Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1922)

1104 Motion Picture N eu Cant We Have Some Keal Utility Copy?” By Charles M. Stetson, Advertising Department of San Diego UniorvTribune SINCE pictures have become America’s greatest educator, and, in proportion, the advertising of pictures has graduated to “ exploitation,” it does seem that the men who spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for exploitation literature — perhaps to justify the rentals they collect for their films — could be brought to the realization that the men who finally exhibit the pictures have kept pace with the times and have fortified their house budget with comparatively capable advertising men, familiar with local conditions, who, with proper assistance from the exploitation bureau of the producer could turn out real merchandise picture copy — in other words, copy that would really pull in the people. It has been my own experience in some five years of constant theatrical campaigning to be forced to discard approximately 90 per cent of the “canned copy” and fully one half of the cuts and matrices furnished from the producers. It has also become necessary in hundreds of instances to have to hurry art work through the engraving shops in order to develop display even worthy of public attention. It seems a foolish extravagance on the part of the producer to allow the “ exploitation ” geniuses to spend so much money on really useless prepared copy and “ news stories ” that the editor of a weekly gazette of 126 circulation wouldn’t dare to print for fear of losing all his profits. Is it not barely possible that shrewd Paramount Exploiteers in Two New Exchanges THE Paramount exploitation service has been extended to the Dominion of Canada and to the Portland, Me., territory, as the first two steps in the expansion of the department planned by S. R. Kent, general manager of distribution of Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. Claud Saunders picked Leon J. Bamberger, exploiteer of the Minneapolis Paramount exchange to do the pioneer work in Canada. Bamberger was winner of the gold watch offered by the firm for the best exploitation stunt for Paramount week. Charles E. Raymond of the St. Louis exchange, was chosen to open the exploitation service in Maine. The vacancy at Minneapolis caused by Bamberger's transfer has been filled by Max R. Doolittle, who has been at the Cleveland exchange. Harry Royster, Des Moines, takes Doolittle’s place, and a new exploiteer, John C. Ingram, has been assigned to the Des Moines post. Mr. Saunders has transferred A. Mike Vogel, who has had the double-barrelled assignment of the Portland, Ore., Seattle exchanges, to St. Louis to succeed Raymond, Vogel’s old job in the Northwest is temporarily open. Press Books — and the Waste Paper Basket New York, Feb. 4, 1922. Mr. Wm. A. Johnston, Editor Moving Picture News, 729 Seventh Ave., N. Y. My Dear Mr. Johnston: After an extended trip through the middle and northwestern states in behalf of the Swedish Biograph Company, I thought you might be pleased to know that in the great number of theatres and exchanges that it was my pleasure to visit, I noticed in every instance a copy of the Motion Picture News always occupied a prominent place on the desks of the various exhibitors’ offices. It might also interest you to know that in a number of talks with various editors of newspapers, some interesting facts were brought to light as to the large amount of money wasted annually in the mailing of expensive press books, etc., as a number of editors remarked, the majority (with some exceptions) of thesi books usually found their way to large waste baskets. When I asked the reason for the books landing in such an important place as the waste basket, the reply in most cases was the bulk of material contained in most press books was of a technical nature and that newspapers desired short, snappy interesting stories. In some theatres, too, from my observation I judge the old paper collectors reap a harvest from discarded press books. Should the small amount of information contained in this communication be of slight interest to you, you have my permission to do with it as you deem fit. With kindest personal regards, I am, Yours very sincerely, Joseph F. Lee. employment of an editorial desk man on the “ literary ” end of the press sheet of a production, and a really capable display man on the advertisements in the press sheet would not only save the producer a lot of money, but — as the exhibitor finally pays these bills — work to the advantage of the exhibitor? It certainly would be a relief if, out of some hundred or so press books, the local advertising man could pick up a book of “ canned copy ” that he could clip and “ shoot ” verbatim.. It would save him time and money and might give him some original ideas. I have noticed a good many suggestions in the press books in \he past years for the development of business, but to my knowledge I have yet to find the suggested “ stunt ” that my advertising manager and business manager would shoot the “staff” out on for the development of copy business. The newspapers are just as anxious for copy as is the theatre for a good “ hookup ” stunt, but there seems to be a dearth of ideas in the “ exploitation ” offices E the producing companies, and as a resit many pictures with a dozen “hook-ujj1 angles go unheralded. Instead of “gems” of literatuie, hig| sounding phrases and 7-point Roman fill in matter in some of the matrices, wir don’t the “ exploitation ” offices grind 0* a few black face condensed title lint, with the name of the star (if he or she , really a popular star), is good tall, f; black letters? Why don’t they inclu' some insert “ thumb-nail ” portrait cu and a good contrast 60-screen cut for dil play copy purposes? Or a few borde designed to “ stand out,” no matter whe the ad would be buried in publication. * An outburst of this character must ' • general among the theatres all over tl country that wait patiently until abo *'iree days before their picture engag ment starts, only to find that the literatu” and matrices haven’t an ounce of pun or one really original business-getting su " gestion. Give us some big title lines, L condensed fat black face drawings— n ; type — plain reading, the kind a lady >L eighty can see without her glasses. Gi ". us illustrative matter that can be workif into a 4 column by twelve inch layout 1\ something like this. Advertising and dir play copy men all over the United StaC that are handling theatrical copy wou^ appreciate anything of this sort. ft Ten New Companies Incorpc rated in New York TEN companies entered the motion picture business in New Y ork state during the past week and filed papers in the secretary of state’s office, noting the following directors and capitaliza-r tion: Joe LeBlang’s Ticket Office, Inc.," $5,000, William Kaufman, Edward N. and c Harry Bloomberg, New York CityirGeorge H. Hamilton, Inc., $10,000, George . H. and L. W. Hamilton, T. O. Elten-; head, New York; Public Service Ticket" Office, Inc., $10,000, William Kaufman, rEdward N and Harry A. Bloomberg, New York; Tore, Inc., $10,000, Carl Reed,^ H. L. Cort, Solomon Goodman, New York; Vaudeville Productions, Inc., $20,r 000, Walter Brooks, Anton Scibilia,, George A. McCormick, New York; TheO. P. Company, $500, R. C. Roy, M. M. ~ Burke, A. C. Redmond, New York; Gradv . Productions, $10,000, Billy Grady, Wil-~ liam C. Fields, Ruth Stem, New York; Bell Harbor Corporation, $20,000, Alex-’ ander J. Granick, Abraham Shabsholo fri witz, Brooklyn, Jacob Bernstein, New York; Baron Productions, Inc., $1,000, " Harry Baron, Dora Cahane, William Roubert, New York; the Phloe Studios,!, 65,000, Buffalo, Einar Symonds, C E. Petterson, G. G. Burg, Buffalo.