The Moving Picture Weekly (1916-1917)

-THE MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY -19 CARL LAEMMLE ENTERTAINS UNIVERSAL CITY (By Telegraph to The Moving Picture Weekly.) I NIVERSAL CITY, Cal., June 14 (Special).— The most notable entertainment ever held at a motion picture studio was given last night by President Laemmle, the head of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, on the occasion of his leaving Universal City for New York. No less than 3,000 guests accepted the hospitality of the Big U chief, including the entire population of the picture capital, players from other studios, and well-known citizens from Los Angeles. The mammoth north stage was converted into a beautiful ballroom, lavishly decorated, and hung with lights, while an orchestra provided music for the dancing, which was kept up until the small hours. The Grand March was led by the President and Mrs. Laemmle, and at midnight a buifet supper was served to the immense gathering. The guests voted the Good Fellowship dance the most successful affair ever given at the Coast, and gratitude to the president was expressed on all sides. This afternoon the Universalites, at least, had a chance to express their feeling for their chief. The hour of Mr. Laemmle's departure from the picture city was announced, and work stopped all over the huge plant, as if at a signal. The entire force gathered at the main entrance to bid him good-by, and as his automobile started off for the Santa Fe train, the crowd broke into tumultuous cheering, which must have been heard a mile away. Universal City is accustomed to important arrivals and departures, but no such scene has ever before been witnessed there, and the best of it was that the demonstration was entirely sincere. Mr. Laemmle has put in a busy time at the plant, of which he has been the active head since his arrival from New York. In addition to the arduous duties of this position, with its thousand and one claims upon every hour of his time, he has had to receive and entertain some of the most important visitors to Universal City. Famous people come from all over the world to see how motion pictures are made at the big plant, and as many as possible are personally conducted over the "big lot" by the president himself. Madame SchumannHeink is an old friend of Mr. Laemmle's, and recently paid one of her periodic visits to the film capital, in the company of Miss Ruth Chatterton, star of the successful play, "Come Out of the Kitchen," which was enjoying a run at Los Angeles. More than twenty companies were working on CELEBRATED his departure by giving ball on stage at picture capital to 3,000 people — Mrs. Laemmle assists him in receiving Universal, Bluebird and other stars and well known citizens of Los Angeles. the stages and on location on that day, and Mr. Laemmle had a busy afternoon trying to show his guests everything that was going on. "This is your busy day," said the great singer to her old friend. "All days are alike to me," he answered, "and to the rest of us, for that matter, for we must make hay while the sun shines, you know." Madame would not be photographed in the lion's cage this time, as she explained that after her recent accident in which three ribs were broken, she was not sure that she had regained her nerve sufficiently, but she did pose with a lion cub, three months old. A few days later, Mr. Laemmle re ceived a royal prince, who arrived at the picture city with entire absence of ostentation, and without a single servant in attendance. This was Deva Ram Sokul, Maharaj of Darjeeling, to give him his full title, and he is the ruler of a principality in the Himalayas, which is absolutely independent of British rule. The prince, who is twenty-six years old, has been educated in Europe and speaks several languages, including English. Mr. Laemmle welcomed the prince and then literally presented him with the key to the plant. A thorough inspection followed, and upon leaving, the prince said that nothing in his many trips to the United States had given him more pleasure than this visit. Universal pictures, especially Universal serials, are very popular in Japan, and quite frequently travelers from the Flowery Kingdom are included among visitors to the place where Universal picture are made. Recently Mr. Laemmle entertained Admiral Iwamura and his staff while the Japanese warships were at Los Angeles. COMMANDER OF WARSHIPS VISITING LOS ANGELES MEETS CARL LAEMMLE, PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSAL FILM MANUFACTURING COMPANY {First row, left to right) — Captain S. Saito of cruiser Yakumo; Ujiro Oyama, Consul at Los Angeles, California; Admiral Toshitake Iwamura; President Laemmle; Captain N. Taniguchi of cruiser Tokiwa; Engineer Captain G. Shigemura. (Second row, left to right) — Lieutenant Y. Suzuki; Lieutenant 7. Sato; Y. Harai, President Japanese Assodation of Southern California.