The Film Daily (1918)

Thursday, December 26, 1918 Ml> y£ DABLY Htol.VI No. 78. Thursday, December 26, 1918 f rice 5 Cents Copyright 1918, Wid's Film and Film Folks, Inc. Published Daily at 71-73 West 44th St., New York, N. Y. by WID'S FILMS and FILM rOLKS, Inc. F. C. ("WID") GUNNING President and Treasurer LYNDE DENIG, Editor Entered as second-class matter May 21, 1918, •t the post office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Terms (Postage free) United States, Outside •1 Greater New York, $10.00 one year; 6 ■months, $5.00; 3 months, $3.00. Foreign $20.00. Subscribers should remit with order. Address all communications to WID'S DAILY, 71-73 West 44th St., New York, N. Y. Telephone: Vanderbilt 4551-2 CUTS AND FLASHES Milton Sills has been engaged to play the lead with Viola Dana in "Diana Ardway" at Metro's West Coast studios. The second picture of the "U. S. Series," "Wings of Victory" will be released by the Division of Films Jan. 6. Richard Barthelmess who has supported Marguerite Clark in many Paramount pictures, has been engaged to play leads opposite Dorothy Gish. Bryant Washburn has finished work on "Venus in the East" and will start at once on a new picture A. J. Reed, Manager of Detroit office of General is recovering from nervous strain. Roxy arrived in New York Christmas Eve Pat O' Mai ley has been engaged to play opposite Marie Walcamp in her next serial. The story is taken from a book by Douglas Grant called "The Fifth Ace". The serial is in eighteen episodes directed by J. B. McGowan. The Argus Motion Picture Co., of Cleveland, will produce "The House Without Children" in pictures. The play was written and produced by Robert McLaughlin last season. Grace Louise Anderson is in the cast. Kenneth Harlan and George Cheseboro returned from Europe on the Baltic Saturday, having served two years at the front. Harlan was Dorothy Dalton's leading man and George Chesbro was last featured with Ruth Roland in "Hands Up." House Changes Lynn, Mass. — Negotiations are under way for the purchase of the Lynn theater. Wilmington, Del.— The Ginns Theater Co. has taken over the Lyric theater. Springfield, Mass.— The Colonial theater has been taken over by Samuel Goldstein. Adams, Mass.— The picture theater here has been opened by W. Prejsnar. Cleveland— Gordon Square Playhouse, from vaudevilje to moving pictures. Wants Caruso to Sing. The following letter has been received from Ralph Talbot, Palace Theater Co., Tulsa, Oklahoma :— Wid Gunning, New York. Dear Sir: "Your favorable criticism on "My Cousin" was received after we had shown the picture. Our experience with Caruso's picture was this. Poorest business in years and those who saw it not satisfied. The story possesses no value at all. One man claims a great singer for a cousin. Another says it is not true. First man proves his claim, gets the girl and curtain. Poor stuff. Caruso is a marvelous singer. Well then let's have him sing, not act in photoplays. I paid a big price for this picture and lost as much or more on the showing. Our town is very cosmopolitan, the financial center of a great oil field. People have come here from the east, west, north and south. 1 believe we get a pretty fair idea here of what the people want in inclines and what the) will nut stand for. And Caruso in pictures is evidently not wanted. "I would rather give twenty dollars to hear him sing than five cents to see him in a picture. It's the same proposition advertising him in pictures as a restaurant advertising 'COME AND SEE OUR FINE MEALS.' "Truly yours, (Signed) "RALPH TALBOT." Like expressions of opinion regarding the Caruso picture have been received from a number of exhibitors. Because of this the above letter is published. Arthur Lilligren at present Manager of The Grand Theater (a 1200 seat house) at Mankato, Minn., will be at liberty Jan. 1st, as Harry French, who has been in the Government Service will return to his position. Mr. Lilligren woiild like to get in touch with a Theater Owner who can place a live show man. Refer to Present Employers American Amusement Company, 627 First Ave. North, Minneapolis, Minn. Address Arthur Lilligren, Grand Theater, Mankato, Minn. St. Louis Notes < G. Francis Hennessey, for the past two years assistant manager of the Universal here, has severed connections with that concern and is with Pathe, where he will have charge of. the American Standard features distributed through Pathe for this territory. E. S. Flynn, manager of the Film Clearing House, Inc., has secured the services of Lew Bent, formerly with the W. H. Towne people, also T. Erickson, formerly with Pathe, as special representatives for Southern Illinois, Eastern Missouri, Southern Indiana and Western Kentucky. The first releases by the Film Clearing House for thij territory will include Evelyn Nesbit in "Her Mistake" and Harry Rapf's "Wanted for Murder." The ban on excluding children under sixteen from the picture shows has been partially lifted and children over twelve are now admitted to theaters. The Just-a-Mere Theater, with C. A. Pitman, as manager, located at 4203 Finney Ave., opened for business the latter part of the week. The house seats 900 and caters to colored people exclusively. Friends of P. L. Ryan, formerly general manager of the Standard Film Corp. with headquarters at Kansas City, Mo., may locate him by addressing Sergt. P. L. Ryan, Signal Corps, Repl. Camp, American Expeditionary Forces, Cour de Cheveney, France. At a first meeting of the St. Louis Film Board of Trade the tax of 10 cents per seat to be charged the theaters on American copyrighted music caused considerable discussion, and a meeting to protest this idea has been arranged for. To Fight Operators' Demands. Chicago. — Immediately upon the return of Peter J. Schaefer, president of the merged exhibitors leagues, from Washington, he called a meeting at 'the Hctel Morrison to discuss the threatened motion pictur e operators' strike. The present contract with the operators has four years more to run and inasmuch as it is chartered under the American Federation of Labor, they cannot break their agreement it" is said. There is also an injunction proceeding still pending in the local courts. Maurice Choynski, Nate Ascher, Robert Levy, Joseph Hopp, Alfred Hamburger and President Schaefer as a committee will meet members of the Operators Union and deliver the A. E. A. answer.