The Moving picture world (September 1923-October 1923)

September 22. 1923 MOVING PICTURE WORLD Co-operative Booking Short Cut to Lower Rentals, Says True CO-OPERATIVE booking is the keynote of a statement issued this week by W. A. True, president of the Theatre Owners Distributing Corporation, which, as announced recently, will begin active operation in October. "Co-operative buying is no longer a theory," says Mr. True. "It has been tried and has proven practical in,many lines of business. We are simply making available for the exhibitors a channel for service and a short cut to lower film rentals by placing at their disposal this plan of an exhibitor owned and exhibitor controlled distributing service of which co-operative booking is one of the many advantages. "Let me emphasize that co-operative booking is actually but one of the advantages. Our movement embraces many others, such as elimination of both the duplication of profits and the pyramiding of distribution costs and the reduction of production costs by economy and careful supervision. "These, and other distributing factors contributing to the present high cost of pictures, we will materially reduce. But perhaps the advantage most interesting to the average exhibitor is this plan of co-operative booking. Without going deeply into the details, it is sufficient to say that it will lower the film rentals of our product and assure exhibitors of real attractions at prices which are fair and equitable. "Producers realize that co-operative booking by the exhibitors means intensive distribution, which, in turn, means heavy gross bookings on features hpving real merits and public demand. We are assured of a line-up of pictures with qualify and audience appeal, announcement of which will be made shortly. "Meanwhile, exhibitors everywhere are eagerly awaiting our announcements regarding release dates. "No movement, since the creation of an organized theatre owners' body, has incited such a wave of enthusiasm from the exhibitors. It is simply astonishing to follow the response which is still being felt from our first announcement. Many of the largest and most influential theatre men of the country have wired their expressions of approval in our movement, while hundreds of smaller exhibitors have volunteered their support. "In addition to the list published in a Harlan to Be Starred B. P. Schulberer has announced that Kenneth Harlan will be starred instead of featured from now on, d»e to his splendid work in "The Virginian," and his enormous box-office popularity. "I am convinced that Mr. Harlan is destined to take his place as one of the most popular young stars on the screen," said Mr. Schulberg. "His interpretation of the title role in Owen Wister's 'The Virginian,' which is one of the biggest parts any actor ever had, is a revelation. He has been growing steadily in popularity and boxoffice appeal." previous report Mr. True names the following representative theatre men as solidly behind the Theatre Owners' Distributing Corporation : Eli W. Collins, president M. P. T. O. of Arkansas; Frank G. Heller, president M. P. T. O. of Indiana; R. F. Woodhull, president M. P. T. O. of New Jersey; Martin G. Smith, president M. P. T. O. of Ohio; Fred Seegart, president M. P. T. O. of Wisconsin; Joseph W. Walsh, president M. P. T. O. of Connecticut ; E. M. Fay, president M. P.-T. O. of'Rhode Island; David Adams, president M. P. T. O. of New Hampshire ; Charles T. Sears, president M. P. T. O. of Missouri; W. C. Hunt, vice-president M. P." T. 0. of New Jersey; Joseph Mogler, vicepresident Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America ; William Bender, Jr., treasurer Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America ; Glenn Harper, secretary Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Southern California and Arizona ; C. E. Whitehurst, director Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, Maryland ; Charles A. Lick, director M. P. T. 0. A., Arkansas ; John A. Schwalm, director M. P. T. O. A., Ohio; G. G. Schmidt, director M. P. T. O. A., Indiana; Joseph Phillips, executive member M. P. T. 0. A.. Texas , S. H. Borisky, executive member M. P. T. O. A., Tennessee ; Fred Dolle, executive member M. P. T. O. A., Kentucky; W. W. Watts, executive member M. P. T. O. A., Illinois; Thomas Arthur, executive member M. P. T. O. A., Iowa ; A. A. Elliot, executive member M. P. T. O.A., New York. Escape Earthquake Tom D. Cochrane, Mrs. Cochrane, Miss Lasky, R. E. Mclntyre Safe in Kobe Official confirmation of the escape of Tom D. Cochrane and R. E. Mclntyre, representatives of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation in Tokio, from the earthquake which wiped out two-thirds of the Japanese capital, was received by E. E. Shauer, director of the foreign department, in a cable dispatched by Branch Manager Cochrane at Kobe on Monday, September 10. The Paramount office in Shiba ward was entirely destroyed, together with the entire stock of film on hand. Mr. Cochrane and Mrs. Cochrane, with the latter's sister, were at a resort near Tokio at the time the earthquake levelled the city, and escaped without injury. They have established temporary quarters at the Oriental Hotel in Kobe, while Mr. Mclntyre is remaining in Tokio for the present. An Enormous Set Trade paper and newspaper men were entertained at lunch last Monday at the Cosmopolitan studio, New York, by Miss Marion Davies, and afterwards watched Director "Bob" Vignola direct jousting tournament scenes for "Yolanda" on what is probably the biggest and most expensive motion picture set ever erected in the East. It represents a castle and covers almost a square block. There are two towers fiftysix feet high, and a third that rises 113 feet. A moat 217 feet long, eighty-seven feet wide and eighteen feet deep holds fifteen feet of water. Pictures in Europe Socially Unrecognized, Lieber Observes M OTION PICTURES in Europe have yet to acquire the dignity which they have attained in this country. This is the belief of Robert Lieber, president of Associated First National Pictures, Inc., who returned last week from a three months' tour of Great Britain and the Continent, which, while it was intended as a pleasure trip, gave the First National president ample opportunity to study European film conditions. "I find particularly," said Mr. Lieber, "that the press still has an idea that this business of ours is a sort of fly-by-night proposition that is going to pass beyond the horizon again. About every time a newspaper man asked for an interview the first question he fired at me was: 'Well, how long do you think this business of yours is going to last?' I gladly took advantage of the opportunity which was offered me at the banquet of the First National Convention in London last month to give my answer to this question publicly. We have the most natural form of amusement for the people that has ever been given to the world, and I don't care who the man is, let me know him, and I will entertain him with the cinema. "I find also in Europe, and this holds true in the Scandinavian :ountries as well as in England, that the industry has not succeeded in 'selling' itself to what might be termed the 'higher-ups' in society. As a result this amusement of ours is not treated with the same sort of consideration that is given it in the States. "I went into a few theatres in Gothen burg, Stockholm and Christiania and I was really surprised at the excellence of their amusement houses. While the theatres are older and not as large as the better houses in the United States, yet from a standpoint of beauty and upkeep they can well be included among good nouses. "Unfortunately I saw very few Swedish theatres in operation because in that country and in Norway the theatres generally close during the short summer period. I find that the average Scandinavian is so intent upon making the best of his short summer that indoor amusements have no chance. The people are intent upon being out of doors during the short time the sun shines upon them, and men of means and men of only moderate circumstances have their summer homes and go to them week ends. "In England I find that the theatres, generally speaking, are not as good as in Sweden. It is evident, from an examination of British building restrictions before the war, that England at that time did not recognize the necessity of good theatres as clearly as Sweden. Consequently, when building operations stopped in 1914, the British had not advanced as far as had the Scandinavian countries. There is, however, a strong tendency to build at the present time and iust before leaving London I visited a new house in the suburbs, a theatre with nearly three thousand seats, built by a man who thoroughly understands the motion picture business in its present day stage. "In proof of mv first observation — that the screen has not been recognized as a permanent and stable and dignified institution — I could cite any number of opinions of prominent men, all of which belittle the screen. But this will, of course, change even as it is changing today."