Motography (Jul - Dec 1915)

444 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIV, No. 10. WORLD FILM DIVISION MANAGERS DISCUSS EQUITABLE ALIGNMENT For three days during the past week the division managers of the World Film Corporation were in executive session in New York City, for the purpose of having placed before them a general sales campaign for the new Equitable program, which World Film will put out beginning September 20, and a general course of instructions on the sales development work and the territorial handling for that company. The five division managers in attendance were George J. Schaefer, eastern division manager, New York; Denham Palmer, east central division manager, Cleveland; W. W. Drum, west central division manager, Chicago; W. E. Knotts, western division manager, San Francisco ; and Jos. E. Klein, southern division manager, New Orleans. The first three days and most of the first three nights were spent entirely with the assistant general manager, Harry C. Drum, in reviewing and outlining in great detail the general sales development methods and business systems which he has inaugurated for the World Film Corporation. After these were thoroughly gone into, detailed and discussed at great length, a general consideration of the film business and work of the World Film Corporation was gone over and advance methods for the The division managers. From left to right, I. Klein, Atlanta; IV. W . Drum, Chicago; H. C. Drum, New York; IV. E. Knotts, San Francisco; Denham Palmer, Cleveland, and G. L. Schaefer, New York. future handling of the film business were outlined and recorded. One of the most advanced and thorough methods of sales development and sales handling ever established in any commercial line was thoroughly outlined by the assistant general manager, and same is being compiled and put in book form for distribution throughout the World Film Corporation branches and the World Film division managers. Its commercial value has already been commented on by prominent men in other well known commercial lines, and it is unquestionably by far the nearest approach to commercialization of the film game that has been attempted up to the present time. Tuesday night, Lewis J. Selznick, vice president and general manager of the World Film Corporation and vice president and advisory director of the Equitable Film Corporation, held a reception to the division managers, at which time he, with A. Spiegel, president of the Equitable Film Corporation, and Milton Work, chairman of the executive board of the World Film Corporation, reviewed the work that had been accomplished and went over in detail the plans outlined and adopted, and all of them were enthusiastic in pronouncing them by far the best they had ever seen. They also expressed their assurance that these methods and the men handling them would unquestionably give to the World Film Corporation the maximum possibilities to be obtained in any territory. Mr. Selznick made a most encouraging speech to the boys from the field, offered a great many helpful suggestions on the plans which had been adopted, criticised them, carefully reviewed the efforts which he had put forth to give to them the strongest program he thinks can be offered by any concern in the film game today. He furthermore gave them the assurance that in his broadness he had not failed to take into consideration and correct the mistakes which had been made in the past, and that he was constantly laboring for the World Film Corporation and its relation to exhibitors as well as to employees, and that they might expect from him and his company in the future a program which could not be equaled, also the solidity of business principles which would not alone assure them of their future, but assure their customers of the utmost in co-operative business dealings at all times. Wednesday morning was consumed in a general outline of the Equitable sales campaign as outlined by the assistant general manager, the party being joined by Felix Feist, secretary and general manager of the Equitable Film Corporation. A campaign for the efficient development of the entire United States on advanced commercial lines was outlined and adopted and the division managers were thoroughly acquainted with the Equitable proposition, its creation, purposes and its product. They were unusually enthusiastic in their praise of the Equitable proposition, and with the wonderful subject of "Trilby" as their first release, they gave every assurance that the Equitable program would in its first week surpass most of the programs which have been on the market for years. Wednesday afternoon was entirely devoted to the consideration of departmental details of the home office and a reviewal of the auditing, purchasing, advertising and film departments, as they relate to the branches. The division managers departed for their respective territories Wednesday night and are now busy inaugurating in their branches the various methods and systems which were outlined at this meeting, as well as pushing to rapid completion the sales campaign for the Equitable. HENR Y JAMES JOINS BR OTHER ARTHUR IN METRO ORGANIZATION Metro Pictures Corporation announced on Tuesday that it had signed up Henry James, formerly of the Mutual Film Corporation. Henry James will be associated with his brother Arthur James in the advertising and publicity work of the Metro, and will engage immediately on a special campaign. Henry James made an enviable record as business, advertising and circulation manager of Reel Life, and as the result of his expert handling that publication was turned from a money loser into a profit maker in twelve months. He brings to his new position special training in efficiency and economy methods as, prior to his entry into the motion picture industry he headed one of the largest selling organizations in Europe, the Orient and the Antipodes. The two brothers, working together, hope to create some entirely new and original publicity work.