Exhibitors Herald (Jul-Sep 1922)

28 EXHIBITORS HERALD July 22, 1922 Joe Di Lorenzo A Few Pertinent Facts About the President of Di Lorenzo, Inc. FRANK LOSEE, probably the busiest and one of the best character actors now playing in the films, in his many years of helping to make entertainment for the show hungry masses, has had so many experiences and played so many parts that he didn't think a new one could be handed him. But it was. During the filming of Paramount's "Missing Millions," just completed by Director Joseph Henabery, Mr. Losee played the part of "Boss" Franklin. In one of the scenes "Boss" Franklin is slugged at the door of his Wall street office by a couple of thugs, and falls unconscious on the street in front of his office. This scene was taken in Wall street early one Sunday morning — long before anyone was about. Mr. Losee, alias "Boss" Franklin, was properly slugged and just as properly fell unconscious on the pavement. Just at this instant, however, the weather man took a hand in the picture and a heavy rain commenced to fall, forcing a discontinuance of the filming for the time. "And there I was," said Mr. Losee. "Lying unconscious on the pavement and the rain driving the cameramen to cover. It was two days before that rain let up so we could finish the scene, and all that time I had to lie there on the street which I did — theoretically." * * * Captain Henry, the urbane Apollo whose habitat is among Carl Laemmle's hired men up at 1600 Broadway, is giving the trade paper presses a breathing spell while he spends a couple of weeks cruising on the raging Hudson in his luxurious motor yacht, the "Will It." If the aforesaid 1. m. y. performs properly during the fortnight, Captain Bate declares he will re-christen it and call it the "It Will." * * * Irving Lesser is getting up in the world. He has moved his offices from the eighth floor of 576 Fifth avenue, to the twelfth floor of the Loew building. The new location contains the eastern offices of the Western Pictures Exploitation Company of which Mr. Lesser is general manager, the home office remaining in Los Angeles. Mr. Lesser continues in the representation of the Jackie Coogan Productions and the West Coast Theatres, Inc. Mr. Roth, who has almost as many friends in the industry as Mr. Lesser, moved his desk and position as office manager with Mr. Lesser and Harry Rathner continues as field representative. * * * C. L. Dixon has resigned as Director of Advertising and Publicity of Cosmopolitan Productions to devote his time to the business of Satterlee Radio, Inc., a concern in which he is a stockholder and of which he is one of the directors. Theodore Deitrich, formerly with Zit's Weekly, succeeds Dixon at International. * * * Record one departure from the motion picture industry : Gordon H. Place, once of Farftpus Players, who was in charge of publicity' at Robertson-Cole up to the time of the change that brought Nat Rothstein to the helm, has left the film business to affiliate with N. W. Ayer & Son advertising agenev in Philadelphia. * * * Wagers are still being made as to when and how C. L. Yearsley will take his vacation. "You need a change," Tom Wiley told him recently. "You ought to go to a summer hotel and get it." "Whatdoyoumean, get it?" Bill retorted, "if I go there the hotel will get some of the change and the waiters'll get the rest." And Bill still sticks to his desk with week-end fishing trips to the Catskills to relieve the ennui. * * * Joseph Levinson of the New York State Board of Censors addressed the A. M. P. A. meeting last Thursday and according to all accounts if the worthy commissioner had had to answer all the questions that were put to him or about to be, he'd be there yet. He made the significant statement that outside of the Directors association, the A. M. P. A. was the only organization in the industry that had invited any of the censors to sit at a round table with them and talk things over. Lack of co-operation, according to his statement, was deplorably evident. Among other things the censor declared himself too calloused a ward heeler to mind criticism or personal abuse. And Vic Shapiro, who delivered an eloquent defense of the films in which he declared himself opposed to any and all kinds of censorship, didn't even make the censor blink an eyebrow. * * * And the discussion grew so intense that Charlie Barrell, who was all set to tell of his trip to Yurrup, is still waiting for the chance. * * * Walter Ererhardt, of First National, who has recently been accused of matrimonial intentions, declares that he has been completely captured and captivated and that the female in question is Hurricane's Gal. * * * Sam Palmer of Famous Players is still determining whether to move to cosmopolitan quarters or batch it in Jamaica this summer and the odds are on Jamaica. Mrs. Palmer and the family will move to the country the latter half of the month. * * * John Flinn's activity in A. M. P. A. affairs is weekly becoming more pronounced— the pronunciation depending upon whom he introduces. Two weeks ago he sketched the organization's history at the Sir Charles Higham luncheon, prior to the introduction of the worthy M. P., and last Thursday he introduced Mr. Levinson in his own original way. * * * Harry R. Smith of Smith's Film Sales Ltd., London, England, arrived in New York on the S. S. Aquitania on July 1 and is making his headquarters with his American representative, Edward L. Klein Company, Knickerbocker Bldg., New York. Mr. Smith brought several new productions with him and while in New York will negotiate for the British and Continental rights to a number of American features and two reel comedies. #.#-'* Louis Macloon, press agent for Oliver Morosco and that producers personal representative, has also joined the commuters' society. The Noroscan agent has leased Carroll McComas' home at Greenwich for the summer. John S. Spargo. FROM office boy to president does not only happen in reel life — in fact it has actually been so in reality, and as proof of the pudding, let us herewith present Joe di Lorenzo, president of di Lorenzo, Inc., distributors of the Frederick Herbst Productions featuring Guinn "Big Boy" Williams. Joe's original venture began back in 1910 when he was employed by Liebler & Company, who produced "The Man From Home," "The Garden of Allah," "Alias Jimmy Valentine," "Disraeli" and other notable successes. In March, 1915, George Welty, who was general booking manager of Liebler & Company, left to become general manager of the Select Film Booking Agency. Later Al Lichtman became sales manager and di Lorenzo soon learned a great deal of the film business from him. The Select Film Booking Agency was subsequently taken over by Paramount, then merged into Artcraft, whence it was incorporated bodily into the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. With each new merger Joe was retained by the new organization, with the result that he rose from office by to Exchange Service Manager of Famous. Di Lorenzo resigned in 1920 to take charge of distribution of Baumer Films, producers of non-theatrical picture subjectIn January of this year di Lorenzo felt the further urge of ambition and left Associated Producers to organize his own company, with the result that di Lorenzo, Inc., with Joe as its president is handling the world distribution of the Frederick Herbst Production, featuring "Big Boy" Williams, whose first two pictures "Blaze Away," and "The Trail of Hate" have already been given to the trade. "The Freshie," third of the series, will shortly be released. Joe states that he is only twenty-five years old, married happily and thinks his youngster is a coming movie star.