Motography (Jul 1918)

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July 13, 1918. MOTOGRAPHY 77 Striking scenes from William S. Hart's new Artcraft picture, "Shark Monroe," in which he takes the part of a sea captain. War Film Quiz Demanded (Continued from page 51) news weeklies, namely: Pathe, Gaumont, Mutual and Universal. • Without going into the details here of the advantages or disadvantages of possible competition or duplication of distribution on the one hand, or inefficient distribution on the other, the situation appealed to me as one that would be benefited by co-ordination. After becoming possessed of all the facts and giving them due consideration, my conclusion was that all parties interested, and the public, would be best served by issuing these films through the Division of Films, thereby consolidating and coordinating the work of the Allies and ourselves in distributing the film propaganda, as our greater activities are co-ordinated in carrying on the War. Our idea was to do this by creating a weekly review in one reel of the combined war activities of the Allied Nations. Tn this manner not only would we have the information collectively in one place, but it would secure uniform distribution to the greatest number of people, as is the purpose of all the work of this division. After taking the matter up with the various commissioners of the Allied countries, we were promised co-operation for our propaganda in the news weekly of their countries should we be able to secure distribution for their pictures on a wide and thoroughly comprehensive scale. The next move was the consideration of the distributing channels. We called into consultation the four weekly companies and told them we would give them the Official War Review, comprising the exclusive topical pictures of Great Britain, France and Italy and the United States. We stated that we would give this same reel to each one of the four news weeklies for distribution. The representatives of these four weeklies, however, stated that this arrangement would place them in competition with each other. Requesting that they submit a plan of their own, they stated that they wanted us to give 500 feet of separate and distinct material to each news weekly, making a total of 2,000 for the four. Although this to my mind was not as efficient a method as the one suggested to them, we agreed to their plan on a basis of $5,000 for the 2.000 feet of film to be divided between them. The cost was to be pro-rated among them in accordance with the number of feet each weekly might use. This all four news weeklies agreed to do. After a week of consultation the contract embracing these terms was drawn up and the only one to sign it was Paul Brunet, vice-president oi Pathe. The other three companies wrote saying they did not want to sign the contract and would do so only under protest. It is not the policy of this division to handle matters "under protest," and I at once made a statement (under date of May 23) that our offer was withdrawn and that from June 3 all four news weeklies could get the United States official war pictures at the office of the Division of Films on the basis of one dollar per foot. If they wanted the British, Italian or French pictures, it was up to them to pay what those governments demanded for their pictures. We then proceeded with our idea for the Official War Review, following the plan of putting it out on a bid and giving it to the organization which put in the best bid. We wanted to give it to the firm making the best "all around" bid — that is. from the standpoint of percentage, distributing facilities and service; also from a guarantee of distribution to a definite number of houses, as well as the number of prints they would put into immediate circulation. On this basis, the distribution of the Official War Review was awarded to Pathe. As you know, Captain Baynes has consistently refused to sell British Official War Pictures to the news weeklies, but in the last week, at our solicitation, they have consented to furnish the Lasky Back in New York; Talks of Future Declares Activities in the West as Well as the East Will Be Greater Than Ever This Summer JESSE L. LASKY, vice-president of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation in charge of productions, has just returned to New York from California, where he has been supervising the work of laying out plans for summer activities. "Our studios in the west, as well as those in the east," said Mr. Lasky, "will witness the greatest production activities during the coming months since the inception of our organization. Our decks have been cleared and already some of the new stars have started work on their first Paramount and Artcraft pictures. "Fred Stone is on deck in real earnest and has been climbing roofs, steeples, sliding down ropes and otherwise emulating a circus acrobat in his initial Paramount picture, 'Under the Top,' under the direction of Donald Crisp. Mr. Stone works with a will, likes it and has made a good impression by his democratic manner and pleasant personality. "Lila Lee, our new 'find,' has just arrived and will start work immediately. An amusing incident took place shortly after her arrival, when on one of her visits to the studios, Cecil B. DeMille, who has been seeking a young woman to play the leading role in his next picture and who had not met Miss Lee before, saw her on the lot and asked her to pose news weeklies with the same type of material as the United States Government is furnishing them. In conclusion, I want to point out a glaring inconsistency on the part of one concern which has interested itself rather controversially in the activities of this division. P. A. Powers of this concern testified before the Ways and Means Committee that the Division of Films was giving sole and exclusive rights to one company. While Mr. Powers was giving this testimony before the Ways and Means Committee his own publicity organization was preparing a page which appeared in the Moving Picture World under date of July 6, 1918. One this page, which is headed "Nailing a Black Lie," they quote my letter of May and go on to say that the Pathe Company does not have exclusive rights of the United States Official Pictures, but that these films are also being distributed by other news weekly companies. You and the other readers of Motography may draw your own inference from the foregoing facts. Developments in the situation are eagerly awaited by all the trade. in a number of tests, not knowing that she was the new Paramount star. "Upon seeing the tests, Mr. DeMille's enthusiasm was considerably increased and he immediately telephoned me in my office to come and see his new leading lady. Needless to say, he was given a little surprise when I informed him of the fact that although I agreed with his judgment, he would have to look elsewhere, for his 'discovery' happened to be our newest star. "Ethel Clayton will also start on her first picture as soon as Robert Vignola returns. Mr. Vignola was on his way east, in fact he had already reached Albany, New York, when he received his 'sailing orders' to return. "George Melford has almost finished the Wallace Reid picture, 'The Source,' and he, with his company, arrived back at the studios just before I left, from Huntington Lake after a fortnight of real work and vacation combined. Ann Little accompanied the players and caught her first fish in the lake. In fact the company brought back a host of fish stories, presenting many new and startling ones. "Cecil B. DeMille has practically finished cutting 'We Can't Have Everything.' It was shown recently in the projection room and although not presented in finished form, was unanimously voted a success. It is full of laughs and big scenes and presents a novel story. "Mr. De Mille is to start shortly on a new photoplay, the story of which was written by Jeanie Macpherson. It is our plan to have Bryant Washburn work in this picture and thereafter become a Paramount star. Mr. Washburn has been at the studios quite a lot since his engagement and has made a good impression. He has already proved his talent and great things are looked for in his future productions."