Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1918)

1224 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD March 2, 1918 active state rights selling campaign. Among the selling points are George Larkin's tremendous draught as a "stunt" star; the feats, themselves, surpassing anything previously done in this line; the romance and glory of athleticism, so dear to American audiences, and the many fascinating types of physical beauty presented. George Larkin is to make another picture for the Physical Culture Company probably under next summer's sunny skies, but in the meantime is considering an offer from .a large program corporation to star in a serial. Mr. Larkin is best known to fandom as the hero of "Trey o' Hearts" and "Grant, Police Reporter." Manufacturer to Exhibitor Plan Progresses Pettijohn, Rapf, Golden and Levine Touring Country Report Satisfactory Results in Interesting Theater Men in New Project. PRODUCERS' and Exhibitors' Affiliated have received a telegram signed by Joe Hopp, of the American Exhibitors' Association, and Louis Frank, of the Motion Picture Exhibitors' League, of America, reading as follows: "We both just promised Pettijohn that we would bury the hatchet and put over this exhibitors' relief offered by you at tomorrow's meeting. It's good enough to make us shake hands. (Signed.) "JOE HOPP and L. FRANK." Another item of interest is a telegram from C. C. Pettijohn and Harry Rapf announcing that the direct booking plan has been accepted and approved in Ohio, and a committee of nine has been appointed to incorporate and guarantee the quota. C. C. Pettijohn and Harry Rapf left New York last Sunday for Chicago representing the Producers' and Exhibitors' Affiliated to carry on a vigorous campaign for, the direct booking plan in the Middle West. Their success has exceeded their highest hopes. They took with them Herbert Brenon's "The Passing of the Third Floor Back," in which Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson makes his American debut on the screen. Joseph A. Golden, who has just returned from a trip to the South, states he has closed negotiations covering Maryland, North and South Carolina, Delaware, District of Columbia, which will be handled by H. M. Crandall, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. Louis Levine, after a trip to Albany,, where he conferred with up-stla,te exhibitors, announces that arrangements were made covering New York State with the exception of New York City; also that at a meeting of the New Jersey exhibitors, held at the Robert Treat Hotel, Newark, on February 12, the plan was adopted; further, that New York and eastern Pennsylvania exhibitors have joined. A representative of the Producers and Exhibitors Affiliated advises that their plan is being welcomed by exhibitors in all parts of the country, and they are in receipt of very encouraging telegrams from many men prominent in the industry, including H. B. Varner of the M. P. E. L. of North Carolina, F. J. Herrington of Pittsburgh, Peter J. Jeup of Detroit, Alfred S. Black of Rockland, Maine, and S. C. Hurley of St. John, N. B., Canada; and Frank Rembusch wires that he is rounding up his territory with excellent results. LARKIN FINISHES "ZONGAR." Macfadden Romance Now Offered in Five Compact Reels of Death-Defying Stunts and Thrills. GEORGE LARKIN took his hat and coat and "blew" Bernard Macfadden's Physical Culture shop last Saturday. By mid-month Mr. Larkin's labors with "Zongar" were completed, a job he has been working steadily on since last summer. He shook hands heartily with the "governor," told him he would be ready next time to jump off Trinity steeple, make the transatlantic flight, or do any other little thing that might be required, said good-bye to the office staff, and went down the Flatiron building in the lift just like ordinary folks. For the last month Mr. Larkin and Mr. Macfadden have been working like majors in the assembly room till they got "Zongar" down to solid "meat." There are five reels of the stunt picture now. By trimming unessential action and retaining all the thrills they produced a truly hair-raising spectacle, the kind that the anaemic and weak-hearted should avoid, but the red-blooded will gloat over. The exploitation campaign opened in good earnest the first of February, with page advertising announcements and an Advertising for "The Eagle's Eye." An advertising campaign in co-operation with the exhibitor has been arranged for "The Eagle's Eye," the twenty-episode expose of the plottings of the German Government in this country. The campaign book maps out a campaign which, in detail, is as comprehensive for the local field as most noted campaigns have been in the national field. Six single column cuts for newspaper insertion or for use as "throwaways" constitute the beginning of tHe local campaign. These contain no direct reference to the picture, but are intended to arouse interest. One depicts the medal distributed throughout Germany to commemorate the sinking of the Lusitania. The direct display advertising has been prepared with the purpose of connecting it up closely to the publicity which has been given in newspapers everywhere to the subject matter of the serial as a whole and of each separate episode. Such titles as "The Song of Hate," "The Destruction of the Atlantic Fleet," "The Crime of the Ages" (across a picture showing the sinking of the Lusitania) and others feature each cut, followed by copy emphasizing the authenticity of the facts shown by the picture, attested by the authorship of the serial, which was written by W. J. Flynn, former chief of the V. S. Secret Service. The banners, heralds, slides, lobby displays and portraits, all are a departure from the ordinary in this line. The banner is in four colors and is manufactured of heavy waterproofed canvas, prepared to stand twenty weeks of any kind of weather. Novelty stunts are suggested for lobby or window display. Photographs of various articles of unusual interest, with methods for duplicating them at slight expense, and a description of how they can be incorporated into attractive displays are in this section of the book. Ciphers used by the German agents, which can be duplicated on a typewriter, are also shown with suggestions as to how they can be used as the basis of displays. "Redemption" for Pacific Coast. Julius L. Lazarus has purchased from the Nanuet Amusement Corporation the rights to Julius Steger's "Redemption," featuring Evelyn Nesbit and her son, Russell Thaw, for the territory including California, Nevada, and Arizona. He expects to open his offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. N. R. Greathouse has joined Mr. Lazarus in his new venture in the West. Mr. Lazarus states, while his previous motion picture activities have been confined to the East and Canada, he will make San Francisco his center of activity in the future. Jesse Levine with Magnet. Jesse Levine, who will be in charge of the New York territory for the Magnet Film exchange, is one of the most popular film men in the New York territory. Mr. Levine started his film career with the Pathe exchange as booker. He then joined the World Film Corporation in the capacity of New York representative, later becoming assistant sales manager. He left this organization, becoming associated with the new Vitagraph Distributing Co., and while with the Vita Jesse Levine. graph was ranked with the top notchers. For the past year Mr. Levine represented the Metro in New York. He has a characteristic that is rare amongst film salesmen, but it has secured for him the lasting friendship of all exhibitors; that of eliminating misrepresentation from his business principles. While, at all times, he had his organization's interest at heart, at the same time he had in mind the interest of the exhibitors with whom he did business. Flynn Serial Used to Teach Police. Arrangements are being made for a private showing of "The Eagle's Eye" to the police and detective forces of every city in which Foursquare exchanges are located. The pictures will be shown as an educational feature, pointing out the methods employed by German agents and the methods used to circumvent them. The first episode shows the plot which resulted in the sinking of the Lusitania. Another is the plan to blow up the flagship Connecticut as she steamed at the head of the Atlantic fleet in the Hudson River in review for President Wilson. Still another episode shows the attempt to blow up the Hotel Ansonia in New York while the officers' ball, attended by many of the higher officers of the Atlantic fleet, was in progress. In this episode, as the guests entered the ballroom each was searched thoroughly for concealed articles by Secret Service operators, and not one of them even suspected it. The operators were attendants at the cloak rooms. Burstein Brings "The Orderly." Louis Burstein, president and general manager of the King-Bee Films Corp., has arrived in New York from Hollywood with the latest Billy West-King-Bee comedy entitled "The Orderly," which will be released on March 1. Seiver Books Jester Comedies. F. J. Fegan, of The Standard Film Corporation, St. Louis, advises that "The Recruit" will have its premier showing in that territory at William Siever's New Grand Central theater, one of the largest and handsomest theaters in Missouri; also, that Mr. Siever has booked all Jester comedies, not only for this theater, but for his downtown St. Louis house, the Grand Central theater, as well .