The Moving picture world (December 1920)

December 25, 1920 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1015 Morris Kohn, of Realart, Says 1921 Is to Be a Banner Year for His Company "Ninete entwenty-one — a banner year." That is Realart's slogan and program for the coming season. As a slogan it has behind it the trained resources of an alert and progressive organizat ion. As a program it is the one big thing Realart willcarry out in 1921. A' little more than a year ago, we became a member of the motion picture producers family, our first picture being released December 9, 1919. We were young then, and had a name to make for ourselves and our pictures. In that short year much has been undertaken and achieved and Realart is proud of its record. From the standpoint of sales alone, I think, our record is one to be proud of. Sales have been gratifying in the extreme. Exhibitors have been quick to realize the purpose and ideals we represent and they have responded by booking our pictures. And we feel that Realart has made good to exhibitors with its pictures; just as we are certain exhibitors have made good to Realart. They have given us the strongest and most hearty co-operation, particularly in sending in uniformly early playing dates. While this is a sign of appreciation of the value of our productions and a tribute to the popularity of our stars, it is also indicative of the spirit of cooperation being shown Realart by exhibitors. In such a record we have a natural pride. Last year we had three stars; today we have six. We released twelve productions in 1919-1920; we are producing thirty-six for the season of 1920-1921. Doesn't that sound like progress? Now a new season is at hand. Don't be deceived by prophets of gloom. Of all industries on the earth ours is least affected by depression of any kind. Motion pictures furnish the cheapest form of amusement — and people must be amused. When times are good they go to the motion picture show for relaxation and enjoyment, and when business or household cares grow heavy they turn to the same place to forget their troubles. Attending the movies is a national habit — and one that has come to stay. Thus Realart looks forward with a broad optimism and a genuine confidence to the new year. It has confidence in itself — in its ability to meet future needs and conditions. From a business standpoint, Realart has but one ambition for the coming year. That ambition is incorporated, in its entirety, in the Realart Star Franchise. This embodies Realart's aim — the best in star, story, production and service. We decided early that feminine stars have the wider appeal and that youth and talent are, of course, absolute essentials in a star. On this basis we selected our six actresses, Alice Brady, Mary Miles Minter, Constance Binney, Bebe Daniels, Wanda Hawley, and Justine Johnstone. But good stories are equally necessary for a successful picture. To furnish them we are choosing the best works of established writers and playwrights. Here are some of them : "Sweet Lavender," by Arthur Wing Pinero; "All Souls' Eve," by Anne Crawford Flexner: "The Little Clown," by Avery Hopwood; "Those Who Walk in Darkness," Owen Davis' great play; "The Fear Market," by Amelie Rives; "Something Different," from "Calderon's Prisoner," by Alice Duer Miller; "Her Beloved Villain," based on the great French play, "The Masked Ball," by Bisson and Carre; "She Couldn't Help It," based on "In the Bishop's Carriage," by Miriam Michelson; "Moonlight and Honeysuckle," by George Scarborough; "Oh, Lady, Lady," by Bolton and Wodehouse; and "39 East," by Rachel Crothers. The work of directing a production is also highly important. Realart determined that here again no expense would be spared in getting the best. John S. Robertson, William D. Taylor, Herbert Blache, Sam Wood, Major Maurice Campbell, Chester Franklin, R. William Neill, Jack Dillon, Thomas Heffron, Charles Maigne, Donald Crisp, Paul Powell, James Cruze — all are names needing no introduction. The Realart trademark, we contend, is a guarantee that certain high qualifications have been met — that star, story, direction and production are the best money, talent and effort can produce. This, in my judgment, is the reason Realart's selling average is so high. Our entire output for 1920-21 has been taken not only by thousands of individual exhibitors, but by practically all of the dominant motion picture theatre circuits in the country. And Realart will be even better sold next year on its 1921-22 product than it is now on this season's output. And here I want to express my sincere appreciation for the ready and wholehearted assistance exhibitors have given Realart. I value their ready co-operation and faith in Realart more than I can say. In the past, Realart pictures have made friends and money for exhibitors. I can guarantee that in this coming season every energy, every resource and every effort will be used in improving this record. New Theatres Springing Up Reflect Growth of Moving Picture Industry IT gives us profound pleasure to extend to the exhibitors our heartiest Christmas greetings. We are desirous that the bonds of personal friendship and business entente be strengthened more and more between us and the men who display our works of the screen to the public. We hope that the coming year will be rich with rewards for you and on our part we will do everything humanly possible to bring about such a consummation. Metro welcomes this Yuletide with an optimism that is unbounded. It is well known that Metro as an organization h a confirmed optimist. It has always clung to its faith in the brightness of the future and even in darkest times has refrained from joining any chorus of pessimism. This faith, we believe, has carried us through the period of the war and is carrying us now, through the era of reconstruction, with vision unimpaired, with hopes high and with an uhshakeable confidence that 1921 will be a year of unprecedented prosperity for everybody in our industry. The year that is passing has seen the beginning of the fruition of some of our most By RICHARD A. ROWLAND, President of Metro. important plans. We have successfully launched our campaign for bigger and better pictures, and the quality of our output has convinced exhibitors and public alike that when we announced this innovation there was more to our promise than idle words. Our supervising directors, our directors, literary staffs, stars and featured players have given of their best to uplift and maintain at the highest standard every Metro picture placed before the public. It is noteworthy that even as Christmas comes, with its universal message of peace and good will among men, that the clouds of the mighty conflict are fading in the distance. Each day they seem more distant and therefore less threatening. And while we are experiencing an economic readjustment that all thinking men had anticipated, the people are meeting it with the spirit of cheerfulness and hope in the future that demonstrates to the world those qualities which have made us as a nation great. Motion pictures, which for long people have been declaring in their stage infancy, have progressed wonderfully, until now they hold the fullest confidence, respect and admiration of all classes of Americans, and the new art has fitted snugly into the niche that it has been destined to occupy. The growth of the industry is reflected in a million ways; in the astonishing number of new theatres that are springing up throughout the length and breadth of the country, in communities large and small; in the public support that is so eagerly extended to all that is finest and most artistic in the way of better pictures; in the accession of more players of recognized talent and experience and in the steady influx to the ranks of filmdom of the foremost creative writers of the world who joined the industry when its art proved itself worthy of them. As it looks to Metro, this is the best Christmas that we have ever had. And we are confident that exhibitors wilt discover it is the percursor of the best year that thev have ever known—the doming year of 1921".