The Moving picture world (January 1924-February 1924)

548 MOVING PICTURE WORLD February 16, 1924 "The Mailman" Campaigns Aiding Postal Employes THE excellent and varied publicity campaigns being executed by showmen throughout the country on the Emory Johnson production, "The Mailman,'' has resulted in Congressmen at Washington being literally swamped with postal-card requests that they support the Kelly bill to readjust the compensation of employes in the postal service. The Providence News, Providence, R. L, commenting on this fact, said : "Representative Jeremiah E. O'Connell, of the Third Rhode Island District, has received 3,500 cards. Representative Richard S. Aldrich, of the Second Rhode Island District, has received a couple of thousand of the cards. Representative Clark Burdick, of the First Rhode Island District, declared himself in favor of the proposed legislation, saying the following about the cards : " T have received thousands of postal cards urging me to get behind the measure. The cards show a general feeling throughout my district and the state as a whole in favor of the increase. The postal cards that I and my colleagues have been receiving represent an expression of opinion of the people of Rhode Island.' " As part of his campaign on "The Mailman" for the Fay Theatre in Providence, "Buddie" Stuart, F. B. O. exploiteer, distributed postal cards addressed to the three Congressmen mentioned, calling upon them to support the Kelly bill. Stuart promised the letter carriers he would aid them in their fight for higher wages if they would put forth every effort to assist the Fay Theatre in putting over "The Mailman" in a big way. The article in the Providence News clearly indicates that Stuart lived up to his promise and shows that exhibitors elsewhere need not hestitate to promise to help the mailmen if they will aid in exploiting the Johnson attraction. The desire of postal workers throughout the nation to get better salaries and better pension regulations is a factor which is helping many showmen to roll up big grosses on "The Mailman." Postal workers of California are co-operating in the closest way possible with all exhibitors that book "The Mailman" on the West Coast. They are keeping tabs on the bookings of the production, and have developed a system by which they at once get in touch with the exhibitor who has rented "The Mailman" and offer to assist him in any way possible to put the picture over. This system, showmen of the coast declare, is one of the most practical and far-reaching exploitation aids ever put behind a show proposition. Trivialities, MORE unjust abuse and unfair accusations are directed without cause against the motion picture industry than against any other legitimate enterprise, despite the fact that the movies render services which are invaluable. This is the conclusion reached by Henry Staab, new executive secretary of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Wisconsin, after a month of service in that office. Mr. Staab's observations along this line, however, have not been confined merely to his experience with the exhibitor organization, since for several years he has had a rare opportunity to study the situation as a member of the Milwaukee Motion Picture Commission, the censoring body. "Reformers are always ready to point an accusing finger at the movies," he declared, "yet the movies are the first ones they turn to when they want aid in putting over their Baby Peggy's Hit "Darling of New York" Doing Topping Business, Universal Reports Universal reports big business on "The Darling of New York," Baby Peggy's first feature picture, which now is being played all over the country in first run houses. The vast amount of newspaper publicity Baby Peggy has obtained in the last several months, and the unusual exploitation values of the picture are said to aid its success. "The Darling of New York" definitely took Baby Peggy out of the two-reel comedy class and placed her among the feature stars of the screen Universal remarks. The United Booking Offices tried it out in the Columbia Theatre, Far Rockaway, a suburb of New York. It played to standing room. In the middle west, "The Darling of New York" has been booked over the entire Finklestein and Rubin circuits, consisting of fifteen theatres in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and by the Lubliner and Trintz circuit in Illinois. Says Ex-Censor drives. The movies have been accused at times of being sensational, yet has there ever been a picture based on a book which did not cleanse the book? "The exhibitor has learned long ago that it is not profitable to show unclean pictures, and as a result many times when there has been the slightest question regarding a picture, it has been the exhibitor himself who has called attention to it and asked for a review by the censoring organization. "Reformers stir up a big fuss when, out of the hundreds employed in our industry, one or two become involved in scandal, but they fail to take into consideration the fact that these isolated cases represent the exception rather than the rule. Likewise, they fail to observe that it is the movie industry itself which is the first to condemn and bar any who have strayed from the conventional paths. "The producer who has been unfortunate enough to have a star who figured in a questionable act has realized soon enough that the exhibitors have no further use for that actor's pictures. And yet we are blamed for it all and the reformers harp on the charge that the entire movie colony is composed of such people. "What agency is it that always stands ready to boost a move which will be for the good of the public? The movies stand by themselves in this respect. The movies represent the greatest amusement and education that has ever been offered for the price and the sooner the reformers realize that, the sooner will they cease their unfair attacks." Nita Naldi Working Nita Naldi has arrived in Hollywood airl started work in Herbert Brenon's current Paramount production, "The Breaking Point." Miss Naldi has been appearing in vaudeville for several weeks. She will share feature honors with Patsy Ruth Miller, Matt Moore, George Fawcett and Theodore Von Eltz. "The Breaking Point" was written for screen from Mary Roberts Rinehart's no of the same name. "Peter Pan" to Be Produced by Famous Players-Lasky PETER PAN," James M. Barrie's most famous play, is to be produced for the screen this summer by the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. While no announcement was forthcoming from the company's offices, it was learned from an authoritative source that the scenario for the production has already been completed and that it is planned to have the picture ready for release around next Christmas. Famous Players has owned the screen rights to this valuable dramatic property for several years, having acquired them with the rights of all the other Barrie dramatic successes. There has been considerable speculation as to why the picture was not produced long ago, but it is understood that it was held off in the hope that Maude Adams, who created the title role and who scored her biggest success in it, would change her mind and return to the stage. Apparently hope of getting Miss Adams back on the stage has been abandoned, and as "Peter Pan" cannot be conceived without her in the title role, arrangements for its production in motion pictures are being pushed in the Famous Players offices. Who will play the role of Peter Pan on the screen has not been decided upon, it is understood. Reformers Indict Industry on