The Moving picture world (January 1924-February 1924)

John F. Chalmers, president; Alfred J. Chalmers, vice-president; James 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, Cal. Editorial Staff: Ben H. Grimm, Associate Editor; John A. Archer, Managing Editor. First week of the new year. What sort of a year? Who shall say? There is a false note in the merely bombastic outpourings of those who indulge in "forecasts"; and yet, it is rather hard to find even a chronic pessimist who doesn't feel that the outlook is "p-r-e-t-t-y good." So, when you sum it up, there is food for cheer in the prospect. For the industry's attitude can well be termed "sober, staid, modest, self-confident." • We've had a few lessons. Time was when we gloried in shouting "The outlook for the coming year is wonderful. See all the BIG pictures that are being made." Then we found that the mere pouring of millions into production gave no guarantee of receiving oodles in income. At the same time we learned that a REAL "million dollar picture" will always come home on the right side of the ledger we also discovered that there are many stop-overs on the trip from One Hundred Thousand Town to Million Dollar City. This year we have decided to use the stop-over privileges. And reserve the long distance trips for the holidays. Lots of good signs in the skies for the ambitious weather prophet. Up at FIRST NATIONAL, for example, they have been developing a production policy under R. A. ROWLAND that holds out a lot of promise. We don't know just how "R. A." would define the plan in a few words, but our own lame effort would be to call it a "common sense policy." Perhaps we can illustrate better. It is a policy that is expected to give to the industry many more "built-for-the-box-office" pictures like "PONJOLA" and "FLAMING YOUTH"; a policy that shies at a false million dollar quota as it would from the plague. There is a lot of encouragement in that idea. And don't forget it. By the way, there's going to be an item of real news at First National during the coming week. Over at HODKINSON— more en 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 couragement. For the independent producer — and that means for the industry. We talked on this topic last week so we won't repeat our words. Except to extend a verbal handshake to F. C. MUNROE. PAUL MOONEY, and JOHN FLINN on the assumption of their new duties this week. Up at UNIVERSAL. We wish we could translate into words the ebullient spirit of pep and confidence around 1,600 these days. Something in the air. Compounded of a tumblerful of "HUNCHBACK," a taste of coming JEWELS labelled "SPORTING YOUTH," and a dash of AL LICHTMAN. Shake well — and serve for CARL LAEMMLE MONTH. Speaking of UNIVERSAL: The other day we read someone — think it was DON ALLEN in THE EVENING WORLD— who said. "In the past twelve months UNIVERSAL has shown a greater increase in quality than any other company." Five years or so ago we used those self-same words in an Annual Review in Motion Picture News. Referring to UNIVERSAL. Someone else probably said it a year before we did — and beyond that. Each year since has heard it from the lips of another discoverer. Problem for the mathematicians : Starting from scratch, where is UNIVERSAL today? FAMOUS PLAYERS. We need the services of a crystal gazer. To even uncover Tomorrow's mysteries. And a Miracle Man to carry us very far into the future. Lots of activity, though. The wheels humming on Long Island; preparing to whirl in Los Angeles; TOM GER Hanager of Advertising: James A. Milligan. Manager of Circulation: Dennis J. Shea. 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 right* reserved.) Other publications: Cine Mundial (Spanish). Technical books. ^ _ ^^_<J^—— ^^^^^^^^ AGHTY and others scurrying back and forth across the country on important tasks; BOB KANE smiling broadly; SYDNEY KENT ditto, knowingly; and the "TEN COMMANDMENTS" commanding Broadway. All of which calls for the Eleventh Commandment : "Stop, Look and Listen." GOLDWYN. "NAME THE MAN." Among other things. The first SEASTROM picture must be a whale. We haven't seen it ; but there is that "something in the air." That never fails. "BEN HUR" stepping along. STROHEIM wielding the scissors. All in ' all — perhaps 1924 is THE year. ASSOCIATED EXHIBITORS. I guess JACK WOODY hasn't got a great hand to draw to in "THE COURTSHIP OF MYLES STANDISH," HAROLD LLOYD, "GOING UP," etc. VITAGRAPH. BILL KALEM WRIGHT, now with "CHRONICLES OF AMERICA," tells us to keep an eye out for Blackton's "LET NOT MAN PUT ASUNDER." That's Number One. DAVE SMITH'S West Coast aggregation can be counted on to ring the bell with its usual regularity. With A. E. SMITH guiding the reins on a consistent, level-headed policy, and JOHN QUINN'S sales organization delivering grosses that would astonish many of the boys who make more noise. Ask WHITMAN BENNETT. He knows. WARNER BROTHERS. The pictures all made ; now for the selling fireworks. Setting pretty. F. B. O. Tell you more after JOE SCHNITZER returns from the Coast. Short subjects? PATHE? EDUCATIONAL? Well — you know — "year in and year out." Reliables. Putting the picture together, MR. OUTLOOK looks pretty darn good, doesn't he? You bet! He's wearing neither a checkered race-track suit nor a mourner's band. Just "sober, staid, modest self-confidence" in his attitude. Gol durn good ! R. E. W.