Motography (Jul - Dec 1915)

October 9, 1915. MOTOGRAPHY 725 Ince Studios to Move to Culver City WILL OCCUPY TWELVE ACRES THE purchase by Thomas H. Ince of approximately twelve acres of land in Culver City, to be used as the site of a new studio for the production of Ince-Triangle features was announced this week from the Inceville studios of the New York Motion Picture corporation. Coming, as it does, at a time when Ince and his pictures are subjects of wide discussion in film circles, this news has stirred the west coast photoplay colony to a noticeable pitch of interest. Culver City is a suburb of Los Angeles, it being situated about half way between the "city of films" and the numerous beach resorts. It is a community of rapidly-increasing popularity by reason of its proximity to Los Angeles and in addition to that advantage possesses unusual facilities for motion picture making. That fact is what prompted Ince to negotiate for the purchase of a tract. It has been the great producer's belief for some time that Inceville, the present locale of the N. Y. M. P. producing plant, in the Santa Monica mountains, is inadequate — and, at times, inconvenient— for the production of the multiple-reel plays that he is making for contribution to the Triangle. He has been seeking a site that offers the combined advantages of convenience and scenic beauties. And, in Culver City, he has found it. That the new plant will be one of mammoth proportions is attested by the number and dimensions of the various buildings planned for erection. These will include, six stages, each measuring 60 by 150 feet, administration building, 60 by 150 feet, receiving room, 80 by 90 feet, wardrobe room, 60 by 150 feet, paint shop, 50 by 60 feet, property room, 50 by 200 feet, factory and cutting room (with which will be incorporated the projecting rooms), 100 by 150 feet, garage, 90 by 90 feet, carpenter shop, 100 by 200 feet, scene dock, 100 by 190 feet, commissary, 100 by 150 feet, power plant, 40 by 75 feet, sewing room, 50 by 50 feet, plumbing shop, 30 by 40 feet, fire house, 25 by 60 feet, and 300 dressing rooms. The property has its frontage on Washington boulevard, one of the most beautiful of thoroughfares in all of Southern California, and can thus be reached easily by automobiles from either the city of Los Angeles or the beach towns. It is also accessible by what are known as the Venice Short Line electric cars, which stop regularly at the Culver City station, which is but a block from the' proposed site. Just when the removal will take place depends totally upon the speed with which the construction work is carried on. It is the hope of Mr. Ince that he will be enabled to take possession of his new plant before the Christmas holidays, and to this end the contractors have been instructed to employ a large extra force of men. The architects are now completing their plans and within another week, it is believed, they will be in shape for delivery to the builders. All the construction work will be done, of course, under the supervising eyes of Ince and his stage manager, Tom Brierly. An additional announcement — coupled with that of the purchase — which is particularly welcome to many of the older Incevillians, is that Inceville will not be wholly forsaken. The plant will be maintained by the company, as before, except on a smaller scale. Most of the Ince forces will move, in time, to the Culver City studios, but a number of them will remain behind to engage in the production of such subjects as demand the picturesque natural settings of the canyon location. These are principally the big, virile western stories in which William S. Hart is to be starred. Billie Burke is the cynosure of all eyes at the plant this week — all eyes that, in any way possible, can steal a glimpse of her while she is appearing before the camera, under the direction of Thomas Ince, in an elaborate photodrama for The Triangle. She is an attraction such as has never before graced Inceville with her presence. Innocently enough, she is upsetting the celerity of action at the big Ince plant. She has awakened the curiosity even of staid old Civil War veterans, now engaged in another picture. She is wearing pink pajamas. They're silk and they cost, according to the latest advices from the auditing department, $32.50. But that isn't the reason why Inceville is all aflutter, agog and astir. It is because these dainty luxuries of the boudoir are adorning the beautiful, golden-haired star who is shattering forever the assertions of many that "Billie Burke would never appear in the films." COMING BLUE RIBBON FILMS Some Exceptional Screen Stories Will Be Offered by Vitagraph Company During Last Three Months of Year A more varied program of Blue Ribbon Feature releases has seldom been announced than that arranged by the Vitagraph Company for the three months of the closing year. The pictures selected unite the best authors with the flower of the Vitagraph stock company in addition to stars from the legitimate stage, whose reputations have established them as favorites with playgoers all over the world. The subjects include drama, comedy-drama, and comedy and represent the Vitagraph Company's best efforts in feature photoplay production. For October, the first picture will be the six-part comedy, "The Dust of Egypt," from the well-known farce by Alan Campbell. It was produced under the direction of George D. Baker with a cast that includes Edith Storey, Antonio Moreno, Hughie Mack, Naomi Childers, Charles Brown, Edward Elkas, Frank Currier and Cissy Fitz-Gerald. The latter part of October, Maurice Costello will be seen in "The Man Who Couldn't Beat God," the second prize winner of the Sun scenario contest. It was written by Flarold Gilmore Calhoun and tells a vivid story of a man who believed he could erase the scar of the murder of his master from his soul. Mr. Costello is seen at his best, ably assisted by Charles Eldridge, Thomas Mills, Robert Gaillard, Naomi Childers, Edwina Robbins, Estelle Mardo and Gladden James. Three releases are announced for November and are remarkable examples of photoplay construction and production. "The Turn of the Road," a five-part