Moving Picture World (Sep - Oct 1918)

September 21, 1918 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1711 MUTUAL TO DISTRIBUTE AFFILIATED President Sheldon Closes Deal in Chicago with President Brink — Perret Picture First Release A CONTRACT for shipping and physical service on pictures of the Affiliated Distributors' Corporation, through the exchanges of the Mutual Film Corporation, is announced by Henry A. Brink, president of the Aiifiliated. The contract was closed in Chicago at the conclusion of a series of negotiations between the two concerns. The first picture to be thus handled by the Affiliated is "Lafayette, We Come!" (Pershing, '17), a story of mystery and intrigue, flavored with the romance of love and war, produced by Leonce Perret, featuring E. K. Lincoln and Dolores Cassinelli, recently announced for release to the Affiliated units. "We consider this picture an especially auspicious initial release for our project," observed Mr. Brink. "It combines a particular topical fitness for the motion picture market of today, with its important values strictly as drama." James M. Sheldon, president of Mutual, discusses the move as one of special significance to the industry in this period of stress and conservation of dollars and man-power. "This is, it appears to me, to be a most logical step for both sides of the deal," said Mr. Sheldon. "It has largely been the practice heretofore for each new venture in films to add its own physical system of branches with expensive equipment to the already oversupplied machinery of film distribution. Affiliated has saved itself and the motion picture industry the cost of a new system of exchanges, and it has availed itself of the physical services of a concern which has most thoroughly established itself with a high standard of physical service to the motion picture exhibitor." The Affiliated-Mutual deal is also to be taken as of a special significance in that it is among the first instances of an important recognition of a cooperative booking plan concern by an old-line motion picture distributing corporation. The officers of the Affiliated include Henry A. Brink, president; H. C. Cornelius, vice-president; William J. Clark, secretary-treasurer and general manager, all of Grand Rapids, Mich., where the home office is situated, and C. C. Pettijohn, general counsel, with offices in New York. NEW RED CROSS FILM. Another war zone picture is to be issued by the American Red Cross for use in theatres throughout the United States. Following the huge success enjoyed by its recent issue of "The His-" toric Fourth of July in Paris," William E. Waddell, Director of the Bureau of Pictures, announces the title of the new release to be "Soothing the Heart of Italy." The American Red Cross will distribute this film, like its former release, through General Film Company. It is a one-reel subject which is expected to appeal as strongly to audiences' as the already famous "Fourth of July" film, but from a somewhat different angle. It is powerful in heart interest, with the spectacular subordinated to the human appeal. Scores of actual scenes of refugees in flight before onrushing Hun hordes are shown in the period when a studied German propaganda was eating into the heart of the emotional Italian people. Chaplin Liberty Special Is Named "The Bond" CHIEF among the activities of the fourth Liberty Loan Committee's campaign on the motion picture screens of the United States, in behalf of the forthcoming loan, will be a comedy produced by Charlie Chaplin, and scheduled for release on September 2L The title given to the production is "The Bond." It is in the nature of a novelty picture, with the famous comedian in the same character that is responsible for the tremendous demand for his regular releases. The picture is essentially in the nature of propaganda for the fourth Liberty Loan, and will be distributed by the First National Exhibitors' Circuit. No rental charge will be made to exhibitors, inasmuch as the production has been made for and is donated to the United States Government by Charlie Chaplin. To avoid any possible confusion between "The Bond" as a special Governrhent picture, and the regular Chaplin releases the First National has been requested to ask all exhibitors to agree, before booking "The Bond," to advertise it for a propaganda picture, and not as a regular release. This precaution is chiefly to avoid disappoint to the thousands who will see it, and who otherwise might be under the impression that it was one of Chaplin's two-reel comedies. The settings for "The Bond" are said to be novel and futuristic, and quite away from anything Chaplin has previously attempted in comedy portrayal. Impressed by the propaganda value of the screen, and determined to utilize it to the utmost in their own efforts, the British and Canadian Governments have sent requests to Mr. Chaplin to make a special production for them. This request has been accepted by Mr. Chaplin, and he is starting work immediately on a successor to "The Bond" for these two allied powers. Harry Brandt, in Uniform, Says an Au Revoir and Smiles Patrons of the Carleton Theatre, Brooklyn, found the back page of their program occupied by a parting salute from Harry Brandt, who has long been manager of that house. He now is Acting Corporal Brandt, Cornpany F, Fourth Replacement Battalion, Camp Gordon, Georgia. William Brandt, prominent in all exhibitor movements in the East, is owner of the Carleton, and his brother Harry left his "kind regards" on the back of the program in this fashion : All Revoir, But Not Good Bye! When this week's copy of Reeland is placed in the hands of the Carlton Theatre patrons I will have answered the call of Uncle Sam and joined his forces in Camp Gordon preparatory to joining my brother in France, where his regiment is knocking the all-fired stuffing out of the Hun. Since assuming the management of the Carlton I have made hundreds of friends, and I take this method of thanking them and all the others whom I know by name for their kind patronage. It certainly has been a privilege and a pleasure to cater to such an audience, and their wonderful work during the Red Cross, Liberty Loan and War Saving Drives which placed the Carlton in the lead for a theatre of its capacity has made me exceedingly proud of them. In my absence the same high class standard will be continued, another brother assuming the reins. Thank you, good luck and Au Revoir! HARRY BRANDT, Camp Gordon, Georgia. World Pictures Says Exhibitors Not Affected THE one condition that is giving theatrical managers more concern to-day than anything else is the effect of the "18 to 45" draft. It should be cause for great uneasiness among those who produce for the legitimate theatres, but the motion picture exhibitor will find that he will come through the ordeal practically unscathed, say the officials of World Pictures. The advantage of the motion picture theatre lies in the fact that fully 75 per cent, of these places of amusement are what might be termed neighborhood theatres, and, being so, it is not necessary for women to call upon the male members of their families to act as escorts. On the other hand, the legitimate theatres, located generally in a central section, draft their patronage from all parts of the city. No woman is keen to come and go at night without having the services of a male escort. The tremendous inroads made on those of military age by the new ruling makes it difficult for our women to call on men either to pay for the tickets or to go along with them. The picture house, with its cheaper price of admission, makes slight demands on one's purse, and this being true the exhibitor will see but little effect of the 18 to 45 ruling. When the first draft came the croakers saw all sorts of dire things happening to the screen drama. These things did not come to pass for the very reasons that apply to the new condition of affairs created by the 13,000,000 army requisitioned by Uncle Sam for the world war. Business as usual will be the slogan of the exhibitor, and the public will continue to support the motion picture industry because it is an essential and necessary medium for keeping our spirits at a high degree of optimism. Motion picture amusement is utilized, unconsciously perhaps, to create a mental condition that makes for a better mental balance. It produces a suggestive therapeutic that efifects cures oftimes as salient as that offered by medicine. PARALTA SHOWS BIG GRAPE VINE. The oldest and one of the largest grape vines in the country was used in Louise Glaum's latest Paralta play, "A Law Unto Herself." It is the famous San Gabriel grape vine in Southern California.