The New York Clipper (February 1917)

February 7, 1917 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER 33 BAUMAN SELLS INTEREST IN TRIANGLE QUITS FILMS FOR YEAR AT LEAST New York filmdom experienced a mild sensation last week when Adam Keaael, of the firm of Kessel and Bauman, announced that Obas. O. Bauman had sold out all of his Interest In the N. Y. M. P. Co. and the Triangle Film Corporation and would retire from the film business for at least one year from the date of January 31,1816. The purchaser or purchasers of the stock held in the two concerns by Bauman was not disclosed. W. W. Hodkinson, of the Triangle, representing the McClore inter- ests, is said to have been the person who engineered the deal. On the other hand it was asserted by several in touch with the situation that a prominent Wall Street capitalist, who preferred for the present to remain anonymous, had bought the Bau- man holdings. Bauman, who is understood to have re- ceived $500,000 for the stock involved in the transaction, left for Los Angeles Wednes- day, January 31, just, twenty-four hours after the final details of the transfer were arranged. He was accompanied by Cbas. Kessel, whose mission on the coast will concern the future output of the Ince and Sennet studios. A combination of the N. T. M. P. Co., Keystone and Fine Arts to be followed shortly by an amalgamation with the Tri- angle Film Corporation, resembling the grouping of the Paramount concerns under one head, has been hinted at by an official well qualified to forecast coming events. With Triangle controlling its producing allies, it is conceded that the concern would constitute a formidable rival to any of the service companies currently bidding for the .business of the exhibitor. FUNKHAUSER IN AGAIN Major Funkhauser, who kept the Chicago film men up nights a couple of years ago trying to figure out some of his oft times weird censorial rulings, has been restored to power again through the suspension of Police Chief Healy, against whom graft charges are now pending. Funkhauser is rigidly enforcing the laws governing the admission of minors, etc., to picture bouses. ALLEGED FILM THIEF ARRESTED William Bowen was arrested and held In $6,000 ball for action by the Grand Jury last week charged with the theft of six reels of film entitled "The Wonderful Ad- venture," belonging to the Fox Film Cor- poration. The feature is alleged to have been stolen, January 4, from an express wagon standing in front of the Fox offices. 130 W. 46th street, New York. ANNA LITTLE WITH SELZNICK Anna Little will be seen in support of Robert Warwick In "The Court of St Si- mon" when the B. Phillips Oppenheim novel is released In picture form by Lewis J. Selznick. DETROIT RAISES PRICES The high cost of living has bit the movie patrons of Detroit with a vengeance. Most of the picture houses of the better grade formerly charging a twenty-five cent tariff have raised the ante to fifty. The few jitney houses, just to be regular, tilted the admission op to a dime. DAVIS WITH ART DRAMAS Will S. Davis is directing for Art Dramas, his first production being "The Cloud," starring Jean Southern. Davis was with Fox for two years and la credited with having staged some of that company's biggest money makers. LAMBERT SUING VITA Richard Lambert has started a legal ac- tion against the Vitagraph Co. on the grounds that "The Blue Envelope Mys- tery," a recent release, infringes on the title of "The Blue Envelope," a play pro- duced in New York last season, by him. INDIANA KILLS CENSOR BILL Representative Eikenberry's censorship measure calling for state regulation of mo- tion pictures and other forms of amuse- ments has been permanently shelved by the Indiana Legislature. PRINTERS OFFER ASSISTANCE The printing trade unions of the coun- try have offered to co-operate with motion picture men In fighting adverse legislation. A protest has been filed already against the proposed New York State tax, now in course of Investigation by the Wheeler Com- mittee. SAPPHO COMING SOON The Famous Players-Lasky combination, wb'ch has always been the loudest in its protestations for "cleaner and better pic- tures" has completed a five-reel film ver- sion of Daudef s novel "Sappho." Pauline Fredericks plays the part originated in America by Olga Netbersole. CANADA BANS DEPOSITS The Exhibitors' League of the Maritime Provinces, with headquarters at New Bruns- wick, has thrown down the gauntlet to ex- changes demanding deposits. Hereafter no film showman belonging to the leagne will pay in advance for service. If the ex- changes are insistent, league exhibitors threaten to close their houses before sub- mitting to what they consider a hold-up. EARLE'S PROMOTION Wm. P. S. Earle has been promoted to the post of chief assistant to Commodore Blackton in charge of productions at the Vitagraph studio In Brooklyn. Earle started with the company three or fonr years ago in a small capacity and has gradually worked his way to the top. NEW FILM CORPORATIONS Stanley Booking Corporation, Eddy- ville, N. Y., capital $50,000; Supreme Pro- ductions, Inc., N. Y. City, capital $10,000: Industrial Finns Advertising Co., N. Y. City, capital $100,000: Verlbest Photoplay Corporation, N. Y. City, capital $150,000: Fraternity Films Inc., N. Y. City, capital $10,000. GENERAL FILM GETS FICTION RIGHTS SECURES STREET & SMITH OUTPUT Through a deal consummated last week the General Film Company secures the exclu- sive film rights to the past, present and future fiction output of the large string of magazines published and controlled by Street A Smith. The concern has thousands of stories suitable for filming that have ap- peared in Ainalee'*, Smith's, People'*, Top- notch, Detective Storiet and Popular maga- zines. Horkhelmer Bros., acting under an arrangement with Ben. Hampton, president of General Film, will start turning these into four-reelers immediately. The General proposes to release the Street & Smith stories as regular program features at the rate of one a week, start-, ing March 2. The magazine people will co- operate with the film distributing company to the extent of carrying page advertise- ments in all of their publications heralding the combined picture proposition. Street & Smith had intended to enter the film busi- ness this spring on their own account, it is understood, but the general unsatisfac- tory conditions prevailing throughout the trade altered their plans. Ben. Hampton, the recently elected presi- dent of the General, is a live wire, and the Street A Smith deal is but one of the twentieth century ideas the executive hss in mind to place the company up among the leaders again. While the story has not been verified, it was rumored on Broadway last week that Hampton was working out a plan to purchase fonr producing com- panies, tie them up with the General and make a radical change in the current methods of distribution. Whether or not the General would enter the retail business by purchasing picture houses could hot be learned, bnt it b within the bounds of possibility. HENDERSON DIRECTOR IN CHIEF The Empire-Mutual combination baa se- lected Dell Henderson as director in chief of productions. Henderson has pnt on every sort of screen play from a Keystone comedy to a Famous Players feature. He is one of the original Biographers, his en- trance into pictures being contemporaneous with Mack Bennett and others who bave since risen to fame. MOSS GETS BEST "SELLER" Through a deal with Brown, Little. & Co., the publishers, B. S. Moas has se- cured the film rights to "The Sins of the Children," rated as one of the past sea- son's six best selling novels. Arthur Mac- Hugh claims it is going to be a regular humdinger. The picture will be ready in April. GENERAL CANS RELEASE DATES Hereafter the release dates of General Film will be shrouded in deep mystery. Ben Hampton has inaugurated the plan along with several other innovations. MARY GARDEN IN "SALOME" Mary Garden, the Grand Opera star, has signed a contract with Goldwyn Pictures, Inc., to appear in an elaborate screen ver- sion of "Salome." Three months ago Miss Garden was reported to bave accepted an offer of $100,000 for a ten-weeks' picture engagement, tendered by Herbert Brenon, but something happened and the deal fell through. HELEN HOLMES IN VAUDEVILLE The Pantages Circuit has arranged a tour for Helen Holmes and J. P. Mc- Gowan, Helen of "hazardous" fame and her director bave framed an act and will appear conjunctively with the Mutual serial, "A Lass of the Lumberlands." SHEA'S COMPANY PRODUCING The Canadian Feature Film Corp., in which Mike Shea and Pat Casey, the vau- deville men, are said .to be largely inter- ested, started producing in Toronto, Can- ada, last week. It is understood that the concern's output is intended primarily for the numerous U. B. O. picture bouses. EASY PUBLICITY FOR SANGER Eugene Sanger secured a bunch of valu- able publicity in the New York dailies last week by the simple expedient of writing letters outlining his censorship views to the editors. Sanger, whose film output since he started in business about six months ago has consisted solely of "announce- ments," threatens to forsake the typewriter for the camera shortly and show the old- timers what a regular movie should look like. OPERATORS' CONVENTION The International Alliance of Stage Em- ployees, which includes most of the motion picture machine operators' unions in the country, will bold a convention at the Sut- ler Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio, during the week of Feb. 28. The meeting la scheduled to run for two weeks and will take up many questions of vital interest to the fraternity. CLARKE IRVINE'S NEW JOB Clarke Irvine, until recently Coast rep- resentative of a film trade paper, has been appointed publicity manager of Yorke- Metro, with headquarters at Hollywood. California. Irvine Is a clever writer and knows every angle of the film game. CORSE MAKING COMEDIES Corse Payton, who rejoices in the title of "America's best bad actor," will shortly be seen on the screen in a series of com- edies now in course of production in a New York studio. Payton appeared about ten years ago in one of the first "chase" pic- tures ever filmed. The erstwhile "rep" star of the ten, twent and thirt, is well known throughout the country and should make a capital movie drawing card. "NATION" PASSED IN OHIO Following a two years' battle with the censorial solons of Ohio, D. W. Griffith has finally managed to secure official permis- sion to exhibit bis masterpiece, "The Birth of a Nation," within the sacred precints of the Buckeye State.