Motography (Jan-Jun 1917)

March 17. 1917. MOTOGRAPHY 559 What Theater Men Are Doing AN OPEN FORUM FOR EXHIBITORS 1 This is a department of, by and for exhibitors. We want YOU represented here. Other managers and proprietors o] picture theaters want to hear YOUR experiences, your opinions and your advice. Write to this department telling us yout story, how you started, how you grew and all about your theater and how you manage it. Mention your advertising methods and your lobby displays. If possible send in photographs of yourself and your house. Address, The Forum Motography, Chicago. Trouble with Exchange Dividing Service IF a theater introduces and advertises the pictures of certain producers releasing on the same program, that theater should be entitled to protection against the use of the same pictures by another theater in competition with the exhibitor who first put his investment in time, money and property at the disposal of these producers, according to the opinion of at least one exhibitor who has had the experience. Eugene Saunders, manager and proprietor of the Palace Theater, at Harvard, Illinois, staked the success of his theater on the merits and popularity of the films handled through one of the established services. A longer or shorter length of time is required in which to educate the public to the worth of any one producer's pictures, or a program, and to create a demand for those pictures, just as a market must be found for any article of merchandise by first creating a demand. If the demand already exists, then the sale of the article is assured. Mr. Saunders believes there is no difference between selling motion picture productions to the public and selling soap or perfumes. The merchant who ventures to be the pioneer in his town is entitled to benefit from the trade that comes when his brands of soap and perfume become known and are demanded by the public. His agreement with the manufacturer calls for the exclusive agency for the goods which he has introduced. The parallel between the merchant's and the exhibitors cases will be noted in the following letter addressed to Motography by Mr. Saunders. He praises the policy of the K. E. S. E. exchanges in this regard, as the Palace Theater uses the K. E. S. E. service. He writes : Although I am a small unit in the motion picture world, I am one of the thousands that go to make up the great picture industry. I have been in the business since it first started, owning my own house. Previous to that I was in the show business. During these many years I have done business with various exchanges in Chicago with different experiences, and the greatest oposition I have had to contend with has been when mushroom exhibitors have started up, and then for the film houses to furnish them with the same service I had been using, after I had spent many dollars to advertise their actors and service. I started with the K. E. S. E. service some months ago, and it is a source of great pleasure for me to note the fact that their method of treating the exhibitor is upon a standard that cannot but help the placing of the film industry on a more solid foundation. Every production of theirs to me has been a special in my house and has built up my business with a class of people that has not been in the habit of attending picture shows. They have given me protection, also helping me with ideas, and have cheerfully come to my assistance in cases of troubles. This is far different from a film house in Chicago whose service I had been using for over six months without a miss, cash in advance for as high as four pictures, spending money and time in educating the public to their stars and service. And now that it is being well patronized, they divide their service and give it to a man of only three weeks' experience in the picture building, who rents a show house in a store building, thus giving my opposition the benefit of my six months' advertising. They do not make anything, for I quit their service, and the man that they have given it to may possibly stay in business a year and he may stay only a month or so. A "Motography" Program Cover There are as many different kinds of program covers as there are different kinds of neckties. And it takes more brains to make a praiseworthy example of the former than of the latter. A program involves all the principles of design, good taste and advertising. We are ■THE LOGAN THEATRE showing herewith a reproduction of a program cover which is rather better than ordinary. It is the organ of the Logan Theater of Philadelphia. It is not elaborate ; that is not the aim of the good cover. But it is attractive, simple, in good taste and has distinct advertising value. The cut of L e n o r e Ulrich shown was borrowed from Motography, and, Motography was only too glad to loan it to the Logan. And that same magazine which always renders any service it possibly can to exhibitors, will also be glad to loan you any cut that you see in its pages which would be of use to you. Write us any time you see a cut you want. But we must be notified immediately after you get the issue in which you saw the cut you desire, as the half-tones accumulate so rapidly that it is impossible to keep them very long on file. Try some of the attractive half-tones that appear in Motography. Perhaps you can build a program A Motography cut was used to make this attractive cover. We'll lend you any cut you say. Read this story.