The Moving picture world (June 1921)

530 MOVING PICTURE WORLD June 4, 1921 Los Angeles Critics Are Grilled and Toasted at W. M. P. A. Affair Publicity men of the West Coast, comprising the membership of the Western Motion Picture Advertis- ers, had their inning Tuesday even- ing. May 18, at the first social event of the organization since its recent formation, held at the Marion Fairfax studio in Hollywood. At 7 :30 p. m. the hundred members and guests were seated around the fes- tive board on one of the big studio stages with the critics of the Los .Angeles dailies occupying the places of honor. The guests were disturbed as the coffee was being served, by loud shouts and clattering of machinery behind a large, black curtain facing the diners. Many familiar sounds greeted the ears of the diners, such as the clicking of linotype machines and typewriters, the shouts for "copy boy" and the clattering of printing presses. With the parting of the curtain a complete newspaper shop was revealed. "Mike" Boylan, Universal P appeared as the l)usy copy l)<)y, fioward Strickling, Metro P. A., disclosed more than the layman's knowledge at the linotype machine, and Mark Larkin proved himself as clumsy a printer's devil as ever fumbled a form. A rapid-fire skit, in which all the motion picture and dramatic editors present came in for a special grilling, proved highly amusing—even to the newspaper editors. Motion pictures of the diners and the actors followed, whereupon the critics changed places with the press agents on the stage and acted an impromptu sketch for the benefit of the camera and amidst the genera! cries and hoots of the spectators. Adam Hull Shirk, publicity chief of the Lasky studio, proved another star of the evening with his mysti- fying magic. Each of the guests was then invited to speak for thirty seconds. A stop-watch was held and as the thirtieth second expired an immense gong clanged as notifi- cation that time was up. A closing speech by Pete Smith, host of the evening, who staged the various stunts, concluded the enter- tainment, which was voted the most novel event of its kind ever tendered the local press. Now Is the Time to Do Heavy Advertising, Say:^ Smallwood cesses and whose latest productions have been the Nazimova series for The sudden influx of German and other foreign film and the CHARLES CONKLIN Starring in comedies for Olympian Productions, Inc. and star actor of the evening, occu pied the center of the stage at the city editor's desk ; Bill Keefe oper- ated the press, Harry Brand clicked the type writer at the star reporter's desk, Dick Spier, Kinema publicist. , , than ever before. Confidence must A. scarcity of money at the present .Metro, sums up the motion picture be re-established, and the best way industry after a thorough study of local and Coast conditions and the general trend of the industry on both continents. "When I left the Coast a week ago," said Mr. Smallwood, "everj'- one was crying hard times. But in spite of the conditions there, all boasted that in New York the sit- nation was even worse. Now I "The Best Show in Town Week" ^' ' time will tend to make a bigger and i)etter motion picture industry owned and captained by Americans. In the above words, Ray C. Small- wood, whose name has been affil- iated with many motion picture sue- Heavy Bookings on Paramount s say that in spite of all the talk of to do this is to let the trade know that the fall will see a readjust- ment that will be beneficial to all concerned and better and bigger pictures will be the aftermath to the lull. No one will help the film man. He must help himself. "The foreign film will make the American producer work the hard- er. We have the stars, we have the directors and we have Nature's settings in this country and we have Reports received by S. R. Kent, general manager of the department of distribution of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, are said to indicate that exhibitors through- out the country are preparing to participate in Paramount's "Best Shown in Town Week" beginning June 19 in numbers that will make the bookings for that week surpass those in the recent Kent Week, which rolled up a record of nearly $800,000 in rentals. Backed by a widespread news- paper advertising campaign, con- ducted by Jerome Beatty, director of publicity and advertising, Para- mount salesmen are making an ef- fort to surpass the rental record during the last Paramount week. Full page advertisements, each of which will list the names of the theatres in the paper's territory showing Paramount pictures durins the week, are being carried in all the key cities. This advertising is being strongly supported by an intensive publicity and exploitation campaign. Unusual Co-opcratlon Claud Saunders, exploitation manager, has outlined a campaign for his exploitation men in the field, and exhibitors booking Paramount Pictures during that week, will re- ceive an unusual amount of co-op- eration in the way of exploitation of their theatres. "The object of this intensive cam- paign," said Mr. Kent, "is to assist exhibitors in getting away to the right start at the opening of the summer season. The results of 'The Best Show in Town Week' are ex- pected to show exhibitors that the best way to combat the present pe- riod of industrial dullness is to exert extra efforts. We are pre- paring to give exhibitors every pos- sible help to prove this point, with an unusually heavy amount of poor times, pictures are being made the money. We know how to build and bigger plans are in progress pictures of merit and when we see for the fall. that foreign film competes with "The motion picture industry ours, trust the Americarts to do the must have its commercial side. The rest." companies must be built on a rock Mr. Smallwood is newspaper advertising, publicity of credit, good name and will and City for his first and exploitation. One of the things sufficient capital to carry the pro- which struck me most on my re- duction to a successful ending. ".\dyertising is the greatest me- cent trip around the countrv was the great necessity of exploitation dium for this great industry. Com- and pulilicity just at this time." panics should advertise now more in New York vacation in three years. When asked of his future plans, he said "I am just resting now, but in a short time I shall do my bit to make bigger and better .\merican pictures." irnSTERN MOTION I'lCTVRll ADVERriSHRS GRILL THE CRITICS Las Angeles newsfapermen, who are enacting a tn orie sketch in the background, came in for friendly roasting as guests of the press agents in the Marion Fairfax studios at a dinner staged by Pete Smith