What Kind of a Fellow Is — Collins? (1918) 🇺🇸

Being a glance at the real human side of the big men of the picture game caught in action

by William A. Johnston

A short time ago a film man — a pretty good guesser he is, too — said to us:

“Watch this fellow Collins. He’ll do big things one of these days.”

So we went over the other day to “watch Collins.” You know who Collins is — Collins of McClure’s — McClure’s Magazine, McClure publications, McClure pictures — Frederick L. Collins.

Perhaps you’ve already met him and didn’t know it.

He may have slipped into your theatre — in St. Louis, Dubuque, Dallas, Bangor — any time within the past six years and talked to you about pictures, without introducing himself.

For he’s a fan, a genuine picture fan. Even now he goes to see pictures every chance he gets.

We believe we’ve made a remarkable discovery here. A producer who actually goes to picture theatres and really sees the other fellow’s pictures! A producer who sees pictures and all!

Well, we went over to “watch” Mr. Collins.

He’s well flanked by big offices, we found. You go through one room in which you could do a 100 yard dash and thence into a private office so large that you feel like a Ford car in a Rolls-Royce garage.

If Mr. Collins is to do big things, he’s certainly ready with the offices. He threw a lot of distinguished men out of his room to let us in. Afterward he told us he had entirely forgotten that he was to appear in this series. We had difficulty in reconciling these two statements — but, may be so.

Mr. Collins is a clean-desk man. He swivels between a large mahogany desk and a director’s table about half a mile long. And not a scrap of paper on each!

He gives you first-hand an impression of strength — physical and mental — and plenty of it. He has a large firm grip and a resonant voice — stands squarely on his feet, has a large, well set-up body and a large well-shaped head with his eyes set deeply back. He’s alert mentally and adroit and thinks broadly and deeply. He’s a young man — and optimistic.

Withal he’s got a ready and engaging smile. We imagine he could borrow a large wad of money from a banker, and we do admire and wonder over this rare type of individual.

He certainly gave us a good interview.

We entered on one mental cylinder and left with twelve working.

Mr. Collins says that there will be a great period of business readjustment after the world war is over.

Pictures will be hurt little — probably helped largely — and big business and big capital will see in them a commodity of extra-

ordinary development.

Just now there are many wrinkles to be ironed out.

They are mighty baffling — so much so that there’s no certainty of getting production money back.

Mr. Collins doesn’t contemplate anything revolutionary right now. But he’s going to stick.

It’s worth while putting things through even if you lose money on them. The future opportunities in pictures are worth waiting — and, if necessary, suffering for.

Mr. Collins is a great believer in advertising.

By a coincidence he had just finished a little essay on motion pictures by Leroy Fairman which the writer had also read just before calling upon Mr. Collins.

It is one of the best works on pictures we have ever read; and we are quoting from it in this week’s editorial.

Mr. Fairman says ten years hence motion pictures will be the most widely advertised commodity in the world.

“It will come before ten years,” said Mr. Collins.

“Now its full expansion is held back by the daily change and other uneconomics.”

We can’t give here all the interesting things Mr. Collins said. Suffice it, that at the conclusion of the interview he and the writer had things all fixed up for the greater motion picture.

And the writer also is pretty well convinced that the film man was right who said: “Watch this fellow Collins. He’ll do big things.”

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Al Nathan Becomes Manager of Broadway Theatre

Al Nathan, former manager of the Superba theatre in Los Angeles and the Alhambra in San Francisco, has become manager of the Broadway theatre, New York, for Carl Laemmle. In addition to his experience as a theatre manager, Mr. Nathan is also familiar with the management of theatrical companies, having been employed as manager, business manager and press agent for several of the Askin-Binger attractions and with Harry H. Frazee.

The engagement of The Kaiser, the Beast of Berlin, has been extended through the present week.

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F. I. L. M. Club Gives Dinner

Over a hundred representative picture personages present to make the affair huge success — Chadwick explains the reason

Over one hundred people, representative respectively of producers, distributors and exhibitors, were present at the dinner given at Healy’s on Wednesday, March 20, by the F. I. L. M. Club.

I. E. Chadwick, president of the club, acted as toastmaster, and in a few concise words outlined the purposes of these monthly dinners, showing the benefit that must needs come from practically open forum discussions as regards to the various needs or ills that are apparent in the progress of the industry.

P. A. Powers, president of the Universal Film Exchange, who was then introduced as the first speaker of the evening, did, while showing various waste and uneconomic processes in the business of the distributor and exhibitor, by no means spare the producer, but rather showed the multifarious leakages which go towards increasing the cost of product as well as decreasing the value of same.

Leslie Mason, the next speaker, was there after introduced. He pointed out that a $150,000 picture may be made economically, whereas a $15,000 one may be wasteful, and vice versa. It was he that showed that over production is [incomplete?]

Other speakers of the evening were: William L. Sherrill of the Frohman Amusement Corporation: Harry L. Reichenbach, L. Lawrence Weber, Charles B. Hoy and others.

The following is a list of a few of the people present: E. H. Wells, Harry L. Lyons, C. Miller, Julius Levine, S. Kraus, Elias Meyer, Louis Schneider, Jack Levy, Mattie Radin, H. Gainsberg, Jos. Kleine, S. Kolinsky, Louis Rosenbluh, Max Westobly, Chas. B. Hoy, William Marsh, R. H. Clark, S. Eckman, Jr., C. P. Saunders, P. Meyer, G. Balsdon, Jr., J. Bowen, Wm. A. Leith, Jos. M. Goldstein, Nathan Hirsh, Gus Mohme, Jesse. J. Goldburg, E. Spitz, A. S. Abeles, J. A. Hammels, E. N. Donoley, M. F. Beier, E. H. Holdstein, M. F. Gibbons, Dr. O. I. Lamberger, R. S. Bradley, B. Barker, Sam Hartstall, E. F. Johnston, Sam Reiben, Jos. M. Golden, Harry Samwick, F. J. Willis, Emil Halperstein, Sam Morco, J. J. Dacey, C. C. Johnson, A. Reinlieb, S. Rubinstein, Jos. Weinberg, William Sherrill, Harry Rapf, O. Druuer, Jos. Larry, Julius Siegel, Dick Michelson, Tobias Kappen, Arthur D. Jacobs, Lester Adler. Samuel Zierler, Harry Reichenbach, Wm. Beecroft, I. E. Chadwick, P. A. Powers, Lesley Mason, L. Lawrence Weber.

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Mrs. Grossman Very Ill at Cleveland

Mrs. Joseph Grossman, wife of the manager of the Standard theatre, Cleveland, Ohio, and the only woman who has been appointed a member of the advisory board of the Motion Picture News, is very ill at Mt. Sinai Hospital, where she was operated on last Monday for goitre.

While her condition is said not to be dangerous at this time, Mr. Grossman says she is in a very critical condition and will not be able to resume her usual duties for some time.

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Film Stars Confer on the Next Loan Drive

Douglas Fairbanks [Douglas Fairbanks Sr.] last week held a conference with Mary Pickford and Charles Chaplin to discuss matters pertaining to the Third Liberty Loan drive.

The mentioned screen stars have been asked by Secretary McAdoo to tour throughout the country to boost the new Liberty Loan, and Fairbanks called the meeting for the purpose of laying plans.

After they had finished their talk, Fairbanks invited them to a pre-view of his new picture, Mr. Fix-It, which was followed by tea on Douglas’s open air studio stage.

You are not going to war. The men who are need all the comforts you can give them. Help them get cigarettes. That is your patriotic duty. If you aren’t helping in the “smokes” campaign, get busy — now. Don’t be a slacker!

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Tennessee League Meets April 9–10

The Motion Picture Exhibitors’ League of Tennessee will hold its first annual convention April 9 and 10 at Nashville. Matters of great importance to all exhibitors will come up for discussion and every exhibitor in Tennessee is urged to be present.

The Tennessee league has just completed a membership campaign and practically every exhibitor in the state is now enrolled as a member of the organization. The present officers of the league are: Charles H. McElravy, president; J. F. Duthie, secretary. Tony Sudekim and Bill Wasserman, of Nashville, are great boosters for this organization, as is also Frank Dowler, of Chattanooga. In East Tennessee George Keys, of Johnson City, is very enthusiastic over the organization and is boosting for the convention in that part of the state. With such livewires as these boosting the convention a record-breaking attendance is expected.

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His Checks Are Bad; Look Out for Him

F. W. Foster, of the Central Film Service, Indianapolis, writes that an alleged returned Canadian soldier who is delivering lectures in that section has a habit of passing off bad checks and borrowing money. His name is said to be A. L. Scanby, although he sometimes bills himself as “Gunner A. L. Scanly.” A warrant is out for him and anybody having information as to his whereabouts is requested to communicate with Mr. Foster.

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New Corporations

The following new corporations within the industry were included in the records of the Corporation Trust Company, of Jersey City, for the week ending March 23:

New York

• Ess-Tee Amusement Corporation, Inc., Brooklyn. Conduct theatres and motion picture’ theatres. Capital, $5,000. Incorporators: Hyman Slafkes, Jos. Kessler, Saml. Sherman.
• The Chromograph Corporation, Manhattan. Film, dyestuffs, cameras, projecting machines manufacturing. Capital, $20,000. Incorporators: Geo. Norris, R. Lynch, C. M. Schuler.
• Marion Davies Film Company, Manhattan. Moving pictures business. Capital, $10,000. Incorporators: John T. Sturdevant, Jas. B. Hopkins, Chas. J. W. Meisel.
• The Grove Company, Inc., Manhattan. Theatrical and motion pictures. Capital, $1,000. Incorporators: Wm. W. Oppenheim, Jos. F. Foise, Ethel D. Baron.
• Simple Simon Photoplay, Inc., Manhattan. Production photoplays. Capital, $5,000. Incorporators: Roger E. Chaudon, Edw. F. Hunt, Gertrude A. De Camp.
• Far East Film Corporation, Nyack. Motion pictures. Capital, $20,000. Incorporators: Rose Schulkind, M. R. Lubin, Harry G. Kosch.
• Coburn Producing Corporation, Manhattan. Theatrical and motion pictures. Incorporators: Horace L. Bennett, Elsie Gulden, V. M. Forrest.
• Rainbow Pictures Corporation, Manhattan. Motion pictures. Capital, $100,000. Incorporators: David H. Taylor, Fredk. Kruse, Schuyler N. Rice.

Pennsylvania

• Rex Theatre Corporation, Uniontown. Exhibiting moving picture, etc. Capital, $20,000. Incorporators: C. B. Eckert, C. S. Reed, Edwin Schimpf.

Illinois

• Parkview Theatre Company, Chicago. Operate moving picture theatres. Capital, $1,000. Incorporators: Michael B. Roderick, Joseph A. Rogers, William Hersberg.

Illustration by: Harry Palmer (Harry Samuel Palmer) (1882–1955)

Collection: Motion Picture News, April 1918