The New York Clipper (April 1916)

38 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER April 29 IN AND AROUND WESTERN STUDIOS. JOSEPH KAUFMAS. Joseph Kaufman, formerly a Troll known actor, with a host of successful roles to bis credit, and more recently known to fame through his able di- rection of "Dollars and the Woman," a current Lubin feature film of the better sort of picture plays. Mr. Kaufman has just joined the large producing staff of the Famous Players Film Co. and will from now on direct the principal stars of that or- ganization. Rni.ux S. Stctmeon, the Vltagraph producer, has selected his full cast for his next big feature, the detective play by Cleveland Moffett. William Duncan, George Holt, Nell SMpman and Webster Campbell are the leads, and each one has a clean cut character to represent. Bertram Grassby, the 'fine actor who has been playing seconds to Jack Kerrigan, is now playing the lead with Director I.. Reynolds. He has a capital light comedy part as a young Kngllsh Lord and is playing the character straight, and exacting lots of fun from It. Douglas Fairbanks has completed bis work in another bully feature, "The Bounder,' 1 at least that Is the working title of the picture. In this the bouncing Douglas has a very full scope for his ath- letic prowess, and be certainly makes good use of the opportunities afforded him. Joe 'Singleton, as his valet, and Bessie Love, are both excellent. IF YOU IRE 1 TRIANGLE EXHIBITOR and need suliUnce with your publicity or iilvrrililng -work, let o«u- Publicity De- partment be ofirrvlo to yon. Mew«p»per advertisement* I fo~ each drama release and other «pedal belpa are at j your service. TRIANGLE FILM CORPORATION Broluw Bnlldlna-. K. T. C. The abb stii.i. BUILDING at tbe Western Vlta- graph and the studios are assuming very Important proportions. The new dressing; rooms are com' pleted and the administration building will be attacked soon. William Woldebt is on a three reeler for the Vltagraph, with Webster Campbell and Mary 4n- derson in the leads, while Edgar Kellar has just completed his one reel novelty, and by the stills It should prove to be a -winner. Cleo Madison has a new leading man playing opposite her at the Universal. His first appearance with the director-actress Is in "The Crimson Yoke/' a story of Southern life. Mr. Mong is a capable actor and should do well with his brilliant leading w< Ricrabd Stanton Is back at work again after a very short rest. His "Graft" serial is taking well, and he Is now engaged on a light comedy drama, with Marcia Moore as his leading lady. Some Im- porant work Is outlined for this energetic director. Harry Caret Is again with Ed. J. Le Saint's Universal company, and is playing opposite to Stella Razeto. Stella has a new puppy to replace the never-to-be-forgotten Paddy Wuflen. It Is of champion breed and will be known as Pal. He is six weeks old and barks—there! The Signal Film Corporation are enlarging their laboratories to take care of the increased work. They not only handle their own output but that of two othex concerns. Orrln Denny is In charge, and is regarded as one of the best men in bis line on the coast. These studios are to be en- larged very soon. J. F. McGowan, Helen Holmes, and the big special company engaged are busy on "Whispering Smith," which is said to be making a corking good photoplay. It had to co jib. 'De Wolf Hopper Is to be *eea In "Casey at the Bat:"' In fact, he Is at the bat right now, with. Lloyd Ingraham watching hi* work from behind tie plate. Marguerite Marsh Is playing opposite to the big star. The work at Culver City Is standing aside for the completion of the big "Civilization" film, which opens here on Monday. Some little alterations are being made to make the feature as perfect as possi- ble. Allan Dwan Is producing the new Lillian Glsh play In which she plays a Southern girl who suffers from many unjust suspicions before being vin- dicated. Sam de Grasse, Spottiswoode Aitken and Mary Alden are In the cast. Anita King, the Lasky actress, who Is now a city mother, is lecturing to girls who are movie struck. She gets good audiences, too. She is making the rounds of the high schools. q METRO q PICTURES are the Box Office Pictures because every Metro Star is a Box Office Attraction The Newer, Batter, Finer Productions are demanded by the Pablio Give them. MUSIC AND MOTION PICTURES. BT it. WINKLEK. The real importance of supplying a good and suitable music accompaniment to moving pictures Is being acknowledged with greater insistence from day to day by nil who are Interested In this popu- lar phase of amusement. During the past few years thert have been ever increasing Inquiries as to suitable music for par- ticular films. This has created the so-called "Mu- sical Cue Sheet," a list roughly classifying the scenes Into their various moods. • But when that Is done, how much does the musi- cian benefit? The conscientious musician will strive to im- prove the appropriateness of his music as he plays to the fihn at each successive performance, but he Is obliged to exepriment in the presence of his audience, and by the time he has brought about.a fairly good result, the picture has finished its run at that theatre, and an unknown film takes its place. And this process must be repeated by thousands of musicians. No wonder that lazy or incompe- tent musicians give up the struggle In despair and resign themselves to playing musical doggereL All must agree that this Is a most unsatisfactory state of affairs, and that being so, what is the remedy V Acquire an up-to-date mutio library and insist upon reviewing every feature before the regular performance? But this is Impossible for musician 1 ; playing in theatres changing pictures every day, and the only remedy Is every film should either have a specially arranged musical score in book form or the motionn picture musician must take his work more seriously. He must be able at once to recognize the dramatic possibilities of a picture and to suggest and support them through the medium of his art—but how many do this? Not because they are not capable to fit the musl'c to the various scenes of the picture, but they have not the music. The dramatic possibilities of better features are unbounded, but are the libraries of most of our moving picture musicians unbounded? No! On the contrary, they are very limited. This com- pels them to keep their musical evolutions within the boundaries of their libraries, and the result Is a howling (?) success. Most managers or theatre owners do not seem to know that the reproduction of a moving pic- ture Is heightened to an extraordinary degree If each situation represented therein is bought Into the proper atmosphere, and that this result can be attained only through the rendition of good pro- gram music, selected with special reference to the varied harmonic settings of the picture. Experience has also demonstrated that man- agers and theatre owners always get even on the musicians as soon as a retrogression in receipts is noticed. They do not seem to know that it Is pos- sible to make the music a special attraction and ihat the public Is paying big money to hear a good concert. It Is true, too, that certain Incidents are very hard to represent in the so-called musical language. Why? .;•• Most of the leaders own dramatic sets, printed years ago for curtain raising, short incidents, and Intros to certain actions, few having enough to cover burglar, murder, or fire scenes lasting two or three minutes. Some of the better orchestras use extracts from larger numbers, such as allegros from overtures or excerpts from selections, hut In most cases it Is a matter of great difficulty to find the marked page quickly enough and very often orchestra's begin to play the allegro after the scene it was intended for Is over. Talking about the majority, they use rags, old galops, trots, hesitations, arranged with drum parts for dance balls, and very often the drummer bits a big gong or blows a train whistle when the burglar sneeks through a chimney. It is up to us then to change these conditions. Let us work together to help increase the value of the picture shows and prove to the different managements of theatres that music is Important and lndlspenslble. Tt makes good pictures better, and gives the public double value, a fine show and a fine concert. Knru: ALL BEFOBTS HAL COOLET Is tO go to the Monrovia Company to take the lead In a big fea- ture photoplay. Cooley has advanced very rapidly and has appeared in turn with the Sellg. Universal and American companies.