Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1914)

953 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Morgan-Universal Poster Contract. Over One Million Dollars Involved In Big Deal Which Means a New Era In Motion Picture Publicity. Through a new contract entered into last week in New York, between the Universal Film Manufacturing Company and the Morgan Lithograph Company, of Cleveland, Ohio, the former company has turned over to the latter the designing and lithographing of all of its advertising paper for a period of two years. This is without question the largest poster contract known in the history of the picture business. The magnitude of the transactioh may be realized from the fact that it involves the expenditure in the next two years of $1,300,000 and the eventual designing and printing of over 15,000,000 sheets. Someone with a head for figures has calculated that these sheets, if placed end to end, would reach over 10.000 miles, or a greater distance than from New York to Manila. The details of the deal were/ arranged by President P. J. Morgan, acting for the Morgan Company, and Mr. P. D. Cochrane, head of the Poster Department of the Universal, and were adopted by the Board of Directors of the Universal in their meeting last Monday. By the terms of the agreement, the spacious offices on the fourth floor of the Mecca Building, have been rented and the Morgan Company will immediately install a corps of ten of the best poster sketch artists, in the business, under the direct supervision of Ben Wells himself. As these studios immediately adjoin the premises of tlie Universal, the work will be at all times under the supervision of that company. This will insure a high quality of work that has never previously been attempted in motion picture posters, and much above the standard of previous theatrical lithography. The artists who have been chosen by the Morgan Lithograph Company are masters of oil and water color, and they will devote themselves exclusively to work on the Universal posters, insuring the maintenance of their present high standard. &ENOR FORNAS SAILS FOR HOME. Joseph Fornas, -who had been in New York for several weeks as the special representative of Mr. .•\rhbrosio, of Turin, Italy, sailed for home on the Kaiscrin Auguste Victoria, on Thursday, February 12. Mr. Fornas, during his stay, has met many film men covering all branches of the industry. Mr. Fornas says he has been impressed with the difference in the methods of doing business in the metropolis and in Turin. In the latter city business men may begin as early in the morning as 8 o'clock, stopping at 12 for a couple of' hours, and then continuing perhaps until 8 o'clock in the evening. Before sailing Mr. Fornas said that he expected to return to New York in the not distant future — that, in fact, he did not intend to be a stranger to New York. "I know my subway now, you know," he said, with a smile. V V Senor Fornas in a Reflective Mood. The accompanying five-reel photograph may be said to be a multiple view of a many-sided man. Mr. Fornas said that in his talks with film men he had found a liking for comedies and also for the dramas of the sensational sort — that is, of the exciting kind; not, however, for those bordering on the gruesome, for the adventurous as opposed to the bloodletting. In fact, the Italian visitor said there seemed to be a wide variety of opinion as to what the public did really care the most for, but sifted down a good picture of any description would "go." Mr. Fornas will take home to Italy with him the memory of many old friendships renewed and many new ones firmly established. '"Beneath the Czar." An Effective Four-Part Solax Feature. Reviewed by W. Stephen Bush. HER ear keenly attuned to the demands of popular taste. Madame Blache has given us a most sensational story in films without sacrificing either art or good taste. These pictures are truly crowded with action, the interest is born with the very first scene and is well sustained; not an inch lags superfluous on the screen. "Beneath the Czar" is another illustration of the fact that American producers are quite as capable of cutting a figure in the feature field as their most redoubtable rivals on the other side. The producer in this instance has shown a power of creating atmosphere without tiring out the patience of the spectator. The Russian atmosphere is present in this picture just as the Parisian atmosphere was plainly tangible in the last Solax release. Miss Claire Whitney and Fraunie Fraunholz are featured in this release and both make the best of their parts. The picture opens very strongly by showing a Russian revolutionist undergoing tortures and being urged to confess . He refuses to confess despite his agonies. His daughter is then brought in, and, moved by the sufiferings of her father, she agrees to act as a spy for the government if her father is freed from his torments. The daughter now believes that it is her duty to keep faith with the police and she consents to spy on a leader of the revolutionists. Prince Rubetzkoi. This prince, a noble-hearted patriot, is seeking to achieve his country's fre'edom. The reluctant spy becomes acquainted with him and her conscience revolts at the idea of betraying him and his associates. She therefore turns on her employers and even aids the Prince to escape. This escape is one of the thrilling parts of the play. The prince seeks to lead his pursuers astray by hiding in a tree. His hiding place is discovered and an attempt is made by one of the soldiers to rlislodge him. Tlie attempt failing, it is decided to chop down the tree and this is done in the most realistic manner, Fraunholz taking considerable of a chance in staying on the toppling tree to the last second. The settings and the situations deserve the highest praise. The scene where the daughter of the imprisoned revolutionist lures the governor into the torture chamber and makes him place himself in a helpless position is especially strong and clever. The setting of the secret council chambers and the subterranean passage ways are well designed and convincing. Evidences of able and conscientious direction axe present all through the feature, which is undoubtedly one of the best tliat ever left tlie Solax studio. LUCILLE YOUNGE, NOT AS A COWGIRL. HERE is a picture that shows Lucille Younge ofT a horse. The girl, who has been identified with Western productions so long that you probably wouldn't recognize her in a "still" that hadn't cowboys in it, has passed up the cowboys, the Indians, the sheriffs and the bad, bad outlaws temporarily. She will be seen in real "society stuff" in New Majesties. Writing about the change. Miss Younge says: "I certainly like to work with my old director, Mr. Henderson, and Billy Garwood in my first love, society and modern dramatic stories. I'm rather tired of wild west riding, which has been mainly my line of work for the past three years. It seems good to do my acting again on terra firma instead of iiorsebnck. I love to ride horseback, but think I am better in the line of parts I had back East with Imp and Thanhouser. I have asked tlie Majestic scenario editor to find a blind girl part for me like the one I did in that old Thanhouscr "When Love Was Blind,' for acting I ever had in Lucille Younge. which gave pictures." me tlie finest chance