Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

432 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIX, No. 9. Scenes from the first two-reel Paramount releases of the Benjamin Chapin series, "The Son of Democracy." Judge Rules on Old Pictures of Stars Denies Injunction to Mutual to Restrain Four Companies From Reissuing Through Other Agencies JUSTICE WHITTAKER of the New York Supreme Court has just given a decision of vital importance to the state rights field. The decision was a denial of the application of the Mutual Film Corporation for an injunction against the New York Motion Picture Corporation, The Keystone Film Company, the Domino Motion Picture Corporation and the Broncho Motion Picture Company to restrain them from reissuing through any company except Mutual and refusing to supply Mutual with reprints of certain Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand, Fatty Sterling Gets World Rights to Keen Kartoons The Sterling Pictures Corporation has acquired the world's rights to Keen Kartoons. The company announces that every territory will receive the pictures at terms consistent with "the usual safe and sane selling policies that characterize Sterling Methods." The cartoons will be released in series. The first offering consists of twelve, each from five hundred and fifty to seven hundred feet in length. They consist of animated subjects — each one tinted and toned, and technically as well finished as an expensive feature. Gets World Rights to Film Sol L. Lesser, president of the State Right Distributors of San Francisco, has acquired world rights to "Carmen of the Klondyke." He is said to have paid $150,000 for the film. Mr. Lesser also has con Arbuckle and William S. Hart pictures. Through Arthur Butler Graham, their attorney, the defendants contended that their contract with Mutual did not give Mutual the right to reissues, but only the original releases and to reprints of those subjects. In denying the application for an injunction the judge sustained this contention. This case will affect many companies that have changed their releasing agencies or have engaged in state rights distribution of pictures containing actors that have become famous since the pictures were made. tracted with Ben S. Simpson of Triangle for twenty-eight Hart and Fairbanks releases and sixteen films featuring Norma Talmadge and Charles Ray, paying more than $100,000 for the forty-four pictures. New Jester Sales Announced William Steiner of the Jester Comedy Company reports the lease of Jester Comedies for North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Tennessee to B. M. Savini of Atlanta. With the exception of the New England states and several minor territories, Jester Comedies have been sold solid for the country. Drew Takes Vacation Mr. and Mrs: Sidney Drew have gone to Florida for a vacation after completing their second year as creators and costars of Metro-Drew comedies. Fortyseven one-act Metro-Drew comedies were written, produced and released during 1916, and forty-two one-act pictures with a five-act "thriller" to complete the quota were done in 1917. Mr. and Mrs. Drew will vary their work soon by an excursion into the realm of the legitimate stage, appearing during the spring under the auspices of Richard Walton Tully. Buys "Redemption" Rights Julius L. Lazarus, exhibitor and distributor of Canada and New York, has just purchased from the Nanuet Amusement Corporation, the rights to Julius Steger's "Redemption," featuring Evelyn Nesbit and her son Russell Thaw, for the territory of California, Nevada and Arizona. He has left for the Coast and expects within the next few days to open new offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles. N. R. Greathouse, the producer, has joined Mr. Lazarus in his new venture. Film First Mastercraft Work has been started in the Paralta studios in Los Angeles on the first Mastercraft production, which will be a version of Thomas Dixon's famous novel, "The One Woman." The scenario was prepared from Mr. Dixon's book by J. Grubb Alexander and Fred Myton. The picture is being directed by Reginald Barker and the management of the production is in charge of F. Eugene Farnsworth, who has charge of the .Mastercraft interests in California. "The One Woman" is the first of a series of special productions which will be taken from the best of Mr. Dixon's works.