Motography (Jul - Dec 1915)

July 10, 1915. MOTOGRAPHY 79 Brevities of the Business Chicago exhibitors are becoming aware that there is a new live wire in town. His name is Hodupp and his initials are V. H. He hails from Syracuse, N. Y., and is now in charge of the Pathe exchange of the Windy City, having been _ promoted from his Syracuse position as a result of the phenomenal record he made there. With only 480 theaters in his territory, Manager Hodupp was able, ere leaving his Syracuse post, to book more than one theater out of every three in the entire territory, for the "Who Pays" series, and had an even better record as regards one of the other Pathe serials. Therefore other exchange managers in Chicago can readily realize some mighty vigorous competition is going to result from Mr. Hodupp's assuming charge of the Chicago office. It is his aim to make a similarly good record in his new post. He is genial, good-natured, full of pep and ginger, and if hustling and good fellowship count for anything bids fair to achieve his aim. Ross & Company, printers, at 507 North Clark street, Chicago, who handle much of the business of local motion picture concerns, are presenting their friends with handsome souvenir knives, one face of the knife handle bearing the recipient's name, while the other face is adorned with a tasty design and the giver's name and address. The little souvenirs are evidently much appreciated by the recipients. Marie Tempest, the noted English commedienne, has arrived in Los Angeles to "work in the pictures." The newest convert to the screen from the stage notables will star in several productions to be staged there. The reverberations of Geraldine Farrar's becoming welcome to Los Angeles motion picture ranks had scarcely died away when another sensation was sprung in the name of the "all-conquering motion pictures." David Horsley, owner of the Bostock Jungle and Horsley studio at Washington and South Main streets, and of the Centaur Film Company at Bayonne, N. J., wired to Mary Garden an offer of $25,000 in cash for her appearance in one feature film. This is the largest offer ever made to any individual for a single appearance before the camera. D. W. Griffith has almost ready for production a new film. "The Mother and the Law," in which Miss Mae Marsh appears in an entirely new characterization. A "runoff" of the film indicated that in this Miss Marsh has done more remarkable work than even in "The Clansman." The quartermaster general of the U. S. Army at San Francisco has ordered a Minusa Gold Fibre screen for the projection of pictures for the Coast Defense of California soldiers. The screen is being built at the St. Louis factory of the Minuso Cine Products Company and will go West in a few days. "Rafferty Stops the War," the initial release of the AllCeltic Film Company, made its debut in Chicago last week in one of the city's largest and most popular picture houses, the Orpheum. Charles C. O'Hara, president of the company, is writing the stories for the All-Celtic pictures, and J. A. Fitzgerald is producing them. Thomas Icarra, Spanish bull fighter of international reputation, arrived in Los Angeles to arrange details for the bull fight scenes of the opera "Carmen," which is to be reproduced for motion picture purposes at the Stadium July 4, 5, 11, 12, by special arrangement between the 1915 General Committee and the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Plays Company. Icarra brought with him a muchly bejeweled toreador costume, valued at $5,000. Whittier, Cal., did not like the motion picture play "Hypocrites." Whittier motion picture censors, Mrs. G. H. Flanders, C. W. Clayton and L. A. Pickering, condemned it. The city revoked the license of C. H. Keipp, motion picture proprietor in Whittier. Keipp has filed petition for writ of review in superior court. Pretty Katheryn Adams, who made quite a hit in the lead . ing female lead in "The Shooting of Dan McGrew," has been engaged by Marshall Farnum for a prominent role in his next feature production for Fox. Miss Adams would like to connect with a permanent stock position and if there is an enterprising film company desirous of obtaining the services of a handsome and talented leading woman here is the chance. Having finished "The Trade Secret," Bill Haddock will soon begin his second feature for the Gotham Film Company, featuring Miss Betty Marshall. The name of this feature will be announced next week. The reason it is not announced this week is because the management is wavering between three former Broadway successes for which it holds the motion picture rights. Harry Spingler, playing in "The Bondman" for the Fox Film Corporation, has just returned from a fishing trip on which he alleges he didn't capture the biggest fish of the crowd. Few piscatorial experts could thus restrain themselves. The "Original Mrs. Tom Thumb" and her second husband, Count Magri, both members of the "Pee-wee Picture Players," celebrate today the thirtieth anniversary of their wedding, which took place in Holy Trinity Church. P. T. Barnum acted as best man. Sumner Gard, remembered for his splendid performance in "The Spendthrift" at the Hudson theater; in "Brewster's Millions" at the New Amsterdam theater, and with Arnold Daily in "You Never Can Tell," has been engaged by the World Film Corporation to portray the juvenile lead in the new William A. Brady picture, "The Imposter." Jose Collins and Alec Francis, and in addition Robert Cummings, Dorothy Fairchild and a host of lesser lights will be seen. Colonel William N. Selig, president of the Selig Polyscope Company and owner of the Selig Jungle-Zoo recently opened at Los Angeles, erected the first motion picture studio on the Pacific coast over seven years ago. Film Market Quotations and Financial Gossip Supplied by R. D. Small of A. E. Butler & Co., Chicago. Bid Asked American Film Mfg. Co 165 Biograph Co 55 63 General Film Corp. pre/ 45 50 Majestic Film Mfg. Co 145 170 Mutual Film Corp. pre/ 53 57 Mutual Film Corp. com 59 63 North American Film Corp. pref. 50 60 North American Film Corp. com 50 56 New York Motion Picture Corp 73 79 Reliance Motion Picture Corp com 20 30 Thanhouser Film Corp 4 *4£ Universal Film Manfg. Co 140 World Film Corp 4J *4f *Par$5.00 Mutual Film Corporation — Full information is now in the hands of the public in regard to this company. J. R. Freuler, president of the North American Film Corporation, was the unanimous choice of the directors for the position of president of the Mutual Film Corporation. Samuel M. Field of Milwaukee, in addition to becoming a director, succeeds Mr. Seligsberg as general counsel for the company. There have not been many transactions in either the preferred or common, but present inquiries would indicate a return to the old activity which these securities usually enjoyed. World Film Corporation— Declared an initial dividend of 15 cents per share, payable July 15th to stockholders of record July 6. This amounts to 3% on a par of $5.00. North American Film Corporation— As the "Million Dollar Mystery" did not reach the $1,000,000 mark in bookings until the seventeenth week and "The Diamond from the Sky" now has bookings of over $700,000 and has until about August 30 in which to equal the above figures, it would seem possible that another record may be made. New York Motion Picture Corporation— After being m a rut for the past two weeks has now recovered somewhat and buying is better than the selling.