The New York herald., 1922-10-01
New Agreement
Binds TheaterS
to Film Booking
Exhibitors HencefOrth to Be
Held to Contract-Gossip
of Movies.
by FRANK vREELAND.

"A is now in evidence among film
= exhibitors, and this. along with
abaSt 1000 other innovations. is ex-
pected to revolutionize the film in
dustry. The film industry gets revo-
lutionized at least once a month-but
never mind that now. The new con-
tract has been issued by Paramount
alias Famous Players-Lasky. It is
said that 1t will also be put into effect
this fall by First National, and doubt
less other distributing agencies will
something like a parade.
The agreement provides primarily
that an exhibitor must show a picture
when he has taken off his hat and
promised solemnly to do so. This IS
of interest to the general public be-
cause It will obviate in the future any
likelihood that a picture which has
been announced long time ahead by
a theater owner is not likely to be
withdrawn for reasons beyond the
control of this management" or sim
ply ignored altogether just when the
house patrons are expecting it to
crash into their lives. No longer will
the film fans, after having their ap-
petites whetted for n certain star by
the exhibitors insidious appeal be sent
away disappointed.
Under the old system the exhibitor
actually took nothing more than an op-
tion on A picture, with the prospect OF
sidestepping out of it whenever he felt
himself slipping. Sometimes an exhibitor
who had been enthusiastic over picture
when he first saw IL would find his opti-
mism cooling when he geared his mind
to 1t in retrospect Sometimes also he
could see from the reception a film re-
ceived elsewhere that 1t was a bad busi-
ness proposition--and, after all. the ex-
hibitor has to keep one foot prosaically
but firmly in the box office.
AS often as not, however, n picture
would be frozen out by various kinds OF
theater politics that were brought to
bear. or else the exhibitor would get
something which to his mind was Just az
good, because it was cheaper. In this
way "A picture in a certain locality
might be sidetracked for a year, or for
! ever kept incommunicado. while the sales
force and the home office gnashed all
| the teeth they had.
Now, however. the theater owner must
specify the exact date on which he plans
| to unfurl the spool of heart throbs. After
! that he Is allowed to postpone the pict-
ure for one period of thirty days, bu,
IL he doesn't show 1t within that time
he must pay the distributing company
whether he unloads 1t before the public
or doesn't even take the trouble to un-
wind the film before his own family.
There IS nothing small about Douglas
Fairbanks who will bound into this towr
next Tuesday in order TO get every one
excited about the Broadway showing oi
his latest picture. Douglas Fairbanks IN
Robin Hood" In the first place. Doug
moustache has been augmented by al
| annex in the shape of a beard, which
! he not only wears in the picture but in
tends to wear on the street Just to prove
! it's real. Moreover. when his advance
guard here were consulting him across
the continent about the theater to b'
chosen for the display of his whisker'
| he wired to them: Hire the New Am
sterdam Theater."
A novel variety of newspaper tieups has
cropped up recently among educationa
movie concerns, who use the sheets al
a bulwark for publicity by this means
as well as letting them have look II
on the profits. 1t consists of the spons
oring of an instructive film subject by
q newspaper over a certain area, witt
| its name on the introductory subtitle'
and the possibility OF Its circulation
being stimulated by this and the parable
rews matter on 1t which would overflow
] into it's columns The radio vogue
started it, and now this method Of link
ing UP seems likely TO seep into other
channels.
Miss Madge Kennedy. whose first
photoplay in sonie time "The Purple
\ Highway" is now ready for presenta
ton, is proverbial in the film world fol
/ Ter even temper. which is to say. sh,
is unique. 1t Is said by those who have
worked with her--and who. being nC
longer IN her employ. are therefore fre,
tn voice their inmost thoughts-that She
| is never late for work, that she doe,
not become cross at the other players
and that she never tells the director
Just where he gets Off and how fast
once while che was playing before the
camera, "A parrot in a cage suddenly
/ bit a piece out OF her finger. but despit,
/ the piercing pain Miss Kennedy dlC
not cry out nor have a justified fit o
| Mysteries. Instead she kept right OF
smiling. and when she was asked after
ward IL IL hurt she said that II was
rcthing-instead Of der 'ndng that tn,
parrot be thrown install ly into tub
of boiling water.