Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

458 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIX, No. 10. Sees Chicago As Great Film Center Watterson R. Rothacker Predicts Chicago Will Be Manufacturing Capital of the Industry Soon CHICAGO — the manufacturing capital of the film world. ■ This is the prediction of Watterson, R. Rothacker, president of the Rothacker Film Manufacturing Company, made to the managing editor of Motographv. Mr. Rothacker believes New York will continue to be the executive capital and Los Angeles the producing capital, but he is certain that Chicago is going to wrest honors as the manufacturing capital from all contenders. "When will that be?" he was asked. "It will be just as soon as the industry wakes up to the great loss through waste and adopts efficiency as its watchword. When that time comes producers will realize that film can best be made here and the result will be an industry with three great headquarters stretching from one ocean to the other— embracing the entire country. "When that time comes, however, I do not believe the producers will be manufacturing their film themselves. I look to see the manufacturing end of the industry segregated. And it should be, for the actual production of film is not akin to the production of plays and their distribution. It is a highly specialized business, requiring a large outlay of capital and operating on a small margin of profit. "Naturally I must give my reasons for predicting that Chicago will be the film center of manufacture, although they appear obvious to every one in close touch with conditions. "In the first place Chicago is the center of the greatest territory in the country. Ninety per cent of the exchanges can be reached quicker from Chicago than from New York or Los Angeles. Look at the big cities that can be reached in twelve to fourteen hours — Milwaukee, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Omaha, Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Louisville, Columbus, Cleveland, Detroit ; not to speak of the hundreds of other smaller, but substantial cities. It is easy to reach those places. It must be remembered th^t Chicago is the terminal of something like forty railroads — the greatest railroad center of the world. "Another thing, Chicago is manufacturing territory and has all the advantages that go with that position, including a wonderful water supply, of especial importance to film manufacture, and good labor conditions. "A contributing factor is our proximity to the raw material market, Rochester, N. Y. During the recent big storms that swept the East we got our raw stock without much difficulty, while New York was practically cut off. But the big factor is the saving of freight on long hauls. Much film is manufactured in California. Manu Hi Read tliis interview with Mr. Rothacker and then slide dozvn the page and read the1 one with Commodore Blackton. The two stories go hand in hand, although neither manufacturer nor producer knew the other was going to appear in print. The two stories are re'eommended especially for any who still retain the notion that the wor'Id starts and stops at New York. facture that film here and the saving in freight will amount to thousands annually. "Chicago has a potential importance that is greater, I believe, than that of any other city in the world. I expect to see Chicago bigger in area and containing a larger population than New York. "Chicago is going to be the manufacturing capital of the film world — that's certain. If we could just move California here it would be the center of practically all activities. "Many producers will not realize the revolution in the manufacturing end of the industry, however, until their receivers tell them." Ray Has New Director While Victor Schertzinger, who has directed Charles Ray's various Paramount pictures under supervision of Thomas H. Ince, takes a short rest, Irvin Willat of the Ince staff will handle the newest production starring Mr. Ray. The picture is by Carson Stuart, with the continuity by J. G. Hawks. Truckee will be visited for the snow scenes. Chester Lyons is cameraman and among those in the cast will be Robert McKim, Helen Leslie, who will play opposite Mr. Ray; Charles K. French, Gloria Hope, Manuel Ojeda and Bert Offord. "The Family Skeleton" by Bert Lennon is the latest Ray offering and will be followed by still another picture directed by Mr. Schertzinger. Foils Bloodthirsty Lions Glen Cavender wears a medal of honor from the French government for gallantry at the Boxer rebellion. Recently he had need of all his bravery in a Paramount-Mack Sennett comedy where several lions were used. One of the beasts "went bad." Glen faced death for a few moments and only saved his life by absolutely refusing to show fear and strolling indifferently and casually out of the set and danger. Blackton Quits Producing in East Convinced That California Is Only Place Where Best Pictures Can Be Turned Out at Minimum of Cost "I SHALL NEVER make another foot of film in the East," emphatically asserts J. Stuart Blackton. Talking with a friend at Los Angeles the other day, the Commodore, who has just completed "Wild Youth" for Paramount and in a few weeks will begin work on "Missing," reiterated the statement with added emphasis. "I required just twenty-one years of worry and expense to drive me to this conclusion," he said, "but you know, it's never too late to learn. I probably would have moved out west long ago if I had had any idea of the many advantages California possesses. "But when I heard all the wonderful eulogies of the state I though them simply the exaggerated ravings of superenthusiastic 'boosters.' What a mistake! "Mrs. Blackton has never been in California but she will be here in a few days — and then I'm going to prove to her that I was not exercising my imagination by painting word pictures when I described the glories df the state in my letters. Truthfully, the west is the only place I have ever seen where the best in pictures can he produced at a minimum of cost. t The Commodore let his eye rove across the Santa Monica hills. "Scenically," he went on, "I've been unable to discover a thing in any of the scripts intended for my forthcoming productions which cannot be found within a short distance of the Lasky studio. It is really marvelous." Bear Valley for the Arctic, Playa del Rey for the tropics. The Panama Canal is out back of Beverly Hills and old England in all its pastoral beauty is within two miles. Fairyland is to be found at Pasadena, masquerading under another name. You can find Desolation over near Barstow. Near Newhall is the wildest of the woolly west and the quintessence of elegance and charm is — all over Hollywood. Los Angeles can supply the busiest of busy streets and there is desert and wilderness less than five miles distant. "Honestly, I shudder when I think of the money I've spent sending companies all over creation, and in building different parts of the world in Brooklyn. So I repeat — California for me from