Motography (Jan-Jun 1913)

February 1, 1913. MOTOGRAPHY 101 Brevities of the Business PERSONAL NOTES. It was no trick at all for him. He couldn't help adopting the slogan, "A Live One," for he's that every minute. At least every minute that he is out in the open among his fellows. Ten to one, though, that he's the kind that rips off his collar and tie and slides into his slippers and takes the count on a comfy couch when he reaches home. So many are like that. But even so, you'd have to chloroform him to keep his mind from working. For Joe Brandt is alive and for one who doesn't make memorandums, he's a wonder. Few people know very much about Joe. Carl Laemmle is responsible for him as it concerns the film business, but that is all. Joe found the girl he married without Carl's help and did several things before he began to open Carl's mail. Joe Brandt says that that is his full name, but he signs it J. Brandt. It is still shorter that way, which suggests that in a rush for brevity, he might have lopped off more of it. As a matter of record, he did, but that was Joe's business, urged on by Horsley. Dave gets on smilingly with only one arm and for the same reasons he thought a syllable or two in Joe's name wouldn't matter. If you never tried running around a cut, you will hardly understand why so many words are required to say so little. Thus far }-ou haven't any dope on Brandt. You may not have known where Joe was born. Troy, N. Y., was the place — where all the collars come from. But Joe got his education in the New York city schools, public, including high, and acquired L.L. B. from the New York University, where you got to earn 'em. As early as — confound this absence of dates — well, anyway, Brandt did seven years with Hampton's Advertising Agency as copy-grinder, copyrighter, space buyer and campaign inaugurater for such accounts as American Tobacco, Regal, United Cigars and other big ones. Just why he left Hampton to assume the management of the New York office of the Billboard hasn't been given out, but like as not there was an allurement of money. Money, you know, is quite as acceptable to Joe Brandt as it is to the rest of us. Though he works like an oscillator, he's human, very much so. Typhoid fever got him when he was with the Billboard, and while it came nearly getting him, it didn't quite. It only got the job. Then he joined the forces of the Player and after six months of it, he went over to the Dramatic Mirror. He was hustling advertising wherever he went, with the title of advertising manager. It must have been interesting, that meeting when Joe tried to slip Carl Laemmle the outside back cover of the Mirror — in two colors. Carl settled it by hiring Brandt — made him his secretary. Joe has been close to Laemmle's elbow ever since. Right now he is publicity and advertising manager of that program you are asked to demand and he is also editor of a live house organ — a seven-column folio with an illustrated supplement of the same size. This publication issues weekly and Joe does most of the work at night. When he goes to conventions he gets it out daily, just to keep going. Say, you poor tired dopesters, when you think you are all worked to death, refresh yourselves by thinking of Joe Brandt ! Miss Maibelle Heikes Justice, of New York, who will have a novel, "The Velvet Glove," in a spring number of the Smart Set magazine, and stories shortly in the Cosmopolitan, has joined the ranks of photo playwrights. Gifted with a natural dramatic instinct, this young writer attempted photoplay work, with the result that the quality of her work has raised her in a very short time to the ranks of professionals, and she has now nine scenarios in the hands of producers, making this record since the middle of last October. Miss Justice is at present in Chicago for the winter. While here she has met the representatives of the large film companies, and placed much of her work. The Selig Polyscope Co. has secured some of her work, having five or six of her plays under production at present. The first to be produced by The Selig Company is "The Governor's Daughter," released February 3. The moving picture business gained and the advertising business lost when R. H. Cochrane relinquished his important position with the Cochrane Advertising Company, Chicago, to participate prominently in the conduct of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company at New York. Air. Cochrane associated with his famous brother, Witt K. Cochrane, originated the Cochrane style of ad-copy and guided a whole flock of big advertising campaigns to success. It was as an advertising agent that Mr. Cochrane met Carl Laemmle. The meeting was epochal; it marked the inauguration of a business association which has continued uninterrupted all these years while the knowing ones have pointed out Mr. Cochrane as Carl Laemmle's silent partner. The silence is now to be broken, and while the film world need not expect to hear the Cochrane horn blatantly and frequently tooted the Cochrane influence will be noticeable in the achievements of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. With Carl Laemmle as his sponsor Mr. Cochrane will have the benefit of the famous "Laemmle Luck" in addition to his natural knack of doing things and doing them right. Mr. Cochrane now occupies an office at the New York headquarters of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company and is making that ofr fice a place of business. Frank Dayton in a rehersal last week at the Essanay studio of "A Wolf Among Lambs," while playing the role of a vicious Spaniard, was supposed to stab a rival — and he did. So real was the stab that a doctor was summoned to dress his opponent's wound. The opponent was Howard Missimer, the man of Mascara fame. George Greenbaum has sailed to Berlin to transact business in the name of the Vitascope Company. J. Slevin has resigned his position as scenario editor with the Pathe company, but at yet has not announced his future plans. Charles C. Pyle, who recently organized the Satex Film Company of Austin, Texas, stopped over at Chicago on his return trip from New York and declared himself much pleased with the arrangements made in the eastern city as to the marketing of the company's films. March 1 will be the release date of the first Satex, which will have Miss Martha Russell (Mrs. Pyle) as leading lady. Bernard M. Corbett has resigned from the traveling staff of the Thomas A. Edison Inc. of East Orange, N. J. He takes with him the good will and wishes of the Edison people. Mr. Ccrbett is remembered as an active representative of the Edison people both in the field and at conventions. Before making other connections, Mr. Corbett is enjoying a vacation at Rowley, Mass. John Bunny scored a success in his week at Hammerstein's, and was responsible for the over-large attendances at every performance. His sketch consisted of the relating of incidents which occurred during the Bunny trip abroad. Jack Nelson, one of the most popular leaders in the pictorial line, having served with noted success, has been engaged by the Selig stock company for juvenile leads. Miss Mabel Normand, the diving girl, formerly leading lady with the Biograph Company, and now one of the foremost players with the Keystone Comedy Company, is said to be one of the highest salaried women working in pictures. Kurt W. Linn, general manager of the firm which has been conducting business under the name Cosmopolitan Films, will hereafter use the name Eclectic Films and abandon the old name. Mr. Linn stated that he discovered the use of the name Cosmopolitan elsewhere and decided to change the name before it became too well known to be changed without injury to business. Edwin B. Hesser, who directed the publicity and advertising of the Kinemacolor Company, severed his connection with that concern recently. Mr. Hesser is preparing to break into the show business on his own account, and will announce his plans in the near future. William W. Hines has been named as Mr. Hesser's successor. He is known as one of the best press agents in America. He has directed the publicity of some of the greatest