The Film Daily (1918)

7/eBftADSTREET of F1LMDOM 7/feRKOCHIZED Authority Vol. VI, No. 43 Tuesday, November 19, 1918 Price 5 Onti Most Potent Force Hollywood, Cal. Wid Gunning, New York City. My dear Wid: Good luck to you and your magazine, and all it stands for. To my mind it is the most potent force for good the industry boasts. Sincerely, Bert Lytell. Censorship Session George Kleine Appears Before Chicago Commission CHICAGO.— The City Council's recently appointed moving picture censorship commission held its first session last Friday in the City Hall. Chairman Hurley expects to hold weekly sessions of the commission from now until Christmas and will have his report recommending certain changes in the city's film censorship methods ready, it is said, for presentation to Council, January 1. William A. Brady and a number of other prominent producers have been invited to attend the sessions and give their views on censorship. George Kleine appeared before the committee Friday and suggested that boards of censors should include "three or four broad-minded persons whose hands are not tied." "If there are too many pictures for this^ board to censor," added Mr. Kleine, "increase the number of boards. The sections of the ordinance covering immorality are too broad. The alluring signs that so many theatres display should be abolished." Managers Shifted ' The Famous Players-Lasky Corporation has announced two important changes in the managerial personnel of its Kansas City district, P. C. Wreath becoming manager of the Kansas City branch office and George W. Weeks of the St. Louis office. Mr. Wreath, who has been branch manager at St. Louis for some time, returns to his old position at Kansas City which he occupied for several years. Mr. Weeks was formerly a successful salesman connected with the Detroit office. FAMOUS PLAYERS SIGNS DREWS Arrangements Closed Comedies — One a Mon The Famous Players-Lasky Corp. yesterday, signed for the distribution of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew comedies, to be released one a month, commencing next January. The contract between the distributors and the V. B. K. Film Corp., the producing company formed by the Drews and Amedee J. VanBcuren of the VanBeuren Bill Posting Company, was arranged through W. E. Shallenberger. Three comedies are already finished and ready for distribution. They are "Once a Mason" and "The Amateur Liar," both by Albert Payson Terhune and "Romance and Rings" by Emma Anderson Whitman. When the Drews tour the country For Distribution of th Beginning in January in their stage play, "Keep Her Smiling," they will take with them a complete motion picture producing equipment and technical staff and will stage films in localities which best fit the stories. This is the first time that such a plan of film production has ever been undertaken. The contract signed by Famous Players-Lasky calls for distribution rights in the United States and Europe. The comedies will be booked in this country on the star series plan as Paramount-Drew Comedies. The contract further calls for a minimum distribution of one hundred prints on each picture. The films will be tworeelers and will be directed and edited by Mrs. Sidney Drew. DIVISION OF FILMS CONTINUES Official5 War 'Review To Be. Issued To ExhibitorsIonF Usual — Last[of Big Features Chas. S. Hart, director of the Division of Films, Committee on Public Information, makes the authoritative announcement that, despite the close of the war, the Official War Review, released through Pathe, will be continued indefinitely, and that all other Government pictures, now issued, or being assembled, will be released according to schedule. "It is only fair to exhibitors and the motion picture interests generally," says Director Hart, "that they should know just what to expect in regard to the war pictures that have been announced by the Division of Films. The progress of events in Europe, the evacuation of the various invaded territories, the reconstruction of devastated France and Belgium, the ferment in Germany the meeting of the peace commission — these are all matters of tremendou. historical and news interest, and the} will be fully covered by the Official War Review, in order that the American people may keep in pictorial touch with the im The necessity for its continuance is obvious." "Under Four Flags" will probably be the last big feature war picture to be issued by the Division of Films, but several two-reel pictures are now being assembled, notably those included in the XJ. S. A. Series, and they will be issued as announced. The present activities of the Division of Films carries its work up to June 1." Rights To Serial Gaumont's "The Hand of Vengeance," will be handled in Greater New York, Westchester County, Long Island, and northern New Jersey by Liberty Exchanges, Inc., of 130 West 46th St. C. W. Brill, of Akron, O., has purchased the rights for northern Ohio. The distribution will be made by the Sterling Film Service Co., 310 Sloan Building, Cleveland. Misleading Posters CHICAGO.— Notwithstanding the recent raids made upon theatres displaying obscene and misleading posters before the entrance, several start ling three-sheets were disclosed before portant and stirring events that mark la Madison street moving picture house the remaking of i.he map of Europe. I last week, advertising "Five Nights."