The New York Clipper (April 1916)

34 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER MOTION PICTURES April 29 HARRY BHUIS, MOTION PICTURE: EDITOR- CRISTMAN-WHEELER BILL PASSES BOTH HOUSES OF N* Y* LEGISLATURE—PICTURE INTERESTS LOOK TO GOV- WHITMAN TO VETO CENSOR- SHIP MEASURE—BIG MOVEMENT STARTED. H. P. E. LEAGUE AND BOARD OF TRADE BURT THE HATCHET TEM- PORARILY—TRUCE ARRANGED CLAIMED TO BE SATISFACTORY TO ALL HANDS-EXHIBITORS TO RECEIVE FIFTY PER CERT. OF GARDEN SHOW FOR SUPPORT. The Crlstman-Wheeler BUI, calling for the ap- pointment of a censor board to scan the movies before they are shown to the heterogeneous papula- tion of Ne w York, has passed both the Assembly and Senate branches of the New York State Legis- lature. Now the only bope the film interests may cherish. Is that Governor Whitman will lend an attentive ear to the avalanche of protests filed against toe censor measure, and use bis power of veto In a way that will do the most good. In the event of the Governor signing the Christ- mas-Wheeler BUI, New York will have censorship, With all Its attendant trimmings. Including ex- aminers, taxes and everything. Provided the bill becomes a law three members of the New York State Board of Repents will be appointed as movie censors at an annual stipend of (4,000. Additionally three agents will be ap- pointed at $2,000 each, per annum, and three stenographers will take care of the clerical details, at $900 per stenog. A tax of $10 for each thousand feet of film ex- amined by the Censor Board will be another pleas- ant little feature of the law which Governor Whit- man now has before him. For examining dupli- cates, a $5 fee will be charged. All of which will be fine for the treasury of the sovereign State of New York and its public bene- factors, the politicians, but at the same time It will be a very sad blow to the film Interests Id general, and may cost the industry the neat little snm of ?2,000,000 yearly for the privilege of doing business in the State. The picture people however, are not going to be wal'oped hands down, so to speak, and have already placed a petition before Gov. Whitman, signed by 10,000 fans who are unalterably opposed to the censor bill, and therefore pray that the State's chief executive veto the Iniquitous meas- ure without further ado. The governor, on the other hand, has signified; his Intention of carefully considering the matter for the next thirty days. He will not take any definite action for that length of time. In the meanwhile the N. Y. picture Interests and all film men who transact business In the State, so matter where they are located, will do some exceeding)/ anxious watchful waiting. GOV. WHITMAN TO GRANT HEARING. Last week Got. Whitman announced that before taking any action on the State Regents Censor Bill he would appoint a definite date for a head- ing so that all concerned might give their view* for and against the measure. Among those who will be on hand to take up the arrtislde of the discus- sion will be D. W. Griffith, Win. A. Brady, J. Stuart Blackton, J. W. Binder, representing the Board of Trade, and Lee Ochs, who wilt represent the organized exhibitors of N. Y. State. - TRADE BOARD AND LEAGUE BURT HATCHET. The war between the Exhibitors' League and the Board of Trade, which seemed so Imminent last week, has been declared off, at least for the present. Tuesday afternoon, April 25, the factions got together and temporarily settled their differences, said differences being principally the question of whether the League would receive twenty-five or fifty per cent of the net profits of the Madison Square Garden trade show in return for their sop- port of the exposition as an organisation. As a result of the conference the Board of Trade agreed to give the M. P. E. Is OX A. the fifty per cent, they asked for, and in return the M. P. E. L. of A. promised to be good and do their best to boost the Board of Trade Expo, at the Garden, Hay 6 to 14. The exhibitors will hold their own Expo, as per schedule. May 1 to 6, at the Grand Central Palace, and the Board of Trade manufacturers will assist in putting it over according to the peace agreement. OCHS ISSUES A STATEMENT. President Lee Ochs, of the New York State Branch, M. P. E. L. of A., issued the following statement bearing on the controversy which has been so recently settled: "The exhibitors have won a sweeping -victory for full and complete recognition, and are now In a mood for full co-operation In fair return for the Board of Trade's agreement as Individuals to un- reservedly support the Grand Central Palace Show. "Harmony is our middle name when we are con- vinced we are being treated fairly. It Is not our desire to take advantage of any manufacturer, or in fact any other element of the Industry. 'We feel that the Chicago Exposition should be one big get- together affair, where all branches of the Industry should unite on a harmonious and effective program of co-operation. This Is the time we must get together and work together, and the present vic- tory of the exhibitors Is regarded by them as a genuine evidence of good faith. "We feel that the manufacturers will find that a broad, friendly policy of personal and business recognition of the exhibitors will spell better re- sults, continued harmony and teal unity on all matters vital to the Industry. "The stand-off policy is a thing of the past if real results are to be obtained. We shall ask all exhibitors to attend the Garden show, which fol- lows ours. Oar best wishes go with, this endorse- ment" RIALTO HAS AUSPICIOUS OPENING. The new Rlalto, erected on the site of Hammer- stein's vaudeville theatre, opened Saturday even- ing. April 22, for the entertainment of the public. The big event though was the invitational open- ing, Friday evening, April 21. Almost everybody who ds anybody was there. A full list of the notables present would fill ten columns of this paper, and must, of necessity, he omitted owing to space limitations. Suffice to say that Sam/1 Bothapfel has given the metropolis one of the handsomest and most won- drously magnificent temples of amusement this blase city has had the good fortune to have built within its confines to date. The Hlalto, with its sumptuous red, gold and ivory Interior decorations. Its great concert or- chestra and countless unique appointments, ranks to-day, without question, as the foremost picture theatre in America, if not the entire world. Hats off to Boxlel He's America's greatest exhibitor, and in every sense of the word a marvelous show- MORE MERGER TALE. A wire from the coast to this paper states thet Famous Players, Laaky and Triangle Film Corpora- tions have affected a combination. The details of the reported merger could not be obtained, inasmuch as the plan of amalgamation Is still In the enhryo state. SHAKESPEARE DIDN'T WRITE m SAYS CHICAGO JUDGE, SELIG'S ELABORATE SCREEN PRO- DUCTIONS OF BARD'S WORKS (?) BRINGS FORTH CURIOUS LEGAL DECISION. That the legitimate dramatic field, as a sphere of employment, was held in disrepute long before moving pictures crowded it Into the background was revealed by Judge TuthlU's Circuit Court de- cision yesterday, in the case of Col. Wm. N. Selig, of the Selig Polyscope Co. vs. CoL George Fabyan. The Judge's decision was based on the belief that Lord Bacon wrote the Shakespearean plays, using the name of the "ignorant stage hand" In order to disguise the shameful fact that he was engaged In the nefarious work of play writing, which, in that enlightened period, was considered about as reputa- ble as dishwashing. Just when the entire world was preparing to honor the revered memory of the Bard of Avon, whose bones were laid to rest three hundred years ago, when even Germany almost forgot the great •war In her mad chase to honor the Englishman she frequently claimed as her own, that unknown judge In the Insignificant city of Chicago, noted more for packing (a respected business In Shake- speare's day) than for playwrtting (a profession of doubtful standing to-day), had the nerve to assert that—that—oh, it's all absolutely unspeak- able! Motion pictures must be thanked for the con- troversy settlement by judicial decree. CoL Fabyan published Bacon's "The Cipher," which ex- plains the code used to identify the many plays attributed to Shakespeare which emanated from Bacon's pen. Selig had laid elaborate plans for showing Shakespeare on the screen. Knowing that Fabyan's offering would seriously affect the repu- tation of the Avon Bard, Selig obtained an in- junction restraining Fabyan from proceeding with the publication of the cipher. The court ruled that Shakespeare's champion, CoL Selig, must forfeit $5,000 to CoL Fabyan. During the progress of the trial, which was rather long drawn out, witnesses were gathered from all sources, Including the clergy, an endeavor being made to show that neither Bacon nor Shakespeare were responsible for the 'works, some witnesses claiming they had been written by the Jesuits. The early proximity of the release date of the Selig Shakespeare films gave rise to the rumor that -the whole trial had been Instigated as a Selig press agency stunt. Judge TuthlU's declaration that Bacon used Shakespeare's name, with the latter'* consent, to write works that were far beyond the mental range of the man whose only authentic his- tory reveals him as a stage hand, has caused * complete revival of the old argument: "Who wrote Shakespeare?" Expert opinion seems about equally divided. When "Billy" Williams, Singling Bros.' chler press agent, was Informed of the finding, he said I "I didn't think the matter would get Into the court, but I may as well confess. I wrote the plays of Shakespeare. Aside from that, I hand it to CoL Selig for the best press agent stunt In years." Julia Arthur, starring in "The Eternal Magda- lene," Issued a statement in which she declared that no talented actor or actress could do justice to a Shakespearean role, while laboring -under the Impression that the masterpieces had been pre- pared by anyone other than Wlllam, himself. Selig intends to bring the case to a higher tri- bunal—but, in the meantime, lovers of the Bard of Avon have visions of their favorite turning in his grave under the Impetus of the accusations stamp- ing htm as an imposter. TBB 1TEWS taa£ popular Mabel Normand had for- saken slap-stick: comedy and was following in the steps of friend Ruth Roland came as a surprise to the colony here. Miss Normand wOl be seen under the Ince banner in comedy dramas and straight dramas In the future. It Is rather good news, ton.