The Moving picture world (September 1923-October 1923)

128 MOVING PICTURE WORLD September 8, 1923 Uncle Sam Puzzled; to Investigate UNCLE SAMUEL is a curious old chap; especially when he desires to know why certain obvious things don't turn out as they should. He also has some very pet theories, and one of these has been that good motion pictures will draw good crowds no matter where shown. In short, he doesn't believe there is much difference between the film likes of the folks in the big towns and in the rural districts. In other words what goes big on Broadway should go proportionately big on Main street. But this dope has been rudely upset in the St. Louis film district. Many of the most successful pictures that have always played to capacity and near capacity crowds in the bigger towns, even at advanced prices, have flopped badly in the rural sections especially when playing on a percentage. Uncle Samuel, a deep student of mass psychology, has dispatched fifty internal revenue agents to the St. Louis district to obtain the answer to the puzzle. And, incidentally, he intends to find out whether any of the motion picture exhibitors have been holding out on their internal revenue tax returns. These agents have the box office reports on some 1,000 percentage runs of big pictures in the rural districts. In some instances these indicated that the big specials played on a 50 to 65 per cent, basis didn't draw any better than cheap film sold on a fiat rental. As few as 15 admissions were reported in some instances, it is said. The Government field men have a way of their own of getting the true tinkle out of the cash registers of motion picture theatres and other places of amusement. The check-up of the theatres and other amusement places in the St. Louis district will require more than a month. Schmidt's Successor Attacks Universal Job with Avidity EDWIN J. SMITH, Universal's new general manager of sales, has arrived in New York from London and has assumed the position extended to him by Carl Laemmle, following the resignation of Art Schmidt, former sales chief. Smith resigned his post as general manager of the European Motion Picture Company, Ltd., of London, a big British distributing organization, to take the Universal executive position. "You can't beat the combination of high class pictures and first class service and relationships," explains Smith. "Mr. Laemmle has built up the Universal Pictures Corporation on the high quality of its pictures and the constant good-will of exhibitors. "My principal endeavor, in developing my position as general manager of sales, will be to build on this exhibitor relationship and seek new means of cementing Universal friendship. "Universal progressiveness in the past year has been due to its exhibitor backing— to the knowledge that it held the well-wishes of the majority of the country's theatre owners. Witness the result— 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame,' 'Merry-Go-Round,' 'Drifting,' 'Thundering Dawn,' 'A Lady of Quality,' and a score of other big pictures that rank ahead or with the best in the industry— in all twenty super pictures for the coming year, almost a 200 per cent, increase in big productions over the previous year. "The answer is 'sales methods and service that wins the respect and friendship of the exhibitor and pictures that win the public'" Bowes Visits Goldwyn Studio; Promises Greater Productions EDWARD BOWES, vice-president of the Goldwyn Pictures Corporation, and Mrs. Bowes, arrived last week in the Goldwyn studios at Culver City, California, where Mr. Bowes will confer with Abraham Lehr. vice-president in charge of production, regarding the general policies to be adopted in making the Goldwyn product finer than ever before. Final details for the production of "Ben Hur" will be decided during Mr. Bowes visit. After a preliminary conference between Mr. Bowes, Mr. Lehr and June Mathis, Goldwyn editorial director, who has prepared the scenario for Lew Wallace's immortal story, it was stated that a definite announcement regarding1 the director for "Ben Hur" would be made first. Then will come the most eagerly awaited announcement of the actor who will play the coveted role of Ben Hur. ■ Discussing the motion picture situation in general Mr. Bowes said: "Just now the film industry is m a very interesting position. The public is showing a continuously increasing interest in pictures and there has been a notable advance, I believe, in the type of photoplays which have been produced-3 far greater advance than in any other branch of artistic endeavor. "However, the American public is always willing to pay for quality, and today the mediocre picture is a liability rather than an asset. We are striving to turn out great productions and we of the Goldwyn company are, to say the least, optimistic." New Universal Exchange Big Company Opens Commodious Branch in Milwaukee What is conceded by film men to be one of the most up-to-date film exchanges in the world has just been opened by Universal Pictures Corporation in Milwaukee, Wis., where a commodious, fireproofed, well lighted branch office, with 5,000 feet of floor space and every contrivance for the service and comfort of visiting exhibitors, and for the comfort of the exchange employees last week was officially put into commission in No. 717 Wells Street, Milwaukee, by George L. Levine, Universal exchange manager in that territory. The house warming for the new exchange was featured by an Open House week during which more than 250 exhibitors from the city of Milwaukee and from the surrounding territory were the guests of Universal. The big film company paid the round trip railroad fare of all out-of-town exhibitors and their families, and saw to their comfort while in Milwaukee. This included automobile trips, luncheons, theatre parties and other amusements. Grainger Returns J. R. Grainger, general sales manager of Goldwyn, has just returned from an important trip to Detroit, where he concluded some big deals for first-runs of the Goldwyn Cosmopolitan seventh year specials in firstrun houses. Fox Gets London Theatre Under the terms of a lease recently executed, William Fox assumes control of the Palace Theatre, in London, England He will open this house with the picture "If Winter Comes," from the novel by A. S. M. Hutchinson. Mr. Hutchinson, who personally edited the film version, cabled to Mr. Fox: "I have just viewed your film version of 'If Winter Comes.' It is an absolutely faithful rendering of my novel filmed almost page for page and without any departure from the narrative. The characters step straight out of the book and do precisely as they did in the book." Mr. Fox has arranged for an orchestra of 75 pieces to lend the correct accompaniment to the picture on the occasion of its London opening. This fact, together with the announcement that members of the royal family and those high in literary circles have accepted invitations, indicate that the premiere of "If Winter Conies" will be a notable cinema event in London.