The Moving picture world (January 1922)

January 21, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 297 In the Independent^Field Gossip of the Trade Elaborate Exploitation Slated for '^Shadows of Conscience" Niagara Pictures Corporation has opened an exchange in Buffalo on the third floor of the Warner Building, 257 Franklin street, with David Levy in charge of sales. George Williatos has been engaged to cover the Rochester territory and Thomas Leonard has been assigned to the Southern tier. Mr. Levy announces that his company has among its releases the following productions: "Lotus Blossom," "Shad- ows of the West," "Welcome Children," "Under Western Skies," "False Woman," "Mickey," and "The County Fair." The exchange is also hand- ling Francis Ford in "The Great Re- ward," King Cole comedies and other pictures. Mr. Levy announces that plans are being made for an elaborate revival in western New York of "Mickey." Harold B. Franklin, managing direc- tor of the Shea Amusement Company's picture interests, announces that he has booked "School Days," the big Grand & Warner release for showing at Shea's Hippodrome, Shea's North Park and the Elmwood. The picture will be pre- sented some time in February for ex- tended engagements at these three houses and at the Shea Court street vaudeville theatre on Sunday. Sydney Samson, manager of the Buffalo Grand & Warner office, reports bookings com- ing in like wildfire on this big produc- tion. Howard F. Brink, salesman de luxe, is now sending contracts in in bundles on "School Days" and "Why Girls Leave Home." Mr. Samson made a flying trip to Rochester, Syracuse and Binghamton last week. Bill Fickeisen has resigned from the sales staff of Merit Pictures in Buf- falo. He has been succeeded by Homer Howard, formerly with Nu-Art In the Queen City of the Lakes. Harry Hirsch, better known as "The Baron," and formerly with the Light- ning Photoplays Company, of Boston, has come to Buffalo to join the sales staff of the Lande Film corporation, 145 Franklin street. Mr. Hirsch is now touring the territory with "Thun- derbolt Jack." Fred M. Zimmerman, president and general manager of Nu-Art Pictures corporation, has opened his Albany office at 4 Clinton street, with M. Cohen In charge. Art Young, Buffalo office manager, journeyed to Albany to in- stall the booking system. State Rights exchangemen attended the regular meeting of the M. P. T. O. A. of Eartern Pennsylvania and South- ern New .Jersey en masse in Philadel- phia last week. William Conn, of Premier Pictures Corporation, of Charlotte, N. C, and T. A. Brannon, of Eltabran Film Com- pany, of Atlanta, Ga., were visitors at the Arrow offices In New York this week. Both reported that the crisis has been passed In the South and con- ditions should soon Improve for the better there. They came to New York on a buying trip. S. Arnovltz, president of the Equity Pictures Corporation of Canada, re- turned to Montreal from a three- months tour of Europe. He Is said to have acquired several productions made In England tor Canadian dis- tribution. Frank G. Hard, publicity director for the Standard Film Service Exchanges of Ohio, made his debut as an orator last week when he delivered an ad- dress before the Kiwanis Club of Me- dina. "A Man There Was," distributed in Kansas and Missouri by Peacock Pro- ductions, will be given a premier show- ing at the Pantages Theatre, Kansas City, on January 29. J. B. Underwood was this week for- mally presented to the staff of the St. Louis Exchange of Enterprise Distrib- uting Corporation by District Manager W. J. Jenkins. Mr. Underwood will officiate as manager of the St. Louis branch. The Seattle Film Exchange has taken over the entire output of the Clark Cornelius Corporation, consisting of 20 features, including eight Northwest .Police pictures, produced by Milburn Morante. The first of this series will be released January 10. A. J. Dussault. Montreal manager of Merger Films. Ltd., was In New York last week looking over films suitable for Canadian distribution. He closed with L. 6 H. Enternrises for "A Daughter of the Night." David Segal, of the Royal and Dc Luxe Film Exchanges, and Tony Lu- chese, of the De Luxe Film Exchange, both of Philadelphia, have resigned as members of the F. I. L. M- Club of that city. "Shadows of Conscience," the seven-reel feature produced by W. D. Russell Productions, Inc., is being introduced to exhibitors by an attrac- tive broadside. It is printed in six colors. The cover of the broadside de- picts the shadowy figure of "Con- science," pointing an accusing finger at a cringing man, thus showing one of the many ways the title may be utilized in the exploitation. The back cover shows, in the original colors, the various types of stands and other advertising accessories available. The inside pages contain a set of stills taken from various T. A. Curran, special representative of the Arrow Film Corporation, went to Boston on Saturday to co-operate with the Lightning Photoplay Ex- change of Boston in the presentation of "Ten Nights in a Barroom" at the Mod- ern Theatre in Lawrence, Mass. Joe Weil's "Movie Bellyache." Vol. II. No. 1, mysteriously made Its appear- ance on our desk this week. And we want Joe to know that we'll be on the lookout for every other issue he pub- lishes. Send 'em along, Joe; we're a glutton for punishment. Aye, wot? Bill Fickeisen has resigned from the sales staff of Merit Pictures Exchange in Buffalo. Homer Howard, formerly of Nu-Art of that city, succeeds him. Gen. Charles H. Cole, treasurer of the Bay State Film Company of Bos- ton, was last week elected to the Mas- sachusetts State comraandership of the American Legion. Albert E. Plummer. president of Sun- burst Pictures Corporation of Massa- chusetts, this week announced the re- moval of the main offices to Springfielo Mass. Joe Lee, who is out in Minneapolis establishing the Biograph office, writes to the effect that he found a bloke there who thinks a three-sheet is a bedspread. Lindsay McKenna was another from whom this department heard. Lindsay conveyed the information that the in- dependent producers on the Coast are the most active. Travers Vale will soon start "shoot- ing" on another independent picture in New York. The cast has not yet been selected, however. That exchange folks are good for something other than merely book ■pictures and see that prints are re- turned was established Into a fact last week when the prologue to Warner Brothers' "School Days" at a trade showing held In Boston by Sam Grand's Federated Exchange was staged by at- taches of the exchange. Geoffrey L. Whalen, known to New England ex- hibitors, acted as school master. .John Casey, Boston's critic, and local news- papermen, were the guests. Herman Jans, who Is president of Jans Pictures. Inc.. and also head of Jans Exchange, of New York CItv. ac- quired a new theatre in New Bruns- wick, N. J., this week and gave an elaborate opening on Monday. With the holidays over, out-of-town buyers resumed their Journeys to New York during the past week, with the result that the market bustled with activity. stages and scenes of the play which tell the complete story pictorially. A sixteen-page campaign book, is said to be one of the most complete exhibitor helps ever published. It contains many "ads" arranged for various sizes of newspaper space, as well as short, snappy stories and re- views which can be used in the local newspapers and gives an abundance of ideas for practical, inexpensive exploitation. The story of Gertrude Olmstead, winner of the $10,000 beauty contest, who has a leading role in the picture, will be a favorite one for film fans. A very appro- priate and artistic, but inexpensive prologue is also outlined in detail. Carnival Comedy Series Are to Be State Righted by C B. C Carnival Comedies is the name given to the new series of two-reel comedies secured by the C. B. C. Film Sales Corporation for release to the States right market. These comedies are absolutely new on the market, never having been released. The series is described as "bi- star"—featuring Polly Moran, the famous Mack Sennett comedienne, and "Smiling" Bill Jones and his beautiful girls. With the series an- nounced on the market only a few days, three sales on these Carnival Comedies were made almost at once. Ben Amsterdam, head of Master- piece Film Attractions of Philadel- phia, made a special trip to New York to view.two of the comedies and immediately purchased the se- ries for release in his territory, in- cluding Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. Mr. Amster- dam said that short subject releases, and especially good two-reel come- dies, were in great demand. An- other sale was that to Marion Kohn for Federated Film Exchange of Los Angeles and San Francisco, who has secured rights to the entire scries for California, Arizona, Ne- vada, and the Hawaiian Islands. The New York territory has also been disposed of already to Myriad Pictures Corporation, for the ter- ritory including Greater New York and Northern New Jersey. "Polly's Busted Romance," fea- turing Polly Moran, Jias been se- lected as the first release. This comedy is said to afford Miss Moran an excellent opportunity to display her genius for fun making which has placed her in the foretnost ranks of the screen comediennes. Complete Array of Helps Are Ready for ''School Day" Film Seldom has the exhibitor been offered such an array of accessories as are offered him by Warner Broth- ers in conjunction with the exploi- tation of Gus Edwards's "School Days," starring Wesley Barry. There are 13 novelties ranging from stickers to huge and attractive 24- sheets. In addition there is a unique 135^x21 cutout of Wesley Barry, containing in the center a black space SYzxS, on which can be written in chalk pertinent data relative to store in which tie-up is arranged in conjunction with the picture. The possibilities for the use of this cut- out are innumerable, for across the bottom of the cutout there is ample room for the theatre name. Other exploitation helps include four cartoon strips drawn by Clare Victor Dwiggins, suitable for newspaper reproduction; cartoon sh'des, a Wesley Barry badge, a Wesley Barry lollypop, strip of Barry photos, a rubber tack nov- elty calculated to keep teachers of country tCAvns guessing and kiddies laughing; a postal card containing scenes from the picture, a blotter, and a complete line of attractive paper. One of the paper features's a six-sheet, drawn by Dwiggins, an exact replica of a Sunday comic sheet. "Greatest Question" in Big Demand With many first runs to its credit, "The Greatest Question," the feature which Joe Brandt and George H. Davis are State righting, is in un- usually big demand by exhibitors who have marvelled at the wonder- ful attraction of the picture. Ex- changes distributing the feature lo- cally are besieging Mr. Brandt's New York offices with requests for additional prints with which to fill play dates.