- Collection:
- The Blues, Black Vaudeville, and the Silver Screen, 1912-1930s: Selections from the Records of Macon's Douglass Theatre
- Title:
- Letter: Atlanta, Georgia to William M. Smith, Macon, Georgia, 1929 May 29
- Creator:
- Taylor, P. L.
- Date of Original:
- 1929-05-29
- Subject:
- Colored Pictures Distributing Company
African Americans in the motion picture industry
African Americans in motion pictures
Race in motion pictures
Race films--United States
Rent charges
Feature films--United States
Motion picture theaters--Georgia--Macon
Film posters--Georgia
Advertising--Motion pictures--Georgia
Commercial agents--Georgia--Atlanta
Motion picture theaters--Equipment and supplies
Negotiation--Georgia--Macon
Spider's web (Motion picture : 1927)
Douglass Theatre (Macon, Ga.)
Micheaux, Oscar, 1884-1951
Smith, William M., theater manager
Electric lighting, Arc - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Bibb County, Macon, 32.84069, -83.6324
United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798 - Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- image/jpeg
text/html - Description:
- Letter from P. L. Taylor, general manager of the Colored Pictures Distributing Company, to William M. Smith, manager of the Douglass Theatre, dated May 29, 1929, regarding the reissue of the film The Spider's Web. Taylor announces that he is reissuing The Spider's Web, a film that was a hit a few years before. He argues that Smith would be justified in playing a return engagement because of the constant change in the population of Macon, Georgia. Taylor asks Smith to respond by mail if he wishes to show the film. He adds that he is booking the picture successfully because Evelyn Preer is making a big hit with Famous Players, probably Famous Artists Corporation of America. Taylor lists the advertising material he has and asks Smith to tell Mr. Douglass, probably Charles Henry Douglass, Jr., owner of the Douglass Theatre, about two low intensity arc lights that he has found for him that cost about $120.00. He ends with quotes on rental prices for The Spider's Web. The Spider's Web, a Micheaux film, was released in 1926 and was based on "The Policy Players," an original story by Micheaux. The film starred Evelyn Preer, Billy Gulfport, Marshall Rogers, Edward Thompson, Lorenzo McLange, Henrietta Lovelass, and Grace Smith. In 1932, Micheaux released a sound version of the film, The Girl from Chicago.
Digital image and encoded transcription of an original manuscript, scanned, transcribed and encoded by the Digital Library of Georgia in 2005, as part of Georgia HomePLACE. This project is supported with federal LSTA funds administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. - Local Identifier:
- dbr038
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/dtrm/id:dbr038
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:dlg_dtrm_dbr038
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_dtrm_dbr038/presentation/manifest.json
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Theater Records Series, Charles Henry Douglass, Jr. Business Records, 1906-1967, Middle Georgia Archives, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.
- Extent:
- [1] p.
Manuscript held by the Middle Georgia Archives, Washington Memorial Library, Charles Henry Douglass, Jr. business records, 1906-1967, box 20, folder 178, document 23. - Holding Institution:
- Washington Memorial Library, Middle Georgia Regional Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
[Note: This document contains typewritten, handwritten, and printed text.]
[printed text:
P. L. TAYLOR, GENERAL MANAGER
COLORED PICTURES
DISTRIBUTING COMPANY
DISTRIBUTORS OF HIGH CLASS NEGRO FEATURE PHOTOPLAYS
317 HERNDON BUILDING
ATLANTA, GA. [GEORGIA]
]
[typewritten text: MAY 29th. I929 [1929]
Mr. Wm. [William] Smith
Douglass Theatre
Macon, Ga. [Georgia]
Dear William --
I am reissuring [reissuing] "THE SPIDERS WEB", the Oscar Micheaux production that was such a hit a few years back.
You know that populations are forever changing and new people are constantly coming the city and I feel that you will be justified in playing this picture a return engagement, even if you have already played it in the past.
Should you wish to play it, please write me right back stating the date desired, so that I may fill it for you. You see I am booking this picture very successfully on account of the big hit that Evelyn Preer is making with Famous-Players.
I have slides II/I4 photos, four-color block ones and three sheets.
Tell Mr. Douglass that I have found him two low-in-tensity [intensity] ark [arc] lights, the two to cost about $I20.00 [120.00] . If he hasnt purchased any, he can let me know what to do about these.
I am quoting you "Spider's Web" for one day $I7.50 [17.50] or two days $20.00.
With best wishes,
I am very truly yours,
[Signed] Colored Pictures Dist. [Distribution] Co. [Company]
[Signed] Per] [written text: P L Taylor]
[typewritten text: P. L. Taylor, Mgr. [Manager]]
[printed text: COLORED PICTURES SMASH BOX OFFICE RECORDS FOR LIVE WIRE SHOW MEN!]