The New York Clipper (April 1917)

34 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER April 11, 1917 MOTION PICTURES HOUDINI SIGNS FOR A SUBSEA MIRACLE TO ACT FOR WILLIAMSONS Hondini, the famous vaudevillian who liberates himself from shackles, tanks and sealed cells, haa entered a contract with the Williamson Brothers to perform mir- acles in subsea pictures. The announcement from the offices of the Williamson Brothers, who originated submarine motion pictures and have al- ready enriched the film indnstry with tre- mendous scenes from the floor of the ocean, describes the forthcoming Houdini film as the masterpiece of their record. The Belf-liberator is declared to have ob- tained the largest price ever paid to a film star for one production. A special story, involving the necessity of the hero extricating himself from ap- parently overwhelming enfetterments, fathoms below the sea surface, will be written by an author of national note. One of the particular things expected of Houdini in this film, will be to emerge from a steel tube resting sixty feet under water, without breaking the glass, two inches thick, that forms the window. Houdini expresses great enthusiasm over the project. He is confident, also, that he will not perish in the feat laid out for him. REFUSED TO SHOW CHAPLIN FILM Portland. He, April 8.—The suit of the Mutual Film Corp. against Abram Goodside for breach of contract was begun today in the Supreme Court. According to the plaintiff company, Goodside entered into a contract to lease twelve Charlie Chaplin films for exhibition in his the- atre but presented only two and refused to display the remaining ten contracted for. MOVIES FIND LOST BANKER Mobile, Ala., April 5.—William Me- Causland, the Baton Rouge banker who disappeared a year ago while hunting, is alive according to the life Insurance com- pany in which he carried policies of more than $100,000. As proof of its claim the insurance company has exhibited motion pictures of the supposed banker taking Hunting lessons in a Seattle music hall. FAIRBANKS CHOOSES LEAD Eileen Percy, who has been appearing in "The Century Girl," has been selected by Douglas Fairbanks to play the oppo- site lead to him in his second production for the Artcraft Pictures Corporation, en- titled, "A Regular Guy." Miss Percy will leave for the Coast the eud of this week to begin her initial screen work with Fair- banks. LOCKWOOD SIGNS WITH YORKE Harold Lockwood has signed a two- year contract with President Fred J. Bal- shofer, of the Yorke Film Corp, by the terms of which he will be starred in a number of Master features, unions which are "Under Handicap," "Paradise Garden" and "The Yellow Dove." DUDLEY FORBES SENTENCED Dudley Forbes, a film actor with the L-Ko Film Co., was sentenced last week to spend fifteen days in jail on the charge of speeding and driving an auto while intoxicated. RIALTO TO HAVE ANNIVERSARY The Rialto will celebrate its first anni- versary during the week of April 22, when the Douglas Fairbanks' picture, "In Again, Out Again," will be the feature. FAIRBANKS GOES WEST A farewell luncheon prior to his de- parture for the coast was tendered "Doug" Fairbanks, the screen actor, by the Art- craft Pictures Corporation in the Peacock Room at Murray's last Saturday. Be- sides the officials of the corporation, there were thirty-five representatives of vari- ous trade and daily newspapers present. A unique favor in the form of a "song primer' was given each guest by Pat V. Kyne, manager of Murray's. Fairbanks in his speech stated that these were all songs that he once knew but had almost forgotten. Fairbanks, accompanied by Benny Zeld- man, his personal publicity purveyor, left for San Francisco on the Twentieth Cen- tury Limited on Sunday afternoon. After a brief rest he anticipates beginning work on his second release. "WOMAN AND THE BEAST" SANE "The Woman and the Beast," a five-reel production of the Graphic Films, Godfrey building, New York, is described in ad- vance notices as one with a "sane plot." It is a state rights offering. Marie Shotwell, who starred in "En- lighten Thy Daughter" and "The Witching Hour," heads the cast. A husband who practices pacifism rigidly through his daily life, but who, in a pinch, exhibits the energy of a belligerent, provides the story. W1.1.W. BURKE SIGNS AGAIN Billie Burke has signed a two years' contract with the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, and her first moving picture under this contract will be "The Mysterious Miss Terry," by Gelett Burgess. She will pose for the pictures during the summer and in the winter win appear on the regular stage in a new play under the di- rection of her husband and manager, F. Ziegfeld. Jr. LOVE FRACTURES ARM Montague Love, while acting before the camera last week, sustained a fractured arm which will lay him up for some time. The picture called for Love to be thrown downstairs by the "villain," and the. throwing was done so realistically that further work on the picture is suspended until Love has sufficiently recovered to use his arm. "NATURAL LAW" FOR MOVIES Charles Sumner's play "The Natural Law" is to be made into a feature mov- ing picture by the France Films Co. How- ard Hall, who created the part of Dr. Webster in the New York production of the piece, is to have the same role in the picture. TO PROGRAM BERNHARDT FILM It has been decided that "Mothers of France," the Sarah Bernhardt picture play recently purchased by World-Pictures Brady-Made, will not be released on the State rights plan. TO FILM WILCOX WORKS The Warner Brothers have just closed a contract for the exclusive film rights to the poems, books and writings of Ella Wheeler Wilcox. The deal involves an expenditure of $213,500. NAME NEW PICKFORD PICTURE "A Romance of the Redwoods" is the title of the new Mary Pickford picture, which she has just made in California under the direction of Cecil B. De Mille. TOM BRET WITH METRO Tom Bret, the motion picture play- wright, has joined the Metro-Rolf e scen- ario department. Until quite recently he had been with the Vitagraph Co. IRVING TAKES VACATION Director George Irving, of the Frohman Amusement Corp., has, by advice of his physician, left for California on a vaca- tion. G0LDWYN PLANS DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM SCHEME READY IN JULY Samuel Goldfish, president of the Gold- wyn Pictures Corp., announces that his corporation will own and operate its own distributing organization. The new enter- prise is arranging to open offices in the various cities near the center of zones in which distribution is -to be undertaken. The corporation expects to be ready to deal with exhibitors early in July. Since the beginning of its career last December, the corporation has been corre- sponding with exhibitors all over the coun- try, and soliciting suggestions from these showmen as to good methods of distribu- tion. Mr. Goldfish asserts in his latest an- nouncement that the replies were over- whelmingly in favor of a Goldwyn-owned distributing organization. Scores of expe- rienced operators in pictures have offered to buy franchises for regional rights or part ownership of territories. The aggregate of these offers is over $1,000,000, Mr. Goldfish sayB. JANE GREY AWARDED $5,233 Jane Grey has been awarded a verdict of $5,233 in a suit brought for breach of contract against the Triumph Film Com- pany. Her contract, called tor a fifteen weeks' engagement at $500 per week. Dur- ing one of the'' rehearsals she is said to have called Director' Golden a liar, where- upon she was arbitrarily dismissed from the cast. Nevertheless, the court decided in her.favor. She was represented in the action by O'Brien,. Malevinsky and Dris- coD. Max Stener appeared for the film company. GENERAL FILM CO. FOR CANADA The General Film Co. of Canada, Ltd., has been organized to distribute in Can- ada the same product handled by the Gen- eral Film Co. in the United States. Its headquarters will be in Montreal, with several branches throughout the Do- minion. The officers of the new company are T. A. Hubley, president; Harold Bol- ster, vice-president, and T. Coppelman, secretary and treasurer. All the business of the company will be transacted from the main office in Montreal. COLDWYN GETS STUDIO The Goldwyn Pictures Corp. on April 2 took possession of the Universal Fort Lee studio and plant recently leased, and installed some of its producing units there. Aubrey M. Kennedy has been installed as manager. "JOAN" WINS IN BOSTON The "Joan the Woman" film had a tre- mendous reception at its premiere in Bos- ton Saturday. Miss Geraldine Farrar, star of the production, appeared in person. NEW FAIRBANKS FILM READY The first Douglas Fairbanks Artcraft picture, "In Again—Out Again," has been completed and will be released shortly. "CURSE OF EVE" ON WAY The Corona Cinema Co., of Los Angeles, announces it will give an early trade show- ing of "The CnVse of Eve." STEWART BACK TO UNIVERSAL Roy Stewart has returned to Universal City, and will appear in pictures under the direction of Jack Conway. MAE MURRAY SIGNS WITH LASKY Mae Murray has signed a contract with Jesse L. Laaty to appear in Lasky-Para-. mount pictures for the next two years. SUPPLY CO. ADDS TO HOLDINGS Montbeax, Can., April 7.—The Inde- pendent Film & Theatre Supply Co. is understood to have purchased the Canadian exchanges formerly handling the Metro films, but will use special features instead of the Metro productions. The company is controlled by G. H. Perkins, of this city, who has the Canadian agency for the Pow- ers and Simplex projection machines. FILM TITLE CHANGED The title of the new five-reel feature being made under the direction of Christie Cabane, with Francis X. Bnshman and Beverly Bayne in the stellar roles, has been, changed from "The Voice of One" to "Cyclone Higgins, D.D." Bushman is playing the part of a traveling evangelist. ERBOGRAPH HAS NEW STAR The Erbograph Film Company has a new leading woman in the person of Marion Swain, who is playing the part of "Sis" in "Little Miss Fortune." She is supported by Lncile Dorrington, as "Flossie Footlights"; Bradley Barker, the heavy, ''and Hugh Thompson, male lead MARY PICKFORD BACK Mary Pickford, accompanied by her mother and personal representative, Ed- ward Hemmer, arrived in New York from California last week. Her stay here has been brief, as she returns to the Coast to-day to resume her activities on the next Artcraft release. "TO-DAY" FOR PICTURES "To-Day," by George Broadhurst and Abraham Schomer, is to be produced in motion pictures. Florence.Reed.will have the leading role. Frank Mills, Leonore Harris, Gus Weinberg, Alice Gale and Kate Lester win also appear in the. screen adaptation. SCENARIO WRITER ARRESTED : Margaret Shaw, moving picture scenario writer, was arrested last week on a charge of grand larceny, on the complaint of a Mrs. Simon Alper, who accuses the 'girl of taking $1,350 worth of jewelry while employed by her in New Haven. RATH APOLLO SCENARIO EDITOR Fred Rath, a newspaper man, has been appointed scenario editor of Apollo Pic- tures, Inc., releasing on the Art Dramas program. Rath has just completed' the adaptation of "The Mystic Hour," which is to be released in May. WILLETTS JOINS ARROW FILMS Clarence Willetts, the theatrical man- ager, has joined the Arrow Film Corpora- tion as special representative, and is at present making a whirlwind tour of the South. He will return to New York with- in a few days. APOLLO SIGNS SAINPOUS John Sainpolis, for over seven years appearing in leading and star roles on the stage and screen, has been signed by Apollo Pictures Corporation to appear in features on the Art Dramas program. ILLINGTON FILM IN MAY Margaret Hlington will make her first appearance in pictures when the photo- play "Sacrifice," written for her by Charles Ken von. will be released by Lasky-Paramount in May. STARFIELD SUCCEEDS WOLFE I.- St. John, N. B., April 9.—S. Starfield has succeeded Jules H. Wolfe as resident manager for the Standard Film Service, Ltd. Wolfe resigned to go to New York. McCLURE MOVES OFFICE : ;'j MeClure Pictures, now releasing "Seven Deadly Sins," has moved its office from the MeClure - Building to the sixteenth .floor of the Berkeley Building at 25 West Forty-fourth Street. S-