Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1917)

THE WEST COAST 3 f HI WEST COAST " FINGER OF JUSTICE " AROUSES INTEREST 11THE FINGER OF JUSTICE," the new picture founded upon the highly * successful vice crusade carried on by the Rev. Paul Smith in San Francisco and produced by the Paul Smith Pictures Company, has aroused great interest in the city at the Golden Gate and it is certain that the run at the Savoy theatre, opening October 29, will be a memorable one. THERE was some opposition at first on the part of people who were put * out of business by the big clean-up. Mr. Smith and some of his associates received letters of very threatening character, demanding that the work be suspended, but the film-making went right along without hesitation or interruption, and when it became known gradually that types and conditions were being portrayed without the use of the names of men, women and resorts at whom and to which the Smith campaign was directed, the hostility died away. A T the filming of the famous " What are you going to do with us? " raid of the 300 underworld women on the Rev. Mr. Smith's church, some of the women who had participated in the original raid appeared in the motion picture scenes. " I feel sure that I recognized the faces of a number of these women," said Mr. Smith to a representative of Motion Picture News. And others stated that numerous women who had been forced out of the underworld life were in the volunteer audience before the cameras. The raid scenes were filmed in the California Street Methodist Church, one of the largest and finest in San Francisco, and not in the smaller church, where the original demonstration took place. JANE O'ROARK was the vampire queen of these women in the raid picture. A talented and beautiful young actress, with much stage experience, she is making her film debut in this production. f\ N Saturday, October 13, 142 scenes were filmed at the church in San ^ Francisco, these including the raid, the preaching of the fighting minister's great reform sermon, with the regular congregation in attendance, and various episodes of the work of the church people for the good of the city and in behalf of the unfortunate women. The previous record is said to have been eighty-one scenes in a single day, and Director Chaudet has reason to feel proud of the work, which began early in the forenoon and continued until late into the night. Many well known clergymen and other church leaders appear in some of the episodes of the new picture. lV/f ISS GRACE MARBURY SANDERSON, who wrote "The Finger of Justice," has just completed the scenario of " More Deadly Than Battle," the second picture in the Paul Smith series and containing an expose of the work of the bootleggers who bring danger into the camps of the soldiers. RAISE IN PRICES SUCCESSFUL, SAYS LURIE <«/~\UR raise of prices has been very successful," said Louis R. Lurie, ^ partner of Howard J. Sheehan at the Rialto theatre, one of the largest and finest downtown playhouses in San Francisco. He beamed with satisfaction as he told a " Motion Picture News " representative the story. nI TP to two months ago," continued Mr. Lurie, "our prices were ten, twenty and thirty cents. Then we made a five-cent advance, to fifteen, twenty-five and thirty-five cents, with not the slightest evidence of dissatisfaction resulting. On the contrary, our patrons seemed to realize that costs in the film industry had gone up, along with everything else, and they were ready and perfectly willing to pay the additional charge. At these prices we are showing films for which the New York houses charge as high as a dollar, with the minimum at twenty-five cents. When we increased our rates, the management of the Rialto made special effort to ascertain the sentiments of our patrons in regard to the plan, watching the box-office closely and keeping account of all that was said, and we feel that the public is quite as well satisfied with the change as we are. «« A S it is, our prices are very low, with such productions as ' The Honor System,' ' Jack and the Beanstalk,' ' The Conqueror,' ' Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp ' and Theda Bara in ' Camille ' on the list. We are showing two big features every week. Our next program, for instance, will consist of ' Conscience,' with Gladys Brockwell, C. Post Mason's 1 London,' the Hearst-Pathe News Weekly, an O. Henry story and organ selections. We could well charge more than we do, but with the theatre constantly thronged we are satisfied with the prices as they now stand." "THE new California theatre will charge fifty cents for box seats, of which it will have 250, all reserved. There will be 268 loge chairs at thirtyfive cents. It is believed that this theatre, although having a total seating capacity of 2,800, will find it expedient to increase the number of its highpriced seats. CALIFORNIA EXHIBITORS HOLD MEETING THE Executive Committee of the Motion Picture Industry of Northern 1 California held a meeting at the Palace Hotel on October 10 and discussed the war tax, which is hitting the small independent exhibitors quite as hard as they are able to stand, according to the statements made. No action was reached. In this organization, Jack Partington, of the Imperial, succeeds E. B. Johnson on the Board of Directors, and M. J. Cohen, of the George Kleine System, succeeds W. D. Edmunds as member of the Executive Board. Other officers are: President, L. Reichert, Metro; vice-president, Eugene H. Roth, Portola and California theatres; treasurer, M. L. Markowitz, California Exchange; secretary, Norman A. Eisnar; directors, Howard J. Sheehan, Rialto theatre, and Herman Wobber, Progressive Exchange. PUBLIC BOOSTS SALARIES OF SCREEN STARS p RESIDENT HIRAM ABRAMS of the Paramount Pictures Corporation and General Manager B. F. Schulberg of the same company were among the notables of the screen and stage who recently visited Denver. Mr. Schulberg predicts higher salaries in the future for screen stars and says there is a real scarcity so far as male stars is concerned, with nothing in sight to relieve the situation. "In all probability," said Mr. Schulberg, "salaries for screen stars will never be less than they are right now and I personally believe they will be much higher. It is the people themselves, you know, who really make the stars. Their verdict in all cases means the advancement of the screen actor or actress whose sole ambition is to reach the top of the ladder. " Another condition which is of great importance is the great scarcity of male stars. Only a few are in the business now compared with the number of women stars. No relief is in sight. " Still another thing that is also of vast importance is this," continued Mr. Schulberg, " we have now reached the point when the story itself must be good, no difference who the star is. The value of a story simply cannot be discounted." Mr. Abrams and Mr. Schulberg both report a splendid business and are both optimists with a big O. They are looking forward to a good measure of prosperity in all departments of the business this fall and winter. WILL RAISE PRICES IN PORTLAND THE admission price situation, as it is to be affected by ticket tax, film * tax, and perhaps higher film rental, is engrossing the attention of the exhibitors of Oregon. In Portland several of the biggest exhibitors are advocating an increase to 20 cents, from the fifteen-cent fee of to-day, planning to use the extra nickel in paying the two-cent admission tax, and the remaining three cents to cover increased expense of operation, including labor. f\ THERS believe that fifteen cents is the maximum figure for the average ^ photoplay attraction in Portland, and that a step higher means a probable weaning away of the masses from its cheap form of entertainment. If the admission tax is to be paid by the public in the shape of a direct tax of two cents on each 15-cent ticket, it may be announced that Port^ land's downtown theatres will not attempt another price increase this winter. If the tax can be paid by the exhibitor, he undoubtedly will increase the admission fee to 20 cents, thus making a greater net on the individual sale, even though temporarily the volume of business is decreased. RICHMOND DISTRICT TO HAVE $200,000 THEATRE THE Clement Theatre and Realty Corporation, with a capital stock of 1 $200,000, has been incoroprated in San Francisco for the purpose of building a high-class film house in the Richmond District, the western part of the city. The site is on the south side of Clement street, between Seventh and Eighth avenues, with the dimensions 78 by 150 feet. A Class A theatre, to compare with the finest in the city, will be erected immediately. The corporation is composed of a large number of stockholders, the property owners, merchants and residents of the district, who have organized for the purpose of having a first-class theatre and the best film attractions in their own neighborhood, which is several miles from the big theatres on Market street. WOMEN'S CLUB ENDORSED FOX SUBJECT THE officers of the Women's Club of Berkeley, California, have written Manager Fred Moore of the U. of C. theatre at Berkeley personally thanking him for showing " Jack and the Beanstalk," the Fox Standard picture, at his theatre. The house has a seating capacity of twelve hundred on the ground floor, and according to Mr. Moore records were broken for the house during the showing of this Fox Standard picture. The opening day of the picture was the biggest in the history of the theatre, and this was topped the next day. On the first Monday of the two weeks' showing Mr. Moore stated he could close his house the remander of the week and still have a good profit for the time after paying all his usual expenses. Thp school authorities were quick to see the good qualities of " Jack and the Beanstalk " and one school was dismissed early on one day that children could attend. WASHINGTON COMPANY SELECTS STUDIO SITE r\ FFICERS of the Washington Motion Picture Company, recently organized in Spokane for the production of state rights pictures starring Tyrone Power, have selected a site for their studio in Minnehaha, a park suburb of Spokane. A number of buildings used previous for amusement enterprises, will be used for the studio buildings. Work of making other changes is now going forward under the management of J. C. Ward. In addition the company will build a scenic studio, 60 by 100 feet in size, a portion of which will be used for an interior stage. Frank Montgomery, it is stated, is to direct the production of the first subject. ANIMATED DEMAND FOR UNIVERSAL WEEKLY THE Universal Animated Weekly and Current Events films are very popular with first run houses in San Francisco, five prints being necessary to supply the demand. These are shown at Imperial, Alhambra, Hippodrome, Wigwam and Strand theatres. In Oakland the Kinema, American, Franklin and Broadway theatres are using the reels regularly as first run in that territory. In the past two weeks the San Francisco Universal exchange has found the need of increasing its regular order four prints for each week. PICTURE WILL SHOW MANUFACTURE OF PHOTOPLAYERS THE AMERICAN PHOTOPLAYER COMPANY, with factories and main * offices in San Francisco, will shortly have a motion picture of several thousand feet showing the manufacture of their instruments. This subject is being prepared under the supervision of Jack Levy, manager of the publicity department, and will show all details of the making, together with a very comprehensive demonstration of the operation, of the mechanism of the instruments, and may be used by sales forces in all parts of the country. SHOWS APPARATUS FOR SENDING WIRELESS PICTURES T J. LEISHMAN, of Ogden, Utah, has invented an apparatus for taking and sending pictures by wireless. His genius came to the attention of Frank Newman, manager of a Salt Lake City theatre, who at once arranged for a public showing of the apparatus, together with an explanation by the inventor. The plan packed the theatre. Mr. Leishman has not been able to perfect his machine to the point of taking motion pictures by wireless.