Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

October 15, 1921 STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT. CIRCULATION, ETC., KEyUlkED BY THE ACT OF CONGKESS OF AUGUST 24, 1912, of " Motion Picture News," published weekly at New York, N. Y., lor October 1. 1921. Sute of New York ( County o( New Yorkj Before me, a Notary Public, in and for the State and county aforesaid, personally appeared E. Kendall Cillett, 729 7th Ave., New York City, who, having been duly iworn according to law, deposes and says that he is the Business Manager of the " Motion Picture News," and that the following is, to the best of his knowledge and belief, a true statement of the ownership, management (and if a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid publication for the date shown in the above caption, required by the Act of August 24, 1912, embodied in section 443, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of this form, to wit: 1. That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor, managing editor, and business managers are: Publisher, Motion Picture News, Inc., 729 Seventh Ave., New York City; Editor, Wm. A. Johnston, 729 Seventh Ave., New York City; Managing Editor, Robert E. Welsh. 729 Seventh Ave., New York City; Business Manager, E. Kendall Gillett, 729 Seventh Ave., New York City. 2. That the owners are: (Give names and addresses of individual owners, or, if a corporation, give its name and the names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding 1 per cent or more of the total amount of stock.) Motion Picture News. Inc., 729 7th Ave.. New York City; Wm. A. Johnston, 729 7th Ave., New York City; E. Kendall Gillett, 729 7th Ave., New York City"; Percy S. Alden, 729 7th Ave., New York City; Carll Tucker, 729 7th Ave., New York City. 3. That the knowm bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities are: (If there are none, so state). None. 4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving the names of the owners, stockholders, and security holders, if any, contain not only the list of stockholders and security holders as they appear upon the books of the company but also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is given ; also that the said two paragraphs contain statements embracing affiant's full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no reason to believe that any other person, association, or corporation has any interest direct or indirect in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than as so stated by him. 5. That the average nimiber of copies of each issue of this publication sold or distributed, through the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during the six months preceding the date shown above is. (This information is required from daily publications only.) E. KENDALL GILLETT. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 26th day of September, 1921. fsE.^L] R. G. GEORGE, Notary Public, N. Y. County Clerk's No. 448. N. Y. County Register No. 2405. My commission expires March 30, 1922. 2015 Fox Units Busy on West Coast Larry Semon Finishing "The Sawmill" Larry Semon is finishing his latest comedy, "The Sawmill." More than a hundred people were transported into the mountains for this comedy. , No similar timberland comedy has ever been produced, states Vitagraph, and due to the nation-wide publicity Semon and his troupe received when they stopped work on this comedy to fight a forest fire, and the original idea of the comedy itself, exhibitors have made inquiries concerning it at several Vitagraph exchanges. ADVICES from the New York headquarters of the Fox Film Corporation indicate that the various Fox producing units at the West Coast Studios are rapidly progressing in the new subjects now under way. Shirley Mason is at work again at the Fox West Coast Studios, less than two weeks after finishing her picture "Jackie." The intervening period is the nearest thing to a real vacation the Fo.x star has had this year. She spent the time at Coronado Beach, at the southernmost point of California. The new picture is " Little Aliens," from the story by Myra Kelly. Jack Strumwasser and Dorothy Yost prepared the screen adaptation. Jack Ford again is directing Miss Mason. For this production Gaston Glass, who for five years was on the speaking stage with Sara Bernhardt in France and the United States, has become, at least temporarily, a Californian, for he has been engaged to play the male lead with Shirley Mason. The cast also includes George Williams, Martha Franklin, Arthur Drew Rankin, Alfred Testa, Richard Lapan and Baby Blumfield. William Russell appears as a scion of an old Southern family, jealous of its traditions and involved in a feud, in a picture now William Russell and Shirley Mason on New Subjects under way at Fox Film Corporation's West Coast Studios. The storj' is a screen adaptation of "The Roof Tree," a popular novel by Charles Neville Buck. Jack Dillon is directing the production. On the Fox lot at Hollywood authentic Southern mansions and humbler dwellings of the region below Mason and Dixon's line are being reared, while many parts of California provide ideal locations for typical Southern exterior scenes. William Russell, therefore, will not go far from the Fox Western centre of production while making this picture. The same condition occurred in the production of three preceding William Russell pictures, " The Desert Shall Blossom " (working title), "The Lady from Longacre " and "Singing River." in which the handsome and vigorous star was by turn a civil engineer connected with an irrigation project in America's desert regions, a member of a titled English family involved in the seething politics of a small European kingdom, and a rancher and miner in the mountainous Western regions of our own country. In his new picture Russell is supported by Sylvia Breamer, feminine lead ; Florence Deshon, Bob Daly, Arthur Morrison and Al Fremont. Eileen Percy is at work on a new picture at Fox Film Corporation's \\'est Coast Studios, after a rest of eight days following completion of " Whatever She Wants." The new picture is " Elope If You Must," a comedy drama from the popular story by E. J. Rathe. C. R. Wallace is directing. Eddie Sutherland has been engaged to play the male lead. The cast includes Mildred Davenport in a character role ; Mary Huntress, Joe Bennett and Larry Stears. Edna Murphy and Johnnie Walker, co-starring in a picture being made at the Fox West Coast Studios under the working title " Extra ! Extra ! " are supported by Wilson Hummel, Edwin B. Tilton, Hershel Mayall and John Sterling. There are twelve important characters in the second picture starring Dustin Farnum under his new contract with William Fox, and hundreds of extras. It is a sea story entitled " Cursed " and presents the popular star in the role of a harsh and quick tempehed ship captain. Bernard Durning is directing the production in California. Auto Trucks Can Deliver Prints IF the railroad men walk out, as they are threatening to do, the Rothacker Chicago laboratory is preparing to get First National releases out to the exhibitors — strike or no strike. Forrest J. Alvin, general manager of the United States Motor Truck Company, has placed the entire automotive transportation facilities of his organization at the command of Watterson R. Rothacker. This means that no matter how long the railroad strike should last it will never be necessary for the majority of theatres to be dark or to run old pictures, as far as the releases of First National and other Chicago Rothacker laboratory clients are concerned. The Rothacker Chicago Laboratory is peculiarly favorably located from a distribution viewpoint. Over 50,000,000 people live within a night's train ride of Chicago — and within a motor truck radius of about twenty-four hours. It will be entirely practical, in case the emergency warrants, for the Rothacker Chicago laboratory to deliver prints by automobile to over 75 per cent of the American theatres. When the news dispatches indicated that a railroad strike loomed Mr. Rothacker began planning for an automotive delivery of releases. After several conferences an agreement between the United States Motor Truck Company and the Rothacker Film Manufacturing Company was made, whereby the United States Motor Truck organization would deliver Rothacker prints to exhibitors. The United States Truck Company is one of the largest and strongest automobile concerns in the Rothacker Precautions Ease Fear of Rail Strike world. Mr. Alvin is recognized as a leading authority on automotive transportation. During the war he served on the War Industries Board as representative of the motor truck industry. If the union rnen carry out their threat to tie up railroad transportation, Mr. Alvin will come to Chicago personally to direct the automotive delivery of Rothacker prints. If the threatened strike materializes, the day the trains quit running Mr. Alvin will marshal his Chicago forces. Chicago is a principal distributing point for United States Trucks. Fifty trucks — more than will be needed — are available in Chicago. These trucks, loaded with Rothacker prints, would leave in all directions. During the conferences in Chicago Mr. Alvin worked out in detail just how these "trunk line" trucks would operate out of Chicago. For instance, one " trunk line " truck would depart for Des Moines and Omaha; another for Kansas City and Denver. A third would make Atilwaukee and the Twin Cities. St. Louis and the Southwest would be another destination. Memphis and New Orleans another rout, and Indianapolis, Louisville and Atlanta another. Similarly the Eastern States would be served. As these " trunk line " trucks arrive at an exchange city they would unload that exchange's quota of prints. Then the United States Truck transportation facilities of that exchange's territory would be at the service of the exchange in relaying the prints on the smallest cities in that section. In case it is necessary in order to make release dates, the "trunk line" trucks would be operated by relay drivers — the trucks pushing on day and night until the furthermost exchange city is reached. These " trunk line " trucks would not " mean very much " if it were not for the fact that the United States Truck organization covers America like a network. In every exchange city the local United States Truck distributor would be able to place more than sufficient automotive transportation facilities for the exchange to get the Rothacker prints out to the surrounding towns. There is a United States Truck distributor in every sizable town in the country. An exchange could rush releases to the larger towns in its territory, where the work of distribution would be taken up by the United States Truck distributors. Mr. Rothacker's arrangement with Mr. Alvin extends also beyond the Rocky Mountains. Releases printed at the Rothacker-Aller laboratories in Los Angeles would be distributed in the same way. Sweet Renews Contract with Century Film Harry Sweet has renewed his present contract with Century Film Corporation for two additional vears. He has iust finished a picture called "The Dumb Bell," directed by Tom Buckingham.