Variety (June 1924)

Wednesday, June 4, 1021 PICTURES VARIETY 23 OBNOXIOUS FILM ADVERTISING t FORCES CAUnON BY FRISCO PAPER "Journal" Loses Subscribers Through ^'Daughters of Men" Ad—"Call" Refuses "Cytherea" Copy as Submitted—Making More Ammunition for the V Propagandists San Francisco, June 3. '. San Francisco theatres appear to . t>e launcliing a contest to see which can outdo the other in the matter »f sensational advertising:, utiliz- 'tner catch lines and sug-gestive drawings of such a character that already the newspapers are begin- Atng to refuse to accept them as copy. ■ The attitude of the public is per- . Iiaps best indicated by the case of the San Francisco "Journal" which come weeks ago is alleged to hair« received 20 or more cancellation of . subscriptions following the print- ing of an advertisement placed by "'. the California theatre for "Daugh- ters of Men.V This advertisement utilized a drawing showlr" girls In attitudes of wild abandon at a road- liouse party. The wording of the aivertisement called attention to ' scenes depicting orgies staged by society buds and college boys in roadhouses. Tl.ie picture was declared to reveal the effect of the present Jaw age. on the youth of our generation. The "Journal" carries a slogan "All the News That's Fit to Print." Some of its subscribers are alleged to have considered the California's advertising copy a violation of that slogan. Last week, the Warfleld, in ad- rertlslng "Cytherea," used a large drawing of a woman's nude figure. The character of the drawing was such that the San Francisco "Call" refused to accept it and the TTar- fleld was compelled to mortise out most of the figure. The Granada, in billing Cecil ae Mine's "Triumph," ".spotted" the lithographed stand adding to the picture's title, a sub-title reading "At Any Cost" and then In another place on the stand "spotted" she wanted a career and was willing to pay for It at any price." The publicity campa:jns of th^ Warflold and the Qranada have caused a great deal of comment among theatrical men a:.a the lay- man public. There Is a feeling ex.;ressed that this line of sensational advertising Is merely supplying the "long hair" advocates of censorship with added ammunition. The public that iikes suggestive ftatt has been bilked so many times In the past by sensational catch lines only to find the films them- •elves exceedingly Innocuous that suggestive advertising Is rather los- ing its "kick" as a box office inagrnet, but doing the V. p.itres harm In other ways. ANNULMENT AND ALIMONY Stanley C. Moran Given Freedom, but Must Support Children Los Angeles, June S. Judge Summerfleld, In granting the application by Stanley C. Moran for an annulment of his marriage to Gladys V. Moran. imposed upon the husband a payment of |100 monthly for the support of two minor children. B. G. EDWABDS, DIBECTOB Los Angeles, June S. Roland G. Edwards Is now a di- rector on the coast, after having been studio manager for the Tiffany productions. Some years ago, Ed- wards was a stock director. M. H. Hoffman gave Edwards his first chance, in directing Elaine Ham- Bersteln In "Daring Love." "Daring Love" was first called "Driftwood." adapted from Albert Payson Terhune's novel of that title. Hoffman learned another company had brought out a "Drift- ing" so he sidestepped any possi- ble litigation by renaming It "Dar- ing Live." GAILA5TY WITH HODEINSOlf Sam A. Gallanty has been ap- pointed sales manager for the Hod- kinson exchange in Buffalo, N. Y., returning to the organization after •everal year's, file was formerly manager of Its Washington, D. C, branch. The Seattle office Is now under the management of S. D. Perkins, succeeding R. c. Hill, who resigned. ^ ostume: OR H I PRODUCTIONS EXPLOITATIONS PRESENTATIONS AH? B'way. T«l.5580f>en. ■I ^ 1 11/ li|i| 1 Ti,.l I .■; i III First National's District Meetlno A meeting of the district man- agers of First National Is In prog- ress in New Yflrk this week. The managers arrived in town yesterday, and the meetingrs get un- der way to-day. OHIO HOUSES OPEN Lord's Day Alliancs Starting Clos- ing Fight ^' Cincinnati, June >. In addition to the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Ohio that Sunday performances are illegal In the state, the ZiOrd's Day Alliance has taken up the cudgels to enforce the law In this respect. Governor A. Vic Donabey Is be- hind them and offices have been opened in the principal cities to tal^e care of officials who are to report violations of the ruling. The Alliance, which operates In many states, has cpncerned Itself With prohibition, theatrlcsd per- formances, fights and anything else that happened on Sunday. Their action in Ohio comes because the picture houses have kept open since the decree was handed down an^ in spite of the declaration of several churches that the enforcement of the law would be sought' His Own Bootlegger Morgantown, W. Va., June 3. Sam Prates, manager of the Star City opera house, motion pictures. Is under bond for his appearance before Judge W. E. Baker in Federal Court at EI- kins. In June. Prates Is charged with having a still and mash in the basement of his theatre. MOVIE SCHOOLS AGAIN INSIDE STUFF EXPECTED ATFM.-OFFEMANTRIAL studio Manager Suing for $100,000—Case Sched- uled for Next Week District Attorney Going After Faks Institutions District Attorney Joab Banton of New York has begun an investiga- tion of "fake" movie and dramatic schools, as a result of the recent arrest of Alexander Light head of a dramatic school, who was taken into custody after taking fees from a pupil for two years. The Investigation will be sweep- ing In its character and all persons having any direct knowledge of tacts that will help the prosecutor have been asked to communicate with the District Attorney's offio*. INGE'S HALF DOZEN Thomas H. Ince has signed a new contract with Associated First Na- tional Pictures to deliver six mors feature plctur«s. Two of the six will be "specials." Los Angeles, June S. The trial of the suit brought by Emil Offeman against t6e Film Booking Offices, for $100,000, Is scheduled to be called next week In the Superior Court. Offeman, studio manager at F. B. O.'s West Coast studios, was dis- missed after one picture was made. The "higher up" crowd didn't like his methods. He sues for back salt ary and also because, the F. B. p. crowd didn't keep their promises. ^' In retaliation, t^ks company charges that Offeman used the comi' pany's firtlsans and craftsmen tb decorate his home here, at a com of $1,0,000 to 912,000. ! As ah aftermath' io the Offeman dismissal, Pat Powers, owner of ths building at 723 Seveinth avenue, NeW York, (the New Y'ork offices of the if. B. O. and the former Rol>ertson- Cale business), was superseded lit the West Coast studios by Msjoir Thompson, t'ept'esentlng ths "Bn^- lish money" btuilc of the R-C Pic- tures CF. B. O.). Testimony 6t bm "Insids" eh&heuji^ ter Is expected at the trlaJ. i' 34i ■ I ■. . -fl- Wait Before You Date! ZA \§tatement by <^^ ^*r r- ■■■■■ •»J.<*''i'i«-«T (y'^E merging of the valuable stars, directors y^ and story materials of Metro, Goldwyn and Louis B. Mayer into one great producing or- ganization—the amalgamation of two nation-wide exchange systems with resultant expansion of exhibitor service — these are facts which theatre owners should take into consideration when looking ahead into the 1924-25- Season. . We urge all exhibitors to have patience in mak- ing picture judgments. We are in a position to offer you a powerful line-up of high-class pro- ductions for 1924-25 and sincerely advise you to wait for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer announce- jnent before making hasty commitments. Wait before you date I f.>.;i / • M j-ini \{-.( •ll t J1(^i(■( 3 -1 .0 ( 1 M ..»..|/l ■i.'l I ; J I ■. c I I »(li- 1 I I- IK t i ii'-. I •■S\ H. ),|t|)V , I I [ . ' I > d t«