The Motion Picture Almanac 1929 (1929)

1929 The MOTION PICTURE ALMANAC 89 organization he entered the newspaper and puhlicity field and became city editor of the "ChicaKO Examiner." Since leturning to pictures he has been exploitation i-eprtwentative for Universal. i)ublicity manaj4:er for F B O, jmblicity manager for Pathe, publicity and advertisint-director of Associated Exhibitors and later vice president and general production supervisor for this organization. He also has made several independent pictures, one of which. "HelloBill," is the biggest all negro i-;creen productions to date. Lives in Mamaroneck, N. Y. JOHNSTON, JOHN LEROY: b. Bloomfield. Ind., December 2^. 1S96 ; h. 5 feet lOi/o inches; medium brown hair and greenish grey eyes ; w. 185 pounds; p. Edith May and Walter E. Patton (step father), non-professionals ; e. Mechanic Arts, St. Paul, Minn., and received his stage training as theatre manager and publicity director of three large theatre circuits throughout the Middle West and South : m, (Jladys Wren (Babcock). non-professional; hy. drawing, football and golf. Was advertising and publicity director for Finkelstein & Ruben's 43 theatres in Minnesota and Wisconsin ; Southern Enterprises' 72 theatres in Texas. Oklahoma and Arkansas ; West Coast (Pasadena) vheatres, Pasadena, Cal. Also managing director for the Tower theatre. St. Puul, and the Auditorium in Minneapolis. Directed and designed various movie theatre stage ju-esentations ; also director of the Wampas Frolic and Ball in Hollywood, 1927-28. Has held such posts as publiicty director and production manager of Frank Lloyd Produc-ions. Hollywood; studio exploitation manager of First National Studios ; publiicty director of Mack Sennett Studios, Corinne Griffith Productions, and Columbia Pictures Studio; writer for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios; conducted two screen test tours of colleges of America, one for Firsi: National and the other for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In 1917-18 was assistant publicity director for Universal. New York City ; also exploitation manager of Universal exchange, Minneapolis and Milwaukee, in 1917 ; also creator of animated cartoons for Lochren Laboratories. Minneapolis ; exploitation represen'.ative. studios and exchanges, of Paramount. Hollywood ; and exploitation representative in Seattle, Portland. Butte and Alaska for First National, as well as editor of press books at First National's home office in New York City and assistant publicity direc.or of Thomas H. Ince studios. LUESCHER. MARK A.: Director of national publicity : b, West Sand Lake N. Y.. 1876 ; e, public schools. Syracuse. N. Y., Cornell university, special course in art department ; m, and has two children. Started weekly magazine in Syracuse called "Remarques." illustrating his own writings; Charles Sherlock, managing editor of the "Syracuse Standard." liked his writings, his drawings, and his matter pertaining to shows, and made him dramatic editor and cartoonist of that new.spaper. Lee and Sam Shubert, then just "breaking into the show business" in Syracuse engaged him for manager of their first theatre in Rochester, the Bakei. and when they acquired the Herald Square theatre in New York City, he was sent to the city as business manager and press agent. With Louis Werba. opened the fiist roof garden theatre in New York City ; conceived and exploited the sensational "Rouge Domino" (Mile. Dazie) : formed firm of Werba & Luescher ; produced "The Spring Maid." "Miss Dudelsack." "Her Little Highness." "The Master Mind." also managed and starred Christie MacDonald, Lulu Glaser. Mitzi. Tom McNaughton. Nora Bayes, Louis Mann. Gallagher & Shean. Mae Murray. Francine Larrimore and Edmund Bieese ; became general manager for F. F. Proctor ; personal representative and national publicity chief for Martin Beck of the Orpheim Circuit ; director general and press representative for C. B. Dillingham and the New York Hippodrome : director of promotion and publicity for KeithAlbee : now head of national exi>!oitation for R K O. Member of Lambs Club. Scottish Rite. Westport Country Club. Greenfield Hill Country club. Fairfield County Hunt Club. Wafile and Cornell Continuous Reunion Club. Summer home at Shady Brook Farm, Southport. Conn. LANDY, GEORGE: b. New York: e. City of New York and Columbia university ; m. Kathryn McGuire, professional. Several yeare on the stafT of the "American Magazine," later with "Everybody's." First position in the film field for Select Pictures Corporation as assistant director of publicity and advertising: later this company was absorbed by First Na tional and he became director of publicity for Richard TuUy and worked with John McCormick on regional publicity for First National : then spent a year with Jackie Coogan at the height of his popularity and more recently had free lance publicity organization in Hollywood. Two years ago brought back to First National a.'; director of studio promotion and is in charge of the entire publicity department. LYSER, BILLY, b. Brooklyn, N. Y.. May 29 ; h, 5 feet 7 inches ; gi'ey hair and brown eyes ; w. 158 pounds; e. Hemijstead, Long Island. N. Y. ; Iiy, golf and fishing. Stage experience in amateur theatricals. Started out as a motion picture exhibit-or in Buffalo and Cleveland ; then became film salesman for Mutual Film Conii)any in Western New York and Noi-.hwestern Pennsylvania ; then branch manager of Film Exchange in Buffalo. N. Y., later becoming exploitation and sales manager of Film Exchange in Cleveland, O. ; motion picture editor of Cleveland News and Sunday NewsLeader for six years; then director of publiicty for Universal. Universal City, Cal. ; director of publicity of Metropolitan Pictures Corporation ; director of publicity for Harry Langdon and now director of publicity for Inspiration Pictures. Inc.. TecArt Studios. Hollywood. Cal. McCarthy, CHARLES E.: publicity manager. Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation ; b, Wareham. Mass.. 1891 ; e. public schools at Middleboro, Mass. ; m, home address 14 Elm place, Nutley. N. J. Employt>d as reporter and e<litor of various New England. New Jersey and New York newspapers. Joined publicity department of Fox Film Corporation 1918. Became publicity manager of Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation 1919. MORRIS. VIRGINIA: b. Troy. N. Y. : e, in Troy at the Emma Willard school and at Smith college Northampton. Mass. In 1922 she joined the motion picture industry to write jtublicity for B. P. Schulberg at Preferred Pictures. Later she was placed in charge of all advertising and publicity for Mr. Schulberg. Has also been affiliated with the publicity staffs of Fox and Universal ; her association with Warner Brothers began in 1926. In addition to handling trade paper and newspaper publicity for Warner Brothers, she has done extensive free lance writing for newsjiapers and motion picture fan magazines. NEILSON. RUTGERS: Publicity and advertising department. Pathe Exchange. Inc. ; b. Perth Amboy. N. Y. ; e. Plainfield high school and New York university. Entered the film business in the publicity department of Metro Pictures Corporation under Arthur James. During the world war in limited service as bulletin editor of the United States Army Gas Defense Plant in Long Island City; March, 1919, returned to the film business as advertising and publicity director for Amedee J. Van Beuren's theatre and film enterprises^Topics of the Day. Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew Comedies, Ernest True Comedies. Adventure Films and Aesop*s Film Fables. Then joined C. C. Bunas director of advertising and publicity for Doris Ken yon. Johnny Hines and Constance Binney features. Left the film business to join Macfadden Publications ; became associate editoiof "Dance Lovers Magazine." Then, research man on the "American Weekly Magazine" (Hearst Sunday Magazine). Returned to the film business as a member of Pathe publicity and advertising department, where he has been for several years. PARSONS. P. A.: b. Byfield. Mass.. October 2. 1SS4 : e. graduated from Wilbraham academy in Massachusetts and Wesleyan university in Connecticut: m, Charles Hazel, daughter of Rev. Charles Baker Besse. September 7. 1910 and has two children Nan and Lowell. Several years fiee lance fiction writer ; two years with the "London Times :" own advertising agency two years; advertising manager and secretary the Womanada Land Company ; vice president Systems and Service. Inc. ; advertising and publicity manager Pathe 1913-1917 : advertising manager Pathe 1917-27 ; in charge of national publicity Pathe. 1927. Is a member of Son« of American Revolution. New England Historic and Genealogical Society of Boston. etc.. Squadron A.. National Guard of New York 1917IS; ex-president Rideeview Communitv club of West Orange. N. J. ; ex-president Ridgeview T-nnis Club; Berkfley Tennis Club of Orange. N. J. : Phi Nu Theta ; contributor to .several magazines; was president of the A. M. P. A.. 1918-19. Lives at 16 Grove street, Madison. N. J. QUARBERG. LINCOLN: b, Mondovi. Wis.. November 25. 1900: h. 5 feet 10 inches: black hair and hazel eyes; w. 160 pounds: p. Minnie Schreiner and Anton Quarberg, non-profes sionals ; e, Mondovi high school and the University of Wisconsin (1921). Now with Caddo productions, Hollywood. REDDY, JOSEPH PATRICK: publicity manager of Harold Lloyd Corporation ; b. New York City, November 15, lS9:i ; e, public schools ; m, and has one child. Gordon. Started as an office boy on the old "Morning Telegraph." subsetiuently rising to assistant sporting editor, and later to sports, editor : in 1914 went with the sports department of the "New York Times" and remained there until the war. Enlisted in the tank corps ; and after his discharge joined Robertson-Cole as assistant publicity director. Six months later went to Pathe under Randolph Lewis and became publicity director there when "his chief" went to England to wTite scenarios foj Rudyard Kiiding. A year later Harold Lloyd offered him a position on the West Coast. SEADLER. SI: b. New Yoik City. August 31, 1897 ; e, Columbia University School of Journalism, class of 1917. Reporter for "Brooklyn Times ;" feature writer for Hearst papers ; press agent of Actors Fund, Alice Joyce. Rod LaRoque. Bessie Love and others ; jjublicity department of Realart Pictures ; director of publicity and advertising Arthur S. Kane Pictures ; then joined advertising department of Goldwyn pictures. Now advei'tising manager of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. SELIG, A. L. : director of advertising and imblicity, Tiffany-Stahl Productions; b, New York City. Was with the staff of the "New York World" as reporter ; for 12 years attached to the repoilorial staff of the "New York Evening Journal ;" also on editorial desks of the International News, Underwood & Underwodn. "Boston American." "New York Globe" and City News Association. Started in 1914 doing i>ersonal publicity and exploitation for Theda Bara in connection with Fox. After three years of this he handletl publicity for Fox West Coast studios ; then handled personal publicity for William Farnum, Fox star, and later took care of all exploitation and publicity on Fox's "Cleopatra" and "Salome." Then joined United Artists, handling "The Three Musketeers" on the road. Is a member of Newspajier Club of New York and .Associated Motion Picture Advertisers. SHAPIRO, VICTOR MANSFIELD: b. New York City. Januai-y 25, 1893 ; e. graduated from High School of Commerce and New York university. receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1913 : not married. His first job was as cartoonist for the "Detroit Journal ;" later was made assistant promotion manager of "Hearst's Magazine;" then did promotion work for Leslie-Judge. In 1915, became assistant advertising and publicity director for Vitagraph ; in January, 1917, became advertising chief for F. J. Seng, and continued there until September. 1917. when he enlisted in the army, being assigned to Company I, 306 Infantry. After the war he became exploitation and publicity director for Pathe Exchange. Inc. ; in this capacity for more than fom years ; and in Februai*y, 1924, was apjiointed director of publicity and advertising for Samuel Goldwyn. In March, 1926. he became advertising and i>ublicity director for United Artists, a post he held until February, 1929. He is a member of the City Athletic Club. Centennial Lodge. No. 763 F. & A. M., the American Legion and is past president of the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers. SHEA. JOSEPH C: b. Pittsfield. Mass.. July 5. 1888 : p, Emma June Fitzgeiald and Nicholas Shea. Jr., e. Yonkers high school. Yonkers. N. Y., and Fordham university. Now assistant publicity director at Fox Film Studios. Hollywood, Cal. SILVER, MILTON: b. New York City. February 3. 1891 : e, jmblic schools in New York and other cities, also DeWitt Clinton high school of New York. Started business career in 1907 with the "American Magazine :" then bookkeeper, statistician and road salesman in kitchen utensils industry ; small executive jwsitions in department stores in St. Louis, successively purchasing department, engineering department, advertising department and finally manager. Government Contract department. Hotel Supply industry. Chicago and New York : United States .\rmy during the world war : secretary, treasui-er, co-editor. Ross Publishing Company, publi-hing "Who's Who On the Screen" and "The Little Movie Mirror" books ; managing editor, "Movie Weekly." MacFadden Publishing Company ; back to Hotel Supply industry as merchandising and advertising manager : came to Universal Pictures Corporation in August, 1925, as copyrighter ; co-author of Broadway stage production. "The Mystery Ship." in 1927: assistant advertising manager. Universal Pictures Corporation : appointed director of advertising