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1926 Account of the Construction of First National

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1926 Account of the Construction of First National "MOTION PICTURE NEWS" September 11, 1926 (Burbank/First National pages only) Scanned from the collection of The Museum of Modern Art Library Coordinated by the Media History Digital Library www.mediahistoryproject.org Funded by a donation from David Sorochty I'list Niiaonai ^luciiosiSiirniiiLi^, I heOpeiiI>€i>o>iway to tlie Staurf •r^~ hslNational FictifTes pT( n tlie Stap I BVJ.' me!*ieai4!sts I mi ^i Johnny 'Jiarr}!iangdoK f^ Mney V^ PijsoK^n autap mi Riilarthelrms TUlUoearmihC ^€. Ionise ^'atQlu'JilHgitOK Brooks \iois ^illiatti yriscilla donm Mliey JlolbYook J^ileen Mm !PriHgle llough LION dollar names put irst National ahead of the industry—leading in tried and tested performance pic- Qertrude tures! Hit after hit—^^eek after iJstor '^^ iveek—S2 absolute big business weeks in the First National year! The nation is First 'Brian. National for backbone prod- f t^ uct. It*s a banner year—-w^her- ever the Tiola Dana Chester Conklih. playa, they'll stand up and cheer I Flrac la Stars! rirat In Hits i " zet i UiasoK First In St«rlca! First In Fame! > ^am^^arciij ^^^m 1RAi eenestProc i nctionBM 1 1 is 0* ipKc-cyi chayd "^raw iRowlund Jfane [JosephJU Schetick-' juKC tAhihls SamJlorli George ^lizntaurice iiiiriw"te?TiiiiHiTiiiiii ^flay .Tiockett \ (Alfred f \ Santell ^i I tjohn'jrancu A 'Dillon howman Producer Behind Every First y NatioaaLfifiture! 7n^a box olEice Director dictates every scene! i i CC-'Burr — 3>- Every one a leader )neman every one a man who knows what it takes to keep theatres at capaC' Oiobarl ity! That's why there's never a once-in-a- '^jii/0^ " ^?Vl^ whiler in the First National line up— con- 'Howard j^ sure-fire, big sistent, Qeorge •w: / business product that J^rcliaiKbai makes e-v-e-r-y week a profit week — e-v-e-r-y (hreif'WilsoH week in the year! iJ^ gled Leads the Industry I \ ^^rW (Charles \ ' \ / Ji'Jioym \ aie all FIRST NATrOMAI — 1 ; ' r^'^i^gfis ^ 1I M1 ^i«P im. HIi ii1 ill 11 iliilf i "I M^ . --^i*- ..-,, X-.- -.:— -:^--. Facade of the administratic K at the Burbank studios of First National, done in Spanish style of ta:. Burbank Studio Culmination of First National's Progress CHANGE is the keynote of the mo- cooperative, exhibitor-owned organization, picture to be accjuired was "On Trial," an tion picture's history. No business engaging in no production, but affording im- Essanay production. alters its complexion so rapidly partial and thorough distribution to any Then came a move that completely no industry demands such constant alert- producer who could meet the quality de- eclipsed the sensation created by the origi- ness to maintain leadership. The motion mands of the group. nal formation of First National—the sign- picture company which does not keep step The men who made possible the fulfil- ing of the Famous "Million Dollar from to Avith the day day steady change ment of this dream—the 26 original fran- Contract" with one Charles Spencer Chap- going on in the demands of the business chise holders, who dug down in their pockets lin. This was hailed as another preposterous soon falls behind and is lost sight of. Pow- for their proportionate share of the nega- move—but none could deny that First erful corporations have risen, prospered tive and print cost on each picture and Avho National was in a position to deliver a and fallen, all because of their failule to ad- distributed the program in their respective number of sure-fire attractions as a result just themselves properly to the shifting territories—included N. H. Gordon (Bos- of the contract. bases of an industry unique in its demands. fu- ton) ; Jake and Otto Wells (Charlotte, N. Nevertheless, there was the immediate Fi-oni the organization of First National G.) ; Jones, Linick and Schaefer (Chicago) ture to worry about, and things moved Exhibitors Circuit, Inc., in 1917, to the Swanson and Nolan (Denver) ; A. H. Blank slowly for a time, of necessity. Two other building of the $2,000,000 studios at Bur- (Des Moines) ; John H. Kunsky (Detroit) pictures were acquired during 1917, ' ' ' ' bank, Calif., in 1926, is a long and interest- Robert Lieber (Indianapolis) ; T. L. Tally ' Daughter of Destiny ' and ' Alimony. ing trail not only in point of time (for — (Los Angeles) ; Col. Fred Levy (Louis- A critical period developed as the time nine years is a long time in this shifting ville, Saxe (Minneapolis); Ky.) ; Thomas for the annual meeting in April, 1918, drew in industry), but point of the interesting Frank Hall (New Jersey); E. V. Richards, near. Progress had been all that could be progression of changes which the steady Jr. (New Orleans); J. "D. Williams (New expected, but would the franchise holders progress of the corporation has involved. York Citv) ; Samuel Rothafel (New York —exhibitors rather than men familiar with There was no lack of scoffers in 1917 City); H. 0. Schwalbe (Philadelphia); distribution—realize this and be willing to (Pittsburgh) William when a little group of exhibitors, strong in Rowland and Clark ; carry on? Sievers (St. Louis); Turner and Dahnken their own territories but with practically Fortunately, just at this time a rapid (San Francisco) ; Jensen and Von Herberg no knowledge of national distribution, sequence of events changed the entire com- to enter the field in (Seattle); Tom Moore (Washington, D. undertook competition plexion of the situation and left little doubt with the strongest companies to assure for C); E. H. Hulsey (Texas); Brouse and as to what the franchise holders might themselves for exhibitors Stapleton (Eastern Canada) ; W. P. Dewees and evei-ywhere think. First National obtained for dis- supply first-class jiroduct, re- (Western Canada) ; Emanuel Mandelbaum a steady of tribution two of the outstanding box-office gardless thi-eatened monopolistic condi- (Cleveland). of successes of the year, "Tarzau of the Apes" ' tions—but there are no scoffers today These men, with the few State Rights ' and ' My Four Years in Germany. ' These Avhen First National throws open the doors exchanges already operated by members as went into the Broadway and Knickerbocker of the mightiest modern studio and most a nucleus, obviously covered the strategic theatres respectively, where they played to built, maintain yet to that same steady points of distribution in the United States capacity business, the very day before the supply of worthwhile product condi- under and Canada, but thei-e was open skepticism opening of the annual meeting, Chaplin's tions which now demand that First on every hand concerning the successful first picture under his contract, "A Dog's National produce a certain share of its own group. functioning of the members as one Life," made its bow at the Strand Theatre product and in its own studio. Just an- Where, said the wise ones, could product be and registered a sensation. other move to keep step with the needs of found to compete with that offered by As a result the visiting franchise holders the industry. powerful rivals ? How could a group of men had such tangible evidence of the sound scattered about the country and with little judgment being displayed in making up the First National was formed on in common successfully conduct a highly WHEN releasing program that they returned home April 25, 1917, the purpose of the specialized business on a national scale? ^\nth full confidence in the future of the origiiml franchise holders to assure the How could financial expenditures be alloca- was company. availability of a plentiful supply of first- ted in a manner to suit each member? The next star to be placed under a First grsidc product, suitable for showing in the opinion in many quarters was that these The contract was Anita Stewart, who important first-run houses which they con- things could not be done, and the prophets National signed in the summer of 1918. Chaplin trolled, regardless of any threatening moves gave First National but a short while to was delivered his second picture, "Shoulder on the j)art of certain menacing interests. live. which still ranks as one of his It was felt that this could be done through Arms," "Pershing's Crusaders" came the supplying of adequate distril)ution to DESPITE these pessimistic forecasts the greatest. right moment and scored a independent producers, who were then vir- men in charge went ahead with their just at the tually without a channel for the marketing plans. Offices were opened in two small triumph. of productions of any magnitude. First Na- rooms at 18 East 41st Street, New York A few weeks later the roster of stai'S tional, it was felt, could function best as a City, with a staff of four persons. The first was brought up to full big league strength Attractive entrance to the administration building at the Burbank First National sti dios, showing the handsome style of architecture, the inlaid tile decoration and the landscape gardening with which the buildings are being surrounded Airplane view of the $2,000,000 First National studios at Burbank, Cal.. giving some idea of the vastness of the project and the amount of construction involved Robert Lieber, president of First National Richard A. Rowland, general manager of First National Pictures. Inc. witli the iK-qui.sition of ^lai-y Pickford, to a meeting in Atlantic City in January, During 1921 a difficult situation arose. Xoriiia Talmadge and Constance Talmadge. 1920. At the conclusion of a series of con- The sub-franchise plan had extended the but Three Mary Pickford vehicles were de- ferences all the territories were signed up scope and strength of First National, livered in following months, ''Daddv Long with the exception of Texas, Oklahoma and it had also increased the number of men Legs," "The Hoodlum" and "Heart of the Arkansas.
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