Universal Weekly (1920, 1923-27)

VOL. 22, No. 21 Universal Weekly 43 How International Newsreel Helps the Theatre Managers INTERNATIONAL NEWSREEL’S endeavors to help exhibitors put over International Newsreel, are broadened day by day with manifoldly successful results, both to exhibitor and producer. The master stroke of exploitation has been the issuance of “Life’s Greatest Thrills,” than which few short subjects have received such universal commendation. This super-thriller has now been shown in most territories throughout the country and everywhere has been acclaimed as a super box-office attraction. Such prominent exhibitors and theatre-owners as Marcus Loew, Dr. Hugo Risenfeld, Balaban & Katz, William Brandt, W. M. Massiter, of the Whitehurst interest in Baltimore; A. M. Bowlos, of the West Coast theatres, and hundreds of others have voluntarily praised this means of exploiting International Newsreel, while no less a person than the President of the United States saw and enjoyed the picture on his recent trip to the West. It proved a sensation in France, while in Canada, Ralph Ruffner, manager of the Capitol Theatre of Vancouver, read so much about the picture that he made a special trip to Seattle to see it in the projection room of the Universal exchange. In a letter of appreciation of it, he wrote: “In years of close contact with every pictured news item, I am afraid we all little realize the great accomplishments in news-gathering constantly going on; and only the viewing of the cream of the world’s most tragic and thrilling events brings out the full appreciation we should all have for the newsreel cameraman.” Newspapers everywhere acclaimed it; Allison Smith, of the New York World, devoting two columns in which to sing its praises. The illustrated poster recently adopted by International Newsreel has proved of tremendous box-office value to exhibitors throughout the country, according to scores of letters received by International Newsreel and Universal Pictures Corporation. Newsreels show in thrilling pictures the current events of the day; yet since their inception the posters used to exploit them have merely been cold type. What seemed like unsurmountable difficulties have always stood in the way of illustrating newsreel posters. It remained for International Newsreel to overcome these obstacles. With its unrivalled organization. International was the only newsreel that could possibly accomplish this task. The posters that now accompany every issue of International Newsreel contain three photographic reproductions of scenes that actually appear in the newsreel. Exhibitors everywhere are taking advantage of this great box-office value and there has been an unprecedented demand for these remarkably interesting posters. The unsurpassed quality of International Newsreels is demonstrated more forcefully as each issue appears. The recent football contests throughout the country have afforded International Newsreel an excellent opprotunity of demonstrating its enterprise. International Newsreel’s pictures of the Yale-Harvard game at Cambridge, on the afternoon of November 21st, were on the screens of the Metropolitan, Modern, Beacon, Strand and other of the leading theatres in Boston at 6:30 o’clock the same evening. On the same evening International Newsreel showed in Columbus, Ohio, pictures of the Ohio State-Illinois game, and the following afternoon they were on the screens of the Chicago theatres. Probably the most remarkable achievement was on the Illinois-Penn. game at Philadalphia. By the use of airplanes, automobiles and fast trains, International Newsreel was able to show pictures of the Penn.-Illinois game in Chicago at the first showing on Sunday afternoon, seventeen hours after the game was played. Such splendid effort drew forth encomiums from Balaban & Katz, Lubliner & Trinz, and other Chicago exhibitors, while radio announcements of International’s enterprise in showing football games so promptly were broadcast in Chicago, Boston and New York City. There are some of the things Intel-national Newsreel is doing for exhibitors without extra charge and with only the thought in mind to give the best first at all times. Newspaper Feature Syndicate To Boost “Natl. Laugh Month” E EXCEPTIONAL support to Laugh Month is being given by the various newspaper feature syndicates, the Short Features Advertisers Association reports. Arrangements have been completed whereby, the various columnists, editorial writers, cartoonists and other special feature writers serving the thousands of American newspapers through the feature syndicates, are to devote special attention to the Laugh Month idea and to work in references and boost for it whereever possible. An example of the wholehearted support Laugh Month activities is getting from these syndicates are the varied Laugh Month activities now being undertaken by the King Features Syndicate. From fifteen to twenty columnists of this service are to make Laugh Month a feature in one or more of their articles. Two special Laugh Month poems have been written and soon will appear in newspapers all over the country. The King syndicate is going even further in its support of the Laugh Month idea. It is sending out a special broadside on Laugh Month to all the newspapers it serves, calling attention to the wide-spread benefits of the movement and calling upon each editor for liberal support. Six of the leading King Features cartoonists and the following wellknown independent newspaper artists, Terry, Webster, Bill Johnston and Locher, were filmed in special Laugh Month scenes for a national news reel early this week. INTERNATIONAL SCORES GREATEST COUP ( Concluded from Page 20) me I am satisfied that the majority of theatres in this country showing news films will exhibit the Locarno Treaties film; further, that abroad, and more especially in America, all the large theatres and the majority of the smaller theatres will be offered facilities to screen the film in question. Whilst I am anxious to obtain the greatest jublicity for the record of this important event, I have not found it advisable in this instance to follow a practice which you infer has been successful with general press agencies.” Attempts were made to prevent the shipment of the pictures to the United States, but when the matter was brought up in Parliament, the statement that the pictures were already on their way disposed of that suggestion.