Greenwood daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1919-1926, 1920-03-29
THEY
GET NEW FILMS
Continued from front page)

is truthful. If any newspaper wants
to accord a large amount of gratui-
tous publicity to our enterprises it is
welcome to do so as long as it con-
fines itself to the facts. On the 9TH
er hand, if it INDUCES in misrepresen-
tation because of our failure to buy
advertising from it which we do not
need, we are prepared to take care
of ourselves-in the courts if neces-
sary.
"Facts DistOred."
"a few of the facts in the case
facts that have been greatly distorted,
to fit the desires of those who seek
to injure US in the upblic's mind are
these:
"That no old pictures are being
shown by the Saenger theatres-ex-
cept those who merit justices a re-
turn. With such returns we have mer-
tied and received such support as is
accorded a return of Sarah Bernhardt
for instance. Not as many as ten old
tlCCu1SS HdSC OScu o1IO"A III Jul IACd-
tres in the last year.
"Charlie Chaplin is not yet making
pictures for the United Artists, whose
films we were so ridiculously charged
wit hbarring from this city. He is still
making them for the First National
Exhibitors, and we are showing them
all.
"Mary Pickford has delivered only
one picture to the new association,
and Douglas Fairbanks latest picture
was shown by US.
I'D. w. Griffith has delivered only
one picture to the new association.
Pictures, not yet made-which we are
accused Of barring from the city
can certainly be shown by any of the
so-called independent theatres on
Canal street, or any street.-the Pearce
theatre, for instance, when they are
ready. We certainly have no objec-
ton.
what the Saenger Amusement
Company does object to, however, is
lending itself to an arrangement
which would result in the boosting of
admission prices to all suburban the
atres from II to so and Is cents. That
is what the xes rate for United
Artists pictures would mean for New
Orleans under the first proposal. AS
it is, the suburban theatres in New
Orleans are charging less admission
than in any other city in the country.
If this statement is doubted by any
one they can step to a universal news
stand and verify it by looking up the
ads in the newspapers of other cities.
| On the Pacific Coast the admission
charge at suburban houses is from rs
cents to IS cents for the same class
of pictures we show for II cents"
PRICE HALF THAT IN N. Y.
"The admission price of the Strand
theatre here is one-half the price of
admission charged by the Rivoli,
Strand, Capital and Rialto theatres in
New York and the program and
pictures are identical.
"Our theatres are filled, and our
advertising is sufficient to fill them.
"We operate on a volume basis
buy in big quantities at lowest terms
and exhibit the best for the lowest
admission price. That's the corner
stone of Saenger success and that's
really what has worried some people
into seeking this airing of our affairs
before the trade commission. We're
glad of it: we did not realize our own
strength until we heard the howl.
"After the recent exhibition I an
ticipate considerable effort to discre-
dit our company either through cen
sorship or otherwise. We will ap-
preciate the public's investigating
purported facts in obviously prejudic-
ed publications."
AMUSING SIDE SEEN TO ANTI
SAENGER STORIES.
Says a memo from the Items mo-
ton picture editor: "I'm glad you
asked me for my opinion, for those
anti-Saenger articles were about the
Funniest thing I've seen-aside from
the Chaplin comedy they seek to
scorn!"
"They claim Orleanians are not get
ting the best pictures and seek to
prove it by press-agenting a lot of
films not yet completed"
" Acouple weeks ago William R.
Brady, a real authority on pictures,
gave a statement to the Motion Pic
ture News naming the best pictures
of the season. He mentioned none of
his own; none in which his daughter,
Alice, appeared-so, his opinion is
worthy. He gave as his selection The
Miracle Man, Eyes of Youth, SOL
diers o Fortune and Twenty-three
and One-Half Hours Leave
"All of the pictures have been in
New Orleans-and all at Saenger
houses"
"It is common gossip that when the
last Fairbanks picture showed at the
Strand it lost money for the Sean.