Moving Picture World (Sep 1916)

September 16, L916 1 III-: MOV1NC I'll Mkl WORLD 1ST Billy the Exhibitor a a a a a a a (si % £ r. /w^vr //e Tries Intensive Agricultural Clean-Up Methods in the Picture Business WHEN my friend Billy opened his picture theater thera wire two other houses in town, each trying to see which could nm the greatest quantity of junk for a. nickel. Judging by their nightly footage both could qualify as first-class centipedes, but the entertainments were about as satisfying as a trade association banquet to a member who had neglected to absorb a previous and nourishing luncheon, Whenever the enthusiasm of the long suffering "fans" began to wane, it was stimulated by a 'country store." consisting of shopworn groceries taken in trade for program advertising space. Just who made a profit on the transaction was a mystery" until it was discovered that the local druggist always put in, a rush order for digestion tablets on the day following each distribution of antique eatables. There was no chance for Billy to forge to the front as an animated meal tieket, so he decided to try the plan of spending as much thought on program selection as his competitors did on their free feed orgies and to discover if people would not be willing to pay real money to gaze at pictures that did not look as if they had been left out in the rain without ai\ umbrella. Today Billy is getting ten and fifteen cents for program and twenty-five cents for features and the other houses are dark. Billy was in bis lobby the other night extending the glad hand, his countenance decorated with a cheerful smile that expanded each time that he noticed the totals growing on the ticket vending machine. "How are they breaking?'' I asked. ne." lie admitted, "Ever) tradesman who had 'comps' in exchange foi window privileges b.is Keen the show to bis customers and the editoi "i the Bugle, bavins decided that it must be a mighty rood 'pic' i" I nucn advertising space, devoted the southwest cornei of his Mothers' Page to voicing his conviction, "It cost something to advertise this feature, but every dolj lar that I've spent in telling what a corker it is steins |. coming back with another dollar in tow." "Making a killing?" was my querj "Wouldn't exactly call it tba.t," confided Billy. "I'm making a good, clean profit On this run, but the killing won't be until I show it again. "You see, I've advertised tins picture until a big bunch of people couldn't stay away, but there is a bigger bunch still who did not feel like giving up a quarter for the lirst run or fancied that 1 was over-stating matters. "W'lun they bear from those who attended just how it was. thev will be some disappointed, and when I screen it again, some mouths hence, the disappointed ones will be on line at the booth. Besides, those who can not si e a quarter now will jump at the chance later, and a big percentage of those who see it now will want another look. "I'll "ct the picture cheaper by that time, and, as my present advertising campaign and the people who will talk about tonight have put the picture on the map, there will be miglity little expense for publicity and I will clean up the real profit of the efforts that I am making now. "I was brought up in a farming section and I'm using the farmers' method of raising a fine croo of turnips on the land fertilized for an earlier crop that has already brought in a profit." I'm not much of an agriculturist mvself, but Billy's dope sounded good to me, good enough to warrant my taking advantage of his parting invitation to come around again and have another experience meeting. Straight Tips For Press Agents Chicago Newspaper Sends Circular Letter Describing Its Preferences in Matter of News. IN a circular letter to publicity managers of film companies the motion picture editor of the Chicago Examiner says much in a few words. It will interest or may interest all who have to do with the preparation and passing upon publicity copy of motion picture companies. Here are a couple of paragraphs from the letter: "We shall appreciate it very much if arrangements are made to send us 'live' news of tae film industry in the speediest time possible. Sometimes in our morning's mail we find 'news' printed several days or a week previous in some other sheet. This condition is bad and should be remedied easily without overtaxing the resources of your department. "W'e believe the best method of getting across publicity is by sending it short. Reams describing the detailed routine of your studios are of no interest to us or to the public. Besides, it steals our time and makes us hate the work." GAUMONT ANNOUNCES "THE VAMPIRES" IN NINE EPISODES. Even before the flood of orders had begun to pour in upon Mutual Branches for "Fantomas," the Gaumont series in five episodes of three reels each, the Gaumont Company had planned to follow these thrilling screen-stories with a second series equally as effective under the general title of "The Vampires, the Arch Criminals of Paris." This second series will be in nine complete episodes of three reels each. They will be released weekly; and as the last "Fantomas" picture will reach the screen October 5, it is likely that the first "The Vampires" episode will be released soon afterward. Again the American exhibitor is offered a series which is already a proved success. "The Vampires" has been exhibited abroad with marked success. When released by Gaumont abroad it broke all records at the Gaumont Palace, Paris, the largest cinema theater in the world, and duplicated its success in Marseilles, Lyons, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Tours, Nantes, Angers, Rouen. Orleans and other important cities in France. "The Vampires" was released in England by the Gaumont Film Hire Service as "The Crime Investigator." It is a series of detective stories, which follow the fortunes of a reporter of a Paris newspaper in his efforts to unravel the mysteries surrounding the criminal exploits of the Vampires, a notorious gang of criminals. The scenes, full of exciting incidents, are typical of the methods of French criminals. COLLEGES TAKING UP STUDY OF PHOTOPLAY. Announcement that the Lasky Company is to produce the Columbia University prize photoplay, "Witchcraft," by R. Ralston Reed, has created an interest in photoplay writing among the dramatic classes of other universities. The success of the Columbia competition, which was conceived by Samuel Goldfish, will prompt the Laskv Company to extend its facilities of production to the winning photoplays written by students of other colleges. In the past the study of stage and dramatic art has been given considerable time and attention in the curriculums of various universities. From some of these colleges successful and well-known dramatists have been graduated. From the class of Dr. Pearce Baker of Harvard University such successful dramatists as Frederick Ballard. Edward Sheldon and other young Americans have been able to enter seriously a profession of playwriting in competition with older and more experienced men. Columbia Univerity was the first of the big colleges to establish a class of photodramatics. It is likely this autumn, similar classes will be started by Yale, Harvard, Chicago and other large educational institutions. ANOTHER NEW COMPANY. The latest addition to the field of moving picture production is the Crescent Film Company, which has been organized under the laws of Pennsylvania, with its principal office at Pittsburgh. The following officers were elected: H. T. DeViney, president: James L. Porter, vice-president; Abe Hansell, treasurer; John I. Pratt, secretary; Cliff B. Nelson, general manager. It is the intention of the company to manufacture one-reel comedies under the direction of Mr. Nelson, the well-know^n comedian, formerly playing "Big Time" vaudeville, and one of the younger lights in musical comedies. The comedies will be in series form, and will be called "Muggsie, the Messenger Boy." Five are already complete, and show Muggsie, played by Cliff Nelson himself, in various occupations, all of which are rendered extremely amusing by Muggsie's endeavor to do things for which he is not fitted. The first release is "Muggsie at the Bat," which will see the light of day from the exhibitor's standpoint some time during the next month.