Motography (Jul - Dec 1915)

November 6, 1915. MOTOGRAPHY 959 To our mind, it but feeds the vanity of the press agent, and occupies valuable time on the part of his employer who must drop all work and scan the volume when it is carried into the inner sanctum by the publicity man. It is not the press clipping that goes into the scrapbook to be shown the Boss, but the legitimate story that goes into the publications to be read by the people, that counts. The old circus stuff is au fait. Those press agents who label every production released by their particular employers a 'masterpiece' will soon find their occupations gone. The coming publicity men must be men of education and brains, men of newspaper training who know a good story when they see it, and are able to write that story honestly and brightly. The old-time publicity man had the front and the scrapbook ; the publicity man of the future will have the stuff and no scrapbook!" Raver Feature Employs Vast Cast The inaugural Raver Film Corporation production which, as heretofore announced, will be "The Other Girl" from the pen of Augustus Thomas, in addition to its distinctiveness for smoothness of story and elegance of tone and tint, will have a colossal cast, exactly four hundred and two different people being engaged to present Mr. Thomas' play before the camera. Percy Winters, son of the noted dramatic editor, William Winter, who occupied his desk on the New York Tribune from 1865 to 1909, and who has, these many years ago, won his laurels as a director not only on the legitimate stage itself but more recently in motion pictures, has signed his name to a Raver contract and becomes director of production. William Jennings Harry Raver. Coyle, who for the past tWO years has collaborated with Mr. Winter during the time of his film association, joins the Raver staff in his familiar role of assistant to the director of productions. William Hartman, acknowledged as a valuable aid to the directorial staff, has already discharged his first week's work securing suitable locations for the exteriors for the Augustus Thomas production. James J. Corbett, too well known in more fields than the theatrical alone for detailed introduction here, has been selected for the lead and will impersonate "Kid Garvey," the champion pugilistic trainer of the story. Mr. Raver proposes to employ even more elaborate and impressive methods of exploitation on all the Raver Film Corporation productions than he did on his "Cabiria." He succeeded with this Itala spectacle because he was a showman and knew howThe same instinct and ability should carry him to even greater heights in this, his own venture. Lithographs, far away from the conventional, of all dimensions, together with lobby photographs, framed groups and all the other retinue of display advertising, not forgetting heralds, pamphlets and the smaller printed data, are being prepared for "The Other Girl." Patrick J. McCaffray has been signed as principal camera man and is selecting his group of subsidiaries. A. K. Greenland has been placed in charge of the publicity department and will be surrounded by a capable corps of aids. Next week's issue will convey an announcement of the identity of the principals engaged for the first production. Totten's Busy Summer Joseph Byron Totten, an Essanay director at the head of an Essanay touring company, has returned to the Chicago studios after a fifteen weeks' trip through the east, during which he filmed a dozen photoplays, three of which he wrote himself. Mr. Totten left the studio last July with a company of twenty people, going directly to his country home and stock farm at Pendleton Hill, Conn., where a daylight studio was hastily constructed. Here he took "The Village Homestead," one of his own scripts, using his own house as the homestead. "The Call of the Sea" and "The Lighthouse by the Sea," the last picture his own, were taken respectively at Block Island, Rhode Island, and at Newport. "Hearts and Roses" was filmed at Westerly, R. I., "A Mansion of Tragedy" was taken in Boston, and "Boys Will Be Boys" was set, staged and completed in New York City. Other plays were taken in various places along the Atlantic coast. "We had a very successful trip," Mr. Totten said. "We took several photoplays, working fairly fast but very carefully. I am building a permanent studio at my farm which, I think, will come in very handy for Essanay photoplays that require New England atmosphere." Mr. Totten came to Essanay for the second time a year ago, leaving David Belasco, on whose producing staff he worked, and dropping the production of "Experience" to take up the offer made him by George K. Spoor, president of Essanay. Seven years ago, he was with the Essanay forces, leaving to take up Broadway productions with Belasco. Mr. Totten directed the film version of "The Blindness of Virtue," which is now having a tremendous run. He has written fifty-two stage plays and fifteen photoplays. ROTHAPFEL BEGINS HIS TOUR Famous Exhibitor, Touring the Country at the Expense of the Mutual Film Corporation Gives First Talk in Philadelphia A hundred of Philadelphia's most active and prominent motion picture exhibitors gathered at the Rothapfel-Mutual Tour banquet held on October 21 at the Continental Hotel, in that city. S. L. Rothapfel, former manager of the Strand theater in New York and now shortly to take charge of the new Rialto theater on Broadway, was the guest of honor and principal speaker. "Not so many years ago I was walking the streets of Philadelphia looking for a job as an operator in one of your theaters," Mr. Rothapfel said as he reached a point for "local color" in his talk. "And I got the job," he continued. Mr. Rothapfel told of the steps by which he fought his way upward and the methods that had brought him success. He received the closest attention throughout his address which lasted nearty two hours. Among the subjects discussed by the speaker were the handling of music for the theater, the psychology of entertainment, the treatment of lights, the balance