Variety (July 1919)

. r :;•■'. ----,-< :■;-;;■-■ 5 MOVING P ICT BIG CANADIAN COMBINE FORMED TO BUY AMERICAN MADE FILMS -j—;i..O.-:<.■-■.-»., am ES ■ ■ ■. *fj:' DORIS KENTON WITH HODKINSON. DISPUTE OVER INDIA'S RIGHTS. New Organization Open For All Kinds of Purchases, According to Alexander Hawtrey. Visitor Bewails Lack of "Artistic Perception" in Present Day Pictures. A With every foot of studio floor, space in the country bringing bonanza rates, with audiences piling into the country's 16,000 picture theatres in volumes and at higher prices for seats than they have ever paid before, even in the warm weather season, the news of the formation last week in Toronto of a big group of war-rich speculators, who design buying up American-made films and incidental film values, comes as an added thrill just now even to the mute drama's optimists. Alexander Hawtrey, one of the clus- ter, who arrived from Canada and is stopping at the Astor. spoke unreserv- edly of the purpose of the combination : of whom he is one. / "I am not at liberty to'mention the names of my associates. I myself am one of the many film men of London put out of business by the war. It will be some time before the old country gets its pace back, and as I and my partners feel that as pictures are a perishable commodity, we prefer to deal in existing values rather than in the futures that investment in the for- eign market must mean at this time. "We're open for all kinds of picture purchases. We shall not produce, but we shall be glad to finance pictures already under way that we may deem prospectively profitable; We will en- gage stars and negotiate them, where our judgment directs. WCwill invest in theatres already going. We have ample capital. We do not consider our business unusual in any of its depart- ments. "My two associates are familiar with most phases of the film business. We shall buy the rights to produce certain novels and plays, and negotiate for their resale. We believe the present year of films a stabilized one, during which anyone reasonably adventurous and reasonably conservative—and I don't regard the condition as a para- dox—can make big money by big and even by small investments." Desirous of justifying his claim to a knowledge of the several branches) of films, the visitor bewailed the lack at this time of what he termed "artistic perceptions" in all save one or two of the big producing companies. He and his associates are plunging into films in this country to take advan- tage of what they deem "soft spots* Saying his judgment was shared by his associates, Mr. Hawtrey said he and his partners planned to clean up main- ly by directing their whole attention to what he designated as "manipula- tion." None of the big companies, save the Fig Four, he said, was getting 100 per cent, out of their products. The big combinations are all so tense in turning out pictures or increasing the number of their theatres or franchise holders that they have wholly lost sight of the fortunes in their hands that they do not negotiate. Illustrat- ing his point, the visitor pointed to the casual interest given the produc- tions of the French producing directors for the World several seasons ago a Tourneur, Capellani and Chautard— with Alice Brady, Robert Warwick, Clara Kimball Young and Vivian Mar- tin, among the World's stars at "that time, and to the fabulous fortunes made by other exploiters of, these same directors with these same\ stars subsequently when .the product was blazed for its full face value, and ex- hibitors throughout the world aroused by agitating publicity to an apprecia- tion of the unusual quality offered in the films of the three Frenchmen. Clara Kimball Young was as good an actress when the World first marketed her as she was when Lewis Selznick grabbed her and squeezed the cards for every dollar there was id the hand. In like measure, the same statement is true, of Miss Brady, Warwick and Miss Martin, Mr. Hawtrey urges. At the time the World Film Corporation was marketing these productions abroad the British rights could have been told for twice what they brought if the leaseholders had only gone about their business informed.^ Mr. Hawtrey de- clared. Other convictions he expressed were that the Vitagraph in its palmiest days never did "go after" the 100 per cent, returns its productions warrant- ed, but kept, literally running around in a circle, chasing its own tail, and adding star after star and director afjer director to its producing staff with little or no attention to price- -fixing and profit-getting; that the pic- tures of Dorothy Kelly, since retired, produced by the Vita could have drawn' the Pickford money of today if as^ tutely. marketed; that Anita Stewart's films could have been sold by the Vita for approximately as much money as that star's present operators will clean up on her; that film men would do well to heed the advice of the late J. P. Morgan that/no investor should em- bark in any/ kind of business unless . equipped with three things—nerve, ample capital and accurate and intim- ate information of all branches of the business, involved; that Mary Miles Minter, who jumped into a contract of more than a million dollars for three years' service last week could have par- alleled the business of Mary Pick- ford at different times within the past two seasons under the right manipula- tion ; that the judgments of film leaders needed standardizing, as witness Lewis Selznick, far-visioned enough two sea- sons ago to grab and operate Clara Kimball ifoung, falling down the same season m letting Mary Miles Minter sl'P through his grasp for a difference of $50 per week in the salary she asked and that which he was willing to pay, the star, asking $300, $350 and $400 per week, successively in a three-year con- tract and Selznick losing out because he refused to pay more than $250, $300 and $350, progressively for a three- year period; that the native market is red hot with past and present illustra- tions of the bonanza fortunes in films for operators who know how to play every card for its full face value. JEAN PAIGE'S LUCK. Vitagraph has just signed Jean Paige on a two years* contract. A newcomer in pictures, her luck was proverbial. She appeared in what was to be a minor role in 'Too Many Crooks," an offering starring Gladys Leslie. Much to everyone's surprise, she walked away with the picture. The result was that Vitagraph offi- cials signed her as quickly as possible. FRENCH BUYER HERE. J. Rosen, of Paris, arrived in the country last week to buy American films far France. Ho will remain several weeks. Through an arrangement which has been completed by Theodore C. Dei- trich and W. W. Hodkinson, the future productions in which Doris Kenyon is to be starred will be released through the Hodkinson exchanges. Instead of these productions being made by the De Luxe Pictures Corporation they will be the product of Deitrich-Beck, Inc. . .The company was organized this week in Albany. Mr. Deitrich was elected president, and production man- ager of the organization while Arthur F. Beck treaturer of the, Artco com- pany (producers of the Augustus Thomas dramas) is secretary, treasurer and business manager. The entire North American rights will be in the hands of the W. W. Hodkinson Cor- poration while the foreign rights will be controlled by the Frank Brockliess company. The plan is to produce from four to six pictures annually with Miss Kenyon as the star. All of the pictures will be made from stories by Louis Joseph Vance. The first will be/ "The Band Box" which has been in the "best seller" class during the last year. FIRST NATIONAL ASSESSMENT? According to report about an as- sessment of First National franchise holders is imminent. !£he amount is not mentioned. The franchise holders' so far are said to have paid in over $1,000,000 to the First National treasury and are obligated for $1,500,000 more on con- tracts by next fall. ..\ WOODS' PICTURE. A. H. Woods is to send a number of .road companies on tour next season with a feature picture entitled Tree and Equal." It is a story of race dif- ferences in color. ■The picture was secured by him "more than a year ago and has been kept on the shelf until the closing of the war. ALICE BRADY IN "SINNERS.* Alice Brady will do "Sinners" by Owen Davis as the first of eight pic- tures she is to make for Realart. Ken- neth Webb will direct.' . DORALDINA'S OWN CO. Doraldina, the dancer, who +ias ap- peared in several film productions, is tb have a picture company of her own. W. H. Diets Reindicted by Government. Seattle, Wash.,.July, 1. . After 14 hours deliberation, the Fed- eral Grand Jury, in Spokane, disagreed in the case of William H. (Lone Star)'*' Dietz, a picture player charged by the Government with making false regis- tration at the time of the draft. Dietz asserted he was of Indian parentage, therefore exempt v Shortly after his discharge he was re-indicted on two counts, charging false registration and falsifying his questionnaire. Dietz is out on bail. Anderson Starts for Coast. G. M. "Bronco Billy" Anderson left for the Coast, last Monday. He will start immediately on a new series of five-reel Westerns. The demand from the European mar- ket for Westerns for the continent has been so big as to prompt him to re- turn to the film field. Norwegian Film Man Here. G. A. Olsen, general manager of the Nora Film Corp., of Christiania, Nor- way, arrived this week on the Fred- erick VIII. He will remain in the country for about a month studying film conditions. ' Calcutta, May 2d. Bijou, Ltd., distributors of picture films in the Indian Empire, secured an injunction May 24, forbidding the In- terna tionalJB anking Corporation to jmL-~ lease "Lest We Forget, a production made by Metro, an American film cor- poration. The dispute rose as a result of a dis- agreement between Bijou and D. B. Howells, an American film agent with offices in New York. Bijou claims Howells agreed to let them have, for a consideration, the .distribution rights for India to the feature picture in ques- tion. Later he entered into another arrangement with the International, it is alleged. To prevent this arrangement going into effect Bijou applied for and secured an injunction from Justice Greaves. rr^r-y F. P. IN MEMPHIS THEATRE DEAL Memphis, July 1. A deal for the sale of the Majestic Amusement Co.'s holdings, including five picture houses and a lease on the Lyric Theatre, to the Memphis Enter- prise Co. was closed here last week. John D. Martin, an attorney through whom the transfer was made, declined to discuss the connection between the Memphis Enterprise Co. and the Par-. amount-Artcraft Films, but it is under- stood the picture concern is interested in the local purchase. .According to Mr. Martin a formal announcement of changes in policy will be made in a few days. The Majestic theatres were purchased from R. C; Tarlton and C F. Bridges. ^VANCOUVER VERY BUSY. Vancouver, Can., July 1. According to reports, this city is go- ing to have several new theatres. The Aliens of Toronto will commence work shortly on their new pictureT&euse. Meetings are being held, to try to arrange for the construction of an auditorium to seat 5,000. Rumors are ■ circulating in .regard to the erection of a-uew legitimate theatre. Several years ago a new house was started,but- was abandoned after the foundations had been put in and the steel work erected. Last season it was reported Klaw & Erlanger would complete this undertaking, but nothing was done. The season just ending has been one of the best here in a,number of years. F. P.-L, People Sail. Albert Kaufmann, studio manager for Famous Players-Lasky, sailed forEng- land June 30 on the Aquitania to take charge of the F. P.'s new producing studios now in course of erection near London. Eva Unsell, who will head the F. P. foreign scenario department sails July 15. -7 ■■■<■'. \:'-i m I ■ -^ _ Eg£ ■- ■-■-■&. :■■■•■ V-"::U=v. • -J.'- ' ■■"•%■ Dallam with Pathe. ' Frank Dallam, newspaperman just returned from France, has been added to the publicity staff of. the Pathe company. He is assistant to Randolph Lewis. iiSso Mae Murray Back with Famous. Mae Murray has returned to Famous Players-Lasky for picture appearances. Jack Cunningh Free Lancing Again Hollywood, Cal. Phone: 579,129—1919 ViiU Del Mar : : ■ ..■,:<?■:' '••*;-:•■"■'■ . ■