The Moving picture world (August 1922)

August 12, 1922 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 515 "Night Life in Hollywood" Is Acquired By Arrow Negotiations were completed this week between Arrow Film Corpora- tion and A. B. Maescher Produc- tions whereby Arrow acquires the world distribution rights for "Night Life In Hollywood." Wallace Reid, Theodore Roberts, J. Warren Ker- rigan, J. Frank Glendon, Sessue Hayakawa and William Desmond appear prominently in the picture. Arrow officials are particularly enthusiastic concerning the acquisi- tion of this truly great picture, for they feel that in offering it to the independent exchange man and, through him, to the exhibitor, they are giving every one concerned in the handling of it an opportunity to reap a golden harvest. The title is rich in exploitation possibilities; the cast the greatest ever brought together in one picture; the produc- tion, it is said, itself will back up all that may be written about it, and by word-of-mouth advertising is ex- pected to draw crowds to theatres. W. Ray Johnston, vice-president of Arrow, has placed himself prominently on record and proph- esizes an even greater triumph for "Night Life in Hollywood" than was marked up by "Ten Nights In A Barroom," another Arrow release which made history in the independ- ent field. every first-run house in Portland the week of July 29, and in several Seattle and Tacoma theatres. At the Portland Liberty the G. F. releases will furnish complete service for two full changes of program. The Radio reel is proving as popular at the Tacoma Blue Mouse as it did in Seattle last week, while the Federated Hall Room Boys conie- dies, Federated Screen Snapshots and Monte Banks are all proving popular with fans wherever shown In the North Pacific states. The product is all good and both Mr. Lannon and Mr. Sheffield of Greater Features, Inc., are old timers in the game and well liked by exhibi- tors throughout their territory. They will motor to Portland the last of this week on business. attle exchange long enough to say Hello while on vacation. Distribution in the Northwest terri- tory of "A Child for Sale," the Ivan Abramson picture, and J. P. McCarthy's "Out of the Dust," heretofore handled by Globe Film Company, will be taken care of by Greater Features Exchange of Minneapolis. Friedman Film Corporation of Min- neapolis announced this week in that city that he would release Arrow's Ben Wilson special, "The Innocent Cheat," on August 26 and will be available to exhibitors during the Northwest "Go to Movies" week. In Tacoma, John Hamrick's Blue Mouse has arranged big exploitation with one of the largest newspapers for the presentation of the reel "How to Make a Radio for Sixty Cents." The price is alluring and the process simple, and the West is still Radio-crazy, three elements that make for sure-fire suc- cess at the Blue Mouse Radio head- quarters. Arthur C. Bromberg, of the Bromberg Attractions, Inc., of Atlanta, has put a new representative on the road, Mrs. Esther Parham, who is familiar with the territory. "The Man From Hell's River" will have simultaneous showings in Seattle and Portland Blue Mouse Theatres the week of August 12. This feature is distributed through DeLuxe Feature Film Co.. of Seattle, for the Pacific Northwest. J. J. Durfield, formerly with Realart and later with Paramount, has joined the Enterprise Distributing Corporation of Atlanta and is concentrating his sell- ing efforts on C. C. Burr's "I Am the Law," and the Richard Talmadge series. Harry K. Lucas, of Atlanta, returned to that city last week following an ex- tensive tour of the Middlewest on busi- ness. Mr. Archer, salesman-booker for Ed- ucational in Denver, stopped at the Se- Morris Schlank is due in New York late this month with prints of his latest releases, in two of which Peggy O'Day is starred. "Gag" Comedies Are stuff as fillers. The wiser showmen, but this class is in the minority, are presenting special short subject pro- grams and mopping up. "The short subject deserves as much attention as the feature at- traction, for without it no program is complete. A good laugh is al- ways an asset, and when a comedy- comes along with laughs that are hearty the exhibitor should not neg- lect to bring this fact to the atten- tion of the public. "Exchangemen should also pay more attention to short subjects and particularly the comedies. The prac- tice of throwing in comedies as part of a bargain in a deal involving fea- tures should stop. The sooner this practice is stopped the better for all concerned. Exchanges should be as considerate and careful of their comedies as they are of their fea- tures and it is not fair to allow sales- men to emphasize feature attractions and disregard totally the comedy of- ferings when selling exhibitors. The short subjects should be placed in the hands of salesmen who understand their value. And through by such a method will producers, distributors and exchanges ever be able to get the rentals to which the good com- edies are entitled." Eddie will return to the Coast next week, following a conference with W. E. Shallenberger of Ar- row Film Corporation, which will release the Lyons comedies. He will also produce a series of 14 Mirth- quake comedies starring Bobby Dunn. Arrow will also State right this series. C. H. Christie, business and financial manager of the Christie Comedies, spent one day in Seattle this week. He is on his way to New York via the Can- adian Pacific and will stop at Van- couver, Toronto and Winnipeg. Mr. Christie renewed many old acquaint- ances along Film Row and visited at the local Educationa lexchange which distributes the Christie product through- out the Pacific Northwest. The 1923 product will consist of 20 two-reel com- edies as against 24 last year. J. A. Gage is manager of the Seattle Educa- tional Exchange. Jensen & Von Herberg have booked the entire series of Felix cartoons lor their houses in Seattle, Tacoma and Portland through Greater Features, Inc. distributors for the series in the Pacific Northwest. The first of the series opens July 29 at the Seattle Coliseum, and a great treat is promised admirers of the inimitable Felix. Popular—Ed Lyons Wil % Cas * f ° r . In spite of the fact that there was no special drive on, Greater Features, Inc., Seattle, will be represented in AREY^UlEXT Eddie Lyons, one of the foremost screen comedians of today, is in town, brimful of optimism and en- thusiastic about his future offerings. Here is one comedian who spends as much time studying his public as he does producing comedies, and, mind you, they don't come any busier than Eddie. Giving the public what it wants in the comedy line is anything but child's play. And no one knows this better than Eddie Lyons, for he has experimented with comedy in its every phase. He has given theatre- goers hoakum, slapstick, "situation" and blue comedy. But while he has succeeded as few comedians have in furnishing the fickle public with laugh provokers, he has found that it is a wise producer who will change his style so that it is con- sistent with the change in public de- mand. But we will let Eddie register his thoughts just as that princely funster told them to the writer: "Harold Lloyd has educated the public to expect good, clean and wholesome entertainment with gags that are true to life, original and diversifying. While some are still resorting the blue sort of tactics, it is the gag comedy replete with sur- prises that scores the biggest with audiences. "The day of the bathing girl comedies is gone. The public has sickened of that sort of camouflaged comedy. When it wants comedy it does not want to be treated to a passing show of beautiful girls. It wants laughs—the more you hand them the better for all concerned. It wants these laughs to come as surprises. They must be original and inspired by something that is true to life. Of course, there always will be a demand for a dignified slapstick bit. The chase will also stay in comedies. It is put on in different shape, but always the audience seems to like it. "I don't think that exhibitors gen- erally are giving comedies the neces- sary amount of exploitation backing. The comedy has been the means of saving many a show. This is a fact with which theatre owners are well acquainted. The value of a good comedy has been minimized by ex- hibitors, who look upon the short Second Film Is Completed George H. Wiley, Inc., announced this week that his company has been assembled on the West Coast and production started on the second picture to be released by the or- ganization for the State right market. The feature, a drama of the Canadian Northwest, has been given the working title of "The Knife." "The Knife" is the second in a series of eight Milburn Morante productions with Clara Horton featured. Showmen Grabbing C. B. C.'s Feature Independent exhibitors all over the country are expressing them- selves enthusiastic over the pros- pects of obtaining the "Big Six" se- ries being offered by C. B. C. Film Sales Corporation. When the announcement of the release of the first of this new se- ries "More To Be Pitied," was an- nounced, interest was at once mani- fested by showmen, who were eager to book independent features with a sure box office pull. As soon as the State right policy was decided, many at once began to hold open date for this series, being of the opinion that if the picture was as big as critics throughout the coun- try declared it to be, they were sure of making more money on it. Exhibitors have told exchange- men that they especially like the idea of being able to buy this series of six, and still be able to "shop around" for other features. The fact that these melodramas of Charles Blaney's have played the ten-twenty-thirty houses for years, and always to crowded houses, is believed will draw business to en- terprising showmen who know the value of giving his public what they want. Among the biggest Exchangemen in the country who have bought the series are Sam Grand, Federated Film Ex. of England; Quality Film Ex. of Western Penn., Va., Ohio, and Kentucky; De Luxe Film Co., Philadelphia and Eastern Penn.; Bobby North, Apollo Film Ex., Greater N. Y. and N. J., and Grand- North Ex., Northern N. Y. BETTER THAN EVER "7 he New Series of HALL ROOM BOYS COMEDIES