Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1912)

1280 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Mutual Withdraws from Film Supply Declares Its Intention of Choosing Its Own Program from Manufacturers on a Basis of Qualitative Competition. THIS week's turn of the wheel brings the announcement that the independent interests known as the Film Supply Comand the Mutual Film Corporation have dissolved partnership. The Film Supply Company is a combination of manufacturers, while the Mutual Film Corporation was incorporated for the purpose of establishing exchanges. A trade arrangement was made between the two interests whereby the Mutual agreed to take the product of the companies allied in the Film Supply. Differences of opinion upon the question of the sale of film is said to have led to the split. Regarding the severance of these relations Vice-President H. E. Aitken, of the Mutual, made the following statement : "The Mutual Film Corporation is purely an exchange proposition. It is in a position to demand of those who desire to sell their films that the subjects shall be of a clean character, the photography perfect, the settings artistic and the acting of a high class. The first duty of the Mutual Film Corporation is to the exhibitor, from a commercial standpoint, and it is necessary to secure the best program in its power, regardless of distributing agencies. This will result in no change in our program, for if any manufacturers should refuse to deal with us on the basis of quality — which is hardly probable if they have the quality — we are in a position to supply brands in substitution thereof on a moment's notice. "The standing order proposition favors the manufacturer of inferior films only, and does not benefit the maker of the superior article. It has proven detrimental to the exchange and the exhibitor, for it requires a notice of several weeks to cancel a subject, and if the undesirability of a subject is not discovered within such time the order cannot be canceled. The Mutual Film Corporation will inspect every reel before it places an order. This is practically establishing an open market, and will give to the exhibitor using the Mutual service an ideal program. "The Mutual Film Corporation will also issue its own Weekly, which will be snappy and interesting, and the best that can possibly be made. "The policy of the Mutual Film Corporation will make it unnecessary for high-class manufacturers to enter into distributing agencies or combinations, as we shall only be too pleased to encourage good producers. The Thanhouser, American, Reliance, Majestic and Punch companies have already withdrawn from the Film Supply Company, and the Kay-Bee, Broncho and Keystone have never been members thereof." C. O. Baumann, on behalf of the Kay-Bee, Broncho and Keystone companies, said : "The action of the Mutual Film Corporation is the only sane one for the preservation of the business. My companies are willing to submit their films upon a quality basis, and, in fact, have been doing so for some time. I will leave it to the exhibitor if this competitive element has not brought our product to the front rank." C. J. Hite, for the Thanhouser Company, said : "I am pleased at the action of the Mutual Film Corporation, and believe it is only right that the same rules of purchase should apply to the film business as any other. The Thanhouser Company is not afraid to enter the ranks in a competition for quality, and has faith in the ability of the Mutual Film Corporation to formulate its programs on a high basis. It means increased prosoerity for the Thanhouser Company, for I recognize the fact th.it an exhibitor must not only have good Thanhousers, but also an adequate supply of accompanying films. I look for increased quality all through the program." J. V. Ritchey, for the Reliance Company, expressed himself as thoroughly satisfied with the new arrangement. "We are in position to compete for a market with any other makers, and have expended large amounts to bring our company to this point. With the knowledge that increased quality will bring increased sales, every producer will have an incentive to put forth his best efforts, and will hesitate in submitting a reel which is not up to the standard." S. S. Hutchinson, president of the American Film Manufacturing Company, stated that he welcomed the new regime, which w.>nl,l im doubl prove beneficial to the American Company. "We have enlarged our California properties, have increased our stock company, added new directors, and have brought our photography to perfection. We are willing to submit our films upon a basis of quality, and taking into consideration all points that go to make up high class films we are confident that the 'Flying A' brand can stand upon its own merits, regardless of any distributing agency." Viewed by the Film Supply. Among the officers of the Film Supply Company of America, little if any concern seemed to be had because of the deflection of the Mutual Film Corporation. Secretary and General Manager Harry R. Raver explained that the action of the Film Corporation had not come in the nature of a surprise, but has been expected owing to certain conditions which had been under discussion for some time. He said further that the action of withdrawal would have no effect upon the business of the Film Supply Company and that additional brands of film would be added to the program at an early date. The first of these will be the "Pilot" and "Prairie" films, the latter an exceptional brand of Westerns exclusively. The ■Film Supply is also now entering into negotiations with prominent theatrical interests for a series of unusual productions which will be handled exclusively by them. Secretary Raver further explained that "the movement for the organization of the Film Supply Company of America was inaugurated by certain manufacturers in order to offset the efforts of others in the business to exploit the film market for the benefit of a limited number of persons interested both in exchanges and in manufacture. This explains why the Film Supply Company of America, immediately upon throwing open its doors, was able, with a rapidity unequaled in the history of similar enterprises, to establish a business of such large proportions and great importance in the film world. The cardinal principle upon which it was founded was that the public and the exhibitors throughout the country should be adequately supplied with film and should be the determining factors in the selection of film. "The promoters of this movement felt that the only legitimate means by which a manufacturer should promote his sales were by increasing the interest of the subject matter and improving the quality of the film. Among the exchanges which undertook to handle the output of the Film Supply Company of America, there was a group which entered upon the enterprise with every assurance of carrying out the proposed policy of the company. Time developed the fact, however, that the program of the Film Supply Company of America was not receiving adequate and impartial representation through these exchanges, and pursuant to the principle upon which its business and its success were founded, the company began to secure other outlets in the territory of these exchanges. The question then became acute as to whether the first object of the Film Supply Company was to be the service of the public or the service of certain exchanges. The Film Supply Company of America decided, after due deliberation, to adhere to its policy of a free field with favors to none. The result is a continuance of the principle of the Film Supply Company of America, and a reorganization of its program and of its distributing agencies. "To those who found both satisfaction and profit in the exhibition of its program under the old conditions, the company takes pleasure in announcing that the new and more complete realization of its aims and objects will enable them to secure an equally varied program of better quality than heretofore, and one from which thev mav choose freely, solely on the basis of merit and their particular requirements. This follows inevitably from the fact that the manufacturers now finding a market through the Film Supplv Company of America recognize that they must obtain their orders solelv on the merits of their film. The company invites and expects the support of all those desirous of promoting the best interest of the business." EXPANDING. A. J. Clapham, the well known slide maker and dealer in films and apparatus, has installed a complete commercial photographic plant and everv modern device for the handling of this class of work has been' added to his already large plant. In addition to his slide making plant, with a capacity of 5.000 slides per day. and his film factorv which is working day and night, a large busines^ ried on in the sale of new and used film. In Mr. Clapham's advertisement elsewhere in this issue he gives one a slight idea of the varied class of work his commercial department is prepared" to execute. To enable his employees to produce the bestwork he in the premises a complete library on all branches of photography from the chemical end up. to which they are accorded access at all times, a complete laboratory is maintained where experiments are being constantlv made to discover, if possible, new methods, short cuts, etc. His new moving picture camera, the isee," which is now being offered, is the results of months of study. To make the taking of motion pictures as easy as to take a kodak picture was his aim and his new camera has accomplished this. No trouble in focusing it. being constructed on the principles of the fixed focus kodak. We predict the more universal use of local films now that exhibitors have available an instrument which can be operated with such ease. We have examined some pieces of film which was made on this camera and it would require an expert to detect the difference between the negative made on the "Ajasee" and one made on a $400 machine.