Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

February 23, 1918. MOTOGRAPHY 383 Latest News of State Rights Productions UP-TO-THE-MINUTE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE INDEPENDENT FIELD Notables See "The Crucible of Life" Many Are Guests of Sawyer and Lubin at Banquet in Churchill's Restaurant at New York MANY NOTABLES of the film world attended a private premiere of "The Crucible of Life" at Churchill's restaurant, New York City, a few days ago as the guests of Arthur H. Sawyer and Herbert Lubin, who are disposing of the state rights. Being a patriotic film, Messrs. Sawyer and Lubin presented the play with appropriate music. Through special permission the Camp Upton quartette was present. Together with Private Frederick Rath, author of the famous war song, "When the Moon is Shining Somewhere in France," the Camp Upton quartette scored a tremendous hit. Following the picture an elaborate dinner was served during the course of which entertainment was furnished by William McKenna in a pianologue and song routine, Sam Ryan, legitimate star and screen actor, and a jazz band. The occasion was marked by the absence of speeches and formality and those present voted the affair one of the most enjoyable they ever attended. Among the • guests were Richard A. Rowland, president of the Metro Pictures Corporation; Joseph Engle and William E. Atkinson, treasurer and business manager respectively, for Metro; J. Skirboll of Pittsburgh; Conrad Milliken, vice-president of the Petrova Picture Company; J. F. Bacon of Sanger and Jordan; L. M. Day of Washington, D. C. ; W. E. Drummond of Knoxville, Tenn.; Herman Rifkin of Boston; W. Witney of the American Standard Film Company; C. Westfall of the Atlantic Film Corporation; H. A. Gillespie, president of Frank Brockliss Company, Inc.; H. C. Walton of Sanger and Jordan; William H. Rudolph of the Clara Kimball Young Company; Walter H. Jordan of Sanger and Jordan; William Sherril of the Frohman Amusement Company and Leslie Ennis of the National City Bank. Goldburg Expands Business Jesse J. Goldburg, state rights distributor of Independent attractions, has returned to New York from a tour of the United States investigating the state rights market and forming connections with independent exchanges. Contracts were signed whereby Mr. Goldburg was made sole buying representative for one year for A. H. Blank of Des Moines, Iowa, for the territory of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska; the consolidated Film Corporation of San Francisco, Cal., for California, Arizona, Nevada and the Hawaaian islands; the consolidated Film Corporation of Seattle, for Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana; the Unity Photoplay Company of Chicago, for Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin; and the Standard Film Corporation of Minnesota; the Standard Film Corporation of Missouri; and the Van Dyke Amusement Enterprises of Illinois, jointly for the combined territory of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Minnesota, North and South Dakota. Mr. Goldburg has also made arrangements to represent Sidney Lust of Washington, D. C. Mr. Lust operates in Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia and North Carolina. Titan Company Organized The Titan Feature Photo Co., which will specialize in state rights, has been organized at Spokane. The company is capitalized for $500,000. Nothing will be produced, it is said until the entire $500,000 is fully subscribed and paid into the treasury. J. Don Alexander is president; Eugene De Smeth, vice president; R. E. Musser, treasurer, and H. G Twomley, secretary. Plans for discerning market needs, cooperative methods to be inaugurated between the Titan Company and state rights buyers, and terms of release will be announced later. Ernest Shipman has been selected as the New York representative and will have entire charge of the Titan product, both in America and abroad. It is rumored that four other independent companies — two in California, one in Florida, and one in Utah, — are organizing along similar lines. A laugh from the William Fox Sunshine comedy, "Are Married Policemen Safe?" New Film Exchange New York exhibitors will be interested to learn that a new independent film exchange, the Magnet, with offices at 71 West Twenty-third street, has been organized for the purpose of booking super-productions. The Magnet already has acquired the rights to W. H. Production Company's first Hart super-feature, "The Two Gun Man," in "The Bargain." The New York City territory will be handled by Jesse Levine, formerly of the New York office of Metro.