Volume I: Narrative History

Chapter 2 (1909 Into the Film Industry): Advertising and News Releases

News releases were the publicity mainstay of every motion picture company, and Thanhouser was no exception. Bert Adler, a bright young man, was signed as director of Thanhouser publicity. Born and educated in Brooklyn, New York, Adler became interested in journalism at an early age, and by the time he was 17 he was a reporter on the staff of The Boston Herald. Later he worked in a similar capacity for a newspaper in Plainfield, New Jersey, and then gained his first position in the film industry with Thanhouser.

Each week Adler mailed scenario synopses to different trade journals, magazines, and daily newspapers, punctuating them with statements about studio plans and techniques. For some films, canned reviews were furnished. These were often reprinted verbatim or with minor editing, and the same items appeared in The Moving Picture World, The Billboard, The Moving Picture News, The New York Dramatic Mirror, The Morning Telegraph, The Nickelodeon, and elsewhere. Publicity oiled the gears of every successful motion picture studio. Adler's work was important and successful. He was well liked by his peers, and his sense of humor was frequently mentioned in trade journals.

From one to several paragraphs of each printed synopsis were devoted to stating the main theme of the film scenario and, at the same time, to build the readers' interest in seeing the picture. Actually, most such publicity was directed toward theatre owners who, in turn, further publicized the film to their patrons. To make the synopses easier for readers to follow, character names were often given, instead of just "he" and "she." But in the film itself the names of the characters were often omitted in the subtitles.

In the early years, from 1910 to 1914, The Moving Picture World, The Moving Picture News, and other trade journals often reprinted Thanhouser synopses verbatim. However, as the industry expanded, and there was plenty of other news to fill the columns, synopses became increasingly abbreviated to the point were, for a time, The Morning Telegraph, a New York City newspaper with a special film section, distilled Thanhouser synopses to just a few words!

Doing his bit to combat what he viewed as an industry problem, and also to give status to the newly-formed Thanhouser Company as a contributor to the well-being of the trade, Bert Adler submitted an article, "The 'Free Usher' Evil," to The Moving Picture World, which printed it on March 19, 1910. The text deplored ushers who work free of charge and are "...reluctant to jump the job the way other applicant employees do. All he wants is the honor of gracing your main aisle! Of course, he often wants some other things, including the chance to pick up acquaintanceship with young women through the bestowal of the favors won in his exalted position. Sometimes his intentions are innocent, and sometimes they aren't." Adler went on to say that someone who gives his services free is not ideal. It is better to pay a man a few dollars and get someone who can be kept in strict account.

From the early days onward, the Thanhouser logotype consisted of a "T" superimposed on a "Co." (with the "o" inside the "C") all within an octagonal frame. To prevent unauthorized duping of films, trademarks were used with great enthusiasm in most releases of the 1910 and 1911 years. It was common practice to affix the logotype to walls of rooms, whether they be in castles or jail cells, to trees, to furniture, and to other objects. American Biograph's famous "AB" monogram, Edison's script "E" in a circle, and the logotypes of other manufacturers were likewise prominent in films of their respective makers.