Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

622 Motion Picture News NEWSY BRIEFS FROM CENTRAL FILM BELT Chicago and the Mid-West T. hTaFaJoIv, ~repYeJeWYaYTv~e, VTo~s. 1aTc1ug~an ave. Hal Hode of Cosmopolitan Pictures, is spending a week in Chicago, making his headquarters at the local Paramount exchange. Mr. Hode is making a tour of eighteen leading motion-picture centers of the country with a view to getting first-hand information as to business conditions, and also getting in personal contact with the managers and salesman of the Paramount exchanges, which release Cosmopolitan pictures. Mr. Hode reports that he has visited Cincinnati and Indianapolis on the present trip and found that in Cincinnati, although the theatres were doing a fair business, business men in general were very pessimistic over the outlook, as forty-four thousand persons are out of employment in that city, and it is felt that business will pick up slowly there. Indianapolis, however, was just the opposite, conditions splendid and both motion-picture men and leaders in other industries were happy over the good business, and very optimistic as to the immediate outlook. He finds conditions favorable in Chicago with prospects for an early improvement in theatre attendance excellent. Mr. Hode also reported percentage engagements on the more important feature releases are becoming popular with exhibitors, who find this method of showing pictures more profitable and also declare it frees them from the necessity of taking the big chances which arise when they pay a straight price for the picture. Herman Stern, district manager for Universal, is suffering with two carbuncles on the back of his neck, but notwithstanding this handicap, has been gamely arriving at the office every day, although he has been forced to shorten his working hours. C. W. Hall, of Centralia, Illinois, reports that his new theatre, the Illinois, will open on January 16th with “ Molly O,” as its feature production. The Illinois was built at a cost of approximately $160,000 and will seat one thousand persons. Its architecture, decorations and equipment are of the highest class and make it one of the model theatres of the state. “ Penrod ” has been booked to open at Balaban & Katz's Chicago Theatre on the last of January, and it is understood that Wesley Barry will appear in person during the showing of this picture. Publicity Representative Walter Hill, of Universal, is arranging a special showing of “ The Leather Pusher” (two-reelers) for the press of Chicago, to which the sporting editors will be especially invited. This series of clever comedies is being widely exploited, and Short Subject Manager Alexander and the other Universal executives at Chicago predict that these two reelers will be splendid box-office attractions. The first issue of Illinois Filmland, the official publication of the Illinois Motion Picture Theatre Owners, has been mailed out to exhibitors of the state, and is a credit to its editor, William E. Jennings and W. D. Burford, its associate editor. According to the foreword this publication, which is in pamphlet form, will come out monthly and be mailed free of charge to every member of the Illinois Motion Picture Theatre Owners, and through its columns the editors hope to keep every exhibitor in the state informed of the progress and activities of the state and national organizations. Charles G. Epperson, manager of Famous Players Lasky’s Boston exchange, stopped off in Chicago for a brief visit en route to Minneapolis, where he will spend two weeks. Harold Baigh has been added to the sales force of Superior Screen Service, Inc., and will cover the Chicago northside territory. Harry W. Willard, recently manager of Realart’s Chicago office, has been appointed manager of Wid Gunning, Inc., exchange to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Sidney Goldman. Mr. Willard is one of the most popular exchange men in this territory where he has been connected with the film industry for several years in important positions. It is understood that Mr. Goldman has made a new connection, which he will announce in the course of a few days. Robert Cougle and Fred Jacoby have joined the Gunning sales force and both will cover out-of-town territory. Charles Bedford, connected with the Dempsey-Carpentier Official Pictures, has recovered from injuries sustained the day after Christmas when he was held up and badly beaten in Springfield, Illinois. William Weinshenker, who for some time past has been associated with Goldwyn’s Chicago exchange, is now connected with Griever Productions. Superior Screen Service has closed a deal with Juanita Wilms, Inc., through W. E. Sawyer, president, for the first six comedies to be released by Juanita Films, commencing January 15th. The territory secured by Superior on these comedies1 includes Northern Illinois and Indiana. W. L. McCloud, who was especially engaged by Joe Friedman, of Celebrated, to aid exhibitors in advertising and exploiting “ Why Girls Leave Home,” is meeting with exceptional success in his publicity efforts and already has put over a number of newspaper tie-ups, which have been of great help to exhibitors showing “ Why Girls Leave Home.” “ The Black Panther’s Cub,” Celebrated’s next important feature release, is pulling good business to the Ziegfeld where it opened Sunday. The unusually favorable criticisms received in the daily press are helping to make it a much talked about picture. J. E. Maple, of the Northwestern Motion Picture Corporation of Cheyenne, Wyoming, has been visiting in Chicago for several days. Clarence Phillips is now a member of Hodkinson’s Chicago staff as a salesman and will work Chicago territory. Messrs. Carey and Alexander, formerly operating the Empire theatre at Auburn, Ind., have bought the Hegewisch and Ontario theatres at Hegewisch, 111. Carey and Alexander have been in thf business for eighteen years. They bought the houses from M. S. Jonas, who is going into the real estate business in Chicago. Gus Cook, of the Crystal theatre, Dundee, 111., has returned from his annual big game hunt, which this year took him to Southern Alaska, with some splendid trophies, including a big grizzly pelt, a white fox and a mule deer. Mr. Cook went into the wilds of the far north and at one time was 500 miles from a railroad. He reports not only hunting in the north was good, but that business at his Dundee theatre is satisfactory. Manager Seery, of First National, and Manager Schwartz, of Education, are proudly exhibiting gold pencil and pen sets, which recently were presented to them by Christy Brothers of Educational. Manager Clyde Eckhardt, of Fox’s Chicago Exchange, announces that “ Over the Hill ” will run the week of February 5 at forty-five Chicago houses, outside of the Loop, at advanced prices. This is the largest number of houses ever playing a picture for a solid week, day and date, in the history of Chicago motion pictures. Manager Barbee, of Barbee’s loop theatre, has set a precedent for loop theatres by booking “ White Eagle,” Pathe’s fine serial, for a daily showing, and Manager Martin, of Pathe’s local exchange, is confident that it is an experiment which will prove a success. With the termination of the Dempsey-Carpentier pictures’ long and successful run, Barbee has also changed its policy as to admissions, which from now on will be twenty-five cents, including war tax. Manager H. W. Given, of Paramount, is greatly pleased over the large number of questionaires being filled in and returned by exhibitors throughout Illinois, as he believes the opinions of the exhibitors thus secured will enable the local Paramount exchange to co-operate with them in solving the problems of 1922. Mr. Given only sent out the questionaire, which covers questions of the best policies to adopt for the coming year, last week, and already has received over one hundred answers. Harry MacDonald, of Wid Gunning Inc., who has been in Chicago for the past ten days, will go to Minneapolis for a conference with the executives of Gunning’s Minneapolis exchanges this week, returning to Chicago, where he will remain for a few days, before going back to New York where his headquarters are located. Editors Given Credit for “Judgment” Work That the World Film Corporation is one organization which believes in giving credit where it is due is proven by the information that comes from the World offices concerning the work of Harry Chandlee and William B. Laub, who edited and wrote the subtitles for World’s successful super-feature, “Judgment!” It is stated that while “Judgment!” when it was received from Europe, was a production above the average in point of direction, settings, etc., its story was told in typical Continental fashion. It is stated that the suspense of the dramatic situations is due entirely to the work of Chandlee and Laub.