Moving Picture World (Jul - Aug 1918)

August 24. 1918 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1131 Exhibitors Co-operate on Exploitation At Showing of Farrar Production in Cleveland Twenty Showmen Exchange Ideas on Subject's Advertising. EXHIBITORS in all sections of the United States are this week seeing Goldwyn's first star series releases ' for the coming season — Geraldine Farrar in "The Turn Of the Wheel," Mabel Normand in "Peck's Bad Girl," Tom Moore in "Just For Tonight," or all three productions. Shipments of prints have been made by Goldwyn to all of its offices to enable exhibitors to have pre-views of the three pictures with which the company launches its second big year, increasing its output from twenty-six to fifty pictures. Coincident with the shipment of these productions the Goldwyn Cleveland office, through its manager, H. A. Bandy, and his service department aid, W. J. Brandt, held the most novel meetings ever devised in the industry. Every Goldwyn customer in the Cleveland territory as well as all other interested exhibitors attended an exclusive showing of Miss Farrar's first production not merely as spectators but as theatre specialists co-operating with each other for the purpose of agreeing upon an advertising campaign in their respective Ohio cities. Among those attending this showing were George J. Schade of the Schade theatre, Sandusky; C. W. Deibel, general-manager of the new Liberty theatre, Youngstown ; H. C. Horater of the Alhambra theatre, and Edward A. Zorn of the Temple theatre, Toledo. In truth, the meeting was an exploitation conference that had been prearranged for several months — a score of successful showmen having decided that for the first time in picture history they would analyze a picture together and each give the other plans and suggestions for the promotion and exploitation of the production. Therefore, when "The Turn of the Wheel" is advertised in Ohio the advertising campaign will represent the combined ideas of twenty or more men and the methods of lobby display and outdoor local campaign for the various cities will embody the suggestions of experts. Shipping Film Shows Answer to Kaiser Two-Reel Official Subject Released by General Portrays What America Is Doing to Beat Submarine. HOW American workingmen are "making the stars fly 'over here' that the Star Spangled Banner may fly 'over there,'" is graphically told in "Our Bridge of Ships," the United States official war film, released by the Division of Films, Committee on Publication Information, and distributed by the General Film Company. "Our Bridge of Ships" is a two-reel production. Its purpose is to visualize just what American shipbuilders and American shipyards are doing to meet the sub-sea menace of the Hun. It is a pictorial answer to the Kaiser's declaration that "America cannot build ships as fast as we can sink them." E. N. Hurley, chairman of the Shipping Board, has declared that America will build 1,600 ships, with a 6,000.000 tonnage, within a year. At the present rate at which ships are sliding off the ways this estimate will be exceeded. And, as one of the striking titles of "Our Bridge of Ships" declares, "When the last smoke of this war clears away the entire world will point to the working men of America and say they made victory possible." It has frequently been declared that "when we can build ships faster than the U-boats can sink them the submarine peril will vanish and America will win the war." "Our Bridge of Ships" shows the marvelous progress that has been made toward this desired end, and it does it in a way that is at once thrilling, entertaining and instructive. Kitty Gordon Forms Picture Company Owner of Famous Back Will Make Six Features Each Year from Pen of Wilson Mizner. rp O provide the luxurious charm and the regal grace of ( Kitty Gordon with worthy pictorial settings will be, to quote the certificate of incorporation, the fundamental purpose of the latest film company to be framed. The output of this company will be known as the New Kitty Gordon Pictures. With the formation of this company are set at rest all rumors to the effect that the actress is to turn her justly celebrated back upon her screen career and to return to the speaking and singing stage. There are to be six features annually each from the pen of Wilson Mizner, one of the wittiest and most adroit of Broadway's playwrights. Mr. Mizner is perhaps the bestknown survivor of a school of red-blooded, ail-American writers who "packed a punch." The new company is to be Miss Gordon's own, her business affairs being in charge of Sydney L. Cohan. Her leading man is to be Mahlon Hamilton. The first of the new Kitty Gordon pictures will be finished and ready for release about the middle of October. R up pert to Care for Independents President of Film Clearing House Says Men With Only a Negative May Club Together. I HAVE been asked," says President Jacob Ruppert of the Film Clearing House, "whether the Clearing House proposes to distribute for exchange systems and program producers solely, or whether independent producers may be served too. The question arises for the reason that exchanges and program producers have sales staffs that can be easily switched into our shipping centers, whereas it is known that the independent producer has no such men, just a negative. How, then, is the Clearing House to take care of the individual with the lone negative? "A number of such independents are arranging to take care of themselves. Their method, in brief, will be to 'club' together on a staff of special representatives, while we do the physical distributing. These representatives will be men trained in feature selling. They will have at their finger tips full information on what the film industry to-day is pleased to call 'merchandising.' They will be in no way connected with the Clearing House — just with the club of independent producers." H. Y. ROMAYNE BRINGS FEATURE TO TOWN. H. Y. Romayne, president of the Romayne Film Company of Los Angeles, has arrived in New York with a print of his company's latest production "Me und Gott" a six reel propaganda feature, for which he is seeking a buyer. The Romayne company is a comparatively new concern, "Me und Gott" being the first picture it has offered to the trade. This subject was directed by Wyndham Gittens, who is in charge of all productions for the company. Mr. Romayne is stopping at the Hotel Astor. Associated with Mr. Romayne are Edward D. Ulrich, who is business manager; and Thomas A. Baker who is treasurer, and the son of the founder of Bakersfield, Cal. Phil White, formerly with Kleine, Triangle and Universal, is the head cutter. The Romayne company has selected as a trade name the word "Bearcat" and its ambition is to make only bearcat pictures. ALLAN ADAMS NOW A VET. General Film Company, which is represented in the American forces at home and abroad on active duty by dozens of former employes, was apprised this week of its first contribution to the casualty list in a greeting to Auditor \Y. M. Gulick. The message breathes the buoyant spirit of the American soldier throughout. Written on a Y. M. C. A. postcard, it ran as follows: "Still plugging away at the Boche, trying to bring the war to a close. Am at present in the hospital recovering from a slight wound. Regards to the girls and boys. ADAMS." Mr. Adams was the first General Film man to enter the national army and represents the company's first service star. He has been abroad several months. "ONCE TO EVERY MAN" ALMOST COMPLETED. What is promised to be one of the best pictures turned out by the Frohman Amusement Corporation is now on the last stages of completion under the title "Once to Every Man," by Larry Evans. The picture stars Jack Sherrill and Mabel Witheel. Mabel Witheel is the famous seventeenyear-old beauty starring all season at the Winter Garden with Al Jolson in "Sinbad." RECEIVER FOR AMERICAN FILM LABORATORIES, INC. Justice Donnelly of the Supreme Court has appointed James A. Lynch receiver of the assets and effects of the American Film Laboratories, Inc., pending a suit brought by John F. Blanchard, as trustee, against the concern to foreclose a deed of trust dated February 2, 1915, to secure the payment of $50,000, covering the leasehold property at 69 West 90th street, machinery, etc. There is due on the bonds interest amounting to $8,330. The receiver is required to give a bond of $3,000.