Motion Picture News (Apr-Jul 1915)

June 5, 1915. MOTION PICTURE NEWS 65 UNIVERSAL BEAUTY CONTEST WON BY RUTH PURCELL Special to Motion Picture News Washington, D. C, May 26. The winner of the Washington "Times" beauty contest, conducted in conjunction with the Universal Film Manufacturing company, has been announced. Ruth Purcell, employed in the office of the American Federation of Labor, was the successful contestant. Miss Purcell has been the recipient of many gifts and letters of congratulation, as she was selected by art critics from several hundred photographs. Perhaps the greatest surprise came in the form of a "lingerie shower" by her office associates, which provides the winner with about all such necessary apparel for her trip to the coast. The young lady is also in receipt of a letter of congratulation from H. H. Van Loan, representing the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. According to the plans the various winners of the nation-wide beauty contest will leave Chicago on June 6, to enjoy the time of their lives to the Pacific coast, the San Francisco and San Diego expositions, and most of all the visit to Universal City, where they will take part in motion picture making. Miss Purcell is enthusiastic over the prospects of the journey. WORLD'S CHAMPION CYCLIST FOR UNITED Charles Ellis, president of the Yonkers Motorcycle Club, and winner of the recent race to Boston, a distance of 463 miles which Mr. Ellis covered in fifteen hours and ten minutes, thus winning the speed record of the world, has joined the Starlight company at Yonkers, and will henceforth appear from time to time with "Heinie and Louie" (James Aubrey and Walter Kendig) and Miss Viola Brown on the United program. The company has just completed a picture called "Bold Bad Boys," in which Mr. Ellis and Miss Brown took a spectacular and daredevil ride on the actor's motorcycle. | ARTHUR IS DISCOVERED BY HAGAR— | | SCENE FROM CHAPTER IV, "DIAMOND I | FROM THE SKY" illlllllllllllllllllllllllljlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!^ MERKYL SIGNS WITH UNITED PHOTO PLAYS Special to Motion Picture News Chicago, May 26. Wilmuth Merkyl, the light opera star, has signed a contract to play opposite Gerda Holmes in the productions of the United Photoplays Company. The first release of that company in which he will be seen is "Victory of Virtue," a six reel feature, by Penelope Knapp, which Harry McRae Webster is producing. miss justice seriously ill Boy Scouts See Lady Mackenzie xVnimal Pictures Maibelle Heikes Justice, author and scenario writer, has been dangerously ill in Los Angeles over the loss of her only sister, Mrs. R. Delno Shymer, a victim of the "Lusitania" disaster. Miss Justice journeyed West in order to be present at the filming of her story, "Chronicles of Bloom Center," which is to be serialized by the Selig Polyscope company. Miss Justice contemplates returning to New York as soon as she is fully recovered, so that she may be with her mother, who resides here. Miss Justice made many friends in Los Angeles who join with the entire film world in feeling the greatest sympathy for her in this deep sorrow. Lads Observe with Interest the Various Phases of African Life Revealed in Showing of Film at Freeport, L. I., Last Week AN interesting entertainment was given this week by Lady Mackenzie, the woman hunter, to the Boy Scouts of America. Lady Mackenzie, who has just returned from a big game hunt in East Africa, where she secured several miles of film depicting thrilling hunting scenes, was requested by A. C. Hottenroth, of 313 S. Bayview avenue, Freeport, L. I., to show the members of the troop in that vicinity those parts of her African pictures which might be of educational value along Scout lines. Monthly Dinner of Chicago Reel Fellows Is a Success A Number of Unique Films Shown to Guests— Watkins Gives Entertainment at Press Club — Woodward Devises Attractive Posters Special to Motion Picture News Chicago. May 26. THE May monthly dinner of the Reel Fellows Club of Chicago was held at the Hotel Sherman on Wednesday evening, May 19. The entertainment consisted of several reels of films, including the one taken at the Washington Birthday ball. L. E. Stinson, general manager of the Safety Projector and Film Company, furnished one of its new model home projecting machines for the showing of these pictures. This machine is operated by a highpower tungsten lamp instead of carbons, thus allowing the film to be stopped without danger of fire and allowing for trickwork such as running the film backwards. Among the guests present at the meeting were Frank Miner, comedian for the American Standard Motion Picture Corporation: Wilmuth Merkyl. the new leading man for the United Photoplays Company, and Mr. Miller, attorney for the Universal Film Company. F. R. E. Woodward, who has charge of the publicity operations of the United Photoplays Company of Chicago, has put out some remarkably attractive matter in the form of heralds and posters exploiting the Dr. George A. Dorsey travel pictures. The art work is excellent and produced in highly colored striking poster style. It is decidedly distinctive, and he is to be congratulated upon the results of his efforts. M. G. Watkins, of the American Standard Motion Picture Corporation, gave a very interesting entertainment at the Chicago Press Writers' Club, Friday evening. May 14. With the assistance of Frank Miner and the associate players of the American Standard Company, the occasion was made a great success. Lady Mackenzie gladly complied and offered to appear at the entertainment, which was to be staged in Mr. Hottenroth's large garage, and explain the pictures herself. At the last moment, however, she found that her social duties would prevent her going and she was confronted with the problem of securing a lecturer at short notice. Philip Mindil, Jr., volunteered to take her place — a lad of fifteen, whose father is her business manager. Philip, Jr.. had never seen the pictures, but it was arranged to run them off for him late in the afternoon preceding the entertainment. The Boy Scouts showed great appreciation of the pictures, noting particularly those scenes having to do with every day life of the natives, such as cooking and grinding corn. The boys are trained in these things and followed the pictures and the lecturer with marked attention. The pictures shown did not include the sensational hunting scenes, such as the lion charging over Lady Mackenzie and the charging rhinos. These are to be saved for the Broadway opening which will occur in a short time. These pictures depend for their support upon the tense, gripping scenes of a big game hunt in which sureshots slay ferocious wild beasts at close range to the camera. RIDGELY BEGINS ANOTHER THREE PART FEATURE Edison Director Richard Ridgely, producer of "The Wrong Woman," "The Deadly Hate" and "The Van Rellers," besides most of the southern features, has started work an another three-p;irt feature.