Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

758 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIX, No. 16. United Theatres Illustrates its Plan New Booklet Shows How a Short Subject Could Be Shown by Small House for Sixty-five Cents IN THE form of a fourteen-page booklet of convenient pocket size, United Pictures Theatres of America has published the details of its plan for the information of exhibitors. The most interesting part of the book concerns the proposed buying of negative rights and the. fixing of rentals according to the rating of the individual members. Since the organization will make its own positive prints, it will go into the picture market for negatives only. Negative cost is figured on "the certified detailed studio cost of each picture with the addition of a reasonable percentage for producer's profit." To the above must be added the expense of making the necessary prints and the comparatively small distributing expense of the co-operative organization. The book takes up a five-reel feature which costs the society $50,000 altogether, and then calculates what each class of members is to pay. These classes range from the first-run or Class A house, which is charged one onethousandth of the total cost, down through the later-run theatres to the Class E establishment which shows the pictures last and pays but one ten-thousandth of the cost. The table of charges for the $50,000 picture is as follows : Class A, $50; Class B, $25; Class C, $16.66; Class D, $10; Class E, $5. On a similar plan the cost of a $6,500 single-reel comic is prorated from a top price of $6.50 for the Class A house down to $1.30 for Class D and sixty-five cents for Class E. The new prospectus also makes it plain that the society is not producer-controlled or financier-controlled. "Democratic control is assured," it is said, "since United Picture Theatres will be your organization through your stock ownership and the power to elect directors from year to year is in your hands." Another fact emphasized is the absence of -any stock-jobbing element. The funds being raised by subscriptions to the extent of 90 per cent of the total are "deposited in a special fund, and the company agrees not to touch any of it except in accordance with the terms of the contract. As soon as 2,000 booking days are obtained — that is, $500,000 altogether — the plan of cooperative buying will be put into operation." In the event of failure to obtain 2,000 booking days, the 90 per cent of the subscriptions trusteed in bank will be returned to the subscribers, who will then be out only the small amount spent in attempted organization. "Even this little 10 per cent," the statement says, "should be regarded in the light of a film insurance, much like your fire hazard, liability or other insurance ; it is as much for your protection as any other kind of insurance." The officers of the United Picture Theatres express the fullest confidence that the organization will be a success and they predict a substantial reduction of film. rentals as well as other savings and benefits incidental to co-operative buying. The officers are Lee A. Ochs and Louis F. Blumenthal, prominent exhibitors; C. R. Seelye, former sales director of World, Vitagraph and Pathe ; and C. M. Rosenthal and M. M. Goldsmith, the latter being counsel of the Motion Picture Exhibitors'' League. Star Has Sympathetic Role Up to the time that Louise Glaum became a Paralta star, her great reputation in the motion picture world had been built up largely upon her ability to portray roles which combined the vampire type of characterization and that of sympathetic delineation. With the undertaking of her first production under the Paralta banner, which has just been completed under the direction of Wallace Worsley, from Monte M. Katterjohn's story, Miss Glaum will be introduced as a thoroughly sympathetic character, at certain episodes of the story, however, having an opportunity to display those rare qualities which have made her delineation of intensely dramatic roles famous. The title of the story is "An Alien Enemy." The scenes are laid around the history of a German-American born girl of high ideals and instincts, who, though having been reared in the midst of an American nest of German "Kultur" enthusiasts, is able, through the course of stirring events of international politics, to surmount the bonds laid upon her by her Prussian ancestry and associates, and emerge as a thoroughly loyal American. A neiv picture of Norma Talmadge, Select star, who has just begun work on "De Luxe Annie." "Unclaimed Goods" Is Praised The exhibitor who knows the appeal of a Vivian Martin picture of the Paramount brand — and there are no others — may rest assured, according to the promises of the releasing organization, that her newest film, "Unclaimed Goods," will please his patrons, in colloquial parlance, down to the ground. The novelty of seeing dainty Vivian sent as an express package to a mining town, held for charges, fed with the calves and chickens, and otherwise treated as so much merchandise, would in itself be sufficiently novel to attract and hold the attention, but Paramount insists that there is a lot more to the story — a charming romance, a lot of exciting episodes with bad. men, gamblers and other western types, and withal a connected plot affording the star and the supporting cast many real opportunities for original character depiction; and realistic acting.