Moving Picture World (Sep 1919)

September 20, 1919 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1825 Rochester Houses Raise Prices; Rising Cost of Living Is Reason FOLLOWING the upward trend of everything that enters into the cost of living, practically all of the motion picture houses in Rochester have announced a boost in prices. It is pointed out by the managers that while the price of every other commodity has increased during the war, the only increase in admission to picture houses was a few cents to even up the war tax to make a round number price for ticket and tax combined. In some cases even this was not done, but prices were lowered a few cents to take care of the war tax. A statement given out by a downtown manager is as follows : "When the prices were originally boosted by the application of the war tax, we did not increase our rates at all. Our prices had been 5 and 10 cents, and we made the regular admission 4 and 9, which with the 1 cent war tax made the same price IHIUIHIINIIUliJIWIIIIMIIIlNtlllHinilllllll IIIIIIHIIIIIIIMIIIIIIUIIIIUIIimilllllKIIII 11(111 Illllllllllll Constant-Iy Beautiful Is Constance Binney, Realart star, coming in "Erstwhile Susan." Universal Screen Magazine Permits No Advertising IT is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for advertising to get into the Universal Screen Magazine," is the statement made by Hal Hodes, managing editor of the novelty release produced by Universal. According to Mr. Hodes, a number of the producers of the novelty releases of today are openly soliciting advertising in their short subjects. Mr. Hodes states that the exhibitor is not interested, nor is the public, in reading advertisements which are meant to be entertaining and which are exploited through a motion picture reel. "To give the exhibitor a magazine containing camouflaged advertising is to perpetrate a downright fraud upon him, since he is not getting the reel he pays for." Within the past six months Universal records show a 40 per cent, increase in the booking of this subject. as before. This was taking the war tax from our own pockets, but we believed the public appreciated it. Film Rental Increases. "It is absolutely necessary that we increase our rates of admission now, with the sudden increase of rental prices on films. In some cases it is impossible to get a certain film by offiering double what the rental price was before the increase. The present rates on films have been greatly increased and we find it necessary to make the increase in admission." This statement also applies to a number of other houses where the scale of prices has been higher. In some houses the price was advanced 5 cents to include war tax and in others it remained stationary, the tax being practically paid by the house, the price of the ticket being nominally lower. It is further explained that, in addition to the cost of film, musicians, operators, stage hands and all other employes are receiving higher wages than before. The new scale of prices range up to 35 cents, including tax, in the downtown houses. Specially Trained Men for Educational Exchange HEARTY commendation of the establishment by the non-theatrical distribution department of Famous Players-Lasky Corporation of special Paramount educational exchanges in the leading . cities of the country is voiced by numerous clergymen, educitors and officers of clubs, according to David K. Niles, general manager of the non-theatrical distribution department. "By establishing these special exchanges for the service of civic leaders who are interested in the wider use of motion pictures," said one New York clergyman, "the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation gives notice that it appreciates the magnitude of the non-theatrical field and is willing to go more than half way to help us who see in the motion picture a great force for civic good." It is announced by Mr. Niles that the men who will be stationed in these special Paramount educational exchanges will be trained to the viewpoint of clergymen and educators as regards pictures for non-theatrical use, and also will be in a position to help them solve the numerous problems of projection, exploitation, etc., which, although familiar to exhibitors, are practically new to men and women who are just breaking into the motion picture business. Mr. Niles also emphasizes his previous announcement that the pictures to be distributed to the Paramount-Educational exchanges will not in any way place churches, schools and clubs in competition with regular theatres. New Laboratory for Universal. Walter Almazov, civil engineer and for several years an expert laboratory superintendent, well known in the industry, is superintending the construction of a new laboratory at Fort Lee, N. J., for the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, which is to have a capacity of 5,000,000 feet per week. Gladys Leslie Vitagraph's' golden-haired star now in "The Gray Towers Mystery." linituNiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiuiiiiiiiuiiiitiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiniiiii^tiriinuiiiiiMiiMiiiitiiiuiiinillllll Famous Players Announce Two September Releases SCHEDULED for general release on September 14, simultaneously with the George Loane Tucker production, "The Miracle Man," which is now playing pre-release engagements in several of the biggest theatres in the country, is "The Third Kiss," a ParamountArtcraft picture in which Vivian Martin is starred. This is Miss Martin's first picture released under the selective booking plan. Heliodore Tenno wrote the original story from which "The Third Kiss" is adapted, and it appeared in two installments in the November and December issues of Live Stories. Edith M. Kennedy wrote the scenario and Robert G. Vignola directed the production. In this picture Miss Martin, whose name has always been associated with photoplays of innocent young girlhood, with an abundance of light comedy, is said to appear in a characterization of a sort in which she has never before been seen. Supporting Miss Martin are Harrison Ford, Robert Ellis, Kathleen Kirkham, Thomas D. Persse, Edna Mae Cooper and Jane Keckley. The cameraman was Frank E. Garbutt. Joseph W. Stern & Co. have published a song of the same title. uiiiifmHiiiiiiriiiniiiiiiiiiihiiiitiifmiMiimiiriiiiiiiijtiiiiiitriiiiiiiitiiin>iituitmt«iiaiiHiitfM~uiraiiiifliiHiiiiu Ethel Clayton Puts the sport into "A Sporting Chance" and many another Paramount-Artcrafter.