The Moving picture world (January 1925-February 1925)

January 31, 1925 MOVING PICTURE WORLD MOVIE NEWS 427 VOL. I. No. 8. FAIRMONT, W. VA., DECEMBER 25, 1924 CIRCULATION 8,500 SECOND ANNIVERSARY POPULAR VIRGINIA THEATER To be Observed as Chief Event Of Holiday Season in Fairmont THEATER OPENED ON XMAS DAY IN 1922 WITH JACKIE COOGAN AND THOMAS MEIGHAN STARTS THIRD YEAR Many Notable Attractions Have Been Offered On Screen and Stage and Pick 0' Pictures Are Coming My! Colleen is Running up LIKE A VOON& 5APLIN ' Nazimova Back To Activity On Stage COMING IN ASSOCIATION WITH MIL TON SILLS IN "MADONNA OF THE STREETS." The New Year will bring a X/tf This gives an idea of the physical make-up of Linn's newspaper. merchant for a picture of the oldest "bobbed hairess in the county." Then there were several letters from proponents and opponents, one of the latter writing, "I suggest that the barber shops install the Ladies Home Journal instead of the Police Gazette and we men will shave with safety razors." This issue also began a series of letters from fans on "Why I Like to Live in Fairmont," offering passes as prizes, and running more of the "Bits of State History" statistics started in the initial issue. And now — perhaps you've guessed it — the reason for all this bobbed hair stuff was the coming of Colleen Moore in "The Perfect Flapper." In the August issue the lead story was "Pick of All Picture Productions Coming to the Virginia," with a secondary but still strong play on the bobbed hair stories, these having been found to have captured the public fancy. Home town patriotism was encouraged by more letters on "Why I Like to Live in Fairmont" and a new department, "Virginia Verses," which are described as "jingles of two or more lines up to eight." There also was home town news, including the biography of a well known man. Back went the center of interest in the September issue to bobbed hair, with the cross-page headline, "Women Monopolizing Fairmont Barber Shops ! League of Long-Haired Men Proposed as Protest Against Bobbed Hair Craze." In this number the readers began voting for their favorite star, and the "Virginia Verses" began coming in strong. There also was a rotogravure supplement on "The Covered Wagon." Furthermore, "Uncle John" invited readers to confide their troubles to him, one responding with a query whether he, a man of 51 years, should marry a girl of 22. There are ■other queries which are obviously legitimate. The October issue featured a letter from Colleen Moore to a local boy, inclosing an autographed photograph. This naturally added to the prestige of Movie News. The bobbed hair argument, having served as a wonderful attention-getter, was dropped. The other departments continue to thrive. In the November number we find, "Will Hays Boosts the Virginia Theatre; Thanks Russell Linn For Co-operation in Effort to Encourage Better Films," "Dandy Christmas Gift Is Coupon Book," "A Good Theatre Means Much to a City" and "Price Concession of the Virginia Praised," this last being praise from a newspaper editorial writer because the Virginia maintained the usual prices while presenting super-features. Both "Virginia Verses" and the voting contest prospered exceedingly, while "Uncle John" disappeared. A photograph of Colleen Moore with a copy of Movie News was featured, together with a letter from her. E. E. MEREDITH T he December issue really epitomized the enterprise of Movie News. In this we find "Doug Fairbanks Headliner of Income Tax List" and a list of the taxes paid by sixty big theatrical people. Thomas H. Ince's death was reported with a brief history of his career, and there was a follow-up story on how "The Covered Wagon" was awarded a medal by Photoplay Magazine, designed to convince patrons that the Virginia shows the best pictures. There also was a two-column cut, six and a half inches deep, of the front page of the Fairmont Free Press, issue of October 23, 1902, stirring reminiscenses with the caption, "Do You Remember When?" The November departments were continued. Now we come to the December 25 special issue, the last at hand. This featured, "Second Anniversary Popular Virginia Theatre." The shorter news items, which had been exceptionally well selected in all the issues, in this it dealt with Gene Stratton Porter's death, Charlie Chaplin's marriage, etc. A new surprise was evolved in "Real Photographs of Movie Stars Obtainable Now at Quality Shop or From Movie News at 10 Cents Each." The "Do You Remember" series was a facsimile of an 1897 issue of the Fairmont Republican, accompanied by such "Do You Remember" items as, "When Grandma smoked a pipe," "When the men wore ear muffs in the winter," etc. The voting contest showed Harold Lloyd leading, with Milton Sills and Colleen Moore second and third, respectively. This, then, gives you an idea of how Linn and Meredith have put over Movie News. But no word description of this sort can adequately present the appeal of the paper to the Virginia's clientele, and that is the why and wherefore of the accompanying illustration. This will show iust how (Continued on page 434)