The San Francisco Dramatic Review (1908)

pril i8, 1914 THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW II Los Angeles Notes of Interest in the Realm of Photoplay By RICHARD WILLIS The first annual meeting- of the 'hotoplay Authors' League was held 1 Los Angeles on April loth, and uich serious business was transacted lid not the least important was the en- orsement of Representative Willis of •hio in his endeavors to alter the ipyright law as regards photoplays :id the promise of the League's active upport in every possible way. The lembership of the League is growing apidly and contains such names as 'ichard Harding Davis, Robert S. ;todart, David W. Griffith, Ernest A. )ench of London, etc. * * Harold I i.ockwood, the good-looking I'^amous ' 'layers actor, believes that the actor iho studies himself, studies his art nd lasts the longest. He is a great \alker and strides buoyantly to and l om his work. He swims upon every issible occasion and kee])s vip his •vmnasium work. The result is that iarold is almost boyish in his demean- >r and it is a tremendous asset when Hied to ability and experience. He is very good example of moderation in ill things. * * * Wilfred Lucas has a lar company under his direction now, \ith Cleo Madison, good-looking ieorge Larkin and Frank Lanning, he well known heavy who was asso- iated with the Eastern Kalem and jiograph companies, and a real cap- ible assistant in Gus Inglis. * * Idna Maison has started her starring •areer with a delightful comedy- hama in which she appears to great iiJvantage. It is called The Trans- ormation of Prudence, and in it Miss Maison takes the part of a Quaker ^irl who enters society and effects a lire on her erratic husband. She is lirected by George Stanley, who for long was connected with the V'ita- .;raph. Ray Gallagher is acting oppo- jiite to Miss Maison. * * * Fred Mact has started in his "Fred Mace Feature Film Company" under the happiest of uispices. He is a good man to work inv and with, for he is very consider- itc and understandable. * * * Carlyle lilackwell entertained one hundred quests at his beautiful home in Los Angeles and it was a notable affair, (being attended by all the stars from ithe studios, the stage and the variety platform. A huge cano])y covered a :portion of the garden and an excellent Iband discoursed melodious strains for |several hours. Carlyle is .such a bright [debonair host! He speaks of holding another reception before he departs ii 'r New York on his starring engage- iHient with the Famous Players. * * ij. P. McGowan, the Kalem producer, has made a big name for himself by specializing on railroad i)hotoplays. , He has ])roduced and is still ])roducing !them from every angle and his com- pany are almo.st as well versed in rail- road lore as he is himself. Helen Holmes, his leading woman, declares she almost lives on, in, around or un- der trains and, truth to tell, she seems to thrive on it. * * * William D. Tay- lor, who gave such a stirring perform- ance as the lead in Captain Alvarez at I the Western V'itagraph, bears quite a resemblance to Courtney Foote of the I Reliance. He and Dick Stanton of 1 the Kay Bee have ajmrtments to- gether and can swap many stirring tales of adventure. The Fred Mace Feature Film Company is not only an assured fact, but has started vigorously on the business of making photo plays. I'red Mace heads the concern. Har- ry Revere i.s directing another comedy company and h>ed Mace will act in both of them. Some new effects and trick ])hotogTaphy are ])romised with I'crt Longnecker at the camera. He will also manage the laboratories in conjunction with Geo. Peters, wh(^ will operate the other camera. Included in the stock company are Margarita Loveridge, Carrie Clark Ward and Sydney de Gray. Mr. de Gray also acts as business manager and he is eminently suited to this position. The Fred Mace Feature Film Com- pany occupy the studios at Boyle Heights recently vacated by the Majestic Company. * * * The Colo- rado Motion Picture Company has executed contract with tlie Pan- .'\merican Film Mfg. Co., whereby they will release occasionally a four and five-reel feature of superior workmanship, for the American and foreign field. A subsidiary company has been organized for the Colo- rado Motion Picture Company un- der the ])ersonal direction of ()tis B. Thayer, with a reserve fund for this inirjKxse. * * Dean C. Wor- cester's Native Life in the I'hilip- ])ines inaugurated their sea.son at the Academy of Music, Baltimore, to the largest and most distin- guished audience for assembly in the leading playhouse. The twelve reels were a distinctive revelation, both from an educational and en- tertaining standpoint. " * The Capital Film Corporation of Cali- fornia has contracted with the Pan- American I'^ilm Mfg. Co. for the world-wide exploitation of its en- tire i)roduct. The first picture ready for release on May ist, is en- titled The Cross in the Wilderness, and is a four-reel photo drama of the earliest Mission work among, the Indians in Arizona and Cali- fornia. * ••■ * Arthur J. Aylesworth, of Edmonton, Canada, who has just comi)leted a six months' hunting tour for moving picture purjjo.ses, through the Mackenzie Basin has entered into negotiations with Ernest Shipman of the Pan-Ameri- can Film Mfg. Co. of New York, for the establishment of a studio at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Canada, for the making of j)hoto plays. The themes will include real- istic encounters with the carribou, moose, elk and grizzly ])car in tiieir mountain fastnesses. * '■■ * House Peters is coming to San hVancisco to join the California Motion Pic- ture Corporation to play leading business at their San Rafael studio. Peters comes here direct from Dan- iel I'Vohman's Famous Players' h'ilm Company. He is being se- cured with the purpose of playing opposite Beatriz Michelena, who will be starred in a number of the company's first feature i)roductions. * * * The leading man of the "inly- ing A" Mutual Movie com])any, Sydney Ayres, has been made a pro- ducer to succeed Lorimcr John- ston. William Garwood will succeed Ayres as leading man. Emil Kruschke is playing come- dies for the Keystone company. Moving Picture Concession at Fair The concessions committee has awarded the privilege of erecting a large moving picture building, to contain ten separate theatres having" a total seating cai)acity of 4000 peo- ple, to the Universal Film Com- ])any. The building will be known as the Industrial Palace. It will be primarily for showing moving pictures of the industries, scenic beauties, commercial, artistic and scientific activities of various states taking part in the exposition. Exhibitors will also have the privi- lege of the theatres. In addition to this, the Universal Film Com- jjany will operate on the grounds a complete motion picture studio and manufacturing plant that will be (i])en to the public. Biggest Film Booking Com= pany is the Shubert's The Shuljert Feature Film Book- ing Com]3any, new^ corporation, to enter the motion picture field, is the biggest concern of the kind yet es- tablished. This new company will have under its control films of no less than one hundred and seventy- five dramatic and musical plays which have been big New York suc- cesses in the pa.st, and to this num- ber will be added scores of others to be produced in the future. No less than eighty plays from the Shu- bert enter])rises, sixty from the Wm. A. Brady Picture Plays Incorpor- ated, and twentyfive from the pro- ductions of other managers are be- ing prepared for the screen. Many of them now are in readiness, and (•thers will be just as soon as they can be properly filmed. Joseph L. Rhinock is president of the Shubert Feature b'ilm Booking Co., Jules Murray is its manager and Lou Weed its booking agent. Marie Dressier in More Trouble LOS A N G E L E S, Aiu-il 14.— Marie Dressler's triumphal entry into the movies wasn't as great a triuni])h as it might have been, ac- cording to stories that leaked out at the Keystone canned drama fac- tory in the Santa Monica Canyon today, which bear all the marks of veracity. According to this story. Miss Dressier, who had just re- Ijorted for her first week's work on the screen, i)i-oni])tly ai)pointed lier- self <|uecn of the camp and i)re- empted dressing room No. i. It so hai)pcned that Mabel Normand also occupied No. i by right of her two years' engagement as star of the Keystone. The two women met, aiui what ha])i)ened is said to have had a great deal to do with the sudden rise in temperature here to- day. Finally Manager Max Sennett was brought into the affair and thought he had settled it when he ordered a second N'o. 1 dressing- room built, but not so. "I l<nv about this story that this woman gets more salary than I do?" asked i\Iiss Nor- mand. Sennett admitted it, justify- ing the salary by ]Miss Dressler's excellent drawing powers. "Is she worth more than I am?" was Miss Xormand's next shot, and J^Iax re- treated. Friends of Miss Normand say there will surely be a strike un- less the salaries of the two star.s are adjusted satisfactorily. The camp itself is split open about an equal number siding with each woman, and the outcome may be serious for the Keystone people. The Parliament of Films at 1915 Fair From advance information it vyould seem that the Panama-Pa- cific International Exposition will be the greatest historical and .scenic motion picture show place ever l>lanned. There are to be at least 38 motion picture theatres already arranged for in the 38 state build- ings that are to be erected and are now being erected on the grounds by the bay shore, and it follows that the puxilions of the foreign coun- tries will also contain motion pic- ture theatres and auditoriums where the great ibeauties of their lands will be shown. There will be an in- ternational ])arliament of films in San Francisco in 1915 which will be the most notable congress of reels ever held in the history of the world. These remarks are suggested by the statement of P. H. Corr, chairman of the Massachusetts Board pf Managers for the exposi- tion. Mr. Corr tells of the moving views that will be shown in the Massachusetts Building. "W'e are going to rei^roduce in pageantry the battles of Lexington and Bunker 1 lill; we are going to show the Bos- ton tea party and Paul Revere's ride, the landing of the Pilgrims, and other historical incidents. We will ]:)icture many historic buildings and all the watering places along our coast, from Cape Ann to Cape Cod. We are going to show our dock system, our streets, our water sys- tem, our cranberry marshes." Fred R. Reed, executive commissioner of the Idaho exhibit at the ex])osition, has, likewise, a splendid motion pic- ture program for his State. The wondrous wild scenery of Idaho and the great reclamation projects which are turning deserts into pros])erous farms will be de])icted on the dart- ing film. The methods of protec- ting game, especially the elk, will be shown on the reels. ()tlier states will have their si)ecial motion i)ic- ture programs. I'"\ery State l)uild- ing ])lanne(l for the exposition has two essentials, a reception room and a motion ])icture theatre. These shows, of course, will all be free to the public. The i(;i5 movies will be alone worth the price of admis- sion to the grounds. Big Chicago Theatre to Be Movie House C"l 1 IC.\(i(), A])ril II.—Announce- ment was made today that the Prin- cess, one of Chicago's large down- town theatres, the sixth within a year and a half, would be converted into a moving picture playhouse.