Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1917)

April 7, 1917 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD. 107 January 24th, 1917. OUITE a sensation was caused amonj; the picture interests here upon the announcement that Alee Lorimore, representing the Famous Players and Lasky concerns, had purchased a controlling interest in the Australian Feature Films Exchange, which is the releasing medium for Paramount Pictures in Australia. Mr. Lorimore has heen appointed managing director of the exchange. A social evening, to commemorate the event, was given by Mr. Lorimore in Ushers Hotel, Sydney, on Monday night, January 21st. A big gathering of sixty persons, including many prominent picture people and representatives of the press, sat down to a sumptuous repast. Mr. Lorimore, in a speech, referred to his plans for the future. He said that in America at present the picture business is much overrun, and the bigger concerns were looking for new ground. It was the intention of his firm to produce feature plays in Australia, with Australian artists, the stories being written by Australians. These would, of course, be made for the American market as well as for the Australian, as the market here was hardly sufficient to pay for the first hundred feet of a finished film. , The Progressive Film Service has started business in Sydney, at 129 Bathurst street. This exchange is handling all Mutual films with the exception of Chaplin subjects, releasing them on the open market principle. The first feature, "Dulcie's Adventure," was released last week, while the current screening is "And the Law Says." The Sydney showing of these subjects has been delayed three weeks owing to their phenomenal success in Victoria and the big bookings received there. The new service is under the guidance of C. Sudholz, recently associated with Australian Feature Films of this city. Mr. Sudholz has been in the picture business for a number of years, and is one of the most experienced men in the business. * * * Chris Richards, a well-known vaudeville artist, left for America this week. The popular comedian, who has just finished a tour of Australia, has been engaged at a big salary to star in pictures under the direction of Alex Pantages, the big American vaudeville magnate. * * * C. L. Yearsley, who has been Publicity Manager for Australasian Films, Ltd., for some time, leaves for America in a few months time, probably to start on business on his own account. Mr. Yearsley has been responsible for some of the best advertising "'stunts" seen in Sydney in the picture line. He has made a specialty of lobby displays, and these have been a feature of the Crystal Palace ever since that theater was opened three years ago. * * * R. J. Dexter, who for the past seven months has managed the publicity work in Melbourne for Australasian Films, Ltd., returned to Sydney last week to take up similar duties here. It is understood that he will take Mr. Ycarslcy's place when the latter's contract expires. * * * John F. Gavin's feature, "The Death of Captain Fryatt," has been completed, and is scheduled for early release. Mr. Gavin is already busy on the script of his next picture, which will be a story of Russian life during the present war. * * * J. D. Williams, who left Sydney for the U. S. A. by last mail, took with him copies of the AustralianNew Zealand production, "The Mutiny of tin Bounty," which was produced by Raymond Longford. This picture is considered one of the best of recent productions, and should compare very favorably with the average American production. * * * The daylight saving scheme is still affecting attendances to all theaters, picture and legit alike. Many of the suburban shows round Sydney have put back their starting hour to half-past eight or even nine o'clock, the entertainment finishing at half-past ten or eleven. * * * It has been definitely decided to present the Griffith spectacle "Intolerance" at the Theater Royal, Sydney, about the middle of February, and so that theater is now being refitted and renovated generally. It has not been stated what prices will be charged, but after the failure of "Legit" theater prices with the "Birth of a Nation," it is improbable that the highest rate of admission will be over half-a-crown (sixty cents). * * * The Fox spectacle, "The Daughter of the Gods," finished its Sydney season at the Hippodrome last week, after a run of a month, during which time good attendances were the case every screening. The Fox Film Corporation is now presenting its usual weekly releases at this theater, which had been empty for some time prior to the "Daughter of the Gods" season. * » * J. Gordeaux, foreign agent for Australian Films, Ltd., leaves this week on a business trip to Java and the Eastern Islands. Mr. Gordeaux will be absent from Australia for a period of about six months. * * * "The Birth of a Nation" has just concluded a big season in •Tasmania, and is to be presented by Australasian Films, Ltd., in Western Australia very shortly. THOS. S. IMRIE. Sydney, N. S. W., Australia, Jan. 24, 1917. BUYING RIGHTS FOR "WOMAN WHO DARED." State rights for "The Woman Who Dared," the first release of Ultra Pictures Corporation, are going quite rapidly. Territory recently closed is as follows: To Harry Schwalbe of the Peerless Film Exchange, Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia and Virginia; to Samuel Grant of the Federal i'eature Film Co., Boston, all the New England States; to Harry A. Samwick of 126 West 46th street, New York, for New York and Southern New Jersey. A. J. Cobe, president of the Ultra Pictures Corporation, is off on another short trip through the middle west and will have more sales to report upon his return. BRENON BEGINS "THE LONE WOLF." Herbert Brenon is in New Orleans, where he took his company to begin work on his third Selznick-Picture, "The Lone Wolf." This is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Louis Joseph Vance, one of the most popular of all American fiction writers. The book has run through several editions, and when it was decided to make a photodrama from the story, it was discovered that not a single bookstore in New York had a copy remaining on its shelves. A new edition is now being rushed through the press to supply the constant demand. ACTRESS CHANGES NAME. Miss Helen Reaume, who is playing opposite Tyrone Power in the Nevada Motion Picture Corporation's 12-reeI production of Herman Whitaker's book, "The Planter." has decided to change her name to Helen Bateman. The change was brought about principally by the difficulty experienced in having her name properly pronounced or understood. METRO PROPERTY MAN DIES. James I Hussey, chief property man of the Popular Plays and Players studio, died ni heart failure at Lakewood. X. J.. whither he had gone in an effort to recuperate. Mr. Hussey had been with the Popular Plays and Players' Co. for a year and a half. lie was twenty-three years old. The funeral took place at Bayonne. BEATRIZ MICHELENA IN NEW YORK. Beatrix Michelena, the famous prima donna and dramatic star, arrived in New York last week after a safe trip from ..-I Mi--* Michelena will slav in New York for a short time and in all probability will assist A. 1. Cobe in the final preparations of "The Woman Who Dared," soon to be released by the Ultra. GOVERNMENT PUTS INDUSTRY ON HONOR. Many motion picture manufacturing and exhibiting companies in the United States have received a communication from the Navy Department warning them against showing in public any motion pictures of American naval or merchant without first submitting the pictures to the Department for final censoring.