Variety (September 1918)

MOVING PI CTURES 49 STILL PICKFORD Speculative rumors this week as to the future film activities of Mary Pick- ford, due to the arrival here of her mother, Mrs. Charlotte Pickford, and subsequent conferences with Miss Pickford's attorneys regarding nego- tiations on prospective contracts were rampant. - >•. Miss Pickford has an offer from the First National and several others.. Up to Wednesday nothing "official" had developed through the confer- ences in the O'Brien, Malevinsky & Dr is coll offices. M. L. Malevinsky in- formed a Variety representative that nothing had yet been settled as to Miss Pickford's new xontract. When asked if Miss Pickford would-, come to New York while her mother was here, Mr. Malevinsky said it was not improbable and might be necessary to conclusively clear up the future Pickford contract. Aaron Jones returned to Chicago Wednesday, at which time the indi- cations were strongly in favor of Art- craft signing up Miss Pickford once more." {I. PARALTA STATEMENT. John. E. DeWolf and Herman Katz, to set at rest the many rumors con- cerning Paralta's plans for future operations, have felt called upon to issue a public statement. The gist of it is that in about a year they produced nearly two dozen pictures, which are now in process of distribution here and abroad; that their only Troubles have been internal, which are now adjusted, and that they are the owners of a vast majority of the common stock, and the control of the company is entirely in their hands. O. 0. Pettljohn, Jr.. arrived at the Pettijohn horn* last weak. U. P. IN G. F. ■ The United Picture Theatres of America is now releasing exclusively through the General Film Company and many of the United's agents in the various cities are establishing them- selves in the General Film's offices. Ira Aronson in Pittsburgh, Floyd Lewis in St. Louij, D. F. O'Donnell in Washington and C. S. Edwards, in Kansas City have already taken the initiative in this movement. E. J. O'Donnell, the Minneapolis represent- ative, is at present negotiating to transfer his location to the General's offices. Karle Welcamp will shortly be seen la a Bluebird melodrama feature. The Universal 1b now following the plan of using tbe dual directorship system of its star*. Herman Wobber baa been appointed direc- tor of the picture division of the Liberty Loan Publicity Department in the Twelfth Federal Reserve District Wobber will appoint state directors In each of the state and territories In that (coast) district. SELECT BUYS STANLEY HOLDINGS. Lewis J. Selznick returned from Philadelphia Tuesday, where he went to complete the purchase of the hold- ings of the Stanley Mastbaum Estate in the Select Pennsylvania exchange. The relations of Jules Mastbaum and Select continue to be most friendly and the deal was made to settle up the estate of Jules' brother. This completes the control by Select through repurchase of 100 per cent interest in its 21 exchanges. When originally organized Select sold a 50 per cent interest in a number of our exchanges throughout the country. Jessie Reed, a principal In "Tbe Paaslng Snow of 1018" at tbe Winter Garden, waa In the chorus at, that house two seasons aio. Other graduates In tbe same aiffro«»tloa at* Nell Carrlnaton own- • Florence PARAMOUNT^ S. AMERICAN CO. John C. Graham, general' foreign representative for Famous - Players- Lasky, has returned from a three months' trip to South America, where' he completed arrangements for the distribution of Paramount-Artcraft pjctures in Chile, Peru and Bolivia. It will be in the hands of a new corporation known as the South Pa- cific Paramount Co., with headquarters in Chile. Eduardo Suarez, Chilean Ambassa- dor to the United States, is president of the concern. RIGHTS PURCHASED. Los Angeles, Sept 25. Thomas H. Ince has bought the screen rights and takes an option on the legitimate production rights of Gouverneur Morris' story, "Behind .the Door," published in the July McClure's. Paramount has secured the screen rights to Carolyn Wells' story, "Vicky Van," to be used for Ethel Clayton. The screen rights to "Soldiers of Fortune" have been purchased by Jesse Hampton for a starring vehicle for J. Warren Kerrigan. • SUES THROUGH LAY-OFF. Mabel La Bunyea, a picture actress, has 61ed suit against the World Film Corporation for. breach of contract Through her counsel, Harry Saks Hechheimer, she claims a World direc- tor kept "stalling", her in the matter of employment and* she has conse- quently tjeen kept idle for several months. Although engaged to make a feature, entitled "Making Good," of which she has the script, she was not ordered to report, _ being told 'that weather conditions were the cause of the delay. STUDIO MATTER ADJUSTED. A wire was received at the New York headquarters of the I. A T. S. E Mon- day from Les Dolliver, now in Los Angeles, informing the executive the agreement compiled by union opera- tors and stagehands had been signed by all the studios there. For a time the L. A. situation threat- ened to develop into a serious con- dition. "Lowe Defender" World Film. Tefft Johnson begins work next week on "The Love Defender" for World, in which June Elvidge, Madge Evans and Frank Mayo are to play principal roles. The story is by Maravene Thompson and was adopted for the screen by George DuBois Proctor. What the National Board of Review enthusiastically terms "one of the most powerful and appealing pictures we have ever seen and the most unusual Beach picture ever made." REX DEACH <T Human Drama of Redemption ~ laughing Bin Hyde with WILL ROGERS Directed by Mobarl Henley Mr. Rothapfel, a daring pioneer in brainy and imaginative showmanship and an inspiration to all producers committed to the policy of "better pictures/* has booked Goldwyn's entire series of Rex Beach productions for the Rivoli. He says: v "The humanness of 'Laughing Bill Hyde 1 makes it rank as one of the . : ,,,_. -,^..successful productionsof the year - T ,^ ,_a.story and production otwhich- Mr. Beach and Goldwyn can both be proud." COLDWYN DISTRIBUTING CORPORATION Samuel Goldfiih. Pn/tdtnt 16 East 4-2^ Street New York City