in the future than it ever hoped for before. “ Other exhibitors have said that I will be justified in asking terms that have never been dreamed of before. One man said, ‘ Your company has done a thing no other concern ever dared to do. You are entitled to recognition for this. You are entitled to the very highest limit every exhibitor can give you.’ “ It -was this exhibitor who suggested that I ask you to make your very highest bid for ‘ Foolish Wives.’ “ Will you do it? Will you smash all precedent and tell me the very limit you can stand in order to have the honor of being the first to present the first million dollar production in your city? “ Will you demonstrate that my policy of giving moving picture theatres first chance is the right policy? “ With so much at stake I naturally reserve the right to accept or reject your bid; in cither event, I am going to receive it in the best of faith, just as I ask you to accept this announcement. “ Address all bids to Universal Film Mfg. Co., 1600 Broadway, New York City. (Signed) “Carl Laemmle.” Gunning Star to Tour U.S. Expect Lucy Doraine, Star of “ Good and Evil,” to Come Shortly A REPORT just received from abroad by Wid Gunning, Inc., brings word that Lucy Doraine, famous Continental star, who appeared in the Gunning release, “Good and Evil,” is very anxious to come to America, to make personal appearances in connection with the showing of that production. Miss Doraine, according to the report, is working on another massive production, and as soon as that is completed, she will make arrangements to visit this country. She hopes to be able to do this during the coming season. Reports to the Gunning offices from the exchanges of the organization throughout the country indicate that the dazzling young actress who has fascinated Europe, has already obtained a considerable following in this country in the short time since her meteoric appearance in “Good and Evil,” and that further productions in which she will appear will be awaited with the greatest interest by American fans “Good and Evil” is presented by the Herz Film Corporation. It is a Sascha Production, and was directed by Michael Kertesz, the husband of the star. Ten thousand people are in the supporting cast of “Good and Evil,” and this tremendous corps of players, together with the sumptuous sets, many of the scenes being photographed in the Royal Palace at Vienna, has aroused considerable interest in the production amoug exhibitors and patrons. Leading critics and exhibitors in the L:nited States who have viewed "Good and Evil” have more than confirmed the enthusiastic reports of the production which preceded it from Europe. When it was shown at the UFA Palace, in Berlin, the leading German motion-picture paper said : “It is a super-produc tion in the real sense of the word. It is a fiim which can be placed side by side with the world’s best nrndtirtions ” Cities Greet Charles Ray Warmly SOUTHERN hospitality was cordially extended to Charles Ray last week during his first visit to the South. In Washington, D. C., where the star and his party made their first stop after saying farewell to New York, Mr. Ray met many of the foremost political figures of the nation, including President Harding, Chief Justice Taft, ex-President Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Hoover, and others, and under the personal escort of Senators and Representatives was enabled to view the Government machinery at its work. In Atlanta Mr. Ray was warmly received, and as the guest of Sig. Samuels, owner, and Willard Patterson, manager of the Metropolitan and Criterion theatres, he had a crowded and auspicious program during a brief 24 hour stay, which included an official welcome by Governor Thomas W. Hardwick and a personal visit to the Metropolitan theatre where the crowd overflowed to the sidewalks in response to advance notices of the star’s appearance. Mr. and Mrs. Ray and their party which included Arthur S. Kane, Richard Willis, Albert A. Kidder, Jr., and George Kizard, camera man, spent Christmas in New Orleans. Mr. Ray’s first visit on the final lap of his Eastern trip was Baltimore, where he went principally to be in attendance at a ball and revue given for the benefit of the Buddies’ Club of that city. More than fifteen thousand persons crowded into the Fifth Regiment Armory to greet the guest. “Man’s Home’’ Bookings Stimulated in N.Y. Henry Siegel, manager of the New York branch of the Select Pictures Corporation, is already rejoicing in the beneficial effects of the showing of “ A Man's Home,” Selznick special, at the Capitol Theatre, New York City, the week of December 18. As was confidently expected, the big Ralph Ince Production made a most favorable impression upon the rank and file of theatregoers throughout the reater city. The word has gone out quickly to metropolitan exhibitors, with the result that bookings for the “ Man’s Home ” are being rapidly listed in some of the foremost theatres in New York, Brooklyn, Newark, and other large communities.