The Film Daily (1920)

^BRADSTREET )f FJLMDOM 7/cRECOCHIZED AUTHORITY OL. XIV No. 33 Wednesday, November 3, 1920 Price 5 Cents New Contracts etween Producers and Actors Being ! Drawn— Talk of "Closed Shop"— "Grafting Agents" Hit There was a lot of comment among -oducers and their representatives esterday when they heard for what jas apparently the first time that the ctors' Equity Asso. was preparing new contract, and that those proticers who didn't like it might be forced" to accept it. j The new contract which is expected \ be in readiness in the next few eeks calls for a change of existing orking conditions between actors lid actresses and the producers of ktures. During a discussion of the foposed new contract at the Astor n Sunday John Emerson, president I the Equity, said that one of the tast serious grievances was double me work. If a picture would ordinarily take four weeks to produce, ime directors worked the actors and 'tresses day and night to finish it i two weeks, he declared. "This sort of thing must be reme*ed," he declared, "and I believe I lill have very little trouble getting !ae heads of the motion picture industry to sign the contract which 'ould state that the men and women ork only a certain number of hours Mring the week." : Another evil with which camera ilk had to contend, said Mr. Emerj>n, was the "grafting agents" who '■cure employment for them. The gouging" of these private agencies 'ill have to stop, Mr. Emerson said, id the first step taken by Equity to lit them out of business was the re(Continued on Page 2) Enlarging the Staff ; Fox News, now entering upon its kond year, will have increased staff a cameramen stationed in principal (ties throughout the world. North Back orsakes Exhibiting Field to Join Louis B. Mayer's Company I Tom North will resign as general anager for Moore's Theatrical En rprises on Saturday to become as ;stant general manager for Louis Mayer and the Chaplin-Mayer Picires, Inc. North left Pathe some time ago to y the exhibiting field, but says he ist had to come back. He is now New York. teichenbach Resigns Harry Reichenbach has resigned i general eastern representative for ie Harry Garson Prod. Somewhere, somehow, at some time, life's Forbidden Thing holds up a warning hand to all the characters in "The Forbidden Thing," Allan Dwan's first Associated Producers' picture, with an all-star cast including James Kirkwood, Helen Jerome Eddy and Marcia Manon. — Advt. Holiday Around Town A good many of the larger companies were closed yesterday because of Election Day. Warners Not Involved In the case of U. S. Printing and Lithograph Co. against P. A. Powers and H. M. and A. Warner, the judge has set aside the verdict as affecting the Warners and has levied judgment against P. A. Powers only. Morosco to Direct (Special to WID'S DAILY) Los Angeles — Oliver Morosco himself will direct "The Half Breed," his first picture to be released as an Oliver Morosco Prod. William Desmond will appear in it. F. P. Gave Returns to 500 Houses Paramount exploitation servi< e gave prompt election returns last night to 500 theaters in New Yor!:, Chicago and Detroit. The Keith houses figured in the local arrangement, as did theaters i l Hoboken, Ml. Vernon, Yonkers, New Rochelle and Jersey City. Holubar Not Coming East (By wire to WID'S DAILY) Los Angeles — Allen Holubar states that the reports printed that he and Al Kaufman intended going East produce are in error and that he has no idea of leaving the coast. He further says that his contract w-ith Kaufman was for one picture only and that this has practcally expired. His connection with Kaufman will then cease. he says. "Way Down East" in Brooklyn "Way Down East" opens at the Shubert-Crescent, Flatbush Ave. Extension and Fulton St., Brooklyn, on Monday for a limited engagement of probably four or five weeks. There will be two shows a dav and the price will be $2 top. Adler in Washington (Special to WID'S DAILY) Washington — Bert Adler is here doing advance exploitation on "The Forbidden Thing" which opens at the Garden next week. This is the pciture's first showing. Loew Wins His Stillman Theater in Cleveland Will Show First Nat'l Product First Run (By wire to WID'S DAILY) Cleveland — Judge David H. Thomas has handed down a decision bringing to a conclusion the case of the Stillman Investment Co. against Associated First Nat'l Pictures of Ohio. He declares that the Loew-Stillman interests are entitled to an injunction to prevent exhibition in the Metropolitan, Strand or any other theater in Cleveland of films for which the Stillman company held a contract for first run. The defense contended that it was imperative that new contracts be entered into at higher prices, because Charlie Chaplin, Charles Ray and the Talmadge sisters refused to appear in films under contracts which had been signed, but the court found that Loew's contracts with the old First Nat'l company had not been broken and were therefore still in effect. M. P. Week for Omaha (Special to WID'S DAILY) Omaha — Exhibitors have combined their efforts to put over Omaha's first motion picture week, beginning on Saturday. One feature will be a parade in which exchanges and theaters will be represented. New Garson Star (By wire to WID'S DAILY) Los Angeles — Local reports say that Louise Price will have the lead in the Garson production "Charge It." No Violation Mack Sennett Denies Having Broken Charles Baumann Contract (By wire to WID'S DAILY) Los Angeles — New York newspapers printed news items recently, announcing the suit brought in that city by Charles Baumann, who seeks in the Federal courts to recover the sum of $122,270, which he alleges is due him on a contract by which Mack Sennett secured his services for 5500 per week and 5% of the profits accruing to Sennett through eastern releases. Baumann alleges that Sennett broke the contract after it had run but half of its term when he disBaumann last November i his position as eastern representative of the Sennett interests. Sennett resents the imputation that, he has violated any of his contracts and asserts that Baumann was relieved of his New York duties for cause, as will be proven, asserts Sennett in the trial of the case in court.