Motion Picture News (Oct 1914-Jan 1915)

28 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 10. No. 25. films as well as general offices, a restaurant, dressing rooms and the like. The two huge eucalyptus trees shown in the accompanying cut mark the main entrance to Universal City. They stand on the edge of the highway, and directly between them, set well back from the road, is the doorway to the general office or administration building, which is the center of the group. A rear view of this, showing the structure on the roof and the small balcony is also given. The room on the roof is the office of Mr. Bernstein, and the balcony commands a view directly down the three hundred foot out-door stage, which is just being completed. This stage is sixty-five feet wide, and its center line is directly to the rear of the administration building. It has a double row of concrete dressing rooms for the use X)f the regular players. A special building some distance away is provided for the use of the extras. Visitors Always Welcome Closely adjoining the twenty-two room administration building is the restaurant. This is so constructed that it can be used both by Universal employees and by visitors to grounds. Visitors will be welcome at all times, and it is expected that many tourists on their way to or from California's two expositions next year will stop to see how motion pictures are made at Universal City. On the opposite side of the quadrangle at the main entrance is the laboratory building, and near it the theatre. The laboratories are of the most modern sort of construction and have separate work rooms for developers and printers, camera men and directors. The directors have ample opportunity to cut and arrange their own film. The theatre has three projection rooms in which sample prints can be run off and judged. As can be seen from the photographs this entire colony of buildings at the front of the ranch forms a group which is as attractive as it is useful. It represents the highest achievernent in the line of special equipment for the making of motion pictures. In connection with the general plan of Universal City it is interesting to note that it has a complete water and sewage system of its own, each with about four miles of pipes. The water is supplied from four wells, each with a pumping plant and tank. There is also a very large garage which is being used as an indoor studio pending the completion of a building which has been started for that particular use. The entire plant was designed on the there or in the Hollywood shops of the Universal Film Company. Thus Universal City was conceived, designed, laid out and built by Universal men for the sole purpose of producing the best pictures for the Uni spot, and much of the furniture was built versal program. Betty Nansen to Pose for Fox Pictures Here Danish Actress, Only Woman to Receive from King of Denmark the Order of Literature and Art, on Way with Large Retinue BETTY NANSEN, conced-d to be one of the greatest exponents of tragic and heavy character roles on the stage, is on her way to America to pose for a series of William Fox's productions extraordinary. The actress, who is leading woman of the famous Theatre Royal of Copenhagen, Denmark's endowed and government-managed playhouse — a temple of the drama which is to northern Europe what the classic Theatre Francaise is to France — has been decorated by the King of Denmark with the coveted Order of Literature and Art. She is the only woman ever to be so signally honored. Throughout Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany and Russia Miss Nansen is hailed as one of the greatest interpreters of Ibsen and Shakesperian characters on the boards today. Miss Nansen is coming to this country on the United States of the ScandanavianAmerican line. She brings with her a retinue of servants and an immense variety of wardrobe carried in forty-five trunks. The estimated value of the stage costumes she possesses is upwards of $50,000. On account the mined northern seas the United States may be delayed. Present arrangements are that Miss Nansen will be met down the bay by a delegation of Scandinavian residents of New York and other cities, headed by the Danish .embassador and the Danish consul at this port. After her arrival a reception will be tendered to Miss Nansen. Alliance Will Have Entire Floor for Offices Company Makes Extensive Alterations and Additions to Its Premises in the Leaivett Building, on Forty-sixth Street A BIG crew of workmen have been working overtime making extensive alterations and additions to the executive offices of the Alliance Film Corporation. The offices when completed will occupy practically the entire eleventh floor of the Leavett Building in West Forty-sixth street, New York City. The new additions were made imperative b}' the rapid growth of the firm's business, and will give much needed accommodation to all the departments. One of the features of the new arrangement will be the projection room. This will be one of the few private exhibition halls having the advantage of adequate ventilation. Mr. Cobe, the general manager, and his secretaries will occupy a suite of offices to the front, while between the offices of Mr. Kosch, the treasurer and the auditing department, in a large double office, will be the headquarters of the advertising and publicity manager. The sales and the shipping departments together with the exchange will have commodious quarters at the rear of the main hall. BOSTON EXHIBITORS HAD BUSINESS BANQUET Special io Motion Picture News Boston, Dec. 17. A dinner of the Motion Picture Exhibitors' League of Massachusetts was held Wednesday evening, December 16 at the Georgian. A social session and business meeting was held, and the report on the recent ball at the Arena, made by Samuel Grant, chairman of the executive committee in charge of the affair. A campaign was also put under way to increase the membership in the organization, and plans to this end will be submitted. The present membership is about 140, and it is purposed to raise this to 200 by the first of . the. new year.