The New York Clipper (May 1919)

May 28, 1919 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER 33 EXHIBITORS TO MEET NEXT MONTH WILL CONVENE IN ST. LOUIS The Motion Picture Exhibitors of Amer- ica will hold their annual convention in St. Louis this year, opening Wednesday, June 25, for a two-day session. The head- quarters will be at the Hotel Statler. The reason that St. Louis was picked for the meeting place is that it is cen- trally located and can be reached more conveniently by exhibitors all over the country than any other city. The con- vention committee has arranged for spe- cial trains to run from New York, on the Pennsylvania and New York Central lines, and will pick up exhibitors all along the route. National Secretary Rembusch and the chairman of the Convention Committee, Hector M. Pasmezoglu, held a meeting, with the rest of the committee, in St. Louis last week and completed plans and details for the event. THIRD DOOLEY FILM FINISHED President Clarence I* Bach, of the Johnny Dooley Film Comedies, announced last week that the third of the series of two-reel Johnny Dooley pictures is com- pleted. According to Business Manager Wm. Hart, the pictures are among the highest class and best comedies he has ever seen and will prove the comedy sensation of the year. In support of Dooley in the pictures are Martha Mansfield, Tom Blake, Tom Cameron, Billie Rnge, Edna Murphy, Tiny Douglas, and twenty girls, who constitute the Johnny Dooley Beauty Brigade. Twelve of these comedies will be made this year. Harry Saks Hechheimer is secretary and treasurer of the company. ' • FOX TO BUILD STUDIO The Fox Film Corporation has completed arrangements for the construction of a large motion picture studio on a plot of 100 x 185 covering the entire front on Tenth avenue at Fifty-fifth street The building will be of brick and concrete construction, three stories high, and will replace a group of old one story buildings and a coal yard. A'syndicate headed by R. F. Kilpatrick, will undertake the building project. This syndicate will, sublease the completed struc- ture to the Fox Film Corporation, as they had recently leased the site from the Chand- ler estate. The plans and designs of the building will be drawn up by Somerfield and Steckler. News of the new plant was disclosed at a luncheon at Delmonico'g, Tuesday, given by Jay Gove, of the Fox offices, to news- papermen. HALL OPENS PARK THIS WEEK Frank G. Hall has leased from Larry Anhalt the Park Theatre, erstwhile home of the defunct Spanish Opera Company, where he will present motion pictures be- ginning ' this week and throughout the summer until next October. The Rothap- fel Unit Program is the opening attrac- tion and this, as was explained early this week by Hall, will be followed by the presentation of some of Hall's own fea- ture pictures. The initial term of Hall's lease is three weeks, with an option of periodic renewals up to October. He is re-decora ting the house at his own expense, and has en- paged a symphony orchestra, of twenty- "BIG 4" PLAN IS EXCHANGES Hiram Abrams announced last week, for the United Artists' Corporation, that the "Big 4" have completed their plans for the establishing of fifteen exchanges, which they will call distributing depots, in the country's most important cities. These depots will be located in New York, Phila- delphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, New Orleans,' Minneap- olis, Kansas City, Denver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Dallas. The first release will be made on Sep- tember 1—a Fairbanks production. Others by Chaplin, Pickford and Griffiths will fol- low and will be booked as single pictures only. . The executive staff engaged to head the sales organisation consists of Ralph O. Proctor, Kenneth Hodkinson, William F. Hines and Paul N. Lazarus. MANAGER SUES UNION IUMir.-ros, O., May 23.—John H. Broomhall, manager of the Jefferson Thea- tre, and secretary of the Jewel Photoplay Company, which operates the house, brought suit this week against the prin- cipals of the Hamilton Musicians' Local No. 131 for $10,000. The action was caused by the recent installation of a pipe organ in the theatre which put the orches- tra out of work. The union took steps to put the musicians back into the house, but was not successful. Then, it is alleged, the union circulated letters branding the house as unfair and tried to prevent any musician from accepting a position there. FILM ACTOR LOSES SUIT Albany, N. Y., May 21.—The Court of Appeals yesterday decided against Henry Can-ill, a motion picture actor, who had brought an action to recover a year's salary from the Mirror Film Company. . In his action in the trial court, Canill testified that he was employed by the Mirror Film Company at a salary of $100 per week, for one year, and that he was discharged at the end of three weeks. The trial court awarded him a judgment for a full year's salary. On appeal by the film company this- de- cision was set aside. GRIFFITH LEAVES NEW YORK David W. Griffith left .the city on Sat- urday night for Philadelphia, where he ar- ranged for the opening of "Broken Blos- soms." From there he went to Boston to attend the opening of the film today, Wednesday. He will leave Boston to ar- rive in Chicago for the premiere of the film in that city on Friday and from the Windy City will go to Columbus, Ohio. In the latter city he will make some scenes for the Methodist Centenary and will later go to the Coast. He will return to New.York late in the Summer. MCE PAYS $67,000 FOR PLAYS Thomas H. Ince has purchased five plays and stories for which he spent $67,000. Twenty thousand dollars went for "Mary's Angle," $15,000 for "What's Your Husband Doing?" $12,000 for "Twenty-three and a Half Hours' Leave," $10,000 for "Behind the Door," and $10,000 for "Some Honey- moon." For the last named he has en- gaged. Douglas McLean and Doris May. GASNIER AND COHAN COMBINE Louis Cannier and Sidney L. Cohan hare entered into an arrangement to make all- star productions together. They have al- ready placed under contract Owen Moore, Lewis J. Cody and William Russell as a - basis for then* productions. The pictures will be released through the United Pic- ture Theatres. GRIFFITH GETTING $3 For the first -time in the history of pic- tures seats are being sold at $3 at the George M. Cohan Theatre, where "Broken Blossoms" Is playing This puts Griffith in a new record-setting class, f'' .!'.'-;^ .. CAMERA MEN FORM NEW ASSOCIATION PLAN TO HELP EACH OTHER Declaring that their object is to pro- mote the good of the industry, the Na- tional Association of Cinema tographers, which has hopes of enrolling alt camera men of the country, was formed last week by Harry Keepers, Louis H. Dunninger, Carl L. Gregory, Arthur T. Quinn and Lewis H. Physioc. Harry Saks Hech- heimer was appointed general counsel and the above incorporators were chosen to act as officers of the new organization until the first annual meeting is held. The purposes of the association are set forth in the papers of incorporation where it states that the society is formed "to promote harmony and justice between its members, and those utilizing the services of its members, to generally further the inter- ests of cinematography in all its branches and in occupations or professions allied or connected therewith. "To aid members in the settling of dif- ferences between members and employers, between themselves and to give demon- strations of new inventions." The address of the new association is given as No. 220 West 42nd street. CHANGES SALES ORGANIZATION In addition to the recent promotions and changes, which the W. E. Hodkinson Cor- poration made in its Eastern and South- ern divisions, the following Were made last week. George F. Lenehan, formerly of Coldwyn, succeeded E. \. Crane as New York exchange manager. D. W. Phillips resigned as manager of the Cleveland ex- changes,'and was succeeded by C. C.'Mc- Kibbin, formerly Pittsburgh manager* for Goldwyn. Phil Reisman left the Triangle, Minneapolis, to take charge of. the Hod- kinson exchange in that city. Harry H. Hicks left the Select, Cincinnati, office to manage Hodkinson's Los Angeles ex- change. These will complete the re-mak- - ing of the Hodkinson sales organization. . JUNE ELVTDGE'S SISTER KILLED Glewdoia, N. J,, May 24.—Esther W. Elvidge, sister of June Elvidge, and aged sixteen, was killed almost instantly last night, when the automobile in which she- was travelling struck a rut in the road, skidded and turned turtle. Arthur Hotal- ling was driving and was Beverly cut and bruised. They had gone to Asbury Park to attend a festival and were en route for the Elvidge home at Avon by the Sea to prepare for a dance. The girl was crushed nnder the machine as it turned over and her escort was also pinned nnder it. - --' McBRIDE TO SUPPORT MRS. DREW Donald McBride, who hag appeared with the Drews in many of their comedies, has been signed to play opposite Mrs. Drew in "Bunkered" and "The Night of the Dub." In these pictures, however, Mrs. Drew will be his sister and he will play the role of a frivolous bachelor. The Drew films will be continued to be made by the V. B. K. Film Corporation, and released by Paramount. DELAY •'BETRAYAL" SHOWING J. J. McCarthy has decided to put off the New York showing of "The Betrayal" until Fall. The picture has had la "very successful run in Chicago, and'kaa been lauded by the critics. The film deals with . Germany in the year s ofe'1847 and 1849, under the rule of WBhelm I., and describes ' the mailed nst of the HohenxoUerns. . ■ " *r- ~: ' .,"-'■ ■■.•.' ;-.'; -■-■-. ...■.-..'.. ■...-; BUD FISHER WINS FILM SUIT The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court last week decided that Bud Fisher may continue to manufacture and distrib- ute films through the Mutt and Jeff Newa Weekly unhampered by any further court injunctions. The decision was the result of a suit brought by the Export and Import Film Company and Ben Blumenthal, in which they claimed that they had an exclusive contract for the foreign rights to the -'Mutt and Jeff" films. It waa proved in court that the plaintiffs did have a con- tract with the Mutt and Jeff Finn Ex- change and the Bud Fisher Films Corpo- ration for the exclusive foreign rights to the films for two years, for which they were to pay $300 per negative. But it developed that this contract was made without the knowledge or consent of Fisher. Therefore, it resolved Itself down to whether or not the Mutt and Jeff Film Exchange and the Bud Fisher Films Cor- poration had the authority to make such a contract. The dismissal of the case by the Appellate Division affirmed the ruling of the lower court. FORM AUTHOR'S FILM CO. Samuel Goldwyn and Rex Beach have organized a new $1,000,000 corporation to produce the works of America's and Eng- land's most famous writers. The new com- pany will be known as the Eminent Author's Pictures, Inc. The organization is said to be the resnlt of the refusals of prominent writers to write for the screen, because of the ten- dency of most producers to mishandle their manuscripts after accepting them for production. The company is now forming plans for the construction of a large studio near New York to be used in addition to the Goldwyn Stndios at Culver City, Cal. The Eminent Pictures, Inc., have already con- tracted for a term of years, the works ot Rex Beach, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Gouverneur Morris, Gertrude Atherton, Rupert Hughes, and Leroy Scott. KESSELS OUT OF TRIANGLE Charles and Adam Kessel, formerly part owners of the M. P. Corp., the Keystone and Majestic Film Corporations, have ended their connection with the Triangle Film Company. Their contract was to end next February, during which time they were to act in an advisory capacity. Mutual arrangements were made last week with Triangle and the financial matters settled to permit the Kessels to retire at once.- * DISCONTINUE FLAGG COMEDIES Town and Country Films, which has produced the James Montgomery Flagg .comedies, will take up a new form of comedy film, as the Flagg comedies will shortly be dropped. There are a few of these comedies in the hands of Paramount, which will be released. The reason given for discontinuing them is that they are "over the heads" of the average audience. FILM CONCERNS INCORPORATE Dora, Del., May 21.—The list of incor- porations here today include the United Pictures Corporation and the Victory Fea- ture Film Company. Both companies are incorporated by T. L. Crotean, P. B. Drew, and C. Ll Runlinger. of Wilmington. The United Pictures Corporation has been capi- talised at $33,000 and the Victory Feature film ...mpany at $1,000,000. WILL SUPPLY PRINTS Universal has announced it will supply all exchanges with prints, so that exhibit- ors can see productions weeks is advance of showings. They will also distribute the twelve films made by the Stage Wom- en's War Relief Committee. ■