Moving Picture World (Nov - Dec 1918)

1 502 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 28. 1918 auditing system adopted by the company. He left for Minneapolis December 14 to install the system in the office there. Frank J. Flaherty is widely known in Chicago film circles. He has been connected with the exchange business in the city for the past eight years. No other man can claim a more familiar acquaintance with exhibitors in Chicago territory than he, and this territory includes, besides the city, Northern Illinois, Northern Indiana, Southern Wisconsin and the river counties of Iowa. Mr. Flaherty first started in the business as salesman for the old Globe Film Exchange in Madison street, in the same building where the Pastime Theatre is now situated. Next he was salesman with Joe Hopp's Standard Film Fxchange for nearly two years, after which he became assistant manager of the Majestic Film Exchange, owned by the Mutual Film Corporation. When Universal bought Hopp's exchange Flaherty was appointed manager and held the position for two and a half years. He then returned to Mutual as manager of the H. & H. branch, at 119 North Dearborn street, and after six months rejoined the Universal forces, remaining until he opened the Fousquare offices in Chicago and Minneapolis, managing both branches for one year. As a parting shot after the interview Mr. Flaherty informed me that, on December 12, he had 100 solid, first-run davs' bookings on the first release, on the $10, $20 and $30 plan, in the territory controlled by the Chicago office. And my friend Flaherty, like all other exchangemen, always ties the bull outside when he aims at making a point ! Interesting Mutual Notes. George W. Malone has been promoted to the management of the Milwaukee Mutual office, succeeding John A. Kemp, who will take charge of the Cincinnati office. Mr. Malone formerly ran picture shows in Escanaba, Mich., and Kenosha, Wis., and was also connected with road shows years ago. For the past year and a half Mr. Malone has been a film salesman in Minneapolis, Indiana and Illinois territory. Mr. Kemp made a fine record in Milwaukee and has the best wishes of many friends for bis success in Cincinnati. Hugh Ronnie has been appointed manager of the Cleveland Mutual offices. He was formerly connected with the World Film Company in the Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Denver, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles offices, and was made western division manager for all territory west of the Mississippi. He was also manager of the Select offices in Denver for a year, and just before he signed up with Mutual in Cleveland, he handled the Hoffman Foursquare Pictures. E. S. Rowley, one of the best known salesmen in Chicago, joined the Mutual forces last week. He has been connected with the General Film Company for six years. Milwaukee's Part Closing Reduces Business One-Half L\ST week I chanced to meet M. owner of the States Theatre; J. C. Silliman, manager of the Liberty, Downer and Miramir Theatres, and Otto Andres, owner of the Grand Theatre, all of Milwaukee. They reported thai a partial closing order had been issued in their city for theatres and for all public meeting places and busi ness, except drug stores, groceries, and meat marKets. The order took effect Wednesday, December 11. "Only alternate rows of seats in theatres can be occupied by patrons, and children under fifteen years are barred altogether. These exhibitors stated that quite a number of outlying towns were placed under the ban about the same time. Mr. Rice and Mr. Silliman operate two theatres which are close together, and by a unique agreement they eliminate all contest for pictures of the same brand. They do this by running the pictures a week apart, Air. Rice having the first showing. They report excellent business by this plan. Mr. Silliman, who runs the picture the second week, gets the advantage from the billing done by his competitor the week previous, and he also gets the people who failed to see it during its first showing at the opposition house, more especially if it has made a hit. All the houses mentioned book regularly Select, Artcraft-Paramount. Metro and First National subjects, also other makes once in a while. The Milwaukee partial closing order reduces theatre business by one half, which is a heavy burden ; but exhibitors still believe that half a loaf is better than no bread. Frazier Defends Himself Against Censorship Board THE regular weekly meeting of the Censorship Commission was held at the usual hour, Friday, December 13, in the rooms of the judiciary committee, in the City Hall. During the proceedings Second Deputy Frazier and his chief censor, Mr. Prior, were invited to the meeting and were questioned at considerable length on their manner of arriving at decisions in the censorship of films. These discussions were quite heated at times, Censor Frazier defending his course against Chairman Hurley of the Commission and other members of that body. Second Deputy Frazier held, and held rightly, that he was censoring films under the existing ordinance, but some of the women on the commission, who in the past have been firm adherents of Major Funkhouser, found fault with the Second Deputy, although he practically follows the course of his ousted predecessor. Quite a number of interested people in the film business and others are taking exception to the Censorship Commission because it is going outside the purpose for which it was created. It was formed to discuss the censorship question from all angles and to report back to the judiciary committee recommendations for the drawing up of a new censorship ordinance which will take the place of the old one, the object being to render fairer service to the film business and greater satisfaction to the public. Dan Donnellan a Benedict. Dan Donnellan, manager of the Chicago office of the Exhibitors Mutual Distributing Corporation, surprised his many friends in the citv by joining the ranks of the benedicts Tuesday evening. December 10. The bride was Miss Margaret M. Sutcliffe, of Minneapolis, who was Mr. Donnellan's stenographer while he was connected with the Minneapolis office of the Mutual. Mr. and Mrs. Donnellan are residing temporarily at the Grasmere Hotel, Sheridan Road, but will soon take up their residence on the south side of the city. Mr. Donnellan took charge of the Chicago office October 20, this year, and has already made a host of friends among exhibitors and others in the trade. "The Greatest Thing in Life" Great. Griffith's picture. "The Greatest Thing in Life," had a most successful week's run recently at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Michigan avenue, and is now showing to crowded houses in other sections of Chicago. This pictured story has a tremendous grip and many see it for the second time. The war scenes are about the most realistic the writer has yet seen in any picture, and the acting of Lillian Gish and Robert Harron leave nothing to be desired. Chicago Exchange Notes. W. R. Scates has resigned as Chicago manager of Artcraft-Paramount and is now in New York. He has been succeeded by Fred F. Creswell, who was formerly sales manager of the Chicago office of Artcraft-Paramount. Hunter Bennett, who in the past has held the position of special representative for the U. S. Exhibitors Booking Corporation and the Mutual Film Corporation, has received an honorable discharge from military service and will leave for New York in the near future to form new business connections in the trade. "A Bit of Heaven" Booked by Silee. Lee Herz, president of the Silee Film Exchange, in the Consumers Building, this city, announces that he has closed with the Frieder Film Corporation, of Chicago, for the distribution of its picture, "A Bit of Heaven." This picture is based on the story of Kate Douglas Wiggin, "The Bird's Christmas Carol," and features Mary Louise. It is of fivereel length and was released December 16. Mr. Herz also states that "Ashes of Love," which features James K. Hackett and Effie Shannon, is doing a fine business in Illinois, and that quite a number of exhibitors are repeating its booking. "Under Four Flags." "Under Four Flags," the third government official war film, has done so well at The Playhouse that its run has been extended to four weeks from ihc original two. George Landy Returns to Select. George Landj', who left Select's publicity department last spring for what he expected would be a through trip to Berlin, returned last week to his old stamping grounds. First assigned to Co. M of the Twenty-second Infantry, Landy was recommended within ten weeks to the Central Officers' Training School and earned his commission as a second lieutenant at the Camp Lee school. "Although I wasn't lucky enough to get into the real thing over there," says Landy, "the army has been a great training and an inspiration. But it feels fine to be back on the old job!" Joe Lee Reports Progress. Joe Lee, who is on his way to the coast in the interests of the Anita Stewart productions, writes from Minneapolis under date of December 15 that the Mayer plan of showing the first Anita Stewart production is producing great results.