The Moving picture world (May 1921)

May 21, 1921 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 271 Levey Originates Distribution System for Educational-Industrial Pictures THE number of non-theatrical motion pic- tures made each year for the last five years is astounding. Free lance cam- eramen and well-to-do men with various hob- bies have been traveling the wide world in search of the novel in animal life and other subjects, and their films completed, have failed to secure financial returns in proportion to their investment because of the lack of a dis- tribution system for non-theatrical pictures. For five years—and in some cases for ten years—these interesting and instructive films have been awaiting the time when they could be systematically brought before students of animal life and history and industrial activi- ties. It is to bring these highly instructive films before the general public, which is showing a rapidly increasing interest in them, that Harry Levey, pioneer in the non-theatrical motion picture field, has formed the National Non- Theatrical Motion Pictures, Inc., a distribu- tion organization composed of forty-two ex- changes and whose initial release will consist of over 400 educational-industrial films of as many varieties as a centipede has legs. A Boon to the Producer Not only will the general public welcome Mr. Levey's action, but producers of non-the- atrical pictures and free-lance cameramen as well, for the simple reason that Mr. Levey affords the latter a ready market for their subjects. For several months he has kept long hours at his office, viewing films dealing with everything from biology to engineering, from trips up the historic Nile to the habits of the great white bears which live up in the Arctic Circle, and he is constantly buying films out- right or arranging with their owners to play them on percentage. Undoubtedly Mr. Levey has as ■ wide a knowledge of the educational-industrial mo- tion picture field as anybody in the industry, but even he, he says, has been astonished to learn the great amount of this kind of film that is available. This week he showed the writer a list of 180 films made in ten years by a free-lance cameraman that covers a wide variety of subjects. This cameraman has been "shooting" all over the world, and because there has been no adequate distribution sys- tem for his pictures, and because he could not afford to do so, he has laid his pictures on the shelf until the time should come when that distribution system would materialize. Now he has cash for his pictures, and he is -planning another trip off to a strange corner of the world, fortified by the knowledge that if he produces the goods his films will have a ready market. Market Very Receptive The market is indeed very ready and very receptive, Mr. Levey finds. More than 44,000 churches in the United States are using mo- tion pictures. Among educational institutions, out of 38,000 queried by the Bureau of Edu- cation in Washington, D ,C, only 6,761 were found not using films. Nearly all universities have departments of visual education. The National Academy of Visual Education finds a proportion of 330 projection machines to each 5,500 elementary schools, and 670 to every 4,500 institutions of higher learning. Besides this ,there are organizations such as the Y. M. C. A., women's clubs and societies for nature study using so many educational- industrial films that the twelve manufacturers making standard portable projectors are plan- ning to produce them during the coming year at the rate of 1,200 to 1,500 a week in order to meet the demand. Mr. Levy emphasized one point in particular. By SUMNER SMITH "We will have the films ready in the ex- changes," he said. "There won't be printed lists of films and promises, but the films themselves on hand for the purchaser to in- spect. Then, too, our exchanges will be equipped with accessories, such as portable motion picture machines and standard motion picture machines that can be moved into the school or hall and operated by a licensed pro- jectionist at a nominal charge. "There have been many improvements in the portable machine, known as the suitcase machine, which can be carried from place to place. The exchange manager in each district will have at his disposal all the latest infor- mation and data on projection equipment, and will be in a position to rent or sell the latest types. Many Portable Projectors "Nobody realizes how many portable pro- jectors are in use in private homes as well as in schools and churches. There are 28,000 of these in use in the country, and probably 15,000 more are idle because it is impossible to sup- ply the films for them. One of the very im- portant uses of the non-theatrical film is put- ting Americanization into homes in a language that even an illiterate immigrant can under- stand. "A motion picture has been made of every major operation. We have films showing mi- croscopic organisms and demonstrating physio- logical processes, as, for example, the circu- lation of blood. Industrial plants are using films to develop practical methods in stabiliz- ing industry and in expanding both foreign and domestic trade. Regular Exchange Not Interested "You can readily understand how it is that a regular exchange does not care to handle these films. A man who goes to a regular exchange for' one of them is like a man who goes to a wholesale establishment to buy a single suit of clothes; the clothes are there, but it wouldn't pay the firm to find and sell one suit to him when somebody else is waiting to buy twelve dozen suits. Yet it is just as stupid to use the camera to turn out only en- tertainment pictures as it would be to use a sewing machine to make only one kind of garment." In closing the interview Mr. Levey described the exploitation and advertising matter which will back up pictures he distributes, paying a high tribute to the efficiency of his staff, and then made an interesting prediction. Location of Exchanges "The regular exchanges so far have had plenty to do to supply the theatres," he said, "and the theatre is no place to show educa- tional or advertising films. It is my opinion that in the future big theatres will be built everywhere to show theatrical films exclusive- ly, and the smaller theatres, of which there are a number in every town, will find real profit in devoting themselves to pictures of travel, industry, history, religion and other practical instruction." The quantity of film which is available for distribution through Mr. Levey's new organi- zation rivals the imagination. There are agri- cultural, Biblicals, classics, clinicals, comedies, dramas, historicals, industrials, instructionals. juveniles, scientifics, technicals, topicals and travelogues. They will be distributed through exchanges located in the following cities, and sub-exchanges at intermediate points: Albany, Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Des Moines, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Haven, New Orleans, New York City, Okla- homa City, Omaha, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Me., San Francisco, St. Louis, Seat- tle, Salt Lake City and Washington, D. C. The home office is at 232 West Thirty-eighth street, New York City. Aubrey Signs New Vitagraph Contract Jimmy Aubrey, Vitagraph comedian, has signed a contract with that company for a series of two-reel subjects. Aubrey's ability as a tumbler, coupled with his clowning skill, has made him most popular in the type of produc- tion in which no deviation from the active style of humor has been taken. Aubrey has been with Vitagraph for several years, but it was within the past year that a growing demand for his two-reel comedies impelled Vitagraph to engage a special con- tinuity writer for him and put out the Jimmy Aubrey comedies which have found featured positions on so many programs. Aubrey's latest, "The Tourist," is being shown at the Rialto Theatre, Broadway, New York this week. This comedy is said to be one of Aubrey's best, and is expected to register as big a hit as his previous offering, "The Blizzard." Aubrey reached his greatest success under the direction of Jess Robbins, who directed him in "The Tourist" and "The Blizzard." It is expected that Robbins will continue to direct him under the new contract. Libson to Reduce Prices in Cincinnati Theatres What is believed to be a forerunner of a general reduction in prices of admission to Cincinnati photoplay houses is the announce- ment made last week by Isaac Libson, general manager of a chain of picture houses, that co- incident with the opening of the summer sea- son a general readjustment of admissions will go into effect. Under the readjustment Mr. Libson estab- lishes a uniform "daylight price" at the Grand. Walnut and Strand theatres, with a higher scale for evenings and on Sundays and holidays. The admission price at the Grand and Wal- nut theatres will be 25 cents for any seat for 10 a. m. to 5.30 p. m., while the price in the evening on Sundays and holidays will be 40 cents on the lower floor and 25 cents in the balcony. At the Strand the "daylight price" will be 20 cents and the charge in the even- ings, Sundays and holidays will be 20 cents in the balcony and 30 cents on the lower floor. These prices include war taxes. New Exhibitor Quarters The Motion Picture Theatre Owners' Asso- ciation of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Dela- ware, officially opened its new and handsome quarters Friday, April 29. The event was made a most auspicious occasion with music entertainment and a luncheon. Members and non-members were the specially invited guests. Sydney Cohn, president of the national body, addressed the members. The new Philadel- phia meeting rooms are located at southeast corner of Thirteenth and Vine streets. Near- ly two hundred members attended the opening.