Motion Picture News (May-Jul 1916)

3042 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 13. No. 20. giiuuiiiiiiiuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiwiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiuniiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiN I "NEWS" CRITICISMS OF FEAI TVRES ARE INVALUABLE | 1 Mr. William .\. Johnston, i I President, Motion Picture News, | I New York City. | i My Dear Mr. Johnston: — • | I I am very thankful to you for send | I ing me a reminder that my subscrip | I tion had run out for the Motion Pic i 1 ture News. | I I am candid enough to say that it 1 I would be utterly impossible for me i 1 to take care of the twenty-six theatres | I I am booking for, without your trade j I magazine as a guide. i I The information I receive from 1 1 same is invaluable and the unbiased | I and independent way in which you | 1 handle your criticisms saves me from i i reviewing a great number of features J g that are useless. i g Will you kindly renew my subscrip 1 1 lion for the coming year. Trusting i 1 that you will conduct the criticism | I end of your magazine in the same fair | g way that you have in the past, I re | g main. Sincerely yours, | I R. C. MILLER. I g Poll's Theatrical Enterprises, i I Motion Picture Department, j I 1564 Broadway, New York City. | iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin KANSAS CITY MEN ORGANIZING SCREEN CLUB Stectal to Motion Picture News. Kansas City, Mo., May 6. A movement, recently started among the more progressive exchange men of this city, is under way for the organization of a Screen Club. Only once in the history of the moving picture industry in this city have the motion picture men come together for a social time, and very rarely for business purposes. The former gathering was then brought about when two of the most prominent exchange managers of the city left here for other quarters. A farewell banquet was tendered them. The organization committee consists of the following: E. R. Pearson, Kansas City manager of the V-L-S-E exchange; R. O. Proctor, Kansas City manager of the Universal Film and Supply Company; F. C. Mills, publicity agent of the Mutual Film Corporation ; and Joseph Gilday, manager of the Willis Wood theatre. Present plans contemplate a membership limited to exchange men. exhibitors, and accessory dealers. The plan will probably take on very definite shape before the first of June. I Rialto Film Corporation Organized by Goldburg First Production Is Under Way at Victor Studios, New York, with Cast Headed by Frank Mills — Marshal Farnum Is Head Director •^HE Rialto Film Corporation, with Jesse J. Goldburg as managing head, has just been organized under the laws of the State of New York. The first production is already under way at the Victor studios in New York, the cast being headed by Frank Mills, whose work in "The Golden Claw," "The Edge of the Abyss, and "The Moral Fabric" for the Kay Bee-Triangle Company has brought him wide recognition within the past few months. Marshal Farnum, whose last production was "Driftwood," made for the Ocean Film Corporation, is head director for the Rialto. It is also announced that Bliss Milford, a former Edison player, is the ingenue lead in the Mills picture, entitled "The House of Mirrors." Detroit capitalists are the financial backers of the Rialto Corporation, the majority of the stockholders, however, being I. and S. T. Goldburg, heads of the Lillies Cigar Company of Chicago and Detroit. They are president and treasurer, respectively, of the new film corporation. It is the plan of the company to build one of its plants in or near Detroit. A contract has been entered into with the Popular Pictures Corporation, lately organized, providing for the first release of the Rialto concern to be followed by regular releases beginning September 1 on the program of one a week to be inaugurated by the Popular from that date on. It is understood that franchises are to be awarded by the Popular concern to independent exchanges for the release of features to be made by certain manufacturers. The booking is to be upon an open policy. Big Four Issues Booklet Listing All Its Players Who's Who in V-L-S-E Plays" Is About Those Who Do Things in Pictures These Days— Also Contains Pithy Paragraphs About All Its Releases one cover, and in this brochure, they present a combination of talent who have won for themselves a country-wide following. But besides being a book of interest and information, it has been designed to be of especial service to exhibitors, to act as a AS aid to exhibitors and newspapers in assembling out-of-the-usual personality sketches, of the prominent players of the producing companies making up the V-L-S-E, the advertising department of that organization has just published a fortyeight page book, called "Who's Who in the V-L-S-E Plays." It is in handsome style, with a striking two-color cover, and rich duotone illustrations. Supplementing the biographical sketches is the complete list of Big Four releases since its inception, with pithy paragraphs describing each. This is the first time that all the V-L-S-E plays and players have been listed under ready reference guide, and an ever-handy aid in compiling press notices and other publicity suitable for newspaper of program use, the biographies being written from a human interest angle to appeal to editor and public alike. Many previously unpublished details in the lives of these players are divulged in this book for the first time. Talent, Moved by Mercy, Gives Last Aid to Charity Geraldine Farrar and Other Notables in Acting and Musical Professions Lend Services to Final Public Event in Behalf of Money-Raising Campaign for Actors' Relief T HE final oublic event in behalf of the Actors' Fund will take place Tuesday, May 16, at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York. Prominent members of the acting and musical professions will lend their talents to make up the program. Geraldine Farrar, through her notable Newspaper Promotion for "The Fighting Germans" Plan of Mutual Company Will Mean Opportunities for Co-Operative Effort Between Exhibitor and His Local Newspaper Picture Set for Release on May 8 WHAT are said to be vivid, close views of what has happened in the conflicts along the German-Russian border are presented in "The Fighting Germans," a five reel special release from the Mutual Film Corporation, scheduled for presentation on May 8. The pictures portray Germany at war, giving glimpses of life on, in front of and behind the battle lines. They were taken, it is announced, with the consent of the German military authorities by A. K. Dawson, and were obtained by the Mutual from the American Correspondent Film Company, Inc. The Kaiser is seen on the firing line, close up ; the Crown Prince is shown in command of his regiment ; and the storming the fortified village of Invangorod is shown in detail, according to the announcement. A plan of newspaper promotion giving opportunities for co-operative effort between the exhibitor and his local newspaper has been arranged by the Mutual and the syndicate department of the Buffalo Times. double association with both the films and the operatic stage, will be the bright particular star of the Metropolitan affair. Miss Farrar will present the second act ot "Madame Butterfly," assisted by Signor Scotti. The accompanying orchestra will be conducted by Signor Polacco. Such artists as Mme. Alda, Lucca Botta, Fritz Kreisler and Leopold Godowsky will complete the musical offerings. The dramatic division of the program will be equal to the musical, it is announced. Among the stage celebrities, who will be seen may be mentioned Nat Goodwin, who, with an all-star cast of associates, will present "Lend Me Five Shillings." BRENON HOPES TO GET KELLERMANN PICTURE READY FOR JULY 1 Herbert Brenon, the director of the William Fox Annette Kellermann picture, is working night and day, putting his wonderful photo-spectacle into shape. He took 220,000 feet of film and this must be cut to a presentable length. He expects to have it ready for showing about July 1.