Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1923)

February i o , 1923 673 Schenck Joins in West Coast Theatres Deal Corporation Acquires Turner and Dahnken Circuit and First National Franchises JOSEPH M. SCHENCK has purchased an equal interest with Sol Lesser, A. L. Gore, Michael Gore and Adolph Ramish in West Coast Theatres, Inc., according to a wire from Los Angeles. This announcement comes following the recent one to the effect that West Coast Theatres had purchased the Turner and Dahnken circuit of houses in and around San Francisco. The deal also involved the purchase of First National franchise for the state of New York, the First National franchise of Northern and Central California and a half interest in Educational Pictures of San Francisco, giving the firm approximately ninety theatres, the First National franchise for the California territory and a half interest in the California Educational exchanges. The deal is said to involve many millions of dollars. With their minds busy with plans for the development of their enormously increased resources and responsibilities, Sol Lesser, A. L. Gore and Michael Gore returned recently to Los Angeles after completing this gigantic deal. A. L. Gore asserts that this huge "turnover " of the T. & D. holdings is not so much a matter of theatre control as it is of theatrical service, and that the West Coast Theatres, Inc., in assuming this tremendous burden is fully conscious of the tremendous responsibilities attaching, in view of which plans are maturing that will fully meet these obligations, says Secretary Gore. Sol Lesser, whose initiative brought about the " contacts " which eventuated in the deal, says that Mr. A. L. Gore has agreed to go to San Francisco and there remain with his wife until permanent adjustments have been made between the two branches of the big organization, and that ultimately it is proposed that Joseph Samuels will be the West Coast representative residing permanently in San Francisco. The chain is to be operated as an entirety and not as two — the amalgamation will be complete and the entire circuit hanlled from Los Angeles. Mr. Gore will soon start for New York to nake connections with theatrical enterprises Charlie Chaplin and Pola Negri to Marry CONFIRMING many rumors that have appeared in the public press, Charlie Chaplin and Pola Negri have announced their engagement. Last September, when it was first rumored that Chaplin was to marry the Polish actress, it was said that there was a clause in her contract with the Famous Players-Lasky which prevented her from marrying for at least three months. This was later denied by her company. In December, however, it was said that after an interview the two stars had with Jesse L. Lasky they had been able to convince him that the contemplated marriage m would in nowise interfere with Miss NeM gri's screen career. Miss Negri, whose real name is Coun■| tess Appolonia Domskey, was divorced II from her husband, a Polish noble, more I than two years ago. As an actress she II made her debut in Warsaw in 1913. and n her rise was rapid. We published this picture once, a year or so ago, with a caption asking the reader to identify the two characters. At that time Miss Negri was a newcomer to American audiences and Charlie, minus his crepe hair moustache, looked more like a stranger than he does nowadays. The photograph from which the cut was made was taken in Berlin, where it is safe to assume the romance described in another column began. and with experts in every line of dramatic and theatrical activities so that a steady supply of the highest class acts will be provided the West Coast circuit. " Such a consolidation as this," points out Mr. Lesser, " is advantageous not only to the industry and to the artists but to the public as well. By controlling such a chain of theatres we can afford to buy the best talent the stage affords and to bring it to our patrons. The number of our houses permits us to offer artists and performers of all kinds a tour of at least thirty weeks, and at remunerative salaries. This brings to us the cream of acts and our patrons get the benefit. It is the same with art directors, ballet masters and the like. We can hire the best and keep them profitably busy staging acts for presentation over our circuit, thus bringing into the smaller towns acts of metropolitan quality and seldom otherwise seen outside the largest cities. " We propose to have at the head of each of our producing departments the most distinguished experts available, and that is one reason for Mr. Gore's early departure for New York, where he will enter into contracts with these specialists. Los Angeles gets the benefit, too, by reason of its vastly extended artistic colony — we shall help to make this southern metropolis the center of the artistic life of the west if not indeed of the nation." Before his New York trip, Mr. Gore goes to San Francisco, where he will register with Mrs. Gore at the Palace and remain in close touch with local conditions there and with his associates, Adolph Ramish, Sol Lesser and Michael Gore. The party returning from San Francisco with possession of the T. & D. circuit securely in the hands of the West Coast Theatres consisted of Sol Lesser, A. L. Gore, Michael Gore and David Croft, the somewhat overworked auditor of the company, whose struggle has been with a multiplicity of figures and the complications of a gigantic deal. Censorship Fight Waged in Beaumont, Texas Theatre owners and managers of Beaumont, Texas, are now engaged in a fight to prevent local censorship of motion pictures. The city commission of Beaumont has been petitionel by the central council of the Beaumont parentteacher association to establish a censorship commission, and the petition will be pressed by certain members of the organization, it is strongly indicated. Mayor B. A. Steinhagen and City Manager George J. Roark are opposed to censorship on the ground that it is likely to fall prey to politics. They hold, further, that it has been a failure in Texas cities where it has been tried. During a recent appearance of a committee from the parent-teacher body before the Beaumont city commission Mayor Steinhagen pointed out what he alleged to be " the complete failure of censorship in the city of Houston, Texas," near Beaumont. City officials will attempt to pacify the parent-teacher organization and to prevent general censorship. Six Companies Incorporate During Last Week The following motion picture companies were incorporated in New York State last week, the capitalization and incorporators being as follows : American Life Pictures, $1,500, S. C. Hodge, Edward Marshall and N. Lemon, New York; Maysny Amusement Company, $50,000, Charles Warner, Belle Robins and B. E. Boss, New York; Lee Moran Corporation, $5,000, E. Kraychie, Arthur Skillman, H. G. Liese, New York ; Broadway and Fortythird Street Amusement Company, $5,000, T. F. Garrity, J. G. Griffin, G. Brock, New York; Hail and Farewell, Inc., $15,000, W. G. Lovatt, Alibel Corey, Sylvia Schwartzman; Talking Publicity Corporation, $5,000, Ruth Vogel, Etta London and L. I. Fink, all of New York. Denies Harold Lloyd Will Sever Pathe Connections WILLIAM R. Fraser, secretary and general manager of the Harold Lloyd Corporation, who is now on a visit to New York, has authorized a flat denial of the published statement that Harold Lloyd has made other releasing arrangements to take effect on the expiration of his present contract with Pathe Exchange, Inc. Mr. Fraser's denial refers specifically to a paragraph printed in Variety on Jan. 25 under the heading " Williams has Harold Lloyd " and includes his official denial of all similar reports.