The Moving Picture Weekly (1917-1919)

" Universal Pictures Are My Best Bet " FOR six years without a break, W. E. Stewart, of Concord, N. C, has presented Universal pictures. To-day Mr. Stewart is a man of considerable wealth, is the owner and manager of The Pastime Theatre, a loyal booster of Universal Pictures and an exhibitor who enjoys th)e complete confidence of his patronage. Opening The Pastime Theatre somewhat more than six years ago, Mr. Stewart was in a position where he must get pictures with pulling power yet available at a fair price. He chose Universal pictures when Universal Pictures were, so to speak, in their toddling days. Mr. Stewart's patronage steadily grew. The Pastime became a money-making proposition, for fair while Universal also grew by leaps and bounds. To-day Mr. Stewart is more partial to Universal's features and short subjects than he was two years ago or five years ago. "The whole thing is explained in the old phrase, 'There's a reason,' and the reason I book heavily of Universal offerings is because the pictures please my patrons and draw the crowds and keep the box office total high in profits," declared Mr. Stewart. "When I opened The Pastime Theatre at Concord, I had to have pictures which would insure the success of the theatre from the start. I had had experience in the exhibiting game in South Carolina, and had sold out to start anew and alone. In those early days, my pictures cost me from $40 to $50 per week, but now I play pictures, and always Universal when one is available, that cost me every week from SAYS W. E. STEWART OF THE PASTIME THEATRE OF CONCORD, N. C. AN INTERVIEW BY J. A. DALY. seven to ten times as much. And, I'm still making money as fast as I did in the old days. The theatre has been moved twice to more advantageous locations, and the admission chai'ges increased in keeping with the higher quality of pictures presented after each removal. I find the film fans are not as particular over the admission price as the quality of the picture. And, they do not want just a feature picture, but they demand and receive a varied show each day at The Pastime. That's the reason I book so much short stuff, and you know my failing for Universal comedies, westerns and special two-reelers. As to Universal's serials, I guess my record can't be beat and seldom is equalled — I run every episode of every Universal serial. Since I don't care to run them twice, I guess that's about all I can do in the way of presenting the serials." The Universal publicity manager remarked at this juncture that "this interview must have a headline, so frame me up a snappy sentence expressing your opinion of Universal's product at present." The exhibitor chewed hard on his faithful black cigar and asserted: "In quality, quantity, variety Universal pictures are my best bet." Later Mr. Stewart sent the exchange a photograph of the original Pastime Theatre and one recently taken of the front of the fine new Pastime Theatre. DON CARLOS ELLIS JOINS UNIVERSAL EDUCATIONAL. J)ON CARLOS ELLIS, film chief of the United States Department of Agriculture, has resigned from his Government post to take charge of pedagogical production for the Educational Department of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, under the direction of Harry Levey, the general manager. Mr. Ellis has been a member of the Department of Agrictulture for twelve years and in charge of its motion picture division for the last two years. Under his supervision, the Department of Agriculture became the leader among government departments in educational film production and has for the past year released an average of five hundred feet of new subjects a week of a quality considered by educational experts as the equal of any instructional film ever produced. Mr. Levey, referring to his selection of Mr. Ellis, said: "I consider that few men in the film world are so well equipped to supervise the production of pedagogical films, and I regard his addition to our educational department as an assurance of a very high standard in the quality of our instructional films for school."