Moving Picture World (Jan-Feb 1922)

54 MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 7, 1922 Herman Robbins Now General Manager of Sales of National Screen Service HERMAN ROBBINS, who resigned as general sales manager of Fox Film Corporation to go into business for himself, announces he has affiliated himself with National Screen Service as general manager of its sales in the United States. “I have carefully analyzed National Screen Service in the past few months, its steady growth, and the unqualified praise it meets with wherever shown ; and I am keenly aware that it is only a question of time when the National Screen Service method, enabling the exhibitor to show in attractive film form instead of by slides his coming attractions with interesting, box office drawing extracts from those attractions, will be a requisite necessity in every theatre just as feature films, good music, comedies and news reels are now an integral part of his weekly and daily program,” Mr. Robbins said. “Every phase of theatre presentation has shown marked progress in recent Xo Albany Censors; Cobb Admits Films Are Generally Good There will be no reviewing of pictures at Albany by the New York State Motion Picture Commission, according to George H. Cobb, chairman. Mr. Cobb believes that producers and exchanges throughout the entire state can best be served by the present arrangement of reviewing all pictures at the New York office. Neither will there be any immediate additions to the road force, which consists of only one man, Ansel W. Brown. Later on, however, one or two more may be added. Mr. Cobb declared that the majority of the pictures submitted to the commission these days are so constructed that no eliminations are necessary. In fact, he said there are no wilful violations of the law these days on the part of either exchanges or producers. Additional furniture has just been added to the Albany office and from now on duplicates of all violations will be kept at the Albany bureau. This, said Mr. Cobb, will enable the attorney general to prosecute all violations from Albany and the reports covering these violations will be accessible at a moment’s notice. years except that of the exhibitor showing his future merchandise to his buying public. “I am highly gratified to he associated with Messrs. Poliak, Weinberg and Gruen, who are to be complimented for the high esteem in which National Screen Service is held by the thousand exhibitors who now subscribe to the service. I plan to create sales organizations for National Screen Service in the principal exchange centers throughout the country for direct personal contact with all exhibitors as to the value of this service to his patrons and to his box office.” Miners Aided By the Use of Pictures The use of motion pictures is an important feature of the educational work of the United States Bureau of Mines in promoting safety and health among miners, according to information received from that governmental department. The motion picture films in the possession of the Bureau of Mines are also lent to individuals or organizations which intend to show them for educational purposes, especially for the promotion of safety, health, welfare, and efficiency in the mining industry. They are not permitted to be shown where an admission fee is charged. Transportation charges are borne by the borrower. This service has proved so popular that requests for the loan of some films can be filled only in the order in which they are received. Most of the bureau’s films have been donated by co-operating agencies that are desirous of promoting educational work in the mining industry. During the past year a number of new films have been obtained, four of the most important being “The Story of Asbestos,” “The Story of Steel,” “The Story of Rock Drilling,” “The Story of Sulphur.” Mr. Leopold, of the Washington office of the bureau, conducts the co-operative work with mining and other companies for the making of films of educational character bearing on the mining industry, and renders technical assistance in the planning of the work of making the pictures. He has also made arrangements with motion picture companies so that the bureau receives copies of motion pictures of events of special interest to the mining public. The educational work of the Bureau of Mines is further promoted by the preparation of exhibits showing various phases of its work. During the past year exhibits of this character were shown at a number of state fairs, and in connection with the meeting of the American Mining Congress at Chicago. The bureau also maintains an exhibit of educational character at its Pittsburgh station. These exhibits have been valuable in pro moting a wider knowledge of the mining industry, not only by the general public but by those interested in the industry as well. Changes Itinerary Cecil B. De Mille has altered ther itinerary of his vacation trip, according to a cablegram received by his representative at the Lasky studio. The producer stated that he had delayed his departure from Rome until December 21 and expected to spend Christmas in Nice instead of Tunis as originally planned. Whether this change in dates means the abandonment of the producer’s trip to Northern Africa or merely its postponement cannot be determined. The cablegram carried the news of the change of dates without additional comment. German Director Here ( Continued from page 53) Born in Poland, Ernst Lubitsch was originally a tailor’s apprentice. He then became a super for Professor Max Reinhardt, and. gradually worked himself up to a speaking part under Reinhardt’s direction. It was from the great director that he received his production instruction. Lubitsch became well known as a character artist in Jewish roles, similar to characters played by Alexander Carr, Barney Bernard, etc. He later came under the management of Paul Davidson, and created on the screen the roles he had made well known on the stage. His first great picture was “Gypsy Blood.” Heand Pola Negri grew simultaneously. It was a great combination. He developed' into a master director, and she, a great: actress. He is a hard worker and makes it ai point never to show anybody any scene of his production during the entire period' of producing. It was he who produced1 “Gypsy Blood,” “Passion,” “One Arabiam Night” and “Deception.” In February of this year he entered! into a long term contract with the Hamilton Theatrical Corporation of New York: and started the producing of his first picture under that contract. The picture is entitled “The Wife of Pharaoh”' and was completed, after ten months of hard work, just one week before he* sailed. It required an aggregate of 126,000 extras in the course of filming. Lubitsch is unbelievably young, 29, and1 yet he has attained in the German filmi world the same position that Reinhardit has in the dramatic world. Mrs. Hamlin Dies Mrs. Saloma Hamlin, the mother off Thomas J. Hamlin, managing editor off Motion Picture Journal and managing editor of Associated Film Press, died irt Minneapolis Tuesday, December 27, at the age of seventy-five. Mr. Hamlin immediately left for Minneapolis.