Leaders All — Herbert Lubin — Motion Picture Executive (1924) 🇺🇸

Leaders All — Herbert Lubin

Because he brought to his work wide knowledge of business conditions gained in promoting substantial enterprises; because he went to the root of the industry by gaining practical experience as an exhibitor; because he followed that up with an apprenticeship in distribution, emerging a full-fledged journeyman; and because of these combined qualifications he has succeeded in production.

The initial practical experience of Herbert Lubin in the motion picture business was gained as a result of a desire to protect an investment — for reasons paralleling those of many of his contemporary producers.

Mr. Lubin’s entry into the industry was as the owner of a first run theatre. It had not been his intention to give close heed to the details of management, but like many another business man he quickly learned that because of indifference on the part of some he had trusted it would be necessary for him to acquire first-hand knowledge of details.

So it was he found himself getting deeper and deeper into the personal management of his house. And as he got into it the fascination of the business gripped him.

Prior to his entrance into theatre management Mr. Lubin’s experience had been along lines of promotion, in which he had been singularly successful.

He had been responsible for the erection of one of the largest apartment hotels in Chicago, in a great measure he had been responsible for the construction of the first film building in Washington, and in other enterprises he had demonstrated capacity for putting over deals of large size.

Distribution was among the first of the industry’s problems that attracted the attention of Mr. Lubin. It appealed to him, if anything, as the most potent of the factors.

Following several conferences with Richard A. Rowland, then head of Metro Pictures Corporation, he secured the franchise to distribute Metro product in Canada.

In the carrying out of the terms of this contract he was responsible for innovations that improved the relations between exchanges and exhibitors.

It was these departures as well as Mr. Lubin’s known ability in matters of promotion and finance that attracted the attention of Mr. Rowland, who suggested to the exchangeman that his proper sphere in the film world was New York as a producer.

Accepting the advice of the then Metro chief Mr. Lubin came to this city and formed a partnership with Arthur H. Sawyer, who had enjoyed a long experience in the fields of exhibition, production and distribution.

It was shortly following this affiliation that Mary Miles Minter concluded her contract with the American Film Company. Within eight weeks from the termination of her contract with the Chicago concern Miss Minter, under the management of Mr. Lubin, signed a contract with Famous Players calling for her starring services for three years at a compensation running into unusual figures.

Mr. Lubin organized the Petrova Pictures Corporation, which presented the Polish stage actress [Olga Petrova] as a screen star in her own right. The company was one of the first, if not the first, rf the independent organizations presenting a star of size in her own productions and marked a new era in the matter of big specials, individually exploited.

In between these deals Mr. Lubin was negotiating with Metro on behalf of Mr. Sawyer and himself, with the result that a five-picture contract was secured for the release of S-L Productions.

A renewal of this contract for five more productions was obtained, arid that this action was justified on both sides was attested by the subsequent Sawyer-Lubin special Quincy Adams Sawyer.

What is considered by Mr. Lubin’s friends as the best business stroke of his motion picture career is the consummation of the recent deal whereby Associated First National will become the distributor of a series of productions starring Barbara La Marr.

The development of this player under the guidance and management of Mr. Lubin’s partner forms one of the business romances of the screen. In a little more than fourteen months Miss La Marr has steadily climbed from a position of the little known player to the rank of recognized star.

In a comparatively short space of time Mr. Lubin has established himself as one of the leading independent producers, with releasing arrangements with Metro and First National.

Herbert Lubin is a self-made-man in every sense. Like many of his fellow-executives, he is a young man, being now a little over thirty-five years old.

He secured his broad education by dint of night work and special schooling. He is ever on the alert to acquire knowledge, which is one of the chief reasons why he is responsible for one innovation after another in the way of departure from custom. If he conceives a better way to do a thing he does not hesitate to “go to it.”

His friends believe he is far from the top of his ladder, and intimate that right now he is working on an idea so novel and so radical that if he promotes it to a successful conclusion it will mean a revolution in distribution.

Judging by his past performances, which up to date have registered a large degree of success, it is entirely possible that shortly he will have another notch in his gun.

Personally he is generous to a fault. Also he is decisive in speech and dynamic in action. And that is a lot to say of any man.

—

Collection: Exhibitors Trade Review, 2 February 1924

—

other articles from the Leaders All Series