The Moving picture world (January 1922)

January 21, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 293 In the Independent^Field Warners, Arrow, Exceptional and Kineto Figure in Foreign Deals The past week was marked with unusual activity among the foreign buyers of State rights productions. In fact, there was more buying of American-made pictures during the past week than was recorded for the previous 14-month period. Virtually all of the big concerns reported for- eign sales. Among these were Ar- row Film Corporation, which led the list in the total number of sales transacted; Warner Brothers, Ex- ceptional Pictures Corporation, and Kineto Company of America. European buyers were unusually active and they reported improved conditions abroad. The past season was an unusually trying one and the list of bankruptcies was the largest known in the history of the cinema on the continent. However, the buy- ers spoke optimistically and added the information that they seek as many big features and short subjects as is available. David J. Mountan, foreign man- ager of Arrow Film Corporation, in announcing the Arrow foreign sales, said that he accepted the boom as indicative of a healthier condi- tion of the field abroad. This, he adds, bids fair to improve as 1922 improves. Bobby North, who represents many foreign buyers, is also par- ticularly enthusiastic about the for- eign situation as it affects the dis- tribution of American pictures. The demand for pictures abroad, he stated, in acquiring the foreign rights to Exceptional's "His Nibs," star- ring Chic Sales, is on the increase, and American features lead in this demand. "Polish Dancer" opens at Capital "The Polish Dancer," starring Pola Negri and State Righted by Jesse Levinson, was given its premier showing in the South at Loew's Strand Theatre, in Washington, D. C, where it played to capacity busi- "Mabel" Debut "Oh Mabel, Behave," the Photo- craft Film Corporation five-reel comedy starring Mabel Normand. Owen Moore, Mack Sennett and Ford Sterling, was given its pre- mier on Thursday, January 12, at the Strand Theatre, Perth Amboy, N. J. The following night it played the Plainfield, Plainfield, N. J. New Buyers William Steiner Productions this week announced the sale of two more franchises for the Neal Hart Western series. Greater Features, Inc., of Salt Lake City, has pur- chased the Utah rights, while Lan- non-Sheffield Exchange of Denver has taken over the Colorado rights. _ PRODUCER, STAR AND DISTRIBUTOR Left to right: Alfred Lever, of Stotl Films; Eille Norwood, star of "Sherlock Holmes" series, which William Alexander {right), of Alc.rander Films Corporation, is state righting. Picture taken at Stall's London studio Resume of Week *s Business Foreign Sales RUSSELL productions; INC. "Shadows of Conscience" Liberty Film Exchange of Denver for Kansas, Western Missouri, Colo- rado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah and southern Idaho. Pioneer Film Exchange of New York for New York and northern New Jersey. Pioneer Film Exchange of Chicago for Illinois and Indiana. W. G. Gaskell Enterprises of Chicago for Wisconsin and Michigan peninsula. C. B. C. FILM SALES CORPORATION Carnival Comedies Masterpiece Film Attractions, of Philadelphia, for Eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Federated Film Exchange of Los Angeles for southern California, Ari- zona, and Nevada. Federated Film Exchange of San Francisco for northern California and Hawaiian Islands. Myriad Pictures Corporation of New York for Greater New York and Northern New Jersey. Territorial Sales ARROW FILM CORPORATION Famous Players-Lasky Corporation of Melbourne, Australia, rights to Broadway Comedies, for Australia. Famous Lasky Film Service, Ltd., of London, rights to 14 Broadway Comedies for Great Britain and the Free State of Ireland. A. E. Gonzales of San Juan, P. R., eight Jack Hoxie Westerns and 10 Hank Mann Comedies for Porto Rico, Santa Domingo and Haiti. K. D. & Brothers, Bombay, India, rights to 26 Hank Mann Comedies for India, Burma, and Ceylon. International Film Agency of San Juan, P. R., rights to 18 Spotlight Comedies for Porto Rico, Santa Domingo and Haiti. WARNER BROTHERS "School Days" Charles Stephenson of Stephenson Attractions, Ltd., of Toronto, for Dominion of Canada. Foreign Field Improving Says Mr. L. Auerbach "The foreign field," said L. Auer- bach, of Export and Import Film Company, Inc., which is State right- ing the Col. W. N. Selig animal serial, "The Jungle Goddess," in a statement made this week, "is grad- ually coming back to normal. The prices for pictures have necessarily been reduced to prevailing condi- tions, but the foreign market is eager for American pictures at the right price." The Export & Import Film Com- pany's survey on the foreign market follows : Spain and Portugal improving gradually, but surely. France, which was hardest hit, is also recovering and demanding more and better American pictures. William Alexander of Alexander Film Co., just back from England, reported this week that the American State rights pictures abroad are reaping a good harvest. Mr. Alexander's firm is State righting Stoll's 1.5 two-reel Sher- lock Holmes pictures. It became known this week that Swedish Biograph's program for 1922 calls for four pictures by Maurize Stiller and Victor Sjostrom, who is now in England. The latter is expected to visit the United States in March. Kilner's Exclusive Films, London. Eng., is giving "The Lost City" and "Miracles of the Jungle," the two American serials, an elaborate exploita- tion and getting plenty of good pub- licity, too. The Bioscope reviewer commenting on Warner Brothers' "Why Girls Leave Home," which Pearl Films is handling in England, characterized the feature as one of the most wonderful cine- matographic offerings of the season that no kinema can afford to pass up." Quite a feather in the cap of the War- ner organization. Charles Stephenson of Stephenson's Attractions, Toronto, Can., has bought the Canadian rights to Warner Broth- ers' "School Days." An agent of an Italian producing concern was in New York this week and made a vain effort to tie up with several firms. His price was far in excess of the actual value of the pic- tures here, and he returned a wiser but disappointed tourist. Adams to Co-Star with Sid Smith In all future Hallroom Boys Comedy two-reelers, according to Hallroom Boys Comedies Corpora- tion, Jimmy Adams's name will be co-featured with that of Sid Smith. With the addition of Adams, the comedies, which have grown to be immensely popular with the publiC' are materially strengthened, for Jimmy is a versatile comedian who needs to bow to no one in his line. Federated Exchanges, which are distributing the comedies, report a big business on them. Kirby Changes George Kirby, who was formerly connected with Masterpiece Pictures' Corporation, of Cincinnati, has suc- ceeded Neal McCast, resigned, on the staff of the Cincinnati Metro office.