Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1921 - Mar 1922)

28 EXHIBITORS HERALD February 18, 1922 Paramount Pays Tribute to the Late William D. Taylor Jesse L. Lastly Says Company's Resources \ Will Be Drawn Upon in Effort to Apprehend Slayer (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, Feb. 7. — Famous Players-Lasky Corporation has issued the following statement on the death of William D. Taylor in Los Angeles last week: "News of the tragic death of William D. Taylor, Paramount producer, caused the most profound sorrow among his hundreds of friends in theatrical and motion picture circles. "A1 he was well known to all the company's executives, he was held in the highest esteem, not only professionally but socially as well. He was a diligent and untiring worker, of modest mein, and with an exceptionally wholesome outlook on things in general — the type of man, in fact, who would be expected to turn out only such clean, wholesome pictures as the William D. Taylor productions have proved. * * * "The sentiment of the Famous PlayersLasky organization is expressed by a statement given out in Los Angeles by Jesse L. Lasky, with whom, as production chief of Paramount, Mr. Taylor had been closely associated for many years. .Mr. Lasky said: " 'I have lost a friend — a man who won that place not only for his personal qualities but also for the manner in which he discharged his professional duties. " 'William D. Taylor's loyalty to the firm he worked for was proverial. Never had he been late to an engagement ; never had he balked at a task because it was too hard, and when a slump in the industry demanded personal sacrifice he was the first to offer himself. A man of finer ideals I have never known. " 'Our corporation proposes to enter actively into plans for the detection of the slayer. All our resources will be drawn upon to hasten the bringing to justice of the murderer of our friend.' * * * "William Desmond Taylor was born in Mallows, County Cork, Ireland, in 1877. He was educated at Clifton College, Eng land, preparing himself for the profession of an army engineer. For a short time he was engaged in engineering work in France and in England, but, following his natural inclination and against the wishes of his parents, he joined Charles Hawtrey's company in Manchester as an actor. He soon came to this country and played juvenile roles with Fany Davenport and later stock leads in Boston, Chicago and Seattle. "Forsakine the stage for the more adventurous life of a prospector, he made several trips to the Klondike, participating in the big gold rush over the long trail to Nome. On his return to the United States, he acted for a time as the manager of a large farm near Harper, Kan. He then went back into engineering work and built the big terminal of the Grand Trunk railway at Prince Rupert, B. C, and also a large paper mill at Swanson Bay, B. C. * * * "Nine years ago, Mr. Taylor entered the motion picture business with KayBee and later directed Balboa's first picture, 'The High Hand.' He was afterward associated with various producing companies, including Reliance, Vitagraph, Morosco, Fox and Bosworth, Inc. In 1914, he joined the Lasky forces and had since directed some of the most famous Paramount stars. Notable among his earlier pictures were the Mark Twain stories, 'Tom Sawyer' and 'Huck and Tom,' starring Jack Pickford, and the Artcraft pictures. 'How Could You, Jean,' 'Captain Kidd, Jr..' and 'Johanna Enlists,' starring Mary Pickford. "Following the completion of the last named picture, in 1918, he joined the Royal Flying Corps in Canada, being commissioned captain. At the close of the war, he returned to Hollywood and produced 'Huckleberry Finn,' one of his greatest works. Among his subsequent pictures were 'The Witching Hour,' 'The Furnace,' 'The Soul of Youth,' Elsie Ferguson in 'Sacred and Profane Love,' Ethel Clayton in 'Wealth.' Mary Miles Minter in 'Anne of Green Gables,' 'Judy of Rogue's Harbor,' 'Nurse Marjorie' and 'Jenny Be Good,' and May McAvoy in 'Morals.' At the time of his death he had just completed 'The Green Temptation,' starring Betty Compson, and was making preparations for a new Paramount picture, 'The Ordeal,' with Agnes Ayres and Jack Holt." BETTY COMPSON in a scene from "The Green Temptation," her latest Pai amount picture. Reopens with Pictures (Special to Exhibitors Herald) HAMMOND, IND., Feb. 7.— The Orpheum theatre, redecorated in old rose and gold, with new screen settings and draperies, has been opened as a motion picture house with a five-piece orchestra. The theatre is owned by S. J. Gregory Theatrical Company. The Orpheum was a vaudeville house for years. WILLIAM D. TAYLOR, director of the Los Angeles Lodge of the Motion Picture Directors' Association and producer for Paramount, whose death is mourned by hundreds of friends in theatrical and motion picture circles. pnilllllllllllllllllllll liililllllliiliiliuiiiiilillliliiiiiiiiliiniiiniiiiiiliin nililiiiniiiiiinillg 1 "Biting the Hand-" | ^uiinminiHiiiniiiiiiiiiiitiinniiniiitiiiiitintiiititiJiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiniiiiiiMiiiiiEUHHUBiHHaBM^D (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, Feb. 7.— Herbert Brenon, a director whose record has never been made the subject of public boast by the industry, made a bid for the spotlight in connection with the Taylor tragedy by giving a statement to the newspapers which has been called vicious and inexcusable. Brenon's personal and commercial record is so well known within the industry that no comment is now necessary. The Brenon statement to the newspapers follows: "The trouble is that out in Hollywood the motion picture people are thrown upon themselves for recreation. They live, think, and talk pictures all the time. They do not lead the normaj lives with outside diversion which we in the east do. The minority, who have made money quickly, persons with little character and less morals, have had their heads turned and have cast aside all restraint. These are the ones who bring discredit upon us, and the good suffer with the bad. "I think it would be a jolly good thing if Hollvwood were abolished." Inspect K. C. Houses (Special to Exhibitors Herald) KANSAS CITY, MO., Feb. 7.— Matt Shinnick, superintendent of buildings, was instructed last week by the board of public works to make an inspection of all theatres in Kansas City. The inspection will include an examination of the roots, seating arrangements and the manner ■ handling crowds. The board instructed Mr. Shinnick to close theatres found unsafe.