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

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

by William A. Johnston

No, gentlemen, this is not a likeness of a university professor of Pedagogics.

This is a picture of Walter E. Greene, film man.

Film man, is right.

Mr. Greene knows the film business from A to Z. This doesn’t mean from Abrams to Zukor [Adolph Zukor].

Mr. Greene got his film knowledge first hand, dating back to the days of Greene’s Features in New England; since which time no other name has bobbed up more frequently or centrally in the swift evolutions of the American picture mart.

W. E. Greene was Hiram Abrams’ first boss. Boss and employee were so necessary each to the other that they did the inevitable thing — became partners.

And partners they always will be — in some form or other.

They make an ideal partnership because they are as unlike as two poles.

A good story is told of their early business association. W. E. Greene fired — in righteous indignation — a salesman who spoke discourteously of his partner, Hiram Abrams. Hiram Abrams — with a smile — took him right back. “He was a good salesman,” said Mr. Abrams.

Two personalities more different could scarcely be imagined. If Mr. Abrams’ personality is pink in tone, Mr. Greene’s is lily white. If Mr. Abrams radiates the genial warmth of Southern climes, Mr. Greene — with all his nice courtesy — is — well, he’s practical New England all over.

We had an interview with Mr. Greene, but modesty forbids us to publish it.

It turned out to be an interview with ourselves.

We proposed questions and answered them at length. It would have made a good editorial, but it would scarcely be classed as an interview.

Mr. Greene simply said:

“Yes!”

— or —

“No!”

He reminds us of the diplomat — who could keep silent in seven languages. His reserve, however, is that of reserve strength. You have a feeling that he is holding a lot back — a lot he knows and a lot he intends to, and can do.

He takes things easily in his quiet, unassertive way, and is hard to provoke. But when he is provoked he will go the limit.

His clothes reflect him. They are negative. He is neatly dressed; but he evidently doesn’t give a rip about their effect upon you.

He is argument proof. If he agrees with you he says “Yes,” if he doesn’t he says “No.” That’s all there is to it. He just smiles at you — pleasantly, but frigidly — back of his professorial glasses.

He seems to regard conversation as a weakness no man should indulge in.

Of course, this gives him lots of time to execute. Not talking much, he acts a great deal. And he certainly does execute. In his quiet, concentrated, self-contained way — he does things.

He knows picture values.

He is not creative or imaginative. He leaves that end of the business to the producer. But he knows pictures when they are made and what to do with them.

There are few men in the trade as deeply and thoroughly interested in pictures. They are the soup-to-nuts of his daily life. He opens his interest in them as he opens his eggs each morning at the Hotel. He eats, drinks, thinks pictures all day long. At night he crawls into bed and reads Motion Picture News.

It is stated to us that Mr. Greene doesn’t know a war is going on — except that between the Shuberts and Klaw & Erlanger. We don’t believe this is true — of a man by the name of Greene from New England.

Just the same, we do believe that Mr. Greene takes more interest in the distribution map of the United States and Canada, than he does in the war map of Europe.

It is not quite fair to Mr. Greene to say that our interview was wholly negative on his part.

He said two things of considerable consequence and close to our heart.

First, that business is mighty good and going to be even better.

Secondly, that the smaller house needed help and was going to get it.

And, as we say, we have great faith in Mr. Greene’s judgment and execution.

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Porter Makes Trip in Interests of Simplex

The recent five-day shut-down imposed by the Fuel Administration was utilized to good advantage by Manager E. M. Porter of the Precision Machine Co., who seized the opportunity to visit the various Simplex distributors in the eastern and central states.

Mr. Porter’s flying trip comprehended the cities of Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit and Kansas City, and he found the business in Simplex projectors to be satisfactory in all quarters. This, he avers, speaks well for the zone system of Simplex distribution, with an exclusive distributor in each territory. Mr. Porter also believes in active competition between manufacturers.

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Industrial Film Shows Motors in War

In co-operation with C. D. Studebaker, manager of the Firestone Time and Rubber Company, Inc., Universal’s industrial department has produced a picture titled, “Over the Roads to War,” a patriotic film.

Based on the saving of Paris by General Gallieni in August, three years ago, when he commandeered every available automobile and motor truck and rushed thousands of the republic’s warriors to meet the onrushing hordes of the Kaiser, turning them back and saving the French capital by his quick thinking, the film shows how the motor car is helping the Allies win the war.

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

Collection: Motion Picture News, January 1918