Variety (December 1922)

V, ..'■^- WT.T 1«B-< '^.:'^' 20 \ VARIETY ^"w^^vir^in^ '- -■•-»k ff^m^ ^ Friday, December 29, 1922 ;V^ YEAE INPICTUBES /^^ (Continued from page 8) ' ever their distribution to First Na- tional for a time, and with their patising A). Lichtman started his own distributing system, ^hlch to (late has been functioning rather well. Another organization that made its debut during the year was the American Releasing Corp., with "Walter E. Greene and Fred Warren at its head, which has made rather Kurprising progress during its brief time So far. Changes in producing and dts- Iributlng organization have as their biggest item of interest the passing of Samuel Goldwyn from the com- pany that bears his name. Up to this lime Goldwyn has not again become active in the industry, but it is understood he is now evolving a plan which will mean his return to picture producing at least. In the exhibiting field the event of the year was the Washington Convention of the M. P. T. O. A. at which Sydney S. Cohen was re- . elected to head the organization which brought about an open rup- ture with the New York State or- ganisation which was endeavoring to have New York State Senator James J. Walker installed at the head of the exhibitor body of the country in a position somewhat similar to that which Hays holds with the producers and distributors. Because they were unsuccessful in putting over their project and more largely because Cohen made severe accusations against the ex- ecutives of the New York State or- • ganization which were disproved just prior to the National Conven- tion, the New York delegation bolted the convention and on their return to their native heath decided to withdraw from the national or- (^anization. It was the state or- g<cini2;ath>n of exhibitors In ' New York that played an extremely im- j;>ortant role on the victory of Gov- ernor-elect Al. Smith and it is gen- eral belief that the Governor will not disregard their part in the cam- paign after he takes oath within the next few days. With the closing hours of the year came the news of the formation of an exhibitors' distributing organi- sation sponsored by the present ex- ecutives of the M. P. T. O. A, with a capitalization of $5,000,000 which the exhibitors of the country were asked to subscribe. Just how far that is going to go is something of a question. Generally the belief is that the national officers noting the apparent success that waa attending the working of the Associated Booking Corp., an exhibitor organization in Greater New York which holds as its principal sponsors members of the M. P. T. O. C. C, which, as a body and Individually opposed to Cohen and his associates in Wash- ington and the nation wide interest that it was creating among exhibi- tor;? and their organizations, thought it timely to step in and create a Alistributing system of their own. How far they can go and how suc- cessful they will be in floating their promotion is problematical at this time. With the closing of 1922. the fear of any foreign invasion has been wiped out for all time. There will be the occasional" foreign picture brought over that may hit with the exhibitors and the public, but any such thought as that there is a pos- sible chance pictures produced in Kngland, France. Germanji^ or any other part of Europe will ever make a dent in the American market is poppycock. ducted Keith theatre not only gives happy and orderly attractiveness to its neighborhood, but brings or adds to the business activities of all the stores, offices and shops in its vicinity. Real estate in proximity to a Keith theatre is always at a premium, and the advent of a new one Invariably stimulates and sus- tains realty values in the locality, bettering the cost and class of ad- jacent Improvements and adding to the tone and activities of the entire neighborhood. Artists Get In Good Work The thousands of vaudeville artists who visit every Keith the- atre on the far-flung circuit are the natural and irrepressible "advance agents" and publicity volunteers of every neighborhood, town and city which they visit and in which they live during the always brief period of each engagement. Wherever they go. they spread the good word about every town on the circuit. Us people.' its points of interest, its fine hotels, its golf courses, its modern stores, its leading indus- tries, its newspapers, its famous men. In their enthusiastic, intelli- gent and generous way they become the heralds of fame and prominence for every Keith city and town which they have known. In a large and ceaseless manner they help to put and keep "Keith towns" on the map, and every one of them at this time of the yean remembers nad can tell about "the good town" where he or she spent a happy Christmas or New Year's Day last year and in other years. To these itinerant artists of vaudeville and to an' even larger army of always traveling, keenly observant and highly intelligent commercial salesmen the city or town without a modern vaudeville theatre is regarded as slow, behind the times or merely "a place In which there is no place to go." These wayfarers of commerce and the theatre like to visit, and, if possible, "to Sunday" or week-end in cities or towns that are on the Keith circuit. They meet and make more friends there, they return at every opportunity and many a hustling traveling salesman has told me that he can sell more goods in "the live towns that have a Keith theatre." MOBEBN THEATRES (Continued from page S) ton. one of the world's most per- fectly appointed and most beauti- ful theatres Is built and opened, the feeling is unanimous that the luoky city so favored is in reality a metropolis, that it has been placed on the map in big, red letters. That is the way Dayton and our people here feel about the new Keith theatre. It completes and celebrates our pride in Day-- ton as a metropolis." In this estimate of the material, as well as the psychological values of the new Dayton theatre, Gover- nor Cox gives expression to what has been thought and said by other thoughtful and practical men and women of affairs at the opening ceremonies of others of our thea- tres in other towns and neighbor- hoods. Every time a new Keith house Is opened it is received and acclaime<) by business men of the vicinity as another real and certain asset of the community. As the energetic and picturesque evan- gelist Mr. Billy Sunday sings: "Brighten thre Corner Where You Are." The presence of a new, mod- trnly con8ti;ucted. intelligently con- | LONE EXHIBITOR (Continued from page C) and it was he who was chosen to salvage the Triangle wreck when it was $2,500,000 in debt and totter- ing on the brink of bankruptcy. The reputation of a flim is 40 per cent, bunk advertising anyway. One knock in the preliminary campaign of selling a picture needs a score of boosts later on to overcome. A State right buyer would be in a tough po- sition trying to peddle to his terri- torial exhibitors a picture that their own board had declined. All the distributors would take a similar at- titude and the sale of the picture would be greatly handicapped. This is the explanation of the backwardness of producers in en- tering into negotiations with the exhibitor group„ He has too much to lose and his reasonable prospect of a successful deal, is too uncer- tain. The exhibitors deny the validity of most of these arguments, but ad- mit the truth of some. They have entered the State right market as a means of meeting the .objection of tying up the whole country on the strength of merely the metropolitan fleld. for it stands to reason that a producer is barred from dealings with a national distributor if he allies himself with the New York pool. They say they are prepared to back meritorious producers in their effort to finance their work, pledging enough time for a com- pleted picture to Insure the producer a return upon which he could se- cure capital. ' '' .• ^ " •C' Hush. XAKINO PICTURES (Continued from page 15) own laboratory. That method was discarded because it was wasteful. The individual laboratory was rushed night and day for a while and then was idle for weeks while nothing but the payroll functioned. So the commercial plant came into being, like the Rothakcr establish- ment In Chicago, which has earned a fortune. Some years ago one of the lead- ing coast producers decided to move his whole establishment east. The entire staff came along, except a young technical laboratory man who wouldn't leave his family in Cali- fornia. He made a deal with the producer to take over the labora- tory which had been operated an an incident of the whole producing unit. He had been drawing around $5,000 as laboratory manager. Thereafter he conducted the techni- cal department as a commercial enterprise, taking in the work of other producers for developing and printing. He waa amon^ the first to handle work this way and the producers were quick to see the ad- vantage of the scheme. The young laboratory man netted $96,000 his first year as an Independent busi- ness man. Financing Moviea In ten years the ramifications of picture financing has become dizzily complicated. A decade ago it is said there was scarcely a dollar of Los Angeles money in the industry which was financed exclusively by eastern money. Now in Los Angeles there are whole financial institu- tions that get most of their income from operations in the film busi- ness, such as Hellman Bros, and the Los Angeles Trust A Savings Co. At this time financial opera- tions are almost the basis of suc- cessful picture making. In the Cali- fornia group of independents Thomas H. Ince probably owes his commanding position as much to ■ . -' the strength of his banking affllia- tlons and his resources in capital ^^^ *"^ Mutual wheel shows, cater as to the quality of his screen output. Between 1912 and 1914 average productions were acaled l)etween $5,000 and $20.0<r0. Now they start at $75,000, considered extremely low, and go as high as you like. f CABARETS ROW '^^: (Continued from page 15) soft stuff purchased for the high- balls that the patrons brought In whisky with them to make. The size of the check depends, though, on the place and class of trade. Hotels have taken a great many of the young people away from the regular cabarets. They can dance at the hotels to a moderate charge, and often at a 50 cent couver. Oth- ers, who might have become cab- aret frequenters, go to the straight dance places. The straight dance place in New York is expanding, as It has In Chicago. A cabaret must sell booze. If it doesn't it gets no crowd and no money. Such a thing as "food" now- adays In a New York night cabaret is merely an Incidental. They have kitchens and have chefs, but it's the liquor cache that pays the best, un- less the capacity is large, the couver high and the business big. Restaurateur^, howpver, are not gloating over business. Its too fluctuating, the overhead Is distress- ing, and there are too many items amongr the "overhead" to make their path a rosy one- under any circum- stances. bia since the current aaason started, bad shows—more than in any season in years, an important reason for that belnff that the Colombia raised its standard hiffaer than In former years and has maintalasd m, more rigid Inspection system—iMtd bouses that no amount of boosting could make into good houses, bad weather that couldn't be overoome and bad business for possibly two-thirds of the shows. Ths MutusI Circuit The Mutual Burlesque Association replaced the American wheel at the beginning of the current season, forming the minor league of bur- lesque. Throughout the country several cities have stock burlesque organizations. The MInskys' ex- periment of taking over the Park. New York, for a permanent bur- lesque stock gave Broadway the first stock company of its kind since the fly-by-nights used to flit into Daly's on lower Broadway a few years back. The MInskys are variously reported at the Park, with business said to be dropping of late. '^'' The small stock houses in Phila- delphia, Boston and other cities rank about the same as the A'merl- ing to a type of audience that likes its burlesque rough and ready. One thing in favor of stock burlesque is that it offers real training to a comic or principal woman through the weekly change of bill. The Mutual experiment has been more or less of a surprise. Starting with its producers guaranteed $200 weekly, win or lose, the shows have gone ahead with the producers a|^ parently satisfled, as they receive what they agreed to. The shows also have been doing satisfactory busi- ness, in some spots much more than anticioated. The Mutual appeared to find a so- lution in giving what was wanted at the price, finding a clientele al- ways believed to have existed for certain burlesque, and. it fills an open field. Whether it.can hold Its patronage for a second season or longer remains to be proven, as past experience, such as the Western wheel, went through, brought out that the clientele for this kind of a show dwindles, with no recruits for the box office. Co. Brit. BURLESaUE TEAR (Continued from page 10) edy within bounds, but others ap- pear to mistake liberty for license to remove the lid completely. Bare- legged choristers made their first appearahce in the Columbia wheel shows this season, the Columbia heretofore calling for tights, with the bare legs prohibited, f When permission was finally granted to the producers this sea- son to have their choruses bare legged, the Columbia made it plain to the show operators that the let- ting down of the bars in regard Ip costuming didn't mean the pro- ducers could go the limit and make their shows as "strong" as they wanted to. In order to see that the restrictions placed on costuming, dialog and business were obeyed the Columbia recently established a progressive «heck-up system, with each manager forwarding the cuts made in a show to the house ahead, in that way each house manager be- ing posted as to what the previous one had taken out of a show. Productions generally on the Co- lumbia wheel for the last six or seven years have maintained a high average as regards scenery and costumes, wi»^ each succeeding year showing a tendency to Improve over the previous season. "~ Americane Successful Columbians One of the outstanding things of burlesque thi8 season has been the success of the former American wheel producers, Jimmy Cooper. Rube Bernstein, Lew Talbot, Sim Williams and Ed Daley, all of whom easily made the Columbia grade with shows that called for no crit- icism from the censorp. Cooper in- cidentally has led the Columbia for gross receipts almost from the start of the current season. Business on the Columbia Ijas ranged from 10 to 20 per cent, bet- ter than last season, but last season was very, very bad and that 10 to XO per cent, increase i.sn't as important as it sounds. And so it's been wi^h the Colum- ,W<i;<^' BRITAIN S FILM TEAR (Continued from page 3) Crane, Denison Clift and Thomas Bent ley. One of the most noteworthy pro- ductions of the year has been that of the late Fred Emney's sketch, "A Sister to Assist 'Er." This was made for Baron Films by George Dew- hurst. It is* by far the best comedy ever produced here. John L. Baron does not confine his activities to Great Britain, but has made a pic- ture with white players in Central Africa. The picture was made un- der armed guard, owing to troubles between neighboring tribes, and it Is a noteworthy example of how the British trade is helped by British officials that, although the picture has been in England for something like nine months. Baron is still fill- ing up forms and signing affidavits declaring himself and the leading members of his company to be Brit- ish born, and domiciled in Britain. This helpful procedure may go on for some months longer before he succeeds in getting his property through the customs. His future plans call for five productions in France and America. British and Colonial, one of the oldest of our firms, has been mod- erately quiet during the past year. but Is now engaged in making a series of "shorts," "The Romance of History," for Incorporated British Renters, a young concern with a big future. These little pictures purpose to tell all the world's his- tory as it really was and not as conceived by the fertile brain of the novelist, dramatist, or scenario writer. The players are all chosen from the leading people, and the at- tention to detail is excellent. The principal producer is George Rldg- well. Famous-Lasky (British) has add- ed nothing to its record here, and its much boomed Islington studios are In the hands of Graham Wilcox productions. Hardy Films started off well with a finely produced and acted story by Raphael Sabitlni. en- titled "Bluff," but nothing has been heard of the firm recently. "Mushroom" companies have been as many as of yore, but most of them have >lved but the life of the fungi they resemble. Still they keep growing, and each new one at least provides much needed work for the actor. ,The attitude of the mush- room producer has changed and he no longer talks glibly of having £60,000 or more in the bank "only waitlnir another signature to tha contract, boy!" From the producing point of view ' there has been a boom In "shorts.** Most of them will be of little usa eacept to pad a program, but the work of Georva Cooper 9f Quality Films stands out for its thorough excellence. Richard Percy Burton was prob* ably the first British showman to screen a picture for an Indefinite run In a legitimate theatre, al- though such halls as the Philhar- « monic had done It. Burton's waa ••With Allenby in Palestine." which had a long run at Covent Garden three years ago. Later picture sea- sons of "The Fruitful Vine" and "The Bigamist" were tried at the* Alhambra without any great suc- cess, although the London run might be taken into consideration as a good publicity stunt. Then America brought ^'Way Down East" to the Empire and surprised everybody with the business and the length of the run. following, as it did, the ex- pensive, but abortive, attempt to turn the Palace into a kinema. Then Stuart Blackton presented "The Glorious Adventure" at Coveirt Garden, the appearance of Lady Diana Manners being its chief as- I set. i Later. Walter Wa'nger arrived i and bejgan a succes£ful picture sea- .; son which only ended when the house was required for opera. Wan- ' ger since then has done little else but turn "dud** kinemas into super palaces and paying concerns. The long run ball had started rolling and the pk>neer8 had stood the risk and proved it a feasible proposition, so other showmen followed suit. At the moment we have "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" doing good business at the I^Iace, "Fool- ish Wived" has also been doing well at the New Osftord. but comes oft to make way for the new Graham* - Wilcox picture, "Flames of Pas- sion," "When Knighthood Was In Flower" was shown at the Scala, London's recognised house for bad buelness, no matter who handles the place or what goes in. but has now given place to a revival of "Orphans of the Storm." Smaller cinemas are following in the foot-* steps of the converted theatres, the most notable feature shown being the Eskimo picture. "Nanook," at the New Gallery. This was followed by Hepworth's "Through Three Reigns," which soon gave way to the Ideal's "A Bill of Divorcement." ' The "feature run" is spreading and will certainly go to the big pro- vincial towns and cities, where le- gitimate houses are already being taken for such pictures as the First National "Smilln* Through." Despite the number of ex-enemy films known to be in the country, very few, if any, have been shown to the trade or press and if they have they have been carefully camou- fiaged by the smallest renters. None have yet been seen publicly, but it Is said that a start will soon be made with "DuBarry" ("Pa.sslon") at the Scala. When some showman does show the pick of the ex-enemy^ output the public will receive them as quietly as it has received ex- enemy opera and musical comedy, against the production of which there was such an outcry some two years ago. The money-paying pub- lic will always go to see a good thing, no matter what the country of its origin, Britain is officially open to (Germans from December 28. At the moment of writing the trade Is more concerned with politics than films and is working hard to make certffin the election of men who will help alleviate the" hard- ships caused by the entertainment tax. Blo-colOr, a big cinema cir- cuit. Is said to be paying £100.000 a year, while many of the smaller houses have been brought to the verge of ruin by the Chancellor of the Exchequer's greed of gold. ' ■ ■ . ^- Gore. GREETINGS BT WIRELESS Charles B. Cochran of London sent Christmas greetings by wire- less to friends in New York, the messages arriving on the holiday. To Insure as prompt delivery as possible through the general clos- ing, the Radio Co. of America, upon receipt of the mcssaRcs, phoned them to the office or home address of the recipient. •• '■.-■'A .^'^'S^Aiil.^C'A Violet Ray Burning Costs Volct_ Wilda Bennett was out of the "Lady in Ermine" Saturday because of loss of voice. Nancy Gibbs sub- stituted. The loss of voice was caused by violet ray burning. Helen Shipman has also left the "Ermine" cast to Join "Virginia," the new Shubert production.