Motion Picture News (Jul-Oct 1914)

30 THE MOTION PICTURE NEWS Conventionalities Side Lights on Exposition Personalities — Some of the Well-Known Men of the Industry Who Were Seen on the Floor — The Trials of a Speech-Maker — Joe Farnham's Name Spelled Three Different Ways in Dailies Reporting His Address FOR the first time in all his film experience Joe Brandt was not the human dynamo he always is at a convention. He did not get out a Universal daily. Joe was in active evidence, however. He made some rattling speeches before the exhibitors and manufacturers, and w^as generally in the center of every convention group. Also in prominence as a speaker was Joe Farnham, the All-Star representative. There was no mistaking Joe's presence, but the local papers did miscall his name — as Joe Farnheim, of New York ; Joe Foreman, of Chicago ; and Joe For'em, of Indianapolis. His speech at the banquet, in which he made Governor Cox backwater on censorship, was the hit of the convention. Harry Reisenbach, representing Lasky Features, pulled down the publicity laurels of the convention— in fact, of this or any previous convention. His prize beauty contest kept the Lasky name and fame on the first page of the Dayton "Herald" throughout the entire convention, and for a week following. Judge Tugwell, of Los Angeles, Cal., one of the International delegates at Dayton, has traveled over 14,000 miles since June 1, to be present at the New York and Dayton conventions. For genuine exhibitor and organization interest this makes the record. PROMINENT Oklahoma exhibitors present were: Tom H. Boland, Empress Theatre, Oklahoma City, and L, W. Brophy, president Yale Theatre Company, Muskogee. In the Illinois delegation were G. Luttrell, of Jacksonville, 111., president of the Illinois State Branch No. 2; W. W. Watts, of Springfield, treasurer; and Thomas W. Leonard, of Johnson City, first vice-president. Included in the Illinois delegation are: C. J. Law, of Paine, 111., and Edward Kunz, Springfield, delegates, and D. Robmson, Peoria, national vice-president. The Famous Players' booth excited much favorable comment for its artistic and interesting exhibit. Beautiful enlargements of photos and paintings of Famous Players' stars had been specially prepared by the Afrida Studios, New York. William Burlock was in charge. P. S. Lewis, of New York, who is with the Warner Feature Film Company branch at Lexington, Ky., had a booth at the exposition. Warner's features are shown at the Ada Mead Theatre in Lexington, managed by J. Orrin Donovan, a Dayton man who was formerly manager of the Colonial Theatre. Donovan was in that city attending the exposition events. GEORGE H. WILEY IN ACTION AT DAYTON Mrs. Virginia E. Yard, a delegate from Wellston. Ohio, owns a theatre with a seating capacity of 1,000. Four years ago JMrs. Yard took charge of one theatre in Wellston. Her husband had operated it up to the time of his death. During summer and between dates with road attractions, she runs it as a motion picture house. A MOST interesting exhibit was the huge, solid brass frame made on special order by George W. Armstrong, president of the Theatre Specialty Alanufacturing Company, of Cleveland. It stood at the entrance of the hall and excited much comment for its workmanship and attractive appearance. The Bartola Musical Instrument Company deserves untold credit for its enterprice. Its separate entertainment, run on the Kaiserhof roof garden, was an exposition all in itself. No convention event was more steadily attended or more enjoyed. The Bartola toy balloons were in evidence everywhere. A crowd of enthusiastic Pearce boosters at the convention included: Dr. W. A. Herbst, president of the District of Columbia League; H. M. Crandall, J. P. jMorgan, Maurice Davis, Fulton Brylawski and John Payette. Fulton Brylawski, of Washington, D. C, was strong for harmony and for holding out the olive brance to the International League. An active and enthusiastic exhibitor present was Mrs. Thorpe, of Richmond, Ind. A photo and description of her new $40,000 theatre will shortly appear in these pages. The Mott-LeGaige Animated Advertising Company did a rushing business at the exposition. Representative Harry Levey sold state rights for Ohio to the Columbus Theatre Equipment Company, and for Michigan to George Weeks, of the. Universal Film Exchange, Detroit. CL. HULL, who had charge of the Selig display, made • his thoroughgoing showman experience count during the convention. The Dayton papers carried full-page advertisements of "The Spoilers," and the city was posted from end to end with handsome lithos. Al Lichtman stopped at Dayton on his way to St.vLouis, and greeted his many friends among exhibitors and manufacturers alike. New York exhibitors prominent at the convention were William Hilkemeier, Grant W. Anson, Adolph Weiss, R. L. McNabb and S. H. Trigger.