The Moving picture world (July 1921)

512 MOVING PICTURE WORLD July 30, 1921 Short Subjects Wading Deep Into Popularity, Educatio nal Finds AMPLE proof of the growing importance of the short subject in the motion pic- ture industry is provided by a gathering of more than forty specialists in short subjects, dealing exclusively in pictures of two reels or less, in Chicago last week. These men were managers of departments and managers of branch exchanges of Educational Film Exchanges, Inc., with some of the many producers now making pictures for Educational release. They met at the Congress Hotel July 18, 19 and 20, in the first anual Educational Branch Managers' Convention. The dominant idea of the convention was that of service to the industry by constantly striv- ing to make the short picture more entertain- ing, more instructive and more acceptable gen- erally to the picture-loving public. Mr. Hammons announced one more acquisition for Educational in addition to the long list of new pictures which Educational already had announced that it would release during the new year. "Just a year ago they were saying we were crazy," said Mr. Hammons. "They told us it couldn't be done. Short subjects had always been handled merely as a side line; as a sort of necessary evil. The distributor did not ask enough for them to enable the producer to de- velop a real quality in the shorter pictures. They were just 'fillers.' With so little atten- tion paid to them the short subjects were usually of- the quality that might be expected under such circumstances. "We were able to see, however, that it was not only the so-called feature that the patrons of a theatre went to see. Many of them were keenly disappointed with two out of every three 'features' they witnessed. Yet they con- tinued to go to the theatre because they could usually hope for instruction, enjoyment and amusement from the short subjects—the travel pictures, scenics, comedies, news reels. "The folly of the exhibitor putting all his eggs in one basket seemed apparent. A diversi- fied program seemed the wise, the logical solu- tion. But how could a diversified program that the exhibitor would be proud to present be arranged if there was nobody in the produc- ing and distributing branches of the industry to see the wisdom of giving serious thought to the development and improvement, in subject matter, direction and photography, of the short pictures? "So we started out to improve the quality of these one and two reel subjects, trying to get a return fair enough so that the producer could afford to go to greater expense in making his pictures. "The results of the first year's efforts have been most pleasing. Distribution of our prod- uct has shown a steady improvement. As to the quality of the pictures, Christie, for ex- ample, never made before his association with Educational anything to compare with the com- edies he has produced in the last few months. It is the same way with the other producers. "We have found it necessary at the begin- ning of our second year to add in great meas- ure to our products. To the Christie Com- edies, Mermaid Comedies, Torchy Comedies, Robert C. Bruce Scenics, Chester Outings and other subjects which we have released in the last year we have added Punch Comedies, with casts including some of the best known comedy stars in the country; a series of two-reel dramatic photoplays from Selig-Rork, and other subjects. Among these are Sketchographs, a splendid ex- ample of animated cartoon by Julian Ollendorff. Within the last few days we have contracted for a series of Toonerville Trolley Comedies. These comedies have gained a popularity that makes it unnecessary for me to elaborate upon them. It is simply following out our policy of getting the best that there is to be had in the short subject field." Among the others in the Educational organ- ization who made addresses were Henry Gins- berg, for the domestic sales department; J. W. O'Mahoney, for the department of advertising and publicity; Carl Anderson for the distribut- ing organization, and A. S. Kirkpatrick, who recently resigned as general manager of Robert- ■son-Cole and who was introduced as the new assistant general manager of Educational. Mr. O'AIahoney announced that, beginning on September 3, Educational would talk to many millions of people through the Saturday Even- ing Post, in this way helping the exhibitor us- ing Educational's products. On Wednesday afternoon—Producers' Af- ternoon—representatives of the producing com- panies making Educational Pictures were in- troduced to the convention. Among them were .A.1 and Charles Christie, makers of Christie Comedies, and Capt. G. McL. Baines, producer of First National Kinograms, Educational's Semi-Weekly News reel. The Denver office was announced as winner of the prize in the national .sales contest. President Hammons awarded prizes of gold watches to all Denver salesmen instead of merely to the manager. The following were the winners: E. J. Drucker, manager, and I. L. Obrasky, A. P. .\rcher and B. Sugarman. Educational announces that a series of Toonerville Trolley subjects will be handled the coming season, to be released at the rate of one a month. A nation-wide advertising campaign will start September 3 in the Satur- day Evening Post in addition to the trade papers. Laemmle Summons All Censors to Confer at Universal City, and to Pass on ''Foolish Wives*' EVERY censor board in the United States and Canada will be represented at Uni- ' versal City, Cal., on August 15 at a con- ference called by Carl Laemmle, president of Universal. Answers have just been received from the censor boards of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and Kansas, the cities of Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, and the National Board of Review, cither signifying their intention of being present or of sending a representative to the meeting. This unique conference is Mr. Laemmle's con- tribution toward the solution of the censorship question, which has been such a burning issue for the past year. Ever since the present agita- tion started he has felt that there must be some more conclusive and practical way to settle the question than by fighting or by antagonizing those who were sincere in their desire for higher ideals in moving pictures, and were striving through censorship to attain them. After considering the prospect of another year of conflict of opinion, Mr. Laemmle re- solved to call a conference of censors and pro- ducers in California. This conference is now assured. The invitation was sent out by Mr. Laemmle just prior to his departure for Europe. It will be impossible for him to be there in per- .son, but H. M. Berman, general manager of exchanges, will act as host to the party of cen- sors who will assemble at Chicago, and Irving Thalberg, general manager of Universal City, will issue the invitations to producers to meet with them at the Beverley Hills Hotel near Universal City. "Misunderstanding is always the basis for human conflict and intolerance," said Mr. Laem- mle in discussing his solution of the censorship problem just before he sailed. "We certainly have had plenty of it in this censorship matter. It is high time we started to understand each other. It is time we found out that the watch- word of this present day is 'Stop Fighting.' It is high time producers began to look at censors as the result of a widespread feeling. We may not agree with the feeling, but we cannot deny its existence. But if producers will come to realize through this conference that censors are not all crepe-hanging reformers clad in blue glasses and armed with scissors, and if censors will come to know that producers are not all knaves, jackals and purveyors of cheap amusement, without principle or honor, but that both are human and that both are sincere, I will consider that I have performed a real service for the moving picture industry. "I have not changed in any way my convic- tion that censorship will not do what the ad- vocates of censorship wish to accomplish. Also, I regard it as unutterably foolish to attempt to oppose censorship with more censorship, whether of a self-imposed nature or not. I am convinced, however, th?* 't ii high time to stop fighting and ti agree amo-"' oarse'ves on a pro- gram to which we can all subscribe. We have all been in the dark—we are still in the dark. What I am trying to do is to open the door and let the light of common sense and common understanding in on the censorship situation. "In spite of every effort which has been made, producers do not yet know what all the boards insist on and there is no uniformity in the many state and city board decisions. If this meeting brings the censors themselves together so that their rulings and requirements are more in con- formity, it will be helpful. And if producers, directors, scenario writers and authors can be shown what is and what is not admissible, much time, money and effort can be saved. "In our own case we have a large amoiuit of money tied up in the 'Foolish Wives' picture. This picture may or may not conform to all the censorship requirements of the various boards. But we will feel much more confident in sending it out and so will every exhibitor if the boards themselves have had a hand in cutting it." The arangements which have been made and which have met with the approval of the boards call for the assembly of all of the censorship boards in the East at Chicago, on August 10. This will bring the entire party, with the ex- ception of the censor board of Vancouver, to- gether in one party. The entire expenses of the trip will be borne by Universal from the time the censors leave their homes until the time they return there again. Eric von Stroheim, who directed "Foolish Wives," is working day and night with a corps of assistants to cut down the enormous amount of footage of "Foolish Wives" to an amount which will enable the censors to see this story in the form which will be understandable to them. In this form it will probably occupy something like 15 or 20 reels, to be cut down to a final 12. In all of the censorship discussion the argu- ment always comes up on both sides that if pic- tures were censored at the source, a tremendous saving would be effected and the producer would be able to present a much more logical and perfect picture. Although this was not Mr. Laemmle's primary object in inviting the censor boards, they have all welcomed this opportunity to put into actual practice one of the pet theories of both sides in the censorship agitation. Ray Injured In completing a recent production Charles Ray suffered a painful injury. If a cauliflower ear had developed suspicion would point to the boxing scrap in "Scrap Iron" or the foot- ball match in "Two Minutes to Go." By the irony of fate Mr. Ray came through both these productions unscathed only to be injured while producing: his version of Charles H. Hoyt'< ".\ Midnight Bell."