The Moving picture world (January 1924-February 1924)

John F. Chalmers, president; Alfred J. Chalmers, vice-president; Jamea P. Chalmers, Sr., vice-president; Eliza J. Chalmers, secretary and treasurer, and Ervin L. Hall, business manager. Branch Offices: 28 East Jackson Boulevard, Chicago; W. E. Keefe, 1962 Cheromoya Avenue, Los Angeles, Cat. Editorial Staff: Ben H. Grimm, Associate Editor; John A. Archer, Managing Editor. Hodkinson's acquisition of Paul Mooney and John Flinn takes on interest because of the personalities involved. But to us, there is even greater interest attached to the "between the lines" signficance of Hodkinson's plans for the coming year. For this reason : One of the tragic figures of this industry is the independent producer who does not possess the strength to FORCE his own marketing conditions. And one of the chief elements of hope in this business is that self-same independent producer. But what a tragedy his story has been ! Year in and year out, ten, twenty, thirty or more independents impelled by ambition, courage, and daring, attempt to brave the pitfalls of independent production. Only to come to grief in the mire of distribution. Then just as many try it the next year. It's a sad story; it's an unnecessary economic waste; it's a loss to the industry. The solution awaits on the development of independent distributing organizations that are first of all efficient, and secondly, are willing to go more than half way in meeting the producer. He needs it. So the quiet atmosphere of action and constructive building that is noticeable when F. C. Monroe, of Hodkinson, looks at the 1924 calendar means a great deal. Valentino's troubles are settled. Good news for the industry and all intimately concerned. Ocean voyages benefit other things besides the health. Those indescribable rumbles that forecast the coming of a big picture — really big — are filtering into town regarding the Rockett Brothers' "Life of Abraham Lincoln." Movinjr Picture WORLD ROBERT E. WELSH — EDITOR Published Weekly by CHALMERS PUBLISHING COMPANY 516 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. Member Audit Bureau Circulation This Week Funny how the underground source of information gets to work on these "dark horses" among pictures. And the pipeline communications are never wrong, either. Colvin Brown spent Christmas "en route." On a hurryup summons from Boss Tom Ince. We are awaiting the news with interest. Incidentally, entirely, Thomas Ince is one example of the independent producer who has risen above distributing problems and difficulties of the moment. Barring "Civilization," Ince has never gone off on production tangents ; barring Associated producers, Ince has never been tempted along distributing paths. The answer being that Ince has had more time than any producer we can recall to think solely of ENTERTAINMENT. Come to think of it, season in and season out, ENTERTAINMENT wears well. On the bankroll — the box office — and the public These thoughts of ours being guided principally by the thought that the name of Thomas Ince is apt to be prominent in the headlines early in the new year. Forty-five thousand dollars to build a "Ten Commandments" sign on Broadway. Fifteen hundred a week to operate it. And then we figure that we would all be making money if it were not for those extravagant producers. All the producer does is make — or break— THE PICTURE! Manager of Advertising: James A Mifligan. Manager of Circulation: Dennis J. She*. Subscription price: United States and its possessions, Mexico and Cuba, (3.00 a year; Canada, $3.50; foreign countries (postpaid), $10.00 a year. Copyright, 1923, Chalmers Publishing Co. Copyright throughout Great Britain and Colonies under the provisions of the Copyright Act of 1911. (All rights reserved.) Other publications: Cine Mundial (Spanish). Technical books. Pete Milne postcards us from Biskra, Africa, that you don't know what it is to be thirsty until you meet the Sahara. We don't know whether to classify that under "Geographical Information" or "Rise and Fall of the Tide." Yes, Pete mentions Eddie Carewe's name and gives us a budget of information about the picture on which Carewe is working for First National. Mary Pickford remembered Tom Geraghty's Christmas with a platinum watch that would take your breath away. Tom denies that he is the author of the telegram that sped Westward saying, "Where is the chain?" Earl Hudson, in the course of a friendly letter on various topics, says some true talk: "It is a truly great inspiration to the personnel of an organization to have a major executive who is big enough and broad enough to publicly voice credit where he feels it is justified." We forgot to state that Earl's remark is brought forth by something we said concerning the bouquet that R. A. Rowland placed on Earl's brow at the "Flaming Youth" luncheon. Earl goes on to say : "From my own experience in the production colony I am completely satisfied that if the major executives of other organizations had something more of the >ame sense and spirit of fairness, decency, and honorable qualities of leadership that 'R. A.' so clearly manifested— the craftsmen here would feel far more enthused and eager to do things worthy of such eulogy." "Too often," he concludes, "the workers know that merit will be submerged under a blanket of silence broken only by complaints." .All of which constitutes an editorial in itself. R. E. W.