The Moving picture world (January 1920-February 1920)

February 7, 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 869 EducationaVs Growth Necessitates Fifteen New Distributing Offices THE Educational Films Corporation has grown so large that it has been found necessary to open offices in fifteen of the large distributing points east of the Mississippi river in order to meet with the ever-increasing demand for quick delivery of their attractive short scenics and educationals. This enlargement of the Educational's scope is the net result of E. W. Mammons' recent trip to Europe to confer with the group of English interests that are closely allied with Educational. It means further ambitious developments of a branch of the film industry that has been growing by leaps and bounds for two years. Five years ago Mr. Hammons started to put Educational output on the screen and met with such serious rebuffs that anyone less persistent would have given up in despair. The great majority of exhibitors insisted the public would not be interested in anything that savored of the educational. These were the days of crude thrillers, when that element of all development, imagination, was not overly plentiful. Overcame Prejudice. Gradually Mr. Hammons beat down this prejudice, and his scenics and wild animal life studies found their way upon the screen. Today the world is being photographed in terse units and being brought to the view of the patron in the smallest picture houses in the lana as well as the most pretentious ones. Educational Films Corporation has grown from an experiment into one of the important factors of the film industry. It is backed by great resources both as to finances and intelligent direction of its affairs. Mr. Hammons declared after his return from London, where larger afifiliations for world conquest were completed, that the sky is the limit and the bottom of the sea is to be penetrated before the scope and reach of Educational films is one-tenth explored. "At one of the labratories we are now perfecting," said Mr. Hammons yesterday, "a camera which will -egister life under the waves and show the hidden beauties of the deep. In marked contrast to this development will be an aero service with specially outfitted camera equipment for catching bird life on the wing, and the only limit is the height to which an aeroplane can be raised. Represented the World Over. "Expeditions carefully outfitted by Educational are now in India, Africa, the Arctic regions, South America, the South Sea Islands, Antarctic fields, China and the Far East and the wonders of Europe and America, contrasting civilization with every form of wild animal and natural life in the remote places of the world. Here the camera will unerringly reveal beauties and conditions which have been known to only the most daring of explorers or the few scientists who have devoted their lives to unearthing the secrets of the unexplored world." Mr. Hammons naturally was reticent to discuss the part he has played in developing this field for the moving picture industry, a branch to the advancement of which he and his associates have contributed so largely. And now from the humble start, when men had to be coaxed and cajoled into showing the pioneer scenics and natural life studies, he has reached the position where the output is in such demand that a chain of offices is to be opened to facilitate delivery. Educational views and subjects are chosen from the carefully gauged angle of the exhibitor, for these scenes and life studies are not mere photographic achievements, but are selected with a thorough knowledge of the entertainment and dramatic qualities combined. It is never overlooked that the theatre after all is a place of amusement and nothing lives upon the screen that does not possess the dramatic flavor. Plan Musical Accompaniments. Joseph Lee, one of the best known film hustlers, has just joned Educational and has left on an extensive tour of the country east of the Mississippi river to open distributing offices for the new output in fifteen of the great centres where film exchanges are now flourishing. By the time this trip is concluded, Mr. Lee, under the guidance of Mr. Hammons, will have placed Educational's output at the immediate call of the exhibitor and in such a way that these studies will be given the same expert exploitation that is now devoted to a feature. It is likely that some of the finer efforts will have special musical accompaniments arranged for them, and the advertising specials and illuminating press copy will supply the exhibitor with the same pretentious aid that is now turned out by the biggest presenting forces that handle feature subjects for screen distribution. This concentration of energy and exploitation means an ever increasing interest in Educationals. Pathe Press Force Enlarged by Addition of Three Men THE Pathe publicity and exploitation service have been strengthened with the addition of Thomas C. Kennedy, J. Irving Greene and Joseph A. Brady. Mr. Kennedy started on the staff of Motography five years ago and later joined the Exhibitor's Trade Review in November, 1916, as a reviewer and advisor on exploitation. He is now handling the publicity on the Jack Dempsey serial, "Dare Devil Jack." Mr. Greene is a graduate of Brown University. His initial work was on the newspaper advertising of the "Elaine" serials. He remained with International until 1917, when he joined the advertising staff of Paramount. Later for a short time he did special promotion work for the Edward MacManus Corporation. In the Pathe forces he is working with Victor Shapiro, who is in charge of feature exploitation. Mr. Brady started newspaper work with the New York American several years ago. He later did publicity and then served on the staff of the New York City News Association and was four years with the Evening World. Recently he became associated with Robertson-Cole publicity and advertising, and left to join the Pathe, where he is working under Randolph Lewis, publicity manager. "Curses! Give Me Back That Wood Alcohol Detector!" Says the hynotlst to Margarita Fisher in her American feature, "The Hellion " in this fllm.