The New York Clipper (September 1917)

40 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER September 26, 1917 CAN SAVE COIN FORPRODUCERS BY NEW PLAN ERNEST SHIPMAN EVOLVES IDEA A plan of intelligent and effective Co- operation for money-saving results between the producers who make pictures and the men who buy them, has been evolved by Ernest Shipman, who has been in close touch with the domestic and foreign buy- ers for some considerable time. Three of the prominent film-buying or- ganizations, and over ninety of the three hundred odd purchasers of territorial rights in the United States and Canada, have al- ready agreed upon a plan of co-operation which will permit the placing of an "O. K." upon a story or scenario before it is made, thus insuring profits for the producer and investors. This plan is already so well worked out, and will be so far reaching in its scope as to include the buyers of all kinds of de- sirable films from the seven or eight-reel spectacular drama to the short feature comedy, and insures producers against the risk of making pictures at a guess. It is also one of the best advertising moves yet figured out, as it interests in a most attractive manner the very men who later win be bidding for it and enables the producer to be raided in advance by their practical suggestions. If this method had been in vogue in the past, few, if any, of the productions which have either proved a failure, or have found no market, would have been screened. After being assured that the picture in the process of manufacture is really wanted, and probably sold in advance, the next pressing need of the.producer is ef- ficient New York representation. When acting individually this involves a consid- erable expense. Mr. Shipman, backed by an experienced office and selling force, is prepared to undertake all business angles in connection with the selling end of pictures both in America and abroad. He has had years of experience in the advertising, exploit- ing and selling of features, and since 1914 has sold over $900,000 worth of pictures, the operations covering the entire field from Broadway runs to small deals in dis- tant parts of the country. Mr. Shipman has a wide personal knowl- edge of and acquaintance with almost every buyer and exhibitor in the business, and is trained by long experience in decid- ing upon the problematical enming values of new product. He has been actively identified with the managerial end of the- atrical and picture enterprises for the last twenty years, and has twice made tonrs of the world in these connections. The foreign situation is at present a most complex one, and the utmost skill and knowledge are required in dealing with this market. After a thorough investigation of the men and companies now engaged in the work, no less an expert than Chester Bee- croft has been selected to look after the export trade. Mr. Beecroft has just returned from a four months' tour of England, France, Nor- way, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Rus- sia, where he made a critical survey of conditions, and established connections with the strongest and most reliable buyers and distributers in each country. His knowledge is accurate, fresh and thorough, his standing and associates so irreproach- able as to remove all fear of possible dan- gerous governmental difficulties, and his organisation is qnite unique in system and efficiency. Mr. Shipman haa shown the same rare judgment in selecting other representatives, basing their efficiency upon their past records. In order to properly care for the studio and laboratory requirements of certain pro- ducers and prominent directors who are already under co-operative contracts, Mr. Shipman haa executed a five years' lease for an extensive plant in the very heart of th»dty. CONDENSED NEWS OF THE FILM WORLD Theodore Roberts, William E. Lawrence and Jennie Lee will bead the supporting cast for Mary Pickford in "The Little Princess." The latest addition to the directing force at Universal City is Edwin Frazee, well known producer of comedies, 'who win di- rect two-reel subjects. Walter E. Greene, president of the Art- craft Pictures Corporation, returned to his desk at the New York headquarters last week foUowing a weU deserved vaca- tion. Carlyle BlackweU and Evelyn Greeley are to appear together in several approach- ing World-Pictures, including "The Bnr- glar," "The Good-for-Nothing" and "The Ladder of Fame." Universale schedule for the week of October 1st is headed by a Gold Seal drama of unusual cleverness, bearing the title, "The Storm Woman" and featuring Claire McDowell. The Ogden Pictures Corporation has leased for a term of years a suite of offices on the eleventh floor in the Times Build- ing, removing their present. offices from the Godfrey Building, where they were temporarily located. President Jos, S. Klein, of the Com- monwealth Comedy Company, Inc., has de- cided upon the first three releases of "Three C Comedies" which begin dis- tribution through General Film Company, ->ne a week, beginning Sept. 28tb. Harry Carey is the Btar of the Butter- fly picture scheduled for release October 1. "The Secret Man" is the title of Carey's starring vehicle, and giveB promise of be- ing the most popular feature in which he has yet appeared on the Butterfly pro- gram. Willie Robards, who recently brought East the big Suffrage propaganda pictnre "Mothers of Men," produced by the Robards Players, and featuring Dorothy Davenport, held a private showing of the pictnre this week at Loew's New York Roof for the benefit of several prominent members of the Suffrage party. Kitty Gordon's next World-Picture, Brady-Made, is entitled "Her Hour," and is one of three prepared in advance with Miss Gordon as star. The remaining two are "The Divine Sacrifice," to be published at the end of the year, and another which is not yet named. Miss Gordon has taken considerable time off for recruiting work of late. .Ethel Clayton plays a mining camp girl in the early portion of "The Dormant Power," soon to be published by World- Pictures Brady-Made. After that, the story switches to New York and the charm- ing little bride from the West is showered with luxuries, but is unhappy with her .big, commanding and unscrupulous hus- band. Montagu Love plays this sinister role. In "Empty Pockets" which is now in the course of production at the Herbert Brencn Studio, on Hudson Heights, there is a scene in a Foundling Hospital, the New York Foundling Hospital to be ex- act, for it was there that Mr. Hughes went to get the details of the organization of the borne for little babies who have no one to care for them. Clair Hague, a general manager of the Canadian Universal Film Company, lo- cated at Toronto, has received his appoint- ment as a member of the Motion Picture Distribution Committee of the Food Con- troller's office, at Ottawa. Hague's coK leagues on the committee win be Messrs. Allen, of t he C anadian Famous Players and C. A. WiUison, chief of the Educa- tional Department of the Dominion. John Emerson is now busy directing a new Fairbanks picture entitled "Reaching for the Moon." Emile Chautard will direct Clara Kim- ban Young in "The Marionettes," which Wfll fonow "Shirley Kaye." Paul H. Dowling, a newspaper man of 'wide experience, .has been added to the press staff of the Lasky Company. "The Little Samaritan" is the latest Erbograph picture, the story of which was written by the Rev. Clarence J. Harris. Raymond B. West, formerly of the Tri- angle Producing Company forces, has joined the directorial staff of the Paralta organization. Little Lorna Volare, the five-year-old screen star, is going to appear with Norma Talmadge in "The Secret of the Storm Country." Wallace Reid has been engaged to play opposite Geraldine Farrar in her next pic- ture. Reid had this honor in the first picture the opera star made. Pinna Nesbit was married last week to Lieut. Frederic H. Cruger, N. G., U. S., at Spartanburg, S. C, where the groom is in charge of an ammunition train. Mary Charleson has been engaged by the Henry B. Walthall Pictures Corpora- tion, as leading woman. Her first appear- ance win be in "His Robe of Honor." Frederick Rath, scenario editor for Apollo Pictures, Inc., who has been drafted, said good-bye last week to his friends in the film world and, on Saturday, entrained for Yaphank, L. I. WaUace Worsley wfll direct Rhea Mit- cheU's first independent star picture, made at the Paralta studios in Hollywood, to be released under the executive direction of Paralta Plays, Inc. Clara Kimball Young, who has just completed "Magda," the first production by her own organization under the man- agement of Harry I. Garson, has already started work on "Shirley Kaye," which will be her second release. Harry Samwick, on behalf of the Pro- ducers Feature Service, has purchased the rights to "The Lust of the Ages," the first Lillian Walker release of the Ogden Pic- tures Corporation, for Greater New York, Long Island and Westchester County. Fun-Art Films, Inc., has started actual work on its first picture at the Thanbouser Studios in New Rochelle. It is intended to release two two-reel comedies a month with the wen known vaudeville team of Ray and Gordon Dooley featured in the principal comedy roles. Clara Williams made an agreement with Paralta Plays, Inc. during the recent visit of Carl Anderson, president of the Paralta organization, to the West Coast, under which a company headed by her will pro- duce pictures at the Paralta studio, in Hollywood. Her productions will be dis- tributed under the executive direction of Paralta Plays, Inc. Miss Williams and her company will begin work at once. In order to secure the best title for the picture in which Charlotte, the famous skater, will appear, the Commonwealth Pictures Corporation has begun a contest. A prize of $100 has been offered for the best title offered and the general public is invited to contribute. To those who wish to enter the contest the company will forward a synopsis of the story of the play upon request. It can be obtained by addressing the general office of the com- pany at 914 Consumers Building, Chicago. Roi Cooper Megrue returned last week from a seven weeks' trip to the Pacific Coast "Miss U. S. A.," June Caprice's new photoplay, will be her tenth production for William Fox. "The Princess of Park Bow" is the title of the Vitagraph's Blue Ribbon fea- ture for October. The date, October 7th, of the presenta- tion of "The Price of a Good Time" at the Broadway Theatre, has been changed to make room for "The Co-Respondent" Alice Brady has signed a contract with the Select Pictures Corporation. She will appear in a series of eight pictures during the year, beginning the first one im- mediately. Florence Curtis has been engaged as the leading woman for the Big V comedies, produced by Vitagraph. Miss Curtis is a dancer and was last seen in George M. Cohan's Revue. Jim McGrath, an electrician in the serv- ice of the Vitagraph, has been drafted and wiU report at Yaphank this week. His associates at the studio gave him a fare- well party last Saturday night. Harry Raver has completed "The Pub- lic Defender" and wfll have it ready for the market this week. Frank Keenan, Robert Edeson and Alma Hanlon are the principal players. Virginia Pearson has finished her eleventh picture-play for WiUiam Fox. The film is caUed "Thou. Shalt Not Steal." was directed by WiUiam Nigh, and is scheduled for release on October 7th. William Wobert, director of the Holly- wood studio of the Vitagraph company, has completed and shipped East "The Flaming Omen," a Blue Ribbon feature. Mary Anderson and Alfred Whitman are the principal players. Harry Siegal, manager of the Feature Films Company, of Boston, has bought the rights for aU New England to "The Tyranny of the Romanoffs," the new Rus- sian picture released by the Export and Import Film Company, Inc. Through a change in releases just de- cided upon by WUliam Fox, Gladys Brock- weU's new production "Conscience," which Bertram Bracken made in the Hollywood, Cal., studios, has been advanced in the schedule to September 30th. The Metro banner will be exported by 'The Export and Import Company. An arrangement to this effect was completed last week and at the same time the rights to the pictures were sold to the Mundus Film Corporation, for Spain, France, Italy and Holland. Mrs. Vernon Castle is suffering from a severe cold contracted at Marblebead, Mass., where she has been for several days appearing for a motion picture. Her work called for her to dive from a high cliff and save a maid from drowning and the cold resulted from the plunge. James F. Dorrance, author of "His Robe of Honor," in which Henry R. Walthall will make his debut as an independent star-manager of the screen, has gone to the Paralta Plays studios in Hollywood to act in an advisory capacity before the actual filming of the production starts. William Fox has selected the players who are to support June Caprice, the "Sun- shine Maid." in the photoplay which stars her and to be released in mid-October. Harry Millarde is the director. The cast includes WUliam Courtleigh, Jr., Frank Evans, Tom Burrough, H. S. Gatchell and A. Han. "'