Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1918)

2170 Motion Picture News War, Spirit Rules the Exposition National Association of the Motion Picture Industry Announces the Stage as All Set for National Exposition at Garden EVERY form of war industry in which the Government is engaged will be shown and exhibited at the National Motion Picture Exposition to be held in Madison Square Garden October 5 to 13, inclusive. The latest governmental department to requisition space at the war service exposition of the motion picture industry is the United States Government Employment Service of the Department of Labor. The object of the exhibition of this department will be to visualize for the people of New York the vast variety of the war work upon which the Government is engaged, and in doing so call their attention to the urgent need for mechanics and laborers of every kind to engage in an essential war industry. They are planning one of the most interesting and instructive exhibits that could possibly be imagined. It is planned to show miniature ships actually in the course of construction. Miniature ways and shipyards will be built in Madison Square Garden and workmen will actually build ships before the eyes of the public. Working in co-operation with this department is the Ordnance Department of the Army and Navy. The exhibit which is being planned by this branch of the service will open the eyes of those attending the exposition and will serve the purpose of bringing the war to their very doors. Plans are now being worked out to show every weapon that is used in modern warfare and the exact manner in which it is used. The Ordnance Department of the United States Army will have on view a specimen of every form of deadly weapon that is used in war. They will also provide a large detachment of soldiers in uniform who will demonstrate to the public the exact manner in which these weapons are used. There will be the Lee Enfield rifle as adapted for use by the American Army, the various kinds of revolvers, machine guns, trench mortars, anti aircraft guns, the various kinds of hand grenades, bombs of all description, including the serial bombs and the depth bombs which are creating such havoc among the German submarines, all of the different models of light artillery, and such forms of the gas bombs as can be shown without divulging military secrets to the enemy. The Gas Defense Division of the Chemical Warfare Service of the United States Army has also been invited to take space at the show, and a letter which has been received from Lieutenant Jackson of this division states that he will take the question up with the commanding officer of the division and give an answer in the course of a day or two. Francis Lawrence, publicity director, of the United States Government Employment Division of the Department of Labor, was wildly enthusiastic when an offer of unlimited space at the show was offered to him by officials of the exposition company. He immediately stated that his department would require a minimum of 2,500 square feet of space and would undoubtedy need 5,000. It is just as important that men be recruited to engage in the essential war industries as it is to send an army to France. Without the right and proper kind of equipment the soldier on the fighting front is helpless. This exposition will furnish us with an opportunity to demonstrate to the people of New York and vicinity the great need for labor and permit us to visualize for them the great variety of the war work of the Government. World Pictures, among others, has just contracted for a large space in the Motion Picture Exposition which will be held in New York City during the month of October. The space is prominently located near the main entrance to Madison Square Garden, where the exposition will be held, and it will be elaborately decorated for the event. The World is planning to have some of its stars at the space each evening during the progress of the exposition to greet the crowds of people who are interested in World actors and actresses and World productions. Urges Concerted Effort to Better Express Service Abe H. Kaufman, of Memphis, in a letter to Motion Picture News champions the idea of concerted action on the part of exchange men to secure better express and parcel post service on films. " A concerted effort should be made by all exhibitors and exchangemen of the entire country to secure better express and parcel post service," declares Mr. Kaufman. " The exhibitors in our territory are missing out on their programs regularly, and rarely a day passes that we are not called on to furnish some two to five emergency shows (which, of course, we do not object to). However, if this continues, the public will lose faith in the exhibitors' advertisements, as a good many of the exhibitors here are missing out on their programs more frequently than they show the one advertised. " When you take into consideration the fact that a large portion of the films shown today are patriotic or propaganda subjects, a great part of the effectiveness of this necessary Government work is being lost when films are delayed, and this letter is being directed to you with the hope that" you can furnish us with the names of the proper parties to whom this matter should be referred, and further that you will suggest to the entire industry to take it up with said parties immediately." Junet to New York Pathe Raoul Junet, for several years manager of Pathe's New Orleans office, has been appointed Sales Controller by Paul Brunet. vice-president and general manager of Pathe Exchange, Inc. Mr. Junet will be located at the home office in New York. Mexican Scenes Secured by Educational George D. Wright returned to the " good old U. S. A." September 23 with 11,000 feet of " shots " of President Carranza, the Mexican Cabinet and Congress, the Mexican Army, the activities of Ambassador Fletcher and the recent doings at the Tampico oil fields, all of which will be released by Educational after it has been censored and formally admitted by the American Federal Government. Mr. Wright's headquarters in New York is the Educational Film Corporation, for which he made his first series of twelve one-reelers, " Mexico Today," now in course of distribution. After launching that series last spring he went back to the Mexican capital and has been working there ever since, with the co-operation of the political authorities and the aid of his veteran cameraman, D. W. Gobbett. In speaking of the results achieved, Mr. Wright said : " I have brought back the first motion pictures of the political life of Mexico, for, although individual scenes have been taken now and again by free lances, this is the first time that the Mexican Government has permitted its personnel and its activities to be picturized. I owe much to the kindness of Mr. Carranza, who gave me the freedom of Chapultepec and posed both with his official and his private family ; to the American Ambassador, Mr. Fletcher; to the commanders of the Allied battleships in Tampico Harbor, and to Mexican officials of all grades who aided me with the military pictures and in recording the events of the Mexican Independence Day. " The nature of the films cannot be fully disclosed till after they have been passed by the Committee on Public Information. There is no harm in stating, however, that they contain a great deal to stimulate American patriotism and to cement our present good relations with the Mexican Republic." " America's Answer " Plavs at Camp Upton Considering the quarantine at Camp Upton and the possibility of the resulting necessity to cancel outside attractions in the Liberty theatre, E. L. Hyman. Director of Pictures, War Department Commission on Training Camp Activities, has booked a big feature picture for the week commencing Sunday, September 22. " America's Answer " will be played Sunday and Monday. This is the second official Government picture, and this will be the first showing for it outside of the George M. Cohan New York theatre. " The Desert Man," with William S. Hart. Fatty Arbuckle and Mable Normand. Tuesday. Douglas Fairbanks in " The Americans " Wednesday. Geraldine Farrar in her first Goldwyn picture, " The Turn of the Wheel " ; also Mary Zentag, violinist virtuso. and Herbert Waterous, basso, will render solos on Thursday and Friday. Both of these soloists have donated their services through the courtesy of the Strand theatre, New York City. minti NiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiRUN LIBERTY FILMS hiiininiihiiiiiiiii iiniiniiiiiin lumiiimimuiiiminaunn