The Moving picture world (November 1920)

172 MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 13, 1920 California Exhibitors Meet Marcus Loew MARCUS LOEW, of Loew's, Inc., arrived at San Francisco recently to confer with his local representatives, Ackerman & Harris, and inspect his present holdings in this territory, together with houses in course of construction. After looking over the Casino and Hippodrome theatres he was taken to the site of the State theatre where work is in full blast, and to the site of the Union Square where construction will start within a few weeks. He also visited the house at Oakland, which is nearing construction, and the Hippodrome at San Jose. On October 27 the Metro Pictures Corporation, through its local manager, Fred W. Voigt, arranged a delightful luncheon in his honor which was held in Tait's famous Pavo Real and which was attended by more than 150 representative exhibitors and film exchange men. C. C. Griffin Talks Eugene H. Roth of the California Theatre was toastmaster and welcomed the visitor to San Francisco in his usual apt style. He then called upon C. C. Griffin, vice-president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America and the representative of this organization in California. Mr. Griffin outlined some of the remarkable work of this body, declaring that within a period of five months thirty-four states had been organized, most of them to the extent of more than 50 per cent. He stated that Mr. Loew was one of the first members enrolled and reminded him that at the Cleveland convention he had promised to have all his houses in line. Since his California houses are not members of the California branch of the national, he declared that Mr. Loew would be expected to make good. The speaker stated that contrary to the impression that had gone out, the new organization is not a combatative one, that it would be folly to be antagonistic to any other branch of the industry and that it did not seek to control the price of film service. "Extraordinary" Exhibitors James Beatty of San Jose declared that it was a rare privilege for western exhibitors to have the opportunity of meeting one who has done so much to bring the amusement business to its present high plane. He said that exhibitors here were plodding along in a grove and that it took some one like Mr. Loew to wake them up. Toastmaster Roth good-naturedly disagreed, venturing the opinion that western exhibitors are extraordinary instead of ordinary, and that they lead the world. Judge I. M. Golden, counsel for the Allied Amusement Industries of California, paid a glowing tribute to Mr. Loew, declaring that his name was a household word on the tongues of hundreds of thousands of American homes and that he has become a national figure. He dwelt upon the meaning of this and declared that the moving picture business is no longer an enterprise of purely private concern, but that it has become a public business. Loew Praises W esterners Marcus Loew, upon being introduced, declared that the statement of Mr. Roth concerning western showmanship was correct and that moving pictures are presented in the West in better fashion than any where else in the country. However, he questioned the value of highly artistic performances from the standpoint of profit. "I came here four or five years ago," he said, "to learn how to put on shows in New York, for the best presentation is on the Pacific Coast. Your exhibitors spend a lot of money on their shows and get artistic results, but my attempts along this line were not so successful, as I tried to give too much for the money. I also took over some houses here then but failed to make a go of these. This year I entered the field again, becoming associated with two of the best men in the show business, Sam Harris and Irving Ackerman. Of course, I paid the price after they had made a big success with their circuit, but it was worth it. Urges Co-Operation "The surest way to succeed in the show business is to see that competitors use proper methods and to co-operate with them in every way. The bad methods of one exhibitor reflects on the business as a whole. I agree with Mr. Griffin in regard to the need of organization and hate to think what might happen if exhibitors are not organized. The Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America is a wonderful organization, more so than many of you realize, and we should all support it. I promise that our California houses will become members at once. "The moving picture industry is in truth a public service corporation. Producers used to think that the quick money was the money to get, never thinking of the future. That attitude isa thing of the past. The same with exhibitors. The program of your theatre should be scrutinized as carefully as one arranged for your home. Producing for Protection "Many of you will doubtless want to hear why I became interested in Metro. I went into the producing business not because I saw a lot of money in it but merely for protection, feeling that I had to. Just at this time the percentage proposition was looming up and I saw its danger. It meant that exhibitors would soon become little more than janitors and had it gained headway there is no telling where it might have stopped. "Those who risk money in the amusement business are entitled to a fair profit. Good money must be made in some houses as not all prove profitable. The same applies to producers. Neither should try to get all in sight, but should work in harmony with each other. I am primarily an exhibitor, maintaining an interest in Metro purely for protection." Mintz Again on Tour M. J. Mintz, sales manager for Celebrated Players Film Corporation, has just completed arrangements for another swing around the country for his firm. He will take with him a new single-reel subject for state rights. The last time Mintz covered the country he sold the Gump Cartoon Series for practically the entire country. Arthur Brisbane on Advertising Addressing the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers, Arthur Brisbane, one of the greatest editorial minds in the history of America, had these things to say on advertising for moving pictures: One full page is worth three half pages. The hunter for free notices isn't going to get anything. A free notice hunter is like a man with a gun who shoots lame birds and sick rabbits — he gets nothing worth having. There is no limit to what a picture can do. A run of twenty-five years is possible if we can change the clothes of the villain to suit fashion's requirements, for villains, apparently, must wear the latest Hart, Schaffner and Marx clothes. A man named Euripides put on a play in Athens that ran five hundred years. The rich motion picture man is only a type of our day that will pass as the Coal Oil Johnnies, who bought champagne to bathe in it, have passed from the oil business. A Rockefeller will arise to lead moving pictures. Advertising, plus intelligence, plus money is my formula for moving picture success.