Reel Life (1915-1916)

Mutual ' Programing IIIIIIIH || HI ITTTTT Reel Life The Mutual Film Magazine Published by the Mutual Film Corporation John R. Freuler President Edwin Thanhouser, Vice-President Crawford Livingston, Chairman of the Executive Board Samuel M. Field Secretary Felix E. Kahn Treasurer J. C. Graham, Assistant Treasurer Terry Ramsaye Editor Subscription rate, $2.50 per year; single copies, 5 cents. Address all communications to Reel Life Department, The Mutual Film Corporation. 71 West Twenty-third Street New York City Telephone, Gramercy 501 Eliminating the Unfit Among recent expressions from President John R. Freuler, of the Mutual, probably none have been of more significance to the motion-picture industry than his forecast of the rapid elimination of the “unfit” among manufacturers and distributors. The early days of the business found ample patronage for everybody who was in it. This golden era of “placer mining” found every exhibitor and every maker of film working up to the utmost in capacity. Everything went. Anything that was a thousand feet long was a reel and a couple of thousand feet of anything was “a show-” The last two years, and 1915 particularly, has found a great many persons anxious to invest their capital. Also a large number of persons with the same old idea of a motion picture and motionpicture entertainment have met these wouldbe investors with fair promises of large shining profits. Meanwhile the real motion picture business has grown on and beyond, leaving the men whose yearning for profits obscured the pictures without a market. Presently these persons will be out of the picture business and several million feet of wasted raw stock will pass on to the chemical works. Meanwhile the Mutual Film Corporation and Mutual Service will continue to meet the motion-picture entertainment demand with a genuine product founded on the sound, basic law of development. Mutual service is a GROWTH, not a PROMOTION. Six a Week The announcement of the coming of six features a week in the Mutual releases means that this corporation has jumped into the lead with the biggest feature-releasing schedule in the world. This means also that the Mutual Film Corporation is now fitted to give complete service to any theatre in the United States from the 300 seat house in the tiny crossroads town to the biggest houses in the biggest cities. The addition of two Masterpictures a week, and the new schedule of Mutual Masterpictures, De Luxe edition, is full of significance to the several thousand theatres which have built up so much of their success on the showing of Masterpictures. Of particular importance also is the addition of a third three-reeler to the Mutual’s $8,000,000 program. Exhibitors are finding the Mutual’s three-reelers highly effective box office attractions. The allstar, all-feature quality of the Mutual’s program is progressing to greater successes. ***** Inspiration Ben B. Lewis, manager of the Old Mill Theatre in Dallas, Tex., a house owned by E. H. Hulsey, one of the most progressive exhibitors of the region, writes to the Dallas office : It gives me great pleasure to inform you that yesterday, our opening day with your picture, “Inspiration,” was one of the biggest days that we have had since the Old Mill Theatre opened under the present management. I am very glad to give you this expression, not only because the picture has unusual value as a money-getter, but because it is a picture which has all the money-getting qualities and yet is absolutely free from any suggestion of vulgarity or indecency and as a consequence pleases the audience and makes friends for the house. I tell you these things because they were impressed upon me yesterday by the many expressions received from our patrons, and am glad to tell them to you because I believe that the manufacturers of the films ought to know this so they will be encouraged to make more pictures of this character. We enjoy the pleasant words about “Inspiration,” but even more significant is the attention which this house is giving to the impressions and expressions of its patrons. The day’ after S. L. Rothapfel made his call at Dallas on the Rothapfel-Mutual tour, Mr. Hulsey _slapped a page ad in a local paper under the line “We Want to Do Better.” He professed to have taken Mr. Rothapfel’s message much to heart — at any rate he wisely seized an advertising opportunity. Inspiration and The Miracle of Life are running a close race for the leadership among recent masterpicture releases. Both pictures are packing theatres in every part of the country. Both have received remarkable attention from the newspapers. In Oklahoma City a women’s organization has added to the drawing power of Inspiration by resolving against it for about a half a column of pure reading matter. In Detroit there was some debate about it, meanwhile the picture proceeded to do a record business. There is no question but that Miss Audrey Munson appears entirely without the aid of a wardrobe, but no critic has dared to reflect on himself by charging that the picture was in the least suggestive. As a film seer we should promise the Inspiration a long, eventful prosperous life. ***** Some Speed ! The first chapter of The Girl and the Game was screened for the executive staff of the home office the other night. Even that perhaps blase and critical gathering sat up and held its breath. The picture is full of speed. It presents a lot of physical speed and a lot of plot speed. It gets action every foot of the way. The first chapter tells a corking good story — and it leaves you satisfied but interested and curious about what is coming next. Of course, you’ve got a good idea of the plot — but what does The Girl really do about it in the next chapter? Helen Holmes lives up to the advance notices as a screen thriller. She most dashingly jumps her horse off into a river and swims it. She breaks the lock and throws the switch in the well-known nick-of-time. She averts the great impending disaster, but there is a wreck. Helen is our idea of the perfect heroine. Her lines are the height of eloquence. Now, go on with the story. 4: % if: 4s Film Flim-Flam A certain misguided young man is issuing what he alleges is a periodical of the film trade. His advertising solicitor carries a threat of unfavorable notice as his only argument for patronage and the publication follows this up with the aforesaid unfavorable notice in the event of a refusal to invest in the worthless space offered. If the young man in the case were older and wiser, one might call his work attempted blackmail, while now it can hardly be called more serious than tort. All of which is not of the least importance, but reminds us that matches, revolvers, green apples and printers’ ink should be kept on the top shelf away from the reach of little boys. REEL LIFE — Page Twelve