The Film Daily (1921)

7^BRADSTREET o/FILMDOM 7/feRECOCHIZED AUT» )RITY VOL. XV No. 4 Thursday, January 6, 1921 Price 5 Cent Film City in Florida Murray W. Garsson Buys Old Army Site Near Jacksonville — Plans * Extensive Production (Special to WID'S DAILY) Jacksonville, Fla.— As the result of negotiations completed last week what papers here describe as the "largest motion picture production center in the world" will soon be under way at Camp Joseph E. Johnston, at Black Point. It is said more 'than 700 acres of ground in the camp have been purchased by the Fine Art Pictures, Inc., of New York. Twenty complete studios will be built it is promised and each studio' will be capable of accomodating two companies, giving working space under the present plans for 40 companies operating at the same time. Heading the company which will develop the camp site is Murray W. Garsson of New York, who is president of the corporation. Garsson has be6n in Jacksonville, for a month concluding the negotiations for the purchase of the camp property and has received, the assistance and support of the motion picture committee of the local Chamber of Commerce. The site of the proposed "Fine Arts City," as it will be known is eight and one-half miles from the center of Jacksonville. According to a statement in the Times-Union, Fine Arts has laid out a program of production. The program calls for the production of 46 pictures classified as follows: IS two-reel comedies; 15 two-reel Westerns; 12 super-productions and four special productions. Henry Garsson, brother .of Murray, stated yesterday that the above dispatch was correct in detail and added that the production plans outlined above represented a minimum production schedule. He said that there were about 20 army buildings at the camp which would be reconstructed to meet studio needs and that production would be started in February. Murray Garsson is expected back in New' York on Monday. "After the Ball " At the hour of going to press the much-talked-of ball of the Theater Owners' Chamber of Commerce was in fulL swing at the Astor. A lot of prominent film people were there, not caring a darn when they got home. Adrift on the shell of their ship, wr Blair Cornwall find in each others' die of man and woman. Facing sta seal their troth with heaven the onl H. Ince's second Associated Produ which Mr. Ince in person directed Peters and Florence Vidor head the ecked at sea, Nance Abbott and eyes the answer to the eternal ridring death together, they plight and y witness. A big moment in.Thos. cers' production, "Lying -Lips," in the important sequences. .House ' cast. — Advt. D.W.'s Fame— Why? Asks Small Town Exhibitor Regarding Showings of "Way Down East"— D. W. Replies Ben L. Morris of the Spragg Amusement Co. of Bellaire, O., operating the Olympic, Majestic and Elk Grand in that city, has sent this publication an interesting letter regarding the fame of D. W. Griffith as (Continued on Page 4) Mason With First National Lesley Mason, former editor of the Exhibitor's Trade Review, is now with First National" in an important capacity. Coastward Bound Niiram Abrams, Dennis F. O'Brien and Mark Larkin leave for the coast on Saturday. Larkin assumes his duties as press representative for Mary and "Doug" shortly. New Tax Ruling Treasury Department Finds State Right Dealers Are Taxable as Exhibitors (Special to WID'S DAILY) Washington — The Internal Revenue Department has issued a new ruling which hits state right operators. The department holds that such buyers are taxable as exhibitors under the present form of contract and as such must pay the five per cent rental tax, heretofore paid by exhibitors. It is probable that the matter will be brought before the department by the National Association. Frederick H. Elliott, secretary of the N. A. M. P. I., when asked about the matter yesterday refused to comment on it other than to say the matter "was pretty well whipped into shape." Ludvigh Named As Treasurer of Famous Players i Place of Arthur S. FriendNo Other Changes Elek J. Ludvigh, legal adviser c Famous Players-Lasky, has been s« lected as treasurer of the corpora tion, succeeding Arthur S. Frienc who resigned some weeks ago. Mi Ludvigh will be called secretary-treas urer of the corporation. This was decided at a: meeting o the board of directors held in the ex ecutive offices yesterday. No othe changes in the personnel of the cor poration's executives were announced Ttfathanson Here N. L. Nathanson of the Famou Players Canadian Corp. is in towi from Toronto. French Pathe and U. F. A. in Dea (Special to WID'S DAILY) Berlin — Credence is being given t< the reports here that Pathe Frere: nd the U. F. A. are negotiating a dea whereby U. F. A. will represen Pathe in Germany. Spence Leaves Fox Ralph Spence who has been writing titles for Fox productions for the pas three years has left that organization He has formed a company callec Ralph Spence, Inc., capitalized a $20,000, in which Harry Saks Hech eimer and G. D. Richardson are in terested. Spence will continue in th< same line of work. £50,000,000 for Theaters? Los Angeles — A local newspaper in an interview with Fred Granville who has just returned from Englanc where he directed sevearl pictures fo: Samuelson's, quotes Granville as say ing that a sum of £50,000,000 ha; been set aside to build a chain o theaters in Great Britain. Granvill< does not state what interests are t< build the theaters. New Moss Unit (Special to WID'S DAILY) Albany, N. Y.— The. B. S. Mosi Theater Corp., was formed here terday. The company is capitalizec at $1,500,000 and in its incorporatioi papers stated its purpose was to man ufacture films. The incorporators ar N. . H. Streimer, M. Sulzberger an< B. S. Moss, 955 Park Ave. An effort was made to ascertaii from the Moss offices yesterday wha the new company planned to do Moss could not be reached for \ statement.