Leaders All — Irving M. Lesser, Exploitation Showman (1924) 🇺🇸

Leaders All — Irving Lesser

Because he really has grown up with the business with which he started when he was but fourteen years old; because he has been trained in all the details of distribution by practical contact; because in a business of showmen he has been a keen student of exploitation possibilities and has been quick to develop to the full all leads giving promise of benefit to his company and the exhibitor.

One of the more successful of the younger film executives is Irving Lesser, vice president of Principal Pictures Corporation. His full time entry into a film exchange was when but fourteen years old, following the death of his father, Lesser Lesser.

Three years before the latter had taken over a motion picture theatre — it was a small one, of course, there being no other kind in those days — at Mission and Eighteenth street, San Francisco.

Sol Lesser, the present head of Principal, at that time was in charge of the distribution of ice cream cones, and Irving was his chief assistant.

In 1908 the father of the boys had started the Golden Gate Film Exchange. In 1910 Mr. Lesser died, and the management of the exchange and supply department was thrown on the two youngsters.

Among the first work of the lad Irving was the road showing of Dante’s Inferno on a percentage basis. When there was no matinee opening he would jump into an adjoining town and see that it was properly billed, returning to the base of operations in time for the evening showing.

One of his usual occupations was the burning of red fire in front of the theatre just before the opening each night.

Another subject the boy carried with him in his travels was St. Elmo, which was exhibited under the same circumstances. When there was nothing doing on the road he returned to the exchange and divided his time between that and the supply department.

In 1912 Irving went to Los Angeles to open a second exchange, the All Star Feature. Among the subjects handled at this time, in addition to that of the Mutual Film Corporation, were Cabiria, Paid in Full and Checkers.

In 1915 the Lessers took over the George Kleine California exchange and with it the famous Quo Vadis and Julius Caesar. At the time the boys were operating two exchanges, the All Star being devoted to larger features and the Golden Gate confining its attention to state rights subjects. Sol Lesser was the head of both, with Irving managing the Golden Gate branches in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The following year, owing to the rapid expansion of elaborate features, the Golden Gate exchange was discontinued, Irving being transferred to the management of the All Star exchange in the southern city.

Among the subjects distributed by the exchange at this period were Intolerance, War Brides, Mickey, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Whip.

Just prior to the outbreak of the war Irving was instrumental in the purchase of Griffith’s Hearts of the World for eleven western states.

In 1917 he joined the navy and was assigned to recruiting service in San Francisco. When the armistice was declared the exchange had secured the rights on eleven additional states on the Griffith feature, giving it control to all the territory west of the Mississippi.

Following the close of the war Mr. Lesser removed to Chicago and opened an office for the better handling of territory adjacent to that city. When that was cleared up, as also was that of Yankee Doodle in Berlin, he worked on the exploitation of George Beban’s One Man in a Million, with which the star made personal appearances.

Following the tour of the player through a territory the subject would be generally released in that jurisdiction through Robertson-Cole.

In 1919 the Western Pictures Exploitation Company was organized to operate nationally in the state rights field. Among the pictures distributed were those featuring David Butler, Lester Cuneo, Irving Cummings and Dick Hatton.

When Sol Lesser made Peck’s Bad Boy, Irving came east to arrange for its disposition and sold it to First National. Once in New York, he remained in the interest of Western Pictures Exploitation.

Then came the pictures starring Jackie Coogan, of which a series of five was made, with Irving Lesser as general manager of distribution and business manager of the Lesser picture interests in the East. In 1921, upon the entrance of Mike Rosenberg into the company, the concern was reorganized under the name of Principal Pictures Corporation, and Irving was continued in charge in the East, being elected vice-president of the corporation and designated as general manager of distribution.

Owing to the development of the independent operator the company recently decided to distribute all its product on a territorial franchise basis. This method applies to master attractions as well as less pretentious features.

Mr. Lesser sees pictures from the eyes of a keen showman. He has the viewpoint of the exhibitor. He is fertile in expedients, especially from the exploitation side.

One of his outstanding characteristics is his consideration for others. He is blessed with a genial disposition, but if necessity arises will put up a stiff fight. Once entered upon a course of action he displays marked tenacity and sticks to his course until his object is accomplished.

Just now he is concentrating all his energy on the exploitation of Baby Peggy’s Captain January. And it goes without saying he will “make things ham.”

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Collection: Exhibitors Trade Review, 12 July 1924

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