Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

598 Motion Picture News Walter Greene and Warren Form Company World-Wide Distribution of Independent Productions Purpose of New Organization ONE of the most important announcements of the week’s news is that heralding the organization of the American Releasing Corporation with Walter E. Greene as president and F. B. Warren as vice-president. The American Releasing Corporation, according to the announcement, will be “ exclusively a mercantile sales organization ” and will be devoted to the task of distributing “ throughout the world the productions of independent makers of product. ’ The organization also purposes “ to lay the basic groundwork for later taking over the sales and physical distribution of other releasing companies.” An announcement from the New York office of the new company follows : “ Believing that the new year is bringing a great business revival in America and that a powerful independent motion picture distributing system is required in the industry, Walter E. Greene and F. B. Warren announce the organization of the American Releasing Corporation. “ This important alliance brings into association and ownership of the new company, Mr. Greene, one of the founders of Paramount, the organizer and president of Artcraft, the first selective company which controlled the productions of Pickford, Fairbanks, Griffith and others, and later vice-president in charge of distribution of the Famous Players-Lasky Cor poration ; and F. B. Warren, formerly vice-president in charge of distribution of the Goldwyn company and later organizer and general manager of the Associated Producers' distribution. “ These two well-equipped executives have extensive friendships with theatre owners and foreign distributors and have been significant organization-builders in the industry. “ American Releasing Corporation is exclusively a mercantile sales organization that will not enter into the production or ownership of pictures. It will distribute throughout the world the productions of independent makers of product and lay the basic groundwork for later taking over the sales and physical distribution of other releasing companies. This organization is privately owned by its officers, Mr. Greene being president and Mr. Warren vice-president. There is no general stock issue for the company, all of its stock being held by these principals. Around Messrs. Greene and Warren there will be assembled a staff of exceptionally well-equipped executives who have the confidence of producers and exhibitors, including several men who have been high in power in other big national distributions. “ A long-term lease has been signed for the entire third floor of the building at 15 West 44th Street, New York City, which will be the American company’s home offices. The company took possession of these quarters January 1. “ A number of unusual productions are being edited or printed in Eastern laboratories which will constitute the first releases of the new company. Trade showings will be held immediately in many sections of the United States. “ American Releasing expects to issue one picture a week of high standard from late January to June and in its first calendar year will have a total output of twentysix productions, more than half of which are either completed or in the making. “ Few men in the industry have laid a broader and sounder groundwork than Messrs. Greene and Warren. Each has spent years in the organization and sales side of the industry and each has built powerful and enduring friendships. With the important financial interests that touch the picture business giving more attention than ever before to the economical and careful operation of distributions, these new distributors are setting out with the American Releasing organization to operate the most ambitious of independent concerns which will keep wholly free of production activities of its own. “ Announcement of the initial product to be offered through the new company will be made in the next few days and this first announcement will bring elements of a big surprise to the industry in general.” San Francisco Officials Against Censorship Censorship Attacked by President of Supervisors at Luncheon in Honor of Thos . H. Ince CENSORSHIP is taboo in San Francisco. At a luncheon at the St. Francis Hotel a few days ago, arranged by the city authorities in honor of Thomas H. Ince, Joseph Mulvehill, president of the Board of Supervisors, made it plain that San Francisco’s city officials consider censorship, aside from the regulatory powers invested in the police authorities, absolutely unnecessary. Senator I. Wolf, who also addressed the diners, paid a glowing tribute to Mr. Ince as “a man of enterprise, a man of genius, a financier, and a pioneer.” Mr. Ince was unable to attend the luncheon, having been taken suddenly ill the night he was to leave for San Francisco. J. Parker Read, Jr., and Clark Thomas, general-manager for Mr. Ince, attended as Mr. Ince’s personal representatives. The purpose of the luncheon sponsored by the city officials was to honor Mr. Ince for his contribution to the City of San Francisco of a fire-prevention picture. Edward J. Rainely, secretary and personal envoy of Mayor James Rolph, acted as toastmaster of the luncheon, which was presided over by Sam. Y. Edwards, manager of the Associated First National exchange in San Francisco. Paul Ashe, musical director of the Turner & Dahnken circuit, played several selections, then the speaking began. Addresses were made by Joseph Mulvehill, president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; Senator Edward I. Wolf ; Fire Chief Thomas R. Murphy; J. Parker Read; Judge A. P. Barnett; John Brehaney, veteran ’Frisco film man ; and Clark Thomas. “Over five years ago San Francisco had a board of censorship composed of five members,” said Supervisor Mulvehill. “In 1916 an amendment was offered to the ordinance to increase the Board of Censorship from five to nine. The Board of Supervisors voted that amendment down, and I had the pleasure of introducing an amendment abolishing the board of censorship in San Francisco, placing the censorship of motion pictures with the people of San Francisco themselves, as well as the producers. “The only censor of motion pictures in San Francisco today is the Chief of Police. He was authorized and empowered in that license to look at the pictures that perhaps at some time might need censorship ; and I can honestly tell you, gentlemen, that I don’t believe there has been three occasions in almost six years where the Chief of Police has been called upon to prohibit the exhibiting of a motion picture in San Francisco. And we are proud, we city officials of San Francisco, to tell you that San Francisco was one of the first, if not the first, large city in the United States to abolish the censorship of motion pictures. We believe that the producers today who are investing their money and their time in this industry, and that the exhibitors, as well as the people, shall be the ones to say what shall be and what shall not be suppressed. The Board of Supervisors has at all times tried to cooperate with the producers, as well as the exhibitors, and it has always been a pleasure to work with them in San Francisco.” Senator Wolf, one of the wisest and ( Continued on page 605)