The Film Daily (1918)

ZfeBRADSTREET of FILMDOM .DAIbYJ 7/fcRKOCHIZED Authority Vol. V, No. 104 Wednesday, August 21, 1918 Price 5 Cents TAKES OLD UNIVERSAL RANCH Famous Players-Lasky Corp. Acquires 1000 Acre Site For Permanent Sets The Famous Players-Lasky Corporation have secured the Old Universal Ranch, a 1,000-acre tract within five minutes of Hollywood at a cost said to be $1,000,000. The site will be used for permanent sets and the first picture to be made there will be a revival of "The Squawman," which Cecil B. BeMille is to direct. It was originally announced that William Faversham would appear in the picture, but the more recent announcements are to the effect that Elliott Dexter and Anna Little are to play the leads. "The Squawman" was originally done with Dustin Farnum playing the title role. It will be interesting to compare the new production with the earlier offering and note the advancement in the art of photoplay construction. Directing Lila Lee G. Butler Clonbough Will Handle Young Star's Second Picture G. Butler Clonbough is to be the new director for the much heralded Famous-Players-Lasky star, Lila Lee. G. Butler Clonbough is none other than our old friend Gustav von Seyffertitz, who at one time was with Belasco and later with the Charles Frohman staff staging productions. Previous to that he was at the Irving Place theatre where he directed productions in German. Miss Lee's second offering will be called "Such a Little Pirate." Brings War Film E. M. Newman of Educational Back from Europe With Material E. M. Newman, nature director for Educational Films Corporation, has returned from Europe with some extraordinary film. He is now on his way to Washington to place his material before the Committee on Public Information before giving out anv details. Mr. Newman, although unable to give any specific information as to his film, made a general statement. He has been with the American troops from their transports to the front. He was with them in Alsace, on the Piave and the Asiae-o Plateau. He witnessed the shelling of Paris and the raids on London. Mr. Newman's material includes all the work of the American forces, from the building of miles of railroads to the enormous bakeries. He still suffers from the effect of a gas attack, which laid him up for several weeks, and robbed him of his voice. Exchanges Secured The Greiver Distributing Corporation, which is handling the national distribution of the Ford Weekly, reports that the following exchanges have signed for their respective territories: Beehive exchange, New York City, for New York State and Northern New Jersey; R. D. Marson Attraction Co., Boston, Mass., for New England States; Masterpiece Film Attractions, Philadelphia, for Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Wilmington, Delaware; Super Film Attractions, Washington, D. C, for Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, North Carolina and Delaware except Wilmington; Quality Film Corporation, Pittsburgh, for Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Buys Hobart Play Thomas H. Ince has bought the picture rights to "What Is Your Husband Doing?" by George V. Hobart from Hobart-Jordan Corp., Inc., for one of his stars, presumably Charles Ray. FOX-UNION BATTLE MAY SPREAD I. A. T. S. E. States That Local Operators' Unions Throughout Country May *Take Up Fight The William Fox production of "Salome," the showing of which was cancelled at the Casino theatre because, it is understood, of the misunderstanding between the I. A. T. S. E. and the Musicians' Union, may be the cause of a countrywide fight on the William Fox film productions, in the houses of the local exhibitors as well as in the legitimate theatres where the road attraction of the Fox office was to play. One of the officials of the I. A. T. S. E. intimated yesterday that there was a possibility that the various locals of the Moving Picture Machine Operators' Protective Union throughout the country would take up the battle. This would mean_ that those contracting for the Fox picture would find it difficult to have their operators (if they were Union men) run the films. The developments yesterday, how ever, seemed to indicate that the Fox executives would try to come to an amicable understanding with the I. A. T. S. E. One of the Fox executives a^ked that the business representative of the New York local call on him. At the conference the question of obtaining Union men for the Fox road shows was up and the local representative informed the Fox people that the matter would have to be submitted to the national body of the I. A. T. S. E. for their consideration. At present the road shows are being held off until there is a definite understanding between the two bodies. Theatrical bookers intimated that they would have to reconsider the routings of the Fox picture in the event that there was a fight between Fox and the union organizations, for they did not want to take any chances on their regular road productions.