Exhibitors Herald (Jun-Sep 1919)

EXHIBITORS HERALD A X D MOTOGRAPHY Iniversal Forms International Film Company With Garibaldi's amous Italian Family Joins With Americans in Roma-New York Pictures Corporation Capitalized at $5,000,000 Would Play Juliet Jne of the largest American and for«n business amalgamations and the t ming of the first American-Italian tn corporation in the history of the : was effected Tuesday afternoon, ..gust 12. The American company intested is the Universal Film company, i\ the Italian interests are represented t General Guisippe Garibaldi and Captn Ezio Garabaldi. The company is to I known as the Roma-Xew York Pict es Corporation and is capitalized at 5000,000. The three Universals who \re responsible for the forming of the stance were Carl Laemmle. R. H. Cochme and P. A. Powers. The two Garitldi brothers who represented the J lian interests are two famous men in t;ir country. The Garibaldis are of the fnily that has been prominent in Itali\ history for centuries and General (ribaldi is one of the heroes of the 1 lian army, having served in many of tr important engagements of the recent Vr The two Garabaldi brothers are £ ong the most influential and successf business men in Italy. The List of Officers The officials of the new Roma-Xew * rk Corporation are: P. A. Powers, f.sident; General Garabaldi, vice-presicit; Miss Ann Feinman, secretary; (ptain Ezio Garibaldi, assistant secrety, and R. H. Cochrane, treasurer. Beses the officers named members of the V,ird of directors are: Taikington Bajr, general manager of the Universal (mpany. and Dan B. Lederman, assista': to Carl Laemmle. Mr. Amerigo J-rao will be director of publicity for t corporation. The corporation, according to the stements of the officials is to be made t largest of its kind in motion picture iHustry. The proposition has been undr consideration for some time by the Uversal officials and the formation of tjs corporation enables the American ilerests ci the company to have comdte charge of the distribution of the Ijlian films made by the company in tjs country. Besides the releasing of t| films made under the American diritors of the corporation — the company vl\ have access to all the Universal fjeign exchanges as well as the distriion in Asia and the Orient through nges of its own \vhich are to be ilished in the near future, any of the largest film producing cnpanies in Italy are connected with al interested in this new alliance. The •I re prominent of the Italian producers *o are represented in the corporation ■al: Men who were actively engaged in *] production of film successes as Imbiria," "Quo Vadis," "Giulie Cesare" other successful plays; the Bertini 8m Co., and the Kerenne Film Co. Big Field for Product "he statement was made that special aention would be given to the EuroPin-Asiatic field and the Russian marI The Italian producers, even at the ■ t maximum production have never been able to supply the demands of this large field. General Garibaldi said: "If every theatre in Italy were to be closed and the entire output given to the near Orient and Russian fields, we could not satisfy within forty per cent, the demands that are constantly coming to us from these markets. With this new corporation we will be able to cover the entire field." The new company will send American actors and directors to Italy to produce pictures for European and American distribution. A number of the best actors in Italy are already under contract with tne Italian interests of which the new corporation has control. The promise of some exceptional and distinctly individual pictures is made. Realart Appoints Lewis Kniskern to Supervise Contracts Lewis Kniskern has been appointed supervisor of contracts of Realart Pictures Corporation. He comes to the new film producing and distributing company with a business record aggregating fifteen years. After being graduated from the University of Syracuse with the class of '04, Mr. Kniskern went into the mail order business and was for four years office manager of the Kansas City branch of Montgomery Ward & Company, the Chicago mail order house, at that time the second largest firm of its kind in the country. He then became associated with W. and H. Walker, a Pittsburgh mail order firm, as an efficiency manager. Following his long experience in the business of selling through the mails. Mr. Kniskern became sales manager of the West Virginia branch of the Burroughs Adding Machine Company, with offices at Wheeling. He stayed there five years. Enters Film Field It was at that time that the photoplay industry began to become established in a business way, and Mr. Kniskern, sensing its future, joined the old Famous Players as office manager of the Pittsburgh branch, later holding the same position for Artcraft in Pittsburgh. Then the consolidation of Famous Players, Lasky, Artcraft and Paramount took place and Mr. Kniskern became Pittsburgh branch manager of the affiliated companies, a position which he held until last Fall. Mr. Kniskern's film career in Pittsburgh lasted three years. In addition to his experience as a business executive in film circles, Mr. Kniskern has been an exhibitor. He resigned from Famous Players-Lasky to become affiliated on a partnership basis with the Xathan-Friedberg Company, which operates a chain of seven photoplay thea 59 Dorothy Haver, one of the famous Mack Sennett bathing beauties now on tour of the principal cities of the United States, has one desire and her ambitions are far from what the ordinary person would imagine. Although one would think she is perfectly happy and satisfied diving, swdmming and playing mermaid for Mr. Sennett, such is not the case. Miss Haver's ambition is to assume heavy roles in dramatic productions or motion pictures. tres in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Mr. Kniskern supervised the management of the Pittsburgh houses. This concern recently broke ground for a 1,400-seat house in East Liberty, the residential section of Pittsburgh. It is said that the cost of construction will be between $150,000 and $200,000. This was Mr. Kniskern's last connection before joining Realart. Handles All Contracts In his present capacity Mr. Kniskerr handles all matters relating to contracts with exhibitors. His past business experience in film circles should enable him to fill this post very acceptably. Having been an exhibitor, he knows the viewpoint of the man who shows the finished production to the public and because of that very valuable experience he will safeguard the interests of the showman at all times. ki.