Moving Picture World (Dec 1915)

1842 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 4, 1915 The Junior Mr. Tally and the Mary Pickford Cabinet Display. first week's run at dune's auditorium he snook up to the office and put his name to a contract for a year. We withhold his name. * * * Tally's theater, as usual, is being crowded to the curbs with lovers of the film drama. Mr. Tally ran "Madame Butterfly" last week, and the demand for tickets was so strong that the picture was held over for a split week. The remainder of this week "Bella Donna" is being run. Reserved seats for the entire house are now being sold exclusively here, and the management is well satisfied with the plan, as many people would not wait for seats, but desire to go in immediately. Hereafter the theater will be run just as the large legitimate houses are operated. Mary Pickford in this offering drew the second largest week since she appeared in one some months ago. As an advertising feature Mr. Tally drew a unique little display from the paper. The picture of Mary in the Japanese garden was cut out and pasted on cardboard. An artist painted in trees, etc., and on a large sheet, placed about six inches behind the cut-out, he painted a scene, with the snow-capped Fujiyama in the distance. This sheet is transparent, and at night looks most realistic. The drawing power of the device was shown by the large number of passersby who stopped to gaze into the cabinet. In presenting this feature from the Paramount program, Mr. Tully has gone himself one better by putting "atmosphere" into the house, for from the time one steps into the lobby until he is seated, one is transported to Japan. * * * J. A. Barry, a former newspaper man of the West, and who is connected with the publicity department for Griffith in New York, is a visitor to Long Beach, his former home. Incidentally this publicity man says that the film industry in Los Angeles is more of a magnet to Easterners than either of the West Coast expositions, and that is probably very true. * * * Miss Ethel Weber, who is the third person in the triangle of heavy thinkers who produce big features for the Universal under the Smalley banner, has purchased a Class A looking motor car, a roadster finished in black and white, and it must be a powerful brute the way it barks. Miss Weber helps her sister, Lois Weber, and Phillips Smalley, put on their pictures. * * * For some time Alan Hale has been seen on the screen as a leading star but now he is to be more than starred in coming Lasky releases. Mr. Lasky signed Mr. Hale this week and the big husky star leaves the old Biograph for the Paramount producers. As yet no definite plans have been laid but it is certain that Mr. Hale will be seen in some of the best that will be made by the big company. * * * Al W. Filson is playing the part of his life in a Selig picture which is fast nearing completion. It is the character Biff Schulte, the policeman who camps on the dangerous trail of Chick Hewes, the crook, played by Harry Mestayer. The story is called "The Dragnet," and is a film version of Willard Mack's successful play called "Kick In." The story is being produced by Frank Beale. The part is just the one for Al W. Filson, who will be remembered from vaudeville days with Lee Errol, when he did a skit written by George M. Cohan especially for the couple called "A Tip on the Derby." * * * While at P.ear Valley, this tr;p, the Vitagraphers '^ad a lot df fun. Bi'l Duncan, when asked by Sturgeon if he could paddle a canoe, replied that he certainly could. At the test it is sad to relate, Duncan did everything but paddle. He is powerful, and power is not as essential in propelling a canoe as skill. However, now he can go like the wind, but he carries the name of "Paddling Nelson," in lieu of "Battling Nelson. e * * * The weather has been ideal ever since the first rain and everyone is shooting lots of film. The only difference is a slightly lowered mercury. * * * Since the Selig forces have been consolidated at the zoo studio and the Edendale plant moved over, the place is a busy one. Bob Daly is engaged in producing a three-reel drama featuring Fritzi Brunette. It is called "The False Alarm." Mr. Daly, who is one of the best known directors on the coast, has just finished a five-reel feature for the big program called "Unto Those Who Sin," and it also features Miss Brunette. * * * Director General Henry McRea of the Big U forces held a pre-view of the five-reel feature photoplay "Undine," the water picture made by Henry Otto out in the Pacific Coast islands, with Miss Ida Schnall featured. The picture was projected at the Woodley theater on Monday evening at 11, with many press and picture people present. It was voted a success. * * * That those who make the pictures are deeply interested was proved here this week when Lasky's "Chorus Lady" was given its first run at Ocean Park, in the Rosemary theater. This was the first time the complete film had been projected, not even the players had seen it. We attended, as guests of the Raymond Brothers and Mayor Sams, of the theater, and noticed many picture makers present. Little Miss Marjorie Daw, who played the part of the slip of a country miss who comes to the city to visit her big sister, Cleo Ridgley, was wonderful in the part. Several other players traveled all the way to the beach to see the first projection of the film. * * * Miss Doris Schroeder, who for the past two years or more has been with the Western Vitagraph, went away on a vacation. She chose Bear Valley, a secluded sort of spot way up in the hills, and when she arrived at the mountain retreat, far from the maddening crowd, where she would not see a player with makeup, or smell raw film, or hear the bang of a typewriter, what was her surprise to hear "Action! action! a-c-t — come on there, get some pep into that scene. Show some life! What's the matter with yuh?" bawled out by a Lasky director or some other director who was "on location" in the hills getting scenes for a big picture. Farther on up the river the poor scenario writer came upon the band of Vitagraphers who were filming "God's Country and the Woman." California is full of picture people. * * * So far Captain Cupid controls the situation here with the Balboa army of lovers in the lead by several couples. This week the seventh pair in four months have trotted up to the altar and come away linked for life. This time the youngsters were open and above board, planning the wedding and letting everyone in on the secret. Previously, they disappeared and were gone several days then we heard from some city nearby that a knot had been tied with two players oi film fame. ' The persons who got our best wishes this week are Richard Johnson, a character man, and Lulu Bower, a young actress. * * * While visiting the Laemmle plant last week we held converse with the big chief, Henry McRae, and while he was relating some of his exciting experiences with different heads of departments, he thought of something and told us of a fine new horse that he had just received. The young and spirited animal is a "peach," and it is so proud and spirited that he has named it Peacocke. The genial head of the Coast Universal studios is a boy when it comes to a good horse, and he delights in riding the animal while inspecting the hilly portion of the great plant here. * * * A message from Las Vegas, New Mexico, we presume it is somewhere down below the rim of the desert, says that the Selig players were honored guests of the manager of _ the Browne theater one night this week. They were entertained with a feast in the ice cream parlor^ a row of seats in the playhouse, and afterwards a barbecue luncheon. Among the present ones we noticed the names of Tom Mix, Victoria Forde, George Martin, E. A. O'Brien, Pat Chrisman, and others. 'Rah for the moving pictures!