Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

October 21, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 2529 Etta De Graft C. Aubrey Smith Jack Sherrill Helen Arnold Frohman's " The Witching Hour " Pathe's Vice President Joins National Association J. A. Berst Enthusiastic Over the Defeat of Senator Cristman by the Efforts of Exhibitors' Association CHANGES AND PROMOTIONS ARE MADE IN DEPARTMENTS OF PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION A number of changes and promotions were effected during the past week in Paramount Pictures Corporation, immediately following the resignation of Wallace Thompson, who had been the Director of Publications and Advertising, for the Corporation, and the promotion of Kenneth Hodkinson to manager of Paramount. With the resignation of Mr. Thompson, the officers of the Corporation promoted a number the men who had served under Mr. Thompson and have given them the full responsibility of their departments, which had been under his jurisdiction. Charles C. Burr was named manager of the Advertising Department ; Charles E. Moyer, Manager of Publicity; Harry I. Day, Editor of Picture Progress, a monthly magazine and Paramount Progress, Paramount's weekly exhibitors house organ; William Hurst, Managing Director of the Paramount Pictographs ; and a new sales promotion department will be inaugurated immediately under the direction of Manager Hodkinson and William W. Hines. Practically all of the new managers of the different departments have grown up with the organization and were employees when it was still in its infancy a year and a half ago. NEW RECRUIT FOR METRO PICTURE Gladys Alexandria has been engaged for the part of Ellen in " The Sunbeam," the most important feminine role next to that of the star, Mabel Taliaferro. " The Sunbeam " will follow " The Dawn of Love " on the Metro program. " The Sunbeam " is Miss Alexandria's first motion picture, her experience having been in dramatic productions and in vaudeville. She played the leading part in " The Miracle Man," replacing Gail Kane, and also was Henrietta Grossman's leading woman in " The Tongues of Men." She has been stock star with the Keith stock company in Toledo. Miss Alexandria has had three sketches in vaudeville, her most recent being " Broadway Love." The new recruit to pictures is a Canadian by birth, Toronto being her home city. She has a sister, Vivian Martin, in vaudeville. Miss Alexandria brings to the screen a charming presence, classic features, and the pantomimic ability which has always been evident even in her work on the speaking stage. WILLIAM N. SELIG STRONG ADVOCATE OF QUALITY " Haste makes waste in motion picture production as elsewhere," says William N. Selig. " I have decided to observe no stated schedules for my feature film productions. Formerly, I was obliged to release a five-reel feature play once a month and sometimes twice monthly. I have changed all this with our new releasing agency, the Kleine-Edison-Selig-Essanay Service. Hereafter my Red Seal Plays will be released as completed without any rushing. If it takes two months to complete a five-reel photoplay satisfactorily, well and good. The time has come when it must be quality and not quantity." THE defeat of Senator Cristman at the New York primaries recently by reason of the active opposition of the motion picture interests was the direct cause of J. A. Berst, vice-president and general manager of Pathe, becoming a member of the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry. The value of co-operation in defeating a man whose views on censorship constituted a menace to the best interests of the industry was so clearly shown that Mr. Berst, who has been active in fighting local and state censorship, decided to support the new organization. Mr. Berst, when seen recently at his MONROE SALISBURY, Harry Carey and William Clifford, three photoplayers of note, have been added to the William Fox acting forces. All will appear in productions now being made on the West Coast. By a strange coincidence, Mr. Salisbury played for two years in William Farnum's great stage success " The Prince of India," in which he had the role of Demedos, and made his first camera appearance under Director Oscar C. Apfel, of whose company Farnum is now the star. Both his stage and screen careers have been decidedly versatile. Before entering the silent drama, Mr. Salisbury, who was born in Buffalo, did brilliant work in the " legitimate." For an entire season of fifty weeks, he played twelve different leads every six days. The quality of his performances attracted the attention of Richard Mansfield, and that distinguished actor engaged him as the juvenile in his company. Then followed two years with Katherine Kidder, three with Mrs. Fiske, two seasons in " The Prince of India," and one year in support of Nance O'Neil. Since his film debut in January, 1914, he has been in many productions. He is a graduate of St. Vincent's College, and is one of those who took a complete course in Shakesperian training, under the famous Rose Eytinge, in New York City. Harry Carey, the second of the newly added triumvirate, is an author, actor and plainsman, whose varied experiences have increased his ability as a movie man, and aid him in giving the screen exceptional subjects of a western type. office, said : " Branch Managers as well as all other employees of motion picture manufacturers and distributors should unite with the exhibitors to defeat for re-election any state senator or assemblyman who takes an unreasonable position toward this industry. Every candidate for state legislative office should be visited before election by delegates from the motion picture business and asked as to his attitude toward the business. If his views are hostile he should be fought to a finish with the powerful weapon of screen publicity which has been shown to be so valuable. I congratulate the E.x;hibitors' League." Some of the plays which he himself wrote and starred in, are " Montana," " Heart of Alaska," " Five Women and That Man " and " Dacotah." His vaudeville experience is extensive; his stock experience doubly so. For some time he was a prospector and a cowboy, and the strenuous life developed his athletic prowess so thoroughly that he returned to New York City, and held the middleweight boxing championship of the entire state for many years. He is a graduate of the Hamilton Military Academy and New York University. William Clifford has been in motion pictures for seven years with a half-dozen of the biggest companies in the industry. He is now working in the cast with Gladys Brockwell in Director Frank Lloyd's first William Fox production. Mr. Clifford's name became widely known during the eighteen years in which he played with Robert Mantell, Walker Whiteside and Mildred Holland. He is a native of New Orleans, but was educated in Toronto, and is a graduate of the Conservatory of Music in that city. PRESIDENT WILSON SHOWN ON HORSEBACK IN PATHE NEWS The first pictures ever taken of President Wilson on horseback were shown in the Pathe News of October 4. While Col. Roosevelt was president, many photographs were published showing him mounted on his favorite bourse, leaping fences, or riding with chosen friends. Come to think of it, it is hard to imagine President Wilson, otherwise than at his desk or in his library. Fox Engages Triumvirate of Well-Known Actors Contracts Signed with Monroe Salisbury, Harry Carey and William Clifford, All of Whom Start Work at Once