The Moving picture world (January 1926-February 1926)

MOVING PICTURE WORLD "We Are Surely Seeing a New Day In Production/' Says Will H. Hays Moderator of Industry Asserts There Is a Tremendous Step Upward in Great Films "All of us in the industry are entitled to real satisfaction at the progress fhe studios are making'," said Will H. Hays, president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, Inc., yesterday, following his return from Hollywood. "We are surely seeing a new day in production, with a tremendous increase in the number of really great pictures and an enormous raise in the standard of all pictures. "I am convinced too that we have seen only the start of the movement. Production is on a new basis. "In my trip across the United States and back I met many per DEATHS J. R. Minhinnick, manager of the Grand Theatre, London, Ontario, and a veteran showman of that city, has just suffered a sad bereavement in the sudden death of his father, George L,. Minhinnick, who dropped dead w'hile conversing with a salesman in a downtown store. The deceased, who was in his 85th year, was born in Tavistock, Devonshire, England, and went to Canada 60 years ago. The sympathy of the many friends of Morri.s Sullivan, owner of the San Souci. in Watervliet, is extended through these columns in the recent death of Mrs. Sullivan, from pneumonia. MOVING PICTURE WORLD EDITOR ■ WILLIAM J. REILLY Published weekly by CHALMERS PUBLISHING COMPANY, 516 Fifth Avenue, New York. N. Y. Telephone: Murray Hill I6I0-I-2-3. Member Audit Bureau of Cireulatlont, Jchn P. Chalmers, president; James P. Chalmers. Sr.. vlce-presidervt Alfred J. Chalmers, Tice-.president . Eliza J. Chalmers, secretary arul treasurer, and Errin L. Hall, business manager. Managlni; Editor — .Tohn A. Archer: Advertisini? Manager — Frank Saunders: Circulation Manager — Dennis J. Shea. Branch OflHccs: .Toseph Esler. 5434 GlenwoiKl Avenue. Chicago: W. E. Keefe, 6404 Sunset Blvd.. Uoll)-wood. Cal. 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, 1325, Chalmers Publishing Co. Copyright throughout Great Britain and Colonies, under the provisions of the Copyright Act of 1311. (All rights reserved. ) Other publications: Clne-Mundlal. Published in Spanish and circulating tn all Spanish spealiing countries of the world. Tecluilcal Pooka. VOL. 78 NO. 7 sons v/ho reflect accurately the attitude of the public toward our industry. "All thinking people are our friends. "They know of course that we are sincere and that we are delivering, week in and week out, the kind of entertainment that is satisfying and which proves completely our ability to move to still finer things." Barbara LaMarr Dead Barbara LaMarr, First National star, died yesterday, following a protracted illness. Serious complications followed a nervous breakdown, and the star retired to her country home at Altadena. Cal. She was on the roid to recovery, and ventured out on Thursday last for a drive. Some hours later she was taken ill, and died following the relapse. Miss LaMarr entered pictures via the scenario department, and within the last three years she appeared in "The Eternal City," "Thy Name Is Woman," "The Shooting of Dan McGrew," "The Heart of a airen,.*' "Sandra,'' '^The White Monkey" and "The Girl From Montmartre'" (not yet released). Second Annual Report of Arbitration Boards THE second annual report of the Boards of Arbitration of the Motion Picture Industry, was released today through the Arbitration Society of America, 115 Broadway. In 1925 these Boards of Arbitration decided 5,450 cases Involving $1,351,206.72. Only seventeen cases were taken to the courts after the Arbitration Board Iiad made its award. Thirty three Arbitration Boards in leading cities throughout the United States decide business between the buyers of motion pictures (the theatre owners) and the sellers (the motion picture distributors). These boards are made up of three men chosen by the distributors and three chosen by the recognized organizations of theatre owners. If the six men cannot come to a dt;cision a seventh is chosen by the six. A notable feature of motion picture arbitration in 1925 was that 99 per cent of the cases wore decided within thirty days after they were filed. Nearly all the cases were decided by the unanimous vote of the Board. Only twenty-two <;ases, totalling $12,341.41 required the services of a .seventh arbitrator. Tiie report was furnished l)y the Arbitration Society of America by Will H. Hays, president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, Inc. In 192'., the first year of arbitration in this Industry, 4,875 awards, involving $1,077,968.99 were made by the Arbitration Boards. Fifteen of these disputes required a seventh arbitrator and four were litigated after arbitration. In 1925, in addition to the 5,450 disputes upon which actual awards were made by Boards of -Arbitration there were 4,269, involving $802,747.59, settled by concilation after having been filed but before being determined by Boards of Arbitration. Last year, therefore, a grand total of 11,887 cases involving $2,542,544.40 were disposed of without recourse to the courts. Five hundred and fifty-four disputes involving $124,797.23 were withdrawn by complainants292 cases involving $87,147.86 were dismissed by Boards of Arbitration. On December 31, 1925, there were pending in the various Boards of Arbitration throughout the country 539 disput<'s involving a total of $205,216.71. Name Mountain Peak For Canadian Showman Ottawa, Canada, February 1. A large peak in the Canadian Rockies has been officially named in honor of a late Canadian exhibitor. Sir James Louglieed. owner of the Grand Theatre, Calgary, who was also prominent in the political life of Canada. The Geographic Board of Canada, Ottawa, has officially announced that a hitherto nameltss peak, 8,850 feet high, Northeast of Borgeau Mountain in the Banff district, has been called Mount Lou^heed. For years Sir James Lougheed was a leader in the Canadian Senate and previously he was a member of the Canadiant House of Commons for Calgary. He died recently in Ottawa. Bandits Sort of Like Kansas City Showman Kansas City, January 29. W. O. Lenhart, manager of the Linwood Theatre, In this city, rapidly Is gaining the reputation lis the "most held up man about town." This week, for the third time in three months, he was a victim of bandits. On Monday noon two bandits entered the theatre through an alley door, rushed into the door of the otTice In the front part of the building and, with several per.sons in the street looking on, hot knowing it was a hold-up, took $984.05, the receipts of Saturday and Sunday, which Mr. Lenhart just had taken from the safe. One hundred dollars in the safe was overlooked by the bandiU. Large Gain In Motion Picture Exports for '25 Marked Increase in Foreign Trade in Films IVashington, D. C, February 3. According to preliminary figures Just issued by the Department of Commerce. American exports of positive filni.s for 1925 reached a total of 225.656,151 linear feet at an invoice value of $6,787,687, while exports of negatives were 9,929,643 linear feet valued art $1,893,058. As compared with 1924, exports of the former, which were 170,347,342 linear feet valued at $6,081,917 and 8,100,264 linear feet of the latter at a value of $1,419,859, the year 1925 has shown a striking gain in our foreign trade in motion picture films. In 1924 Europe took from the United States about 60,000,000 feet of negatives and positives combined In 1925 thi! figure exceeded 86,000,000 feet. LatinAmerica, to which in 1924 we sent about 47,500,000 feet, r^teived about 63,500,000 feet In 1925. The Far East, with about 45,000,000 feet of films In 1924, increased this total to 53,500,000 In 1925. While figures for 1925 covering Africa and the Near East are not complete as yet. there is every reason to believe that a satisfying gain has been recorded here as well. With regard to individual markets, the Uniteld Kingdom continues to lead as it always has in the past. The figures here show about 36,500,000 feet — a gain of above 10,600,000 feet, over 1924, Australia with just under 24,.'i00,000 feet has displaced Canada for second place. This betters Australia's 1924 total by about 6,000,000 feet. Canada, as indicated, went to third place, even though her total of 23.000.0(1(, feet topped 1924 by nearlv 4.000.000 feet. One of thi most startling gains recorded was the 20.000.000 foot total from the .\rgentine — a gain of mor. than T.Ono.OOO feet over 1924— which put her in fourth place. Prance i.-; fifth vwith a 5,000,000 foot gain over 1924, her total for 1925 being 14,500,000 feet. Our next five markets in that order are Brazil. Japan, Mexico, Germany and the Straits Settlements. Of theSeyBr^il's 2.000.OOn foot gain brought her up over Japan, which stood sixth in 1924. Brazil's total was 10,500.000 feet and Japan's' a little over 9,000,000 feet, the Japanese figure being a decline of about half a million feet from 1924. Mexico's eighth place total of 7,500.OOO feet bettered the 1924 record by 2.000,000 feet, and Germany In ninth place, in spite of her "contingent" system, took just over 2.000,000 feet more in 1925 than in 1924, the figures here being 6,500,000 feet against a trifle under 4.500,000 feet. Exports from the United States of motion picture films .sensitized but not exposed amounted in 1925 to 74,605,179 linear feet, valued at $1,58,5, ."iiw, as compared with 59.482.479 linear feet valued at $1,261,087 for 192«.