Leaders All — How Robert Lieber Shocked Exchangeman (1923) 🇺🇸

Leaders All — Robert Lieber

Because his word is his bond; because of experience gained in the old days in a States Right exchange and continued throughout the years as an exhibitor; because he can see the fairness of the other fellow’s side of an argument; because he has long been a leader in the artistic and business development in his state and our industry he has been steadily re-elected president of the co-operative exhibitor-distributor organization that has flung wide the door of opportunity for the development of independent production in America.

How Robert Lieber Shocked Exchangeman

Informed in 1906 that shoestring days were over he remarked he had $10,000 to gamble with and manager’s heels hit the floor — pronto

About seventeen years ago, sometime in 1906 anyway, a man walked into an exchange in Chicago. Telling the story a number of years afterward the visitor explained he had just got off of a train from Indianapolis and was not quite certain as to what his personal appearance at the moment might have indicated.

He explained at the time he knew not much about pictures, his only knowledge of them being such as he might have acquired through attendance at vaudeville shows.

But he did know something about the Pathé rooster, having seen that on the films, and he knew, too, there was such a man as Edison who had had much to do with the beginning of pictures and who also was interested in making them.

So it was into the exchange of one of these companies — it was not stated which — that the Indianapolis man went.

When the stranger entered the door he looked for the person in charge and concluded it must be the important looking individual with his feet cocked up on a rolltop desk.

It was explained to the exchange manager — for the guess was right — that the caller was considering opening an exchange and had come to that place to find out something about the best thing to do under the circumstances.

The manager turned a very severe eye upon his visitor.

“Young man,” he said as he swung away around so as to get a better look, “I want to tell you the day for entering the film business on a shoestring has gone by.”

“I am sorry if my personal appearance may have deceived you,” was the reply of the applicant. “It is quite likely it may have been somewhat neglected this morning, but it is possible I have got more than a shoestring.”

“Well, how much money have you got?”

The visitor had no idea whether the sum required would be $500 or $50,000.

“Well,” he said somewhat hesitatingly, “I have got $10,000 to play poker with in the film business.”

The feet came down off the desk with a bang.

Robert Lieber, now president of Associated First National Pictures, in a very few minutes was in the film business.

He opened the H. Lieber Company of Indianapolis, buying films at 10 cents a foot and trying to rent it at an advance from that figure.

There was not much of a domestic supply of films in those days. Pathé and Edison were familiar names, Col. “Bill” Selig [William Nicholas Selig] had his Polyscope company under way and George Kleine was importing material.

Theatres changed their programs every day, and the films incidentally were selected by the exchange.

The Lieber Exchange was sold to the General Film Company about the beginning of 1912. It was one of the last of the independent exchanges to retire in favor of the General.

When the project of building the Circle Theatre of Indianapolis was broached Mr. Lieber entered heartily into it, and has been actively connected with that institution ever since. At the time the Circle was constructed it was one of the largest in the country. Mr. Lieber is still closely associated in its management.

With the exception of a few months following the organization of First National, during which period Samuel L. Rothafel was president, Mr. Lieber has been re-elected regularly the head of the company. Since the change to Associated First National Pictures he has been actively connected with the home office in an executive capacity.

The chief of First National has just returned from a trip of eight weeks abroad, during which time he visited England, Sweden and Norway. He was accompanied by Mrs. Lieber and his two daughters, the latter of whom have just been graduated from Smith College.

The tour was mainly for recreation, although the First National chief attended to important company business during his stay in England and was much entertained by English motion picture men.

It is reported one of the Englishmen remarked he was glad to meet a man who did not seem prone to talk in the language of exaggeration.

Mr. Lieber is noted for his conservatism, but also it is said of him that he has a faculty for straightening out a tense situation with tact and firmness.

One of the occasions where he demonstrated his flare for leadership was at the First National get together convention in Chicago, on which occasion there were gathered 100 duly chosen representatives of the franchise holders of the country.

Mr. Lieber was chairman of the sessions, which began October 24, 1921, and lasted four days. The meeting had threatened to be a bit stormy. In fact, if at any time there has been anything approaching a crisis in the affairs of First National it was on at the time.

The president jumped into the breach and told the franchise holders that if any of them were dissatisfied they could have their money back, at the same time advising them that if they did take that step he believed they would regret it. He was taken at his word. The meeting closed without a withdrawal.

The story of Mr. Lieber’s earlier career is that of many another successful business man. His education was of the substantial sort, he having been graduated from high school.

As he explained on one occasion, he couldn’t go to college because he had to go to work to help fill the family larder.

Following a short experience in the hardware business Mr. Lieber joined his father, who conducted an art store in Indianapolis, manufacturing moldings and picture frames.

The store prospered and increased in importance, adding departments from time to time.

It was while discussing the question of what department should be the next installed that a photographer friend of Mr. Lieber asked him why he did not open a film exchange. That was just prior to the events mentioned in the opening of this story.

Mr. Lieber has brought to the film business the same ideas and ideals, the same standard of business ethics, that obtained in the building up of the substantial enterprise in Indianapolis.

It was during his recent trip abroad that Associated First National took the advanced step of authorizing salesmen to sign and ratify contracts with exhibitors.

The action precipitated a storm in British film circles, but the company is satisfied it made a wise move.

Robert Lieber is one of the solid citizens of the film industry, one with whom it is a pleasure to meet and also to do business.

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Collection: Exhibitors Trade Review, 29 September 1923

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