Variety (July 1919)

'•'■■;' I . oviNG Pictures '"■■■' VV^'J •': STATEWIDE PROBE INTO THEFTS. Rochester, N. Y., July 1. Investigation of film thefts, aggre- gating $1,250,000 in New York state alone, has been placed in the hands of John J. Mclnerney, attorney of this city, by the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry. He has been authorized to conduct a statewide probe into the matter and to use all the power of the law to stamp out all forms of film thievery and to bring the guilty parties to justice. It is said that the film which disap- Eears each year in New York state as an annual earning power of $12,- 900,000. That this loss is sufficiently large to warrant the expenditure of almost any sum which will stamp out the criminal practices that have flour- ished almost unchecked is the opinion of those who are behind the present campaign. .Producers, distributing agencies and exhibitors have joined together in the movement and from now on every sus- ticious action in'the handling of film asiness is going to be investigated. With the growth of the industry and the increase of the film business the thieves have grown bolder as their methods have become more skilled and effective. It is said that railroad cars, express wagons and theatres have been systematically robbed and in many in- stances dishonest employes within the industry have furnished the needed in- formation and assistance to the gang leaders. s In addition to representing the Na- tional Association of the Motion Pic- ture Industry, Mr. Mclnerney is also general counsel for the Motion Picture Exhibitors' League of New York State, the executive committee of the latter body having just engaged him in that capacity for another year. POLICE AT COMEDY OPENING. The opening of the Mack Sen net t ' comedy, "Yankee Doodle in Berlin," with Bothwell Browne and the Sen- nett Bathing Beauties pulled so big a crowd to the Broadway, Sunday night, the police reserves from the West 30th street station had to be called out. On two shows Sunday night, with 60 cents the top, the houses drew a little under $2,000. Monday five shows were run, with the girls appearing at four, the supper show being given without the beauties. Tuesday Sol Lesser made arrange- ments with the management of the Broadway whereby the scale of prices in the house would be raised. Now the lower floor and the balcony are quoted at 60 cents. The engagement at the Broadway was originally for three weeks, but the time has been extended because of the success of the picture so far this week. ' FILM THEFT EXAMINATION. Syracuse, N. Y., July 1. John R. Van Arnam, circus owner and former Syracuse University star athlete, arrested two weeks ago in con- nection with the $12,000,000 picture theft case, is held under $5,000 bail for the action of the Grand Jury, following his examination in police court here. Justice Benjamin Shove ordered Van Arnam held after following the tes- timony of five witnesses. An array of picture talent was present at the hear- ing. Officers of several of the promi- nent film corporations heard the ex- amination and a few testified. Charles P. Jordan and Irvln I. Brown, the film sleuths who were instrumental in Van Arnam's arrest on a charge of ' criminally receiving stolen property, were the first witnesses called. They were also the same detectives who forced the arrest of Hans Frohman, the New York film broker, who was taken into custody here a few days before Van Arnam. Frohman is now out on bail until July 15, when his examina- tion will be held. The detectives recited the story of their trip to this city, telling of how they went to Frohman seeking the purchase of stolen films which they stated were to. be sent into Mexico. They induced Frohman to come to this city with them where the films could be purchased and claim that as a result they secured "The Inner Shrine" and "The Golden Fetter." Brown in his testimony claims that while in New York he drove a truck endeavoring to get a clew in connec- tion with the wholesale theft of movie films. He testified that while doing this he found a stolen film in a Fifth avenue theatre which was purchased by Van Arnam. Attorney John J. Mclnerney, chief counsel for the National Motion Pic- ture Producers, spoke of the showing of the film, "The Golden Fetter," at the Palace, Tupper Take, and called witnesses to prove that it was not sent by the corporation from which it was stolen. Richard C. Fox, a Buffalo film exchange manager, testified the film was not sent to Tupper Lake by the Famous PlayersrLaskjSr Corpora- tion, which he represents, Fox claimed that the film was rented to the Tupper Lake playhouse by Van Arnam. William Candee, of Northrup & Can- dee, testified he bought, out Van Arn- am's film exchange here and with it secured $6,000 v worth of films. He showed a bill of sale from Van Arnam. Among the picture men who were in court were Frederick H. Elliott, execu- tive secretary of the National Associa- tion of the Motion Picture Industry; E. H. Goldstein, general secretary of the Universal; F. H. Hopkins, of Famous Players-Lasky and Samuel Ziegler, of the same concern. LOOKING FOR THEATRES. The theatre probia just now gorg- ing the visions of the operators of several of the big producing and dis- tributing film organizations keeps add- ing to its indications, with the big cities of the country the prime targets. of the sharpshooters. The nine-days' wonder of the B. S. Moss skid to the Famous Player s-Lasky combine is scarce moribund before the offices of the Shuberts and Klaw & Erlanger are made the spots for further negotiation by the big syndicates. Within the week the Shuberts re- ceived an offer for their Chestnut Street theatre in Philedelpbia, their Belasco in Washington and the Acad- emy of Music, Baltimore. Klaw & Erlanger were asked for figures on the Hollis, Boston, as well as for a pur- chase sum for the Colonial, one of the most valuable properties in Chicago. Forced from considering the avail- able theatres of Broadway, the side streets and the 42nd street theatre canyon, of Manhattan, because of the limited seating capacity of most, of those theatres, negotiations have been instituted within the week seeking the. transfer'for picture theatre reconatruc-l tion of the St. Nicholas Ice Rink prop- ' erty at 66th street and Columbus ave- nue; the Iceland rink property at 52d- 53rd streets and Broadway, and the 181st Street Ice Palace, at 181st street and St. Nicholas avenue. Samuel Jacobs, realty operator, with an office in the Longacre Building, de- nied that the 181st street property* .would be sold for picture theatre use, but color is given jto rumors that a theatre will shortly! go up on the site by the abrupt closing of the Palace Ice Rink, now on the property, Sunday night, weeks ahead of the date an- nounced for the regular closing of the ice-skating season, and at a period when the rink was crowded nightly with ice skaters. That some reforma- tion of the property i contemplated is theoretically supported by the fact that many of the skaters had bought club and season tickets good into July, the controllers of the property, Jacobs & Greenbaum, preferring to redeem the club and season tickets 4hanLto keep the "rink peopled. ' ' : ~"~"~~*~7^<m The St.. Nicholas Ice Rink property '£%3&i ii-2ffi:K is managed by Cornelius Fellowes. R : is now subleased by the "Dance Cat- nival" exploiters, who cleaned up at the Grand Central Palace and were forced therefrom by the adaptation of the building to war uses. It is controlled by the Du Ponts. \ The Iceland property is held in trust by C. Fuller. Originally a horse mart, then a roller skating rink, then a pic- ture theatre and dance cafe under the: name of the'; "Rose Gardens," it Imm been a skating rink four years, with its floor space sublet in the summers to an auto sales firm. :> ;■ '/■ •'■■Vt,'- ALLAN ROCK A FIREMAN. > Allan Rock has qualified to become a member of the New York Fire De- partment. Last Thursday morning about 4 o'clock, some lodger in the Bartholdi Inn playfully sipped a^ciga- rette from his window. It landed bn-^tli^ the awning of the b Vabihtt office infc':^M sent it up in flames. "■-, Rock, who was passing, but wnb ^?;f wont say where he was coming from^yyjpp or going to at that hour, noticed: the-^^. fire, and with the aid of the .street v^$|$ cleaning department, which was wash< i v l^i|? ing down Broadway at the time, ; ex- v?|# sS ■ &wm tinguished the flame. s. EUle After Insurance. Elsie Ferguson is after a life insur ancepolicy of $300,000. She has made her application and the life insurance companies are considering it. U^ :•" :i'_' ': ■*■ :'■"?!? <-\- THE MOST THRILLING MOTION PICTURE H EVER MADE! 1 Sounds extravagant, doesn't it? But that's what the thrill-hardened rathe film committeejaid after.seeing ANNE LUTHER and, CHARLES HUTCHISON in the new fifteen episode serial "THE GREAT GAMBLE" Mr. Hutchison does stunts that do not seem humanly possible. He takes his life into his hands time and again. He jumps from great heights; he scales the side of a tali building with no assistance from a rope or anything else; he leaps from one of its high windows into a clothes line; he is carried over a boiling waterfall;, he does a hundred such death-daring deeds. It's a great serial; your audiences will say so. RELEASED AUGUST 3rd •<v:x ; Produced by Western Photoplays, Inc. PATHE Distributors Written and directed by Joseph A. Golden ;m? m '■"'■■'i£ is •.-.-.■I4ii/^.1QU' I ...... >.<-?,•[*.■?-. H.kw&i^ - ■•■..-: IV ., m mm