Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1918)

September 2 8 , i 9 I 8 1995 Important Film Executives in Draft Registration (Special to Motion Picture News) More than 90 per cent of the leading figures in the executive end of the motion picture industry in Los Angeles were called upon to register in the new draft on September 12, while about 80 per cent of the 100 or more motion picture directors at work in Los Angeles studios likewise had to enroll in Uncle Sam*s new roll call. David Wark Griffith, who was called out of the city this week, was perhaps the first director to face exception board officials. He hurried to Board Xo. 17, said to be the largest board in the United States, where he attached his signature to the card handed him while a battery of cameramen from local newspapers and from the Griffith studios made photographic notes of the event. It seems that the press agent got next to the fact that Mr. Griffith was on his way to the registration point, and when he arrived the Government officials were for a moment thrown off their balance by the flashlight bombardment that lit up the premises. Robert Shearer, chairman of the board, took personal charge of the ceremony. Among some of the leading film men who registered were Jesse L. Lasky, Mack Sennett. Thomas H. Ince, H. O. Davis, James McGee, E. H. Allen, W illiam Sistrom, Cecil B. De Millc, William B. De Mille, Roy Aitken, Milton Hoffman, John Jasper, Richard A. Rowland, George Fitzmaurice, Leon Osborne. C. Gardner Sullivan, Julian Eltinge, Fred J. Balshofer, Al. and Charles Christie, William Parsons and practically every other executive of Los Angeles studios, with the exception of Frank E. Wood of Famous Plavers-Laskv. Carmichael to Europe for Fox West Coast Producers Will Eliminate Slackers In order to overcome the objectionable feature of studios being raided to enforce the work-or-fight ruling with respect to extra people, the Motion Picture Producers' Association in Los Angeles has organized a service bureau which will in the future handle all extras. The producers have shown the Federal authorities that approximately 300 extra men are needed constantly for productions, and their files will contain approximately that many names. All wants of the studios will be supplied through this bureau, and information furnished the federal authorities at various intervals respecting the amount of time each of the 300 or more men put in at the plants. A complete list of names will be furnished the exemption boards, and all books and records of the Producers' Association service bureau will be inspected at intervals by the members of the several boards. To facilitate the service bureau in this association, the Cinema Exchange, a booking organization opened in Los Angeles several months ago, has been purchased by the association and will be conducted under their supervision. X*o fees will be charged the players, nor will the service bureau fix the salaries of the players. The new bureau will be under the personal supervision of W. J. Reynolds. Field Carmichael Goes Abroad to Open New Branch Offices for Fox Film Corporation on the Continent TO supervise the establishment of several new branch offices abroad, made necessary by the tremendous growth of the Fox Film Corporation's business in Great Britain and on the continent, Field Carmichael, for the last two years manager of the W illiam Fox Detroit branch office, will sail next week for London, where he will be the American representative of the Fox Film Corporation in Europe. The appointment of Mr. Carmichael as foreign representative is said to be the outcome of the amazing popularity of Fox films in Great Britain and elsewhere on the continent in the last two years, with the result that an extension of the present facilities for handling Fox films in Europe is made necessary. Aitnougn air. carmichael's headquarters will be at 74 Old Compton street, W., London, his territory will embrace practically all of Europe outside the Central Empires. Fox films have long been established in Great Britain, and in France, Spain and Italy their popularity has been growing fast. Up to this time the Fox business in France, Spain and Italy has been conducted through agencies, but it is understood to be the intention immediately to establish branch offices in all these countries. Mr. Carmichael will arrange for such offices in Paris, Madrid, Marseilles, Rome, Venice, Xaples and other cities, and inaugurate direct service with Continental exhibitors vvho are not already receiving it. William Fox has long appreciated the colossal possibilities for the development of Europe as territory for the extension of his films. In the last two years or more this territory has grown in importance until today Fox films is said to dominate the European field. Recent United States Government export bulletins show that from a comparatively few feet of film sent to Europe at the beginning of the war, the film exports of this country have mounted steadily and with amazing rapidity until today virtually the only films being shown in Europe are of American origin. It is the general opinion among the trade that this growth will be greatly accelerated as the war goes on, so that when victory comes American films will be impregnably entrenched. In Great Britain the Fox Film Company. Ltd., already has ten exchanges. These, scattered through England, Ireland and Scotland, were able for a while to care for all the business in the United Kingdom, but the necessity of an extension of booking facilities has been increasingly apparent for some time. This growth in business has several times caused additions to be made to the home office in Old Compton street, London, of the Fox Film Company, Ltd., until now this office is rapidly approaching the size of the home office in Xew York City. The promotion of Mr. Carmichael to the post of European representative is a natur al development of his career. He is one of the oldest branch managers, in point of service, in the Fox organization, having been continually with William Fox ever since he opened the Fox branch office in Denver several years ago. Mr. Carmichael's whole life has been devoted to the amusement business in one form or another. Indeed, he began his career when he was twelve years old, as a candy butcher for the Gentry Brothers' dog and pony show. For four years he was press agent for the Sells-Floto circus and has occupied other responsible positions. Vitagraph Loan Films Are Intensively Booked Determined that every ounce of good and every dollar possible may be raised for the government, Vitagraph is working with the same degree of energy in booking the company's six Liberty Loan subjects as it does in the regular business of the company. The Chicago branch of the Vitagraph distributing organization reports that it has booked the Liberty films into practically all of the theatres in its territory for a total of eighteen hundred days, to be played between September 20 and October 19, inclusive. This good showing is said to be typical of the other branches of the company, all of which have been devoting especial attention to the work of giving the government's screen appeals the widest possible showing. The Vitagraph Company has been one of the most active workers in patriotic fields, in addition to producing several powerful productions like " Over the Top," " Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation," " The Battle Cry of Peace," and many regular features. Several benefits for the Red Cross, and other war funds have been given at the company's Western studio, and extraordinary attention has been devoted to producing pictures of strong appeal. The stars and the pictures in which they appear are: Earle W'illiams in "A Plea to Buy " ; Alice Joyce, in " The Choice " ; William Duncan, in " The Decision " ; Corinne Griffith, in " A Wise Purchase," and Gladys Leslie, in " Sylvia's Last Pledge." All of these subjects have been in the hands of the government for some time past and some of them have already been shipped to the branches which are to distribute them in the same manner in which they handle the company's regular product. Goldwyn Production Used Goldwyn managers throughout America have been quick to link up with the Fourth Liberty Loan campaign. " For the Freedom of the World." directed by Ira M. Lowry. one of the earliest of the patriotic pictures and a year-long success in every section of the United States. In the fourth loan campaign Philadelphia was the first city to again demand this picture. Goldwyn's Philadelphia office has booked every print at its command solid for the four weeks beginning September 16. E. K. Lincoln, Barbara Castleton and Romaine Fielding are starred in the cast. BUY LIBERTY BONDSi hum