The Film Daily (1918)

Saturday, November 30, 1918 ttfrftt AIL.Y mA Vol. VI No. 53 Saturday, November 30, 1918 Price 5c Published Dally at 71-73 West 44th St. New York, N. T. By WID'S FILMS 8 FILM FOLK, Inc. F. C. ("WID") GUNNING President and Treasurer LYNDB DBNIG, Editor Entered as second class matter May 21 1918, at the post office at New York, N. Y. under the Act of March 3, 1879. Terms (Postage free) United States, Outside of Greater New York, $10.00 one year; 8 months, $5.00; 3 months, 3.00. Foreign, $20.00 Subscribers should remit with order. Address all communications to WID'S DAILY, 71-73 West 44th St., New York, N. Y. Telephone: Vanderbilt 4551—2 Cuts and Flashes George Rose, champion horseback rider of the world, appears in Francis X. Bushman's first Vitagraph picture, "Escaping the Hun." Frank Keenan, who is making a tour of the country, appeared at several Chicago theatres yesterday. He leaves for California today. Harold Edel, the late managing director of the Strand, left an estate valued at about $1,000 in personal property. "Lafayette, We Come!" showing at the Ziegfeld theatre in Chicago during the current week, has received highly laudatory comments from the critics of the Chicago dailies. Clara Kimball Young will make her first screen appearance at The Rivoli next week in "The Road Through the Dark,' 'the picture which was scheduled for showing two weeks ago but was postponed. Sold For South America United Picture Theatres, Inc., reports that the demand for its product is not only restricted to the United States, but that David P. Howells, the sole foreign distributor for United, has closed with a Buenos Aires concern for the entire output to be distributed in Argentine, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile. The contract for these foreign rights was signed through Jose Donati, representative for those countries in New York. The Cinematographica Sud Americana, which has contracted for the pictures, is one of the oldest established and wealthiest organizations operating in the South American film field. United will inaugurate an extensive advertising campaign through Mr. Donati. Check in Advance St. Louis Exhibitors Propose Change in Payment System ST. LOUIS. — The first meeting of the St. Louis Film Board of Trade since the influenza ban, was held this week. Cecil Mayberry, newly appointed manager of the Goldwyn office, was admitted to membership, as was H. Coffman of Memphis, as an associate member. Letters have been received from Detroit and Denver, telling of the formation of a Film Board of Trade in those cities. The advisability of establishing a rule with exhibitors, whereby a check for service must be in the office prior to date of shipment, or the film will not be shipped, was seriously considered. It is understood that this move is in accordance with plans formulated and now being carried out by one of the largest concerns distributing films in America. The subject of having a dance for members of the Board of Trade and exhibitors of St. Louis and nearby theatres, in one of the leading hotels about the first of the year, was left open for discussion at the next meet David Mendoza, the violinist, who occupied the chair of second concertmaster of the Rialto orchestra during the past year, now heads the orchestra at the Rivoli as first concertmaster, taking the place made vacant by the resignation of Albert Bachmann. Rejects War Film Australian Public Wants Melodrama With a Punch Whatever may be the attitude of audiences in this country toward socalled war pictures, whether they are authentic or fiction creations with the war as a background, Millard Johnson of Australasian Films, Ltd., is definite in his conclusion that the public to which he caters has had quite enough of this type of production and is more than ready to return to peace time offerings. Mr. Johnson has received word from the home office that the warweary theatre-goers are in no mood to have the tragedies of recent years recalled and that all the demand is for melodramas of "The Whip' 'type. It has been found, also, that wishy-washy love stories do not bring much at the box office. Australasian Films owns 45 theatres and supplies some 600 others so conclusions drawn from the experiences of this concern may be taken as fairly conclusive. Speaking of reconstruction conferences, we hear tell of some concerns that are having them pretty nearly every day. Rothacker Short Subjects Forthcoming short-reel subjects to be released by the Exhibitors' Mutual Distributing Corp., under which name the re-organized Mutual Film Corp. will hereafter be known, include the Rothaker Outdoor pictures. "Peaks, Parks and Pines," released December 1, offers scenes in the vicinity of Mt. Ranier, Washington. On the schedule of December 8 is "A Maori Romance," said to be the first drama ever produced by a semi-barbarous tribe. The picture was made in New Zealand, the home of the Maori, and every actor is a full-blooded native. Special attention has been given to the titling of these pictures. Adopts American Program The Louisa theatre of Cienfuegos, Cuba, heretofore showing a purely European program, has changed its old policy and will show American made features in the future. The Louisa has contracted for the exclusive showing of all Metro, Triangle, and Essanay pictures handled by the Medal Film Co., and Paramount and Artcraft features handled through the Carribean Film Co. The program will also include releases from William Fox, which will be handled direct. This recent change in the program tends to strengthen the belief that American motion pictures are coming into their own in Cuba. Carle Carleton, of the Crest Film Company, is spending a few days in Boston to arrange for a theatre for the showing of "A Romance of the Air." It is thought that the picture will be unusually successful there, as its star, Edith Day, is playing the lead in "Going Up," which is now in Bos ton.