The Moving picture world (May 1922)

176 MOVING PICTURE WORLD May 13, 1922 In the Independent^Field Geographic Film Company, of Cincinnati, Enters State Rights Field with Biblical Films Announcement was made this week that the Geographic Film Company, of Cincinnati, will make a series of 50 Biblical pictures of one reel each. E. B. Russell, representing that company, came to New York this week and made the announcement. The subjects are listed under six general headings, namely, Bethlehem, Southern Judea and Egypt, Northern Judea and the Maritime Plain, Jericho and the Jordan, Jerusalem, Shiloh, Samaria and Galilee, and Damascus, Lebanon and Mount Carmel. The company is also preparing for release nine fivereel productions for program release and one five-reel picture devoted to Solomon's Temple and the Tabernacle. In all this firm has 100 reels for distribution in the State Rights market. The first will be ready for release September 1. Mr. Russell's statement to the trade follows : "What started the whole project." declared Mr. Russell this week, "was the fact that heretofore Biblical screen subjects attempted to dramatize characters and places. This work has been performed largely by men with a lack of real Biblical knowledge. The result has been that the church at large has been dissatisfied with practically every attempt made. "Knowing the great need of adequate representation of Biblical scenes and the Holy Land as a whole we conceived the idea that the Biblical knowledge could be conveyed to the people with real truth, but we very quickly reached the conclusion that no one could do It other than student of religious thought. "The Holy Land and Palestine is to a very large degree as it was two thousand years ago. Its temples stood there three thousand years ago, the people have not changed, costumes have not changed, since the days of Jesus. "The Rev. Dr. J. E. lloUey for seven years had made a study as to what steps should be taken to secure the desired material. There was no question he was the man to undertake the work. When it came to financing the expedition Albert Krippendorf, a Cincinnati resident of large means, was called upon. While Mr. Krippendorf is not a 'religious man' in the ordinary acceptance of that term, he was interested in the project and wrote a check for the amount it was estimated would be required. "Mr. HoUey selected an expert cameraman and -went to the Holy Land. There he carefully photographed scenes and places from a geographical and historical point of view. His aim was to make the pictures non-sectarian, so that they might be used In any church or any theatre or any school, and also so that a minister could preach direct from the film. As they have turned out, Sunday school lessons may be taught from them for a thousand years because they are geographically 100 per cent, authentic. "The single reels are for exhibition in theatres first. The nine features will be for use In churches and educational Institutions. The five-reel subject devoted to the Temple and the Tabernacle, which were photographed from the authentic models of Professor Schick, will be available for Masonic organizations. "The entire product will be offered to state rights exchanges direct. The distributors will have absolute supervision over their territory tor a period of five years on a flat rental, payable monthly. Geographic Films will co-operate with the state rights buyers in a large way, by the usual methods of exploitation, and also by trade press advertising. Also we are negotiating for advertising to be carried in the leading religious papers as well as national educational journals. "It is our purpose also to come in closer contact with the distributor and his trade, and wherever the distribtuor makes arrangements with us for a certain given territory if he will supply to us the theatres or institutions of every character he is serving we will from our offices mail advertising matter. "We also have completed arrangements with the great national religious and educational bodies, by showing the film to them and acquainting them with its value and urging them to co-operate with their local theatres or churches that are using motion pictures. These todies will have the names of all our (listribulors. and it is our purpose and intention to carry on with the distributor directly to his customer throughout the period in which he is contracting for distribution. "Our plan of putting the film in the hands of the distributor, inasmuch as a great mass of it must get its returns from the non-theatrical field, is a differtnt plan than is usually pursued by stato rights men. "We realize that there are two or three years at least of intensive missionary work that has got to be done in the non-theatrical field before that field will be productive, and we are willing to bear with the distributor our share of the expense of this missionary work." Between You and Me Pat he Purchases "Jungle Goddess" for Great Britain A sale was consummated this week between Pathe Freres and the Export and Import Film Company when the former company purchased outright the United Kingdom rights for "The Jungle Goddess," Col. Selig's serial, which the latter company is distributing independently. While no figures are mentioned in the announcement made by Louis Auerbach, of the Export and Import Film Company, it is understood that a record-breaking price was paid for the fifteen-episode wild animal film. It is the first time on record that Pathe, the strongest of all serial releasing organizations, has purchased an independent animal serial for that market, which transcends all other foreign territories. 'T^ HE distributor of a new picture stopping at the Astor Hotel broke A all records last week when he received two "n.g." checks in the course of a day. The checks involved amounts aggregating $27,000. One of those who gave the checks \uas one of the best and supposedly most reliable exchangemen in the business. Which goes to show that you never can tell. Sol Lesser is in town. Sol is one of those go-getters who has little to say, but who actually does a lot of thinking. Lesser is sponsoring production on a picture telling the truth about Hollywood. Elinor Glynn wrote the story, which will be depicted on the screen by a wonderful cast. Some distributors are kidding themselves to the extent of bringing back films that were famous years and years ago. tackling a new name on to them and releasing them to the trade. But they forgot one thing — that some of the boys are as hep as they. And then, too, these birds are so wise they don't have time to think that the other fellow has been blessed with his share of gray matter. 'Isle of Doubt, " Syracuse's First, Now Completed Syracuse Motion Pictures Company, in charge of Director Hamilton Smith and Chief Cinematographer Arthur Cadwell, returned to New York this week from Miami, Fla., where the final scenes of "The Isle of Doubt" were completed. Producers Security Corporation, which will handle the releasing arrangements, is speeding up the cutting and will make distribution announcements within two weeks. "The Isle of Doubt" is the first of several feature pictures to be made by the Syracuse company Here's a fine example of how some folks in this industry do business: A publicity man was asked to draw up a catalogue on short stuff. He advertised for bids and the lowest showed that it would cost considerable for the job. The executive, wise bird that he is not, was taken off his feet w-hen he learned the figures. However, he found a solution. He instructed the publicity man to cut out the advertising. And yet this chap would parade up and down Broadway styling himself a showman. In the towns that this bird calls "sticks" they know better than to do a thing like that. Ijooks like the day of the bulky, worthless press book is gone, never to be revived. The trouble with some writers is that they fail to differentiate between a press book intended to help an exhibitor put on a show and a sales book dedicated to helping the salesman sell his product. There is a firm that i? keeping its existence a secret. And yet its officials wonder why they never see an out-of-town buyer. Were it not for the fact that this concern numbers among its employes a livewire whose hands are tied, but who is popular in the trade, the firm would have been in the receiver's hands a long time ago. Doc Horator, owner of the Panthenon and Alhambra, in Toledo, O., is a hustler. He got into the show business by accident something like 35 years ago, when, while on the road for a commercial house, he was "elected" to serve as "angel" for a stranded troupe. He advanced money to the company and succeeded in selling the members the idea of continuing on filling dates. Result, he won out, cleaning up $5,000 at the end of the season. And that's how he began. Now he operates two money-makers in Toledo and just to make things happy for his better 50 per cent, the Doc whizzed into New York late this week in his speedster, picked up Dr. W. E. Shallenberger, of Arrow, and continued on to Washington to attend the exhibitor convention there next season. You've got to take your hat off to a certain young man in this business. We mean Joe Weil, who handles at least fifteen accounts as well as sells territories on pictures State righted by Export & Import Film, Inc. Joe returned from a long trip last week. And he came back with plenty of cash, which shows that he is as big a success as salesman as he is as press agent. Joe has a heart, sells himself first and then goes out to sell the other fellow. Wished we knew a whole lot others like him. The fact that the Saengers, Lynch and Rubin & Finkelstein are searching the State rights market for box office attraction is an indication of the direction in which the wind is blowing. Irene Tarns, who plays the part of the waif, is putting over LeeBradford's "Determination," like a million dollars all over the country. Right now she is playing Wilkes-Barre for Dave Segal of Royal Pictures. Inc., of Philadelphia. Irene is a clever actress who makes a wonderful appearance and knows what to say to her audience. She literally runs away with the picture and then hits the spectator between the eyes with her appearance, which has aroused much favorable comment and won for her considerable good advertising.