Shoulder Arms Clippings 113/246
J. D. Williams, Variety, New York, November 8, 1918.
Orpheum (formerly Grand) Theatre, exterior
by night, electric sign Shep Fields, marquee unreadable,
Madison, Wisconsin, 1937, Wisconsin Historical Society
& Charlie Chaplin
In His Second Million Dollar Picture...
„SHOULDER ARMS“
(3 Reels)
Try to Get in The
GRAND
Today and Tomorrow
(...) Capital Times, Madison, Nov. 9, 1918.
Grand Theatre, State Street, Madison.
Shoulder Arms is released
by First National October 27, 1918.
& Shoulder Arms, with Charlie
Chaplin. – Can‘t be beaten. – F. J. M. Williams, Grand
Theatre, Madison, Wis. – Mixed patronage.
(...) „What the Picture Did For Me,“ Exhibitors Herald
and Motography, Dec. 7, 1918
„He is not harassed by telegrams and long-distance telephone calls“
Editorial content. „FIRST NATIONAL‘S MANAGER
REPLIES TO ZUKOR‘S QUERY
J. D. Williams Goes Into Subject of ,Specializing.‘ Makes
Pertinent Points for His Side. Says Day of Individual
Producer, Independent Distributor and Independent Exhibitor
Has Arrived.
By J. D. WILLIAMS
(Manager, First National Exhibitors‘ Circuit, Inc.)
VARIETY has requested us to relate the word
,specialization‘ to the motion picture industry as the second
of its two articles on that subject.“ (...)
„First National‘s policy is summed up in one word:
Specialization.
To wit: We have a contract with Charlie Chaplin for eight
comedies. There are no conditions in that contract
which permit us to interfere in the least with him as a producer.
He is an independent manufacturer, owning and
operating his own producing company and the studios in which
it works. He can take any length of time he feels is
essential to quality in his releases. He is free to chose his
own stories. he is not harassed by telegrams and
long-distance telephone calls, urging haste in the completion
of a picture to make a certain release date. He is
entirely independent of any one or any other concern of any
character. His contract with us provides for distribution
of his output and that, to Mr. Chaplin, is First National‘s only
function and part in his activities.“ (...)
„An example of the specialization to which Mr. Chaplin
is a convert: Evidence his latest comedy, Shoulder
Arms, with a quality and entertainment value born of time,
thought and uninterrupted attention to his own
particular business – which won such acclaim from the public
that Mr. Edel of the Strand Theatre, New York, has
continued it for a second week, an action without precedent
for the Strand since the house played its first and
opening attraction, The Spoilers, for a similar length of time.
This public tribute is the result of Mr. Chaplin‘s
clear and unmistakable understanding and appreciation
of specialization, and its honest application
in practice instead of verbose discussion on paper and
in theory.“ (...
„That is specialization in distribution.
The same conditions and relationship prevail between
First National and any other manufacturer for whom
it is distributing. And the same conditions and relationship
will continue, unaltered, unchanged and with equal
independence for thought, action, results and with equal
opportunity for an honest specialization in any other
contracts we are making or will make.
Mr. Chaplin is doing better work, obtaining infinitely greater
quality in his productions today than he ever did before,
just because he is an independent, unhampered free agent
as a producer. And he is properly entitled to any added
benefits, financial or otherwise, which accrue from his farsighted
policy. If his productions can earn more, not
by increased rentals to exhibitors, but by extended runs –
meaning more booking days – justified by greater
public patronage resulting from increased quality – he should
share in the added profits made possible by his faith
in the superior results of specialization.“ (...)
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