The New York Clipper (March 1919)

S2 THE tlEW RK CLIPPER March 5, 1919 CENSOR STATES WON'T RECEIVE FILMS . NATL ASSN. TAKES NEW STAND The producers and distributor* holding membership in the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry win not ship a foot of film into Nebraska, North Carolina or South Dakota, if the censor- ship measure now "pending in the legisla- tures of those States is enacted into law. The National Association's decision to leave the three States in question prac- tically movieleaa, in the event that their respective law-making bodies pass the drastic censorship legislation now under consideration, was arrived at last Wed- nesday at a meeting held in the offices of the Goldwyn Corporation. Immediately - following the meeting, Gabriel Hess,.chairman of the National Association censorship committee, sent out a telegram to the association's sub- chairmen in Nebraska, North Carolina and' Booth Dakota, in which he. outlined the stand taken by the N. A. M. P. I. It reads as follows: "11 censorship bill passes in your State, cannot and will not ship motion pictures into State. Peel !t my duty to advise: yon now', as they will not assume re- sponsibility for damage resulting from closing the motion picture theatres. "(Signed) GABRIEL HESS." Similar action. win be taken .by_ the. National Association, .should any other. State legislatures pass drastic censorship* taws. In view of the fact that the N. A. M. P. I. embraces ninety-five per cent,of the. manufacturers and distributors in its membership, it can. be readily seen that film entertainment in those States whose ' legislatures insist on the passage of what the picture men describe as annihilating legislation, will become more or leas a thing of the past. A thirty-page pamphlet giving argu- ments and reasons against dim censorship,: is now in course of preparation by .the National Association. - This, when com- pleted, will be sent out to exhibitors, ex- change men, boards of trade, etc all over the country, as a means of combatting censor sentiment. Aaron Jones, of Jones, Iinick and Schaefer, was appointed State, chairman of ■' the National Association's Illinois corfcorsbip committee on Monday. The New York committee will bold weekly meetings, 'from?' now on, in order to keep closely in touch with the censorship situ-; ation. • PALMER SETTLES CASE The suit for $2,500, which Harry A. Palmer brought in the Supreme Court against the National Film Corporation, was settled for $1,500 last Friday. The previous week the case was tried before Judge Hotchkiss and a jury, and resulted in a verdict for the defendant being brought in by the jury. - A motion was made by H. J .and P. R. Goldsmith, attorneys for Palmer, to have the verdict set aside, and it was said that the judge intimated he would grant the"'motion when he took the matter under advise- ment. The- settlement last week was made before Judge Hotchkiss had decided the motion. Palmer's claim was for commissions he alleged were due him for the successful negotiation for the .sale of the British rights to the picture Tanas of the Apes." S. A. Lowenstein and J. R. Rubin were the defendant's .attorneys, FILM MEN WANT HOME At a dinner which William A. Brady gave to. a number of people active in the motion picture world last week contribu- tions for a clubhouse were taken up amounting to $21,000. Brady win soon name a committee of six to aid Charles Zittel to raise funds for the new club- house, which will be built at a cost of $50,000. The Film Club of America has agreed to turn over all the proceeds from their ball to be held on April 11 at the Com- modore Hotel. . Among those present at - the dinner who gave cheeks were the fol- lowing: Adolph Zukor, William R. Hearst, Jules Brolatour, W. A. Brady, Richard Rowland, Arthur Friend, Jesse Lasky, Carl Laemmle, R. BV Cochran, Marcus Loew, Edward EstIb, Winfleld Sheehsn. Walter W. Irwin, John M. Flynn, J. S. Black, Eleck John Ludvigh, Walter E. Green, Will Smith, Louis Blumenthai, William Wright, Frederick Elliott, Morris Kohn, A. L. Brown, Al Lichtman, Fred Beecroft and John Alli- coate. FORMS CANADA COMPANY . The Select Pictures Corporation has an- nounced the -formation of a. Canadian company for the distribution of their pro- duction all over' the Dominion. They have 'already organized their headquarters at Toronto, Ontario, under the name of Select Pictures Corporation, .LttL, of Can- ada, and have seven branches in that many Canadian cities. The officers of the new company are Lewis J. Selznick, president; J. F. BickeU, vice-president; secretary, Morris Kohn, and W. J. Nathanson, treasurer and man- aging director. The branches of the new company are as follows: Montreal, Que- bec; St. John, New Brunswick; Winnipeg,. Manitoba; Calgary, Alberta; Vancouver, British Columbia, and Canadian head- quarters, 21 .Adelaide street, West, To- ronto, Ontario: - ■• ' - -" SUES ALLEGED MGR. FOR 55,000 Milton Gosdorfer, alleged proprietor of the Odeon Theatre, on 145tb street, was made defendant in a $5,000 damage suit last week before Justice M. Worley Platiek in the Bronx Supreme Court, brought by George Rubin, for assault committed on him in that theatre on November 6, 1917. The assault was committed by a man : named Jack Levy, whom Rubin believes to have been an employe of the theatre, but has been unable to prove that this is a fact as Gosdorfer has refused to affirm or deny it. Furthermore Gosdorfer, through counsel, claimed that he did not own the theatre. PARAMOUNT SIGNS IRENE CASTLE Mra. Vernon, Castle, who now chooses to be known as Irene Castle, signed a con- tract last week to appear in pictures with the Famous Players-Imsky Corporation. Mrs. Castle returned a few- weeks ago' from London, where she went after ap- pearing in "Fatria," the war serial pro- duced a year and a half ago. - Her first picture for the Famous Play- ere will be a scenarioneed version of The Firing Line," the novel by Robert W. Chambers. Mr. Chambers - himself wfll adapt the story for the WILSON TO SEE "MADE IN AMERICA" "Made in America," the semi-official pro- duction which shows how the selective draft was put int o operation, will be seen by President Wilson on his trip back to France on board the George WaMngtom. The film, which is distributed by the W. W. Hodkinson Corporation, is a serial in eight episodes, snowing the various. steps used by the Government in the draft. It wfll also be shown to the soldiers of the A. E. P. in France and a copy of It win be sent to General Pershing. .."..'..: BIG FOUR WON'T BEGIN WORK UNTILNOV. 1 ABRAMS BIDS FOR DISTRIBUTION The Griffith-Fairbanks-Chaplin-Pickford combination will not begin active opera- tions in the producing line until next November, according to a representative at one of the members of the organization. Fairbanks, whose Paramount-Arte^-aft contract expired a couple of weeks ago,- will be the first of the quartette to start pro- ducing for the United Artists' Association, the corporate title of the Big-Four combine. Mary Pickford wfll be kept busy fining her First National contract until about the first of September, it is understood, and Chaplin,. who is also under contract to the First National, still has four more productions to deliver before he can turn his attention to furnishing his proportion- ate share of Big-Four film s. The unde- livered First Nationals wiU^occupy Chap-. lin's time until well into the fall, it is estimated. Griffith, while awaiting the fulfillment of existing contractual agreements by his associates, wfll produce three specials for the First National a task that wfll.take him at least six months to complete. Nothing definite has been decided on. as yet, as to bow many pictures each member of the- combination wfll contribute to the yearly output of the Big-Pour. It is quite likely however, that the number of indi- vidual productions wfll not be more, than five or six, at the most. No distributing arrangements have been perfected up to the present time. Hiram A brains .was reported to have placed an cttractive proposition before the four film stars last week with respect to the market- ing of their product. The deal is said to be still hanging fire. BUT STORIES FOR ROGERS Samuel Goldwyn has already purchased two stories to keep Wfll Rogers busy on his arrival' in the Goldwyn California Studios. They' are "Aleck Lloyd," by Eleanor Gates, the author of "The Poor Little Rich Girl", and others, and "Over and Red," by H.-.H. Knibs. He has also purchased another* for' the Zieg.'bld star, the name of which hag not yet been an- nounced. Rogers and. his family will- move from Long Island to California at the end of the present Segfeld season, where he will re- main to make pictures on a long contract with Goldwyn. ;,;;;. .. ■ : :Z^:v. :'.?: FIGHT FOR SUNDAY SHOWINGS Nashville. Tenn., Feb, 27.—The Amer- ican Recreation League, of Wash i ngton, D. C, has' started a fight in this state against the so-called "blue laws," which forbid the exhibiting of motion pictures on Sunday. The league has already intro- duced a biU in the state legislature calling upon that body to abolish any law upon the statute books which interferes with the pleasure of the people' on Sundays. The bill has already passed two readings, and from all appearances win. come up again. Mr. Hudeburg, managing director of the league, said that the organisation has' no interest in the motion picture industry whatsover, but is fathering Sunday open- ings from a viewpoint of recreation only. He also announced the fact that the league intends to introduce like bills not only in Tennessee, but in every State of the Union which has on its statute books any law' that prevents Sunday motion pictures. N. Y. EXHrB'S. HOLD CONFERENCE Sybacwb, N. Y., Feb. 28.—The New York .State Motion Picture .Exhibitors' League held a conference here last week 'in which it advocated local option for the Sunday exhibitors of films. Dr. Roy S. Copeland, the Health Com- missioner of Kew York; was present and spoke of the good that-films had done in the fight against the epidemic that pre- vailed. Senator Thompson, of. Niagara County, who. is the sponsor of the bill for local option in motion pictures on Sunday, gave his reasons for potting' the bill in tfc•' ■. legislature. Sydney: S. Cohen, of New York' City, was re-elected president of the league; W. W. Linton, of Little Fans, was elected treasurer, while Sam Berman, of Brooklyn, went into the office of secretary. ELEVEN MANAGERS ARRESTED Elizabeth, N. J., March 3.—The ele- ment in New Jersey which is opposed -to [Sunday shows has taken a big step* in its fight to eliminate Sabbath perform- ances here. The Vice and Immorality act, generally known as the New Jersey, Blue Law, has been cited aa a test case. Eleven proprietors of local motion picture houses 4 pleaded not guilty to indictments which - charge them with operating disorderly houses by keeping their theatres open on Sunday. Each of them was held for $100 ball, pending trial on March 13, «, ..',:• Among the men arrested was Edward M. Hart, manager of the local Proctor houses, and William D. Shafer, who man- ages Fox's Liberty Theatre. Justice Bergen, of the Supreme Uourt, caused the indictments when, in charging the Grand Jury, he declared that running Sunday shows was a violation of the Vice and Immorality act. SIGN ANOTHER US. OFFICIAL Washington, T). C-, March 1.—Oscar A. Price tendered bis resignation from the office of assistant to the general director of railroads today, -in order that, he may become president of- the United Artists' Corporation, a company of film stars, at the head of which are Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and D. W. Griffith. The resignation becomes effective on April L Price will make New York .City his .headquarters and. win be associated with William G. McAdoo, counsel for the United Artists' Corporation. McAdoo is in Los Angeles at present, his office being established there. SELL "THE GREAT GAMBLE" A. Alperstein, general manager of ~the Western Photoplays, Inc., announces that the far eastern territory of the new serial, "The Great Gamble," has already been disposed of. -It. was sold last week on the strength of the producer's reputation. Joseph A. Golden, the director of the serial in which Ann Luther and Charles Hutch- inson are the co-stars, has arrived in the South, where work is. going full tilt on the production. - PAYS $60,000 FOR EVERYWOMAN" The Famous-Players Lasky. Corporation has acquired the rights to "Everywoman" at a price of $60,000. They do not in- tend to place the picture j in production for some time yet and the cast and di- rector have not been selected. "Every- woman" was played on the legitimate stage successfully for many years: UNIVERSAL MAKES PROMOTIONS .George E. Kahn has been promoted to the managership of the export department of Universal, succeeding G. E. Hammond, who resigned. He has been Qarl Lsemmle's assistant for the last six years and is suc- ceeded by Dan B. Ledermam who has been with Universal for" twelve years. 1' . ...s,