Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1922)

751 December 23, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD In the Independent Field So) ROGER FERRI Newsy Items of the Market Here and There Irving Lesser, eastern manager of Principal Pictures Corporation, left on the Twentieth Century Tuesday afternoon for the Coast, where he will remain until after the holidays. He will spend the holidays with his folks and incidentally confer with Sol Lesser and Michael Rosenberg concerning Principal's 1923 plans. Another indeoendent distributor who left for the Coajst this week was Harry M. "Warner, head of Warner Brothers. Mr. Warner left on Thursday and is slated to arrive in Los Angeles next Monday. He has several important deals to close there. This is his second trip to the Coast in three weeks. Sam Grand of the Federated Film Exchange of Boston, following a trip to Chicago where he conferred with Joe Friedman of Celebrated Film Players Corporation in connection with Federated Exchanges’ matters, visited New York. He is negotiating with George Wiley for the New England rights to “Malcolm Strauss Salome,’’ which will be distributed in the independent market. The Loew Circuit in New York starts to show A1 Lichtman’s “Shauows” about January 8. The opening will be at the State Theatre on Broadway. It is said that Mr. Lichtman placed the picture with the Loew Circuit wit hout awaiting a lirst-run engagement because he did not want an opening at a big Broadway house, for it would have delayed the picture's general release until late in January. C. C. Burr’s “Sure Fire Flint,” starring Johnny Hines, will be the New Year’s week bill at B. S. Moss’ Cameo Theatre in New York, according to announcement made this week in New York. Edward Earle, star in Burton King’s two Arrow pictures, “Shylock of Wall Street” and “Streets of New York,” is making personal appearances in conjunction with the showing of those pictures at metropolitan theatres. The November list of “Pictures for Selected Programs,” used by the National Committee for Beter Films, in affiliation with the National Board of Review, have selected four Arrow comedies. These are “Why Not Now?” an Eddie Lyons two-reeler ; the Broadway comedy, “Stay Down East,” featuring Eddie Barry, and the Mirth Quake comedies. “One Stormy Orphan” and “No Luck,” starring Bobby Dunn. Hopp Hadley this week completed arrangements whereby "Oscar Lund’s production, “Love’s Old Sweet Song,” will be realesed through Norca Pictures, Inc. The picture features Louis Wolheim and Donald Gallagher. Independent Pictures Corporation, of which Jesse J. Goldberg is the head, announced this week that it had acquired the world rights to twelve two-reel Nick Carter detective stories, made by Murray W. Garsson, Inc., the first four of which have been completed. Post Nature pictures this week were sold to Balaban & Katz for northern Illinois, according to a report made by Holmes C. Walton who IS handling the distribution of these pictures. Kenneth Webb, who directed “S crets of Paris” for Whitman Be: nett, has completed his latest vaud ville sketch. “The Moth and H hiame, which Joe Hart Enterprise will produce for vaudeville houi presentations. The Week in Review That New Year’s week will be one replete with important announcements concerning the independent market in general is a fact with which those on the “inside” are well acquainted. Deals under way provide for the appearance in independent pictures of some of the best known stars on the screen. Because of the status of these deals, this department cannot at this time even hint at their identity. But their acquisition will further substantiate the contention that the “independent has arrived at last !” Another week and Christmas will have been here. And for the independents who worked conscientiously, industriously and energetically it will indeed be a merry, merry Christmas. We have everything to rejoice over. We are proud of the independent market and those interested in it. Its leaders have proven themselves real generals, they have overcome one of the most trying seasons this business has ever known — and what is more, they have emerged from the struggle triumphantly, stronger and far more powerful. Moving picture world takes this opportunity of thanking all those who so kindly and so willingly co-operated with us in giving the trade a newsy and up-to-date section. We have received hundreds of letters from exhibitors, exchangemen, producers, distributors, stars and directors praising our department. But you — Moving Picture World readers — are responsible, for without your co-operation, without your encouragement, without your material assistance we could not have prospered, we could not have given you the newsy section we have tried to present to you week in and week out. IF we have served you, we have you to thank, for you have been the inspiration and you have furnished the material. Independents have no one but themselves to thank for their progress. Their struggle has not always been the encouraging one that it is today. The future was not as bright nor as promising as it is today. They had to fight every inch of the way. And they did, honestly and with a sincerity that has blessed them with an enviable place in an industry that is truly just coming into its own. The independent market has encouraged truly big men to come into its midst. And we have welcomed these gentlemen with wide open arms for they have already accomplished wonders for the market. They have set a pace that only the truly sincere workers have been able to keep up with. We are proud of Warner Brothers, because they set a pace that marked the beginning of a new and greater era for independents. They stimulated an interest that has prompted us to do big things. All about us we see signs of prosperity. We have been particularly careful in our observations of play dates allotted independent pictures. We have instructed our correspondents in principal cities in every State in the Union to furnish us weekly with reports and lists of pictures playing in those territories. We have carefully compared these reports and lists from week to week. We have seen big circuits, that a year ago absolutely ignored the independent, contracting for our product for showings at theatres that in the past were closed to independent pictures. Never before have there been such notable productions submitted to exhibitors by the open market. A1 Lichtman Corporation has furnished two of the greatest pictures of the year in “Rich Men's Wives” and “Shadows.” The latter production will rank as one of the most artistic pictures ever turned out in this business.. But more than anything else, independent pictures of quality have found a ready audience. The production end, too, has made rapid strides. We find men like B. P. Schulberg, Louis Gasnier, Tom Forman, Wallace Worsley, Harry Rapf, C. C. Burr, Will Nigh, Dell Henderson, Whitman Bennett, Daniel Carson Goodman and many, many others producing box office attractions for the open market, sparing neither money, time nor effort in procuring the proper talent. We see about us a group of progressive men like A1 Lichtman, Harry Warner, C. C. Burr, Dr. W. E. Shallenberger, Irving and Sol Lesser, Louis Baum, Bobby North and others, all planning for bigger and even better productions for 1923. But the greatest victory of independents in 1922 came in the form of exhibitor confidence and patronage. Exhibitors today are patronizing exchanges with quality pictures. The independent product of 1922-23 has proved a profitable investment — and today we find exhibitors clamoring for more pictures like “Shadows,” “Heroes of the Street,” “Rich Men’s Wives,” “Ten Nights In a Barroom,” “Sure Fire Flint,” “What’s Wrong With the Women?” “The World’s a Stage,” “Secrets of Paris,” “Rags to Riches,” “I Am the Law,” and “Notorieti'.” Many First Runs Arranged for Chaney Picture The following theatres have signed contracts to run “Shadows,” second release of the A1 Lichtman Corporation : The Southern, Columbus, O. ; Keith’s Theatre in Dayton, O. ; the Virginia, Charleston, W. Va. ; Strand, Cincinnati: the Hipiiodrome, Youngstown, O. : the Rivoll, Toledo, O. ; the Garden, Muskegon, Mich.; the Rialto, San Antonio, Tex. ; the America, Denver; the Apollo, Indianapolis, Ind. ; the Butterfly, Milwaukee, ’Wis. ; the state, Jersey City; the State, Union Hill, N. J. ; the Rialto, Passaic, N. J. ; the Bijou and Canitol, Atlantic City, N. J. ; the Carman and Knickerbocker in Philadelphia; the Lyric, Allentown, Pa. ; the Main, Uniontowm. Pa.; the Nemo, Johnstown, Pa.; the Delmonte, St. Louis ; the Strand, Worcester. Mass., and Fays’s, Rochester, N. Y. Many bookings for “Thorns and Orange Blossoms” have also been received, these including the Strand, Worcester, Mass. ; the American, Troy, N. Y. ; the Strand, Altoona, Pa.; the Nemo, Johnstown, Pa.; the Strand, Bayonne, N. J. : the Capitol and Palace, Passaic, N. J. ; the Garden, Muskegon, Mich. ; the Alcazar, Birmingham, Ala. ; the Capitol and Strand. Cincinnati; the Southern and Colonial, Columbus, O.. and the Keith Theatre in Dayton, O. Business Booms in Michigan DETROIT (Special) — Bookings at local independent film exchanges indicate a steady improvement in business in this territory. The first-ruu situation is gradually solving itself, according to observing showmen. Manager Carl Sonin, of the Warner Exchange, reports that “Rags To Riches” and the seven other Warner features have been sold first-run in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing and .Jackson, which practically completes the key towns in this territory. Jess Foshman, manager of the Detroit Standard and A1 Lichtman exchanges. is back on the job following a two-week vacation spent in Cleveland. Fishman is one of the most popular exchangemen in this territory and the vacation was his first in ten years. Phil Gleichman, of the Broadway • Strand Theatre here, has booked “An Old Sweetheart of Mine” for a world premier showing here, this week. Exclusive Film Exchange here has started exploitation on the first Bobby North-Larry Weber special, “Notoriety,” produced by Will Nigh. Bookings on the first A1 Lichtman special, “Rich Men’s Wives,” extend away into February, according to Jess Fishman, of the Detroit A1 Lichtinan Exchange. Edward .T. Le Saint, producer for C. B. C. Film Sales Corporation, arrived on the Coast early this week and will start production on the third picture. “Temptation.” This is the second of 0. B. C.’s “Big Six” program. Creole Enterprises, Ltd., of New Orleans, has purchased the Weiss Brothers' feature one-reel novelty, “Expose of Cutting a Lady in Half,” for Louisiana. Mississippi and parts of Texas. Florida and Arkansas.