The Moving picture world (April 1920-May 1920)

SU2 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD May 8; 1920 We Have With Us To-Day Director Chet Withey Who Was Once Ambitious to Do Blackface Comedy To interview a director is one thing. But to require two interiors and a twenty-five mile automobile ride in order to get the interview is still another thing. The writer was introduced to Director Chet Withey in his cozy New York apartment and finished the interview at the Griffith studios in Mamaroneck, the trip being made in a limousine. First, the director told of his reason for taking up acting as a profession. "You know," he said, with a smile of recollection, "ever since I was five years old the stage was an attraction. I lived in the West with my folks and played with a lad who wrote short sketches. These plays were presented in an attic and because he cast me in nearly all of them I thought he was the greatest boy in the universe. His name? Why, none other than Channing Pollock!" "When did you really 'break in,' Mr. Withey?" His First Chance. "When an actor came to our town and put on a show for the benefit of a church, my part was to sing and dance and act funny. After the performance all the hometowners congratulated me, but the actor took all the swell out of my chest when he informed me how far below Broadway calibre I was. While playing bits with stock companies on the coast, I would occasionally 'lower' myself by taking roles in film dramas. You know, in those days a legitimate player looked down on the movies." Dodging a Blackface Pariide. Mr. Withey's first real movie affiliation was with the Selig company of Edendale, in 1909, as a scenario writer, this organization and the Bison company being the only two on the coast at that time. "The Mack Sennett studios was my next stop as a scenario writer," he continued; "and herein lies a little joke. I had always wanted to be a blackface comedian and my chance came. Roscoe Arbuckle was preparing for a blackface parade, and, being By HERBERT J. HOOSE unable to garner enough fellows, invaded the scenario department and managed to capture five of the six writers. Peculiar to state, but I was the one out of the sextette that refused. So you see, when the Chet Withey. real opportunity for 'cork' parts came I was apparently too dignified to fall in line. As a result of this unwillingness I was fired on Saturday night." Because he turned out a suitable two reel melodrama in less time than it takes to speak of it for Frank Woods, of the Triangle organization, Mr. Withey was given a position on the company's staff as a writer. Being in close touch with the studios he often took part in Triangle plays and finally graduated into the director's class. "The Old Folks at Home," with Herbert Beerbohm Tree, and "Madam Bo Peep," are two of his many excellent Triangle pictures. Later he directed Billie Burke for a time and then signed with United Artists, the corporation for which he is now working. Wants Appropriate Musical Scores. Mr. Withey is of the opinion that the presentation of a picture has a great deal to do with its success. Some exhibitors in trying to squeeze in an extra performance will instruct their operators to speed up the projector. The result is that scenes will be shown with the players darting about on the screen thereby spoiling a good dramatic scene. Mr. Withey is also strong for the development of appropriate musical scores for all pictures. "I think that the moving pictures have an excellent future and that this future lies mainly in developing a more artistic touch and expert tinting of the films," he answered, when asked his opinion on this question. "At present there are three different tones in black and white. How far we can go in perfecting these, along with the colored films, is not a case for one man alone but a problem for all who are employed in production." The Director's Pipe. By this time the studio was reached and Doris Keane, whom he is directing in "Romance," was patiently waiting to be "put through her paces." After watching Mr. Withey at his work it was easy to see that there are few directors that obtain such excellent results with so little effort. During the entire interview he clung to an old pipe with a large bowl. Who knows but that this smoke producer might be one of the secrets of his success. Unfortunately there are no photographs of it available, but if visitors to the Griffith studios chance upon a gentleman with a pipe, in the act of coaching a cast, most likely it will be Mr. Withey. Signal Company Obtains Associated Franchise for Big Atlanta Territory THE Signal Amusement Company, with big independent theatre holdings in the South, has acquired the franchise for the Atlanta territory in Associated Exhibitors, Ins. This territory includes all of Georgia and most of Tennessee, Alabama and Florida. The present holdings in Chattanooga are the Rialto, Alcazar, Fine Arts, Bijou, Lyric, Superba, Bonita, American, Royal and Post theatres, and their interests in Knoxville include the Strand, Majestic, Queen, Rex and Bijou theatres. The Palace and Princess theatres, Merryville, Tenn., are also owned by Signal. The foregoing houses, however, are only an indication of the rapid expansion and progress of the Signal company, for at present there are under construction severval theatres in various cities and plans under way for many more. Chief of these new houses is the half million dollar Tivoli Theatre, now being built in Chattanooga. This house will have a seating capactiy of 2,500. In addition to this house construction also is under way in Knoxville of the Riveria Theatre. This house will cost $150,000. Leases also have been signed and con tracts let for the construction of the Rivoli, a building that will cost a half million. The Signal company's $80,000 theatre in South Pittsburgh, Tenn., will open within a month, and another new house is announced for Harriman, Tenn. The Signal Amusement Company represents First National exhibitors in their territory. They also are affiliated with the National Theatre companies of Knoxville, which combination controls eighteen other theatres. F. H. Dowlei, Jr., vice president and general manager of the Signal company, said at the time of signing his Associated Exhibitors franchise that his main reason for joining hands with the association was the advantage that the affiliation held for the future construction of an organized body of independent exhibitors in the Atlanta territory. He emphasized his belief that the co-operation of independent exhibitors would be secured through the sub-franchise plan, which offers every exhibitors in the territory a chance to come in on an equitable basis with the Signal company. VerHalen in Larger Quarters. C. J. VerHalen, who recently established himself as advertising engineer to the motion picture industry, has moved into acw offices at 116 West Thirty-ninth street. His former quarters in the Times Building proved inadequate for his purposes. Numbered among his accounts are some of the leading state right companies in the the industry. Harry H. Poppe Resigns from Fischer to Write Scenarios THE ranks of those who write for the screen was augmented last week when Harry H. Poppe announced his resignation as advertising and publicity manager for A. H. Fischer Features, Inc., and embarked in business for himself as a writer of original stories for the screen. He has established his headquarters at 3 East Forty-fourth street. New York. Aside from four years' service as a member of the editorial staff of the Billboard, Mr. Poppe has been connected with stage and film producing companies since his entrance into business. His picture experience covers a period of five years, during which time he directed advertising and publicity campaigns for David Horsley, Yorke-Metro, Octagon Films, Inc., the producers of the Houdini serial, and A. H. Fischer Features, Inc.