Motion Picture News (Oct 1914-Jan 1915)

82 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 10. No. 26. Farnum Plays Strenuous Part in "Samson" Fox Actor, Powerful in Build and Muscular Development, Hurls Fellow Player Through Door of Set at Rehearsal Special to Motion Picture News WILLIAM FARNUM, the star in "Samson,'' by Henri Bernstein, a William Fox Production Extraordiuary, released through the Box Office Attractions Company, is called upon to exercise prodigious feats of strength in the leading role. In the big scene of the play, Brachard (Samson) invites Govain, a duelist and libertine, who glories in his intrigues, to lunch at the Hotel Ritz. Brachard knows that Govain has taken his (Brachard's) wife to an orgy the night before, and that Mme. Brachard has escaped from the scene with a torn dress and hand cut by a broken champaigne glass. Brachard, who from a dock-hand has risen to a power of finance, controls the copper market absolutely. Govain accepts Brachard's invitation, never dreaming that the copper-king knows "HALF THE EXHIBITORS DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OTHER HALF IS DOING'' was true — BEFORE "MOTION PICTURE NEWS" CAME. of the visit of his wife to the Cafe de Paris. Brachard, having trapsped him, locks the ■door and raises his sledge hammer fists, hardened by his early years of toil. Govain screams and threatens. But it is no use. Like a terrier shaking a rat Brachard pulls Govain from his feet and smashes him with a blow of his first across a table. Then, after administering a terrible physical punishment to the man who has robbed him of his wife, Brachard flings Govain out of the room and kicks his hat after him. When this scene was played at the William Fox studios in Jersey City, everybody who knew of Mr. Farnum's physical prowess, and the way in which he throws himself into a part, gathered round the "set" in which the punishment of Govain ■was to take place, for they guessed it would he a pretty strenuous scene. The scene opened quietly enough, but as it progressed Mr. Farnum grew white about the nostrils. His hands clenched and unclenched. These were danger signals to the initiated. Suddenly Mr. Farnum made a dash at Govain, played by Charles Guthrie, who is tall and slender. Picking him up by the throat he swung him round his head like a human dumb-bell and then smashed him down on the table with a force that burst it in two and snapped its legs. Guthrie, black in the face from the actor's choking grip, gasped and gesticulated. With a final swing of his arms Mr. Farnum hurled Govain clear across the studio and out of the door of the set. Mr. Guthrie was so exhausted that restoratives had to be given him and nobody was more solicitous for his welfare than Mr. Farnum, who expressed his regret that he had been so carried away by the action of the scene. FIRE AUTHORITIES AFTER FILM EXCHANGES IN SYRACUSE Special to Motion Picture News Syracuse, N. Y., Dec. 23. THE Picture Playhouse Film Company, The Eclectic, The Box Office Attractions, The Greater New York Film Rental Company, Warner's Features, The General Film Company and the Western Film Exchange may all be without homes in Syracuse very shortly if the threatened action of ejectmg these exchanges is carried out by the city authorities. The first five named exchanges are located in the Eckel Theatre building and the owners have had their insurance boosted 60 per cent., and all insurance has been cancelled on the remaining tenants until the films are removed. The city authorities claim that the exchanges are a menace to the building, and that they must move outside of the first fire zone. The Eckel Theatre is located in the same building, making matters doubly worse. Exchanges have been notified to be prepared to move on short notice, and things look bad. All the feature people are getting together in an effort to secure a central location near the express offices and depots, and are meeting with some success, assisted by the chamber of commerce. PARAMOUNT'S NEW PICTORIAL The first number of Paramount Magazine makes its initial appearance with the Christmas number and gives promise ot being of great value to the Paramount exhibitors from a box office standpoint. The forerunner of the publication has furnished the exhibits under the name of "Paramount Progress," and was intended for distribution among the patrons of the theatres. The new releases are mentioned at length in the magazine, and in addition other interesting items dealing with screen folks. The latest innovation is a page headed "My Lady's Boudoir." Beautiful illustrations of film players and scenes from Paramount pictures are scattered through the magazine. BOY ACTOR IN EIGHTH "ZUDORA" EPISODE Donald Gallagher is a newcomer to the Mutual program. He is one of the most famous boy actors, and is to make his initial appearance for Thanhouser in the eighth episode of "Zudora." In the past he has distinguished himself in plays with such celebrities of the stage as Sol Smith " Russell, Maxine Elliott, Eleanor Robson, Arnold Daly, Dustin Farnum and H. B. Warner. ROMAINE FIELDING, AUTHOR, DIRECTOR, MANAGER Romaine Fielding, of the Lubin company, holds a unique position in the film world, though his position is hardly more unique than the man himself. We have author-actor directors, but the Lubin's star is the only one who can attach "manager" to this array of titles. And Mr. Fielding is manager of his company. It was three years or so ago that Mr. ROMANIE FIELDING Fielding entered the motion picture ranks as an actor for the Solax company in Fort Lee, N. J. But the versatility of the man did not permit him to remain there long. He desired to branch out and, it seems, the company refused to let him branch. He left, after an affiliation of sixty days, to become a leading man with the Lubin company, at Nogales, New Mexico. And here he found his opportunity; in about six months' time he became director and author of the plays that were being produced down there, besides playing the leading male roles. Soon after he was made managing-director with full power in the handling of the finances and the production of plays. Since then, his rise to popularity among the "fans" and esteem in the industry has been rapid and tremendous. He is at present producing several big features, some of them of five and six-reel length, out at the Lubin's farm, Betzwood. ANNIE LUTHER HELPING "SWEET CHARITY" Anna Luther has been a busy little girl the past week, with acting the part of the wife in "A Man's Shadow," which is being filmed for the Kinetophote, and selling penny lunch tickets in a daily paper's campaign for cheap lunches for school children. Miss Luther has been spending her days in "reel" life as the mother of another's kiddie, and her evenings in real life selling tickets to help the kiddies of a thousand mothers.