Reel Life (1915-1916)

SIX MUTUAL FEATURES A WEEK Three Mutual Masterpictures , De Luxe Edition, and three three-reelers of rare quality coming — Many strong one -reel specialties scheduled — the world's biggest film service. HREE Mutual Masterpieces, De Luxe Edition, every week — each in five reels. An additional three reel feature for the Mutual’s $8,000,000 program — a total of three 3-reel features a week. These are the highlights in an announcement of new and important increase in the output of the Mutual Film Corporation, just issued by President John R. Freuler. This extraordinary development gives the Mutual a total of six multiple reel feature releases a week — the greatest feature output of any releasing organization in the world today. “Masterpictures, De Luxe Edition,” is a re-cast of the established title-name of “Masterpicture.” The change has been made to give the new name a meaning to cover and convey the exceptionally high standard of quality which will characterize these coming features of 1916. “Masterpictures, De Luxe Edition,” will be released beginning the week of January 17th, 1916. They will be most unusual in character — powerful picturizations of famous plays, world-famed books and works of fiction, and original scenarios by the most noted authors. Big increases in productive capacity have been made by the large group of manufacturers represented in the Mutual group. A large number of stars, famed in stageland and screenland have been put under contract for work in the array of additional companies which have been organized by the Mutual manufacturers. Studios have been built and new facilities for the printing, handling and shipment of film have been added. Work of preparation for the announcement just made has been quietly under way for months. The most elaborate pains have been taken to assure the fullest preparation for the big increase in activity and production. “I am speaking with a properly conservative estimate of values when I declare that this is the biggest development that has come in the history of the motion picture industry,” President Freuler observed. “It is part of the obvious destiny of this corporation and for what it stands in the motion picture business. While our announcement may and probably does come as a surprise in many quarters, it yet stands for just what any thoughtful student of the industry might have forecast. “The vast increase in the Mutual output is the expression of a carefully evolved plan to meet the ever developing demands for the higher quality, the better pictures, the more appealing entertainment that is the continuously advancing goal of Mutual effort. “When a few months ago we announced the new $8,000,000 Mutual program and thereupon proceeded to deliver it as an all-star, all-feature product we found the exhibitors of the nation ready and anxious to receive it. It won the recognition and approval of the best exhibitors, the wisest buyers of film entertainment. “We were not content merely with that announcement and the resulting product. It will be recalled that not long ago I was at some pains to tell the exhibitors of this country that the Mutual never would be done growing, that Mutual service was and would always remain a thing alive, virile, active. “That is just what the announcement of today means — just another great big long stride ahead. “But it is a well-measured stride. We know where we are stepping and where we are going. The exhibitor can be sure that all of the great resources of the Mutual Film Corporation and its group of manufacturers are carefully aligned behind this new step in better, bigger film service. “Every exhibitor can know that we deliver — that we can do and do do everything that we announce — that the product which appears with the Mutual name on it has to be of that high standard which makes it a box office guaranty. “Our basic idea is to give the exhibitor the highest efficiency in picture service. That is what this move represents. It is just incidentally true that to do this it has been necessary for us to increase our releases to the point which gives us the biggest weekly feature schedule. Quality and efficiency rather than mere magnitude are our aims. It is a commercial coincidence that efficiency brings us to this vast volume. “It is quite proper at this time, too, to direct the exhibitor’s attention to the fact that the Mutual now has sixtyeight exchanges in the United States and Canada, all so located as to give the maximum of immediate service to each territory. We are taking the great facilities of the Mutual Film Corporation as close to the theatre as possible. “The Mutual Film Corporation is offering greater and REEL LIFE— Page One