The New York Clipper (December 1914)

10 THE NEW YORK CLIPPER. ,m*^+^^****** December i<> MOTION PICTURE DEPARTMENT] HARRY ENSIS, MOTION PICTURE EDITOR. TIMELY PICTURE TOPICS. ni h»x. by Harry R. Raver In a statement Issued by him lost week regarding the sale of big and Augustus Thomas' holdings In tbe All Btar ALL STAR FEATURE CORPORATION PURCHASED BY ALCO DIRECTOR- ATE—WELL KNOWN PRODUCING CONCERN ABSORBED BY ALCO FILM CORPORATION TUIS WEEK. The All Star Feature Corporation, of which Harry Haver was president and Augustus ■Thomas director general was absorbed this week by the board of directors ot the Alco Film Corporation. Tho reorganization of the Alco Film Cor- poration carried with It tbe looking far ahead to whece an absolutely high grade program could be assured the exhibitors, and Mr. Seely and Ms associates began casting about for dlrectois, artistes ana vehicles of tbe bigger and -better kind. Many plays and novels have been secured by the concern, and It is thought that these will be produced under the All Star brand. The purchasing of tbe All Star Feature Corporation by the Alco brings to the latter organization the excellent equipment, con- tracts, play options, studio accommodations, good will and a name that stands for merit and ambition to produce material of ouallty. The All Star Feature Corporation was con- tracted with by the Alco people to furnish one play a month to tbe Alco program, and this franchise his likewise been absorbed by Alco. Tbe releasing and distributional ar- rangements will continue through Alco, of course. Wbnt changes will be made in the executive or technical staff of the All Star ia problematical. HARRY RAVER GIVES REASONS POR 7 DISPOSING OP A 1,1, STAB INTERESTS. The rapid growth of bis importing inter- ests and ill health are the reasons attributed by Harry R. Raver In a statement Issued by him ' Aug feature Corporation. "These reasons have been no secret to those associated with me In the All Star," says Mr. Raver. "I am simply worked out— broken down. 'Cablrla' and other Important productions soon to be presented hi America. Involve a vast amount of effort and time to exploit In the manner 1 Insist they shall be £ resented. That Augustus Thomas severed Is connection at the Rome time as I did has no significance. Offered what I consid- ered a handsome sum for my holdings, I sold This is but natural." CLARA KIMBALL YOUNG PRESENTS PRIZE WINNERS WITH TROPHY AT BALL OP MASSACHUSETTS EX- HIBITORS. One of the most beautiful sights that the spectators witnessed at tbe Massachusetts Motion Picture Exhibitors' Ball, which took place at the Boston Arena, Tuesday, Dec. 2. was the presentation ot tbe Clara Kimball Young loving cup to the prize winning dan- cing couple, Lcona Gaucher and George Khcdd, both of Urookllhc, Mass. The presen- tation speech waa made by Governor Walsh of the State, on behalf of the World Film Corporation and the donor. The couple, wreathed In smiles, were congratulated by Clara Kimball Young on their ability, as she handed them tbe cup. General Manager Lewis J. Selznlck, of the World Film Corporation. who was present, assured the dancing couple that they would be his guests at anv time they desire to ace his feature photoplays when they arc presented In their home town. EARL METCALFE QUITE SOME KIDDER. Earl Metcalfe, at the Lubln studio recent- ly "put one over" on George Terwilliger, his director, by announcing to blot that he was going to quit acting nnd become a scenario writer. When asked for an explanation Met- calfe said that be knew of a book which, could It be put into scenario form, would make tho greatest moving picture in the world. Being a noted scenario writer himself and wondering bow this book had ever escaped his notice, Terwilliger Immediately Inquired the name of it. With all appearance of so-i- ousnss Earl replied: "The Dictionary, be- cause In It one can find every element for a good photoplay, love, hate, Jealousy pity, sympathy, scorn, forgiveness, comedy—" tho list was never completed for Terwilliger fled to his private office. From last reports Earl was ntlll alive. •THE LAST CHAPTER" NEXT FAVORITE PLAYERS' RELEASE. The coming Favorite I'layern' picture, on- titled "The Last Chapter," to be released on the Alliance program about the first of the year, Is taken from Richard Harding Davis' atorjr called "The Unfinished Story/' "The Unfinished Story," .while containing excellent material for the display of tbe mo- tion picture art, is one ot those mystery stories whlcb leave tho reader In doubt as to the actual meaning of tbe author. This form ot handling, while permissible in liter- ature, is unsuitable for clnematagraphic pro ductlon. In plcturlzlng "Tbe Unfinished Story" it was found necessary to write the last chapter, and the story was therefore entitled ''The Last Chapter/' In making these changes the Favorite Players Film Co. conferred with Richard Harding Davis, and tbe screen version ni produced Is the result of tbe conference of the two parties Interested. WH. FAHNUM COMMENDS EDGAR LEWIS AS A PHOTOPLAY DIRECTOR. When the observant visitor cornea to the rathe studio, where the Box Office Attrac- tion Company Is now producing its photo- plays, tho first thing that strikes him Is the pervading atmosphere of efficiency and har- mony. If he should ask William Farnum to give a reason for this phenomenon, he might receive tho following answer: "The answer Is sclf-ovldent If you will only remain long enough to watch ICdgnr Lewis, our director, stage one of our productions. Mr. Lewis bas that rare quality of making others feel the scene and the character that Is to be played Just as he himself docs. When the minds of director aud player work in unison there Is harmony In action, Con- fusion nnd wrangling, those earmarks of in- efficiency In stage directing, disappear. Here wo all have confidence in tbe director, and endeavor to follow out his suggestions and put ourselves into tho spirit of the role, rather than act like puppets dangling from wires." JANE COWL ENTHUSIASTIC OVER PICTURE WORK. The screen debut of Jane Cowl, the noted dramatic star. Is quite as Interesting to her as it will prove to the general public when the Alco release "The Garden of Lies" is flashed on the screens of the country. Miss Cowl nnd the company with which tho All Star Feature Corporation surrounded her re- cently returned from St. Augustine, Fla., where the exteriors were done. "It was all perfectly fascinating to me," she said to an interviewer who sought ber Id the Fort Lee studios of the All Star at Fort I.ee. N. i. ( "but i suppose I was blessed above other legitimate players who have ?one into the motion picture drama. I was leased, I mean, in having as a vehicle a story with so many exciting incidents as Tbe Garden of Lies.' There didn't seem a doll moment during the whole of the time we were in 8c. Augustine. You know"—and Miss Cowl laughed—"I am married at the ■tart of tbe romance and start off in an automobile for my honeymoon. We have gone but a few miles when the auto Is wrecked, and I am injured in such a way that I am stricken with partial aphasia. Now, that's exciting, isn't it, for the very beginning? "Then they decide, with the doctor's ad- vice, that as I am calling constantly for my husband that my reason can only be saved by presenting at my bedside a supposed hus- band. Think of that I We fall In love. Imagine falling In love at first Bight. Then my real husband, who Is heir apparent to a small crown, rctuma. Of course there Is more trouble. A duel follows at once. And as I saw the duel fought in St. Augustine It was no slight affair. William Russell, the pretended husband, and Philip Hahn, who played the prince husband, were somewhat cut and slashed after it was all over. NOTICE Commencing on December 17 and continuing every Thursday there- after, the licensed program will include a new one reel comedy of unusual merit. - , The public demand for "funny pictures" is so overwhelming at the present time that exhibitors feel obliged to have at least one comedy on the bill every day. The market is flooded with "COMEDIES," but consistently good ones are few and far between. It is to meet exactly this condition that MINA FILMS have been de- vised. They are the result of a long special study of this problem, by one of the oldest and most successful manufacturers in the industry. MINA FILMS are recommended for your immediate consideration. Through all licensed exchanges or branches of the General Film Company the leap In good style and swam a consider- able distance with his clothes almost frozen to him. McPhee will be remembered for his sensa- tional work in "After the Bnll," also for other appearances in productions of the 1'hotodrama Company, All Star. Pilot and Thanhouser. BADLY BENT AND BROKEN THROUGH STRESS OF EUROPEAN WAR, WALL STREET BROKERS BECOME MOVIE DAVID HORSLEY, ATMOSPHERE IN "SAMSON." Pioneer motion picture man, who startled Freqeutly when seeking "extra people" the inhabitants of filmland recently by pur- for scenes In which big crowds figure, motion ,?,',* Rostock's entire menagerie, which picture directors are confronted by the dlf- wlll be utilized In forthcoming Nina releases. Acuity of obtaining people of enough lntelll- gence to properly fill t^elr parts. Director ' Lewis who, with George De Carlton. Is directing William Fox's production extraor- dinary" of "Samson," Mr. Bernstein's telling drama of financial intrigue, which is re- leased tbroubg the Box Ofllce Attraction Companly. thought that he would have the same trouble when staging tbe great "panic" scene In front of the Parisian Bourse, when the frenzied brokers and speculators learn that Eracbard's mad maneuvering has wiped them off the slate. Mr. Dc Carlton set out to And men wbo would look the part." He anticipated a long search, but a friend of his gave him a friendly tip to go down to the Wall Street Relief Association, where he could probably find men familiar with every click of a ticker and twist of market OLGA PETROVA LIKES INDIANAPOLIS. Indianapolis Is a city well loved by Ma- dame Olga Petrova, the dramatic star, who has made herself felt In every capital of the world, and who makes her first screen at> nearance In the Alco release. "Tbe Tigress." for It was In Indianapolis that Madame met her present husband, Dr. John D. Stewart. Madame Petrova was In the city two yea s ago during the holiday season. A slight operation was necessary. Dr. Stewart per- formed It An acquaintance began tnen which ripened into love. Dr. Stewart had business In many cities, and he and Madame Petrova met frequently. Their first meeting was In December. . In March they were mar- ried. 'So Madame insists whenever It Is possible, that whatever company she is head- ing must play In Indianapolis somewhere near the holiday season. PRESIDENT'S NIECE, MARGARET VALE, A PHOTOPLAYER—PLAYS ROLE IN I. S. P. CO. PRODUCTION. Margaret Vale, niece of President Wllsoa, made her debut in motion pictures in a sen- sational manner last week by appearing In the scene at Marblo Hill Cliff, an cighty.flve foot eminence overlooking the Harlem River, into which lumped Barney McPhee, the lead- ing man of the I. S. P. Producing Company. Miss Vale, who in private life is Mrs. Howe, wife of the professor of Latin at the University of North Carolina, has the sanc- tion of her uncle in her professional career, as illustrated by a letter received from the president recently. In which he warmly wished her all success In her venture. La»t season, Miss Vale's work In "Omar, the Tentmaker," in spectacular drama she quickly graduated from a minor part to that of lending woman, brought her to the notice of motion picture producers, who found he. - , physically and mentally, a fine type for mo- tion picture work. She Is an actress of temperament and charm. The production In which she is now ap- pearing is "Was He a Coward?" The scene that occasioned tbe daring leap from the lofty crahr represents an incident In the escape of the hero, a convict At this height, and on this dizzy edge, Miss Vale, as the heroine, pleads with the hero not to brave the Icy depths, and almost slips into the water herself. McPhee, watched by a battalion of re- pnrters and newspaper photographers, made MARY NASH, In a striking scene from the Life Phcto Finn Co.'s screen version of tbe deHgbtfwl play, "Springtime." It's nn Alco feature release WILLIAM FARNUM And a select company of eminent players enacting a scene from the Famous Players Film Co.'s elaborate production of Wilson Barrett's Immortal play, "The Sign of the Cross." figures. He succeeded beyond his greatest ence In money panics both on the curb and hopes, not only dld_ he obtain all the two on 'Change. hundred men he wished, but ncores who are eager to obtain a chance in "the pictures" were turned down. The result Is that every man who participates In Ihe trcuzled scene." about the Bourse has had personal expert- OLOA PETROVA, Starring In tha sensational feature photoplay, entitled "The Tigress." which has Just been released on the Alco Film Corporation program. Tho Popular Play and Players Co. made the picture. ORRIN JOHNSON. ACCOMPLISHED ACTOR, TO PLAY LEADING ROLE IN ROLFE'S PRODUCTION OF "SATAN SANDERSON." The matinee Idol of a considerable part of feminine United States, Orrin Johnson, has lust been engaged by B. A. Rolfe to star in the forthcoming photoplay, "Satan San- derson," which Is to be released by Alco. In "Satan Sanderson" the popular yonng star makes his screen debut. A large number of leading roles in Im- l>ortant plays have been Mr. Johnson's Broad- way portion. His last big work in Now York was his creation of the leads in "The Mar- riage Gome" and "The Three of Us." He is a naUve of Louisville, Ey. As a youth he went on the stage tn the company of Effle Ellsler. Within two months he was her lead- ing man, a position he held for three seasons. In 1800 the young actor began a connec- tion with Charles Frohman which lasted for many seasons. In that year he played thr, juvenile in "Men and Women," a play which ran for one year on Broadway. Since that time Mr. Johnson has been seen In many plays, always in a leading part He has been chief male support for Richard Mansfield, Maude Adams and Annie Russell. While be was with Miss Russell his work won first place in critical favor. His crea- tion of tho Judge, In the late Clyde Fitch's "The Girl and the Judge," and his juvenile lead In "Mice and Men," with Annie Russell, were real contributions to stage history. In "Satan Sanderson," film critics agree, ihe popular star tons a role that fits his per- PHIL. EXHIBITORS' BALL TRIUMPH. J. ROMAINE FIELDINO AND ORJII HAWLEY LEAD GRAND MARCH. Despite the inclement weather which pre- vailed, a big crowd tnmed out to help mak? the annual ball of the Picture Exhibitors League of Pennsylvania the most successful one In Its career. With an orchestra of sixty pieces to furnish music for tbe dan- cing, the Horticultural Hall was packed by ten o'clock with joyous fins, exhibitors and photoplay celebrities. Romalne Fielding, Lubln actor-director-author, and Orml Haw- ley, also Lubln star were prominent anions the latter In that they were guests of tbe League, and lead the grand march. Miss Hawtev and Mr. Fielding, with others, anion;? whom were Clara K. Young, Edwin August, lidgar Jones, Lottie Briscoe, Francis X. Bush- man, Beverly Bayne, Edmund Breese, Selg- muml Lubln and Carl Laemmle, were intro- duced from the stand just prior to the march, which took place at twelve. Miss Hawley wore throughout the evening a handsome bouquet of American Bcaat.v roses, presented to her by Mr. Fielding as she came upon the door. During the course of the night's dancing a beautiful colored drawing of Miss Young was put up at auc- tion, the proceeds of which were to be handed over to the Belgian Relief Fund. The draw- ing went to Slegmnnd Lubln and Carl Laemmle, who Joined together In the bidding. An event of the evening which proved its human Interest worth to those who were wit- nesses was the mettirg between Mr. Fielding and Edmund Breese, famous legitimate star. Fourteen years had elapsed since the potns of these two artists crossed; prior to that, when Mr. Fielding was sIbo doing the leg.' i- mate, the two men had been fast friend?. At the finish of the dancing Mr. Breese ac- companied Mr. Fielding to his apartment 1 :. where the rest of the night was spent in going over old times and discussing the pic- ture game as It is developing. The three boxes were held by the Lubln Company, the Universal and the Box Office Attractions. DONALD MACKENZIE GIVES A DINNER. Donald MacKenzie. who has been directing the last episodes of "The Perils of Pauline, gave a dinner at the Hotel MeAlpln on we night of Sunday, Dec- 6, to the Patheltes. both In the studio and office, wbo have beei. co-operating with him in his work. Ttio-c present were: Frits Whatne, who P«V,'.. as toastmaster; Kyle, St Germain, Mink, Jack Dlsch, Mohn, Van Arsdale, Steuernagei neinz. ZapetU, Pearl White, Donald Mac Kenzle, Frank Lang, Alec Thompson, Han\. Crardall, Lefty Miller, Frank It*dmond,Mmc .Ht.iatr, Jobnuy Melghan, H. Blocker, DavW son. Hannah Cohen and Q. Bardet Even- body bad to make a. speech, and some Bon- ding Demosthenes were disclosed. The am ( ner lasted six hours, and all agreed that n was none too long. _^_ In anncering ad*, please mention Cum*.