Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

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mv 1220 MOTOGRAPHY Goldfish Cheered By Prosperity in West Returns to New York and Advises Other Producers to Get Away Often If They Would Shake Off Pessimism READY to carry into immediate execution the doubling of Goldwyn's annual output, Samuel Goldfish has returned from California expressing greater confidence in the development of Goldwyn and the expansion of motion picture popularity than he has shown at any time in the last two years. Mr. Goldfish while away covered ten thousand miles of territory, saw important exhibitors in most of the large cities and came in contact with the owners of both the big and little houses in the western half of America. "Every producer should take at least a semi-annual trip to the Pacific Coast," says Mr. Goldfish, "for such trips would destroy the cynical and ofttimes pessimistic outlook which New York associations and lobby lounging induces. "The exhibitors of the West, large and small, are too busy, too prosperous, too busily devoted to building bigger houses to take care of their patronage to take time for pessimism. In Los Angeles the Kehrlein brothers are finding their handsome new Kinema theatre taxed to capacity and I was happy to arrange with them to become the first-run customers of Goldwyn pictures, thereby giving our productions a home where increased house capacity will enable vastly more residents of Los Angeles to see them. "Sid Grauman has made an instantaneous success with his new $1,000,000 Grauman Theatre and deserves all possible praise for his courage in building such a costly and beautiful structure. Always fine and aggressive showmen, the Graumans are now attaining the greatest success of their lives, which they well deserve. "In San Francisco I learned from Mr. Turner of the big Turner and Dahnken circuit, that patronage conditions have never before come anywhere near equalling their present levels. These two showmen's greatest regret is that their popular Tivoli theatre is not twice as large. "Eugene Roth's faith in the present and the future of the motion picture is advertised to the wrorld in his beautiful and remarkable California Theatre, which from the day that its doors were opened has played to capacity business without lessening even in the smallest degree the attendance at his Portola theatre, which immediately adjoins the California. "Howard Sheehan of the Sheehan and Lourie partnership, which owns the Rialto, has made a tremendous success by good showmanship and a skilled knowledge of presentation, and since my departure from the Coast has purchased two other theatres in nearby cities. "Contact with men of this sort has built anew my increased faith in the solidity of American exhibitors. All of these men have the big, broad viewpoints that prevail in all other successful businesses, and the bigness of their viewpoints should and does stimulate every producer in the industry." Mr. Goldfish points out to Secretary of War Baker and Provost Marshal General Crowder the vital essentiality of the motion picture in war time and urges both of these officials to give earnest attention before depleting the picture industry of too many men. "It has been a pleasure to find our governmental officers recognizing the essentiality of the stage and screen," says Mr. Goldfish. "The government view that the theatre and other amusements should be encouraged and sustained is both just and wise. "The motion picture industry is the biggest help the government has in winning the war. Through the picture theatres is the one great way of spreading propaganda and information. The pictures have helped in all the great drives for money. There are more than 18,000 four-minute men speaking in the theatres and other amusement places of the country. Take away the pictures and you at once lower the morale of the nation. "The screen is supporting the morale on the other side, too. The government called in the producers and asked us to hurry and send pictures to Europe to foil Vol. XIX, No. 26 the German propaganda, which is telling that America is as autocracy ridden as Russia, so we sent the pictures of American homes and the way people work and play here. "The government also must have pictures for the soldiers of the cantonments and camps. Amusement is necessary to keep them happy. You can only have a stage show once in a while, but you can have the motion picture theatre all the time, on the ocean as well as at home. Motion pictures are essential and the men who act in them, distribute them and produce them are of vital service to the nation, especially at this time." Lees Entertain Belgians A feature of an entertainment given recently at Bayside, Long Island, by the residents of that town for 300 visiting Belgian soldiers, was the singing, dancing and speech-making of Jane and Katherine Lee, the Fox "baby grands," who went to the Long Island town between scenes in their latest production, "Doing Their Bit." "Ladies and gentlemen," said Katherine, "this is my sister, Jane. I am Katherine. We have both worked in moving pictures a very long time and we like it very much and we're very glad to be with you." Jane's speech was in verse and made a big hit with the audience. Jane said: You'd scarce expect a little girl like me To come up here where all can see And make a speech as well as those Who wear the grandest kind of clothes. But I like you And if you like me; .Then size don't count, We will agree." As souvenirs of the occasion Jane and Katherine were presented with a cartridge brought from the front, a button from a uniform worn in battle and a button from the uniform of a German prisoner. A scene from "Kareteur," an Outing-Chester picture to be released by Mutual.