Motography (Jul - Dec 1915)

1056 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIV, No. 21. DO YOU CARE TO CONTRIBUTE? Here's a Plan Whereby You May Add Your Mite to the Fund Being Raised for Trade's War Unit. Motography is in receipt of the letter reproduced below, which seems self-explanatory: THE CINEMATOGRAPH TRADE AMBULANCE FUND le auspices of the British Red Cross Society ant] the Order of St. Joh J. FRANK BROCK SUB-COMMITTEE FOR AMERICAN PRESS AND TRADE. LONDON. W.C. „,, ., ,. 20th October, 1915. The Editor, Motography, Chicago, 111. Dear Sir: We, the undersigned members of a committee representing the British film trade, desire to enlist your sympathy and aid in carrying through to success a project to provide a complete ambulance unit for use at the front. We think it is hardly necessary to enlarge on the immense usefulness of such an idea, which it is proposed shall include fifty ambulances with various supplementary vehicles, including a store car, a repair wagon, ten motorcycles and four ordinary cars, the total cost of which will be $150,000. This scheme is the outcome of a desire of the British film industry to exhibit their sympathy in a practical manner and in view of the immense American interests in the British film market it has been suggested that those of the American trade interested would welcome an opportunity to assist this cause by contributions. It will readily be agreed that from considerations of humanity, the project is a worthy one. An ambulance corps knows no nationality. They labor with but one object in view — the assuagement of pain and the saving of life. It is the strongly expressed desire that the whole of the funds for this proposal shall be raised exclusively within the nioving picture trade. The entire trade press of the British industry have entered whole-heartedly into its support. We are therefore taking the liberty of approaching you, as one of the newspapers of the American film trade, to solicit youraid, without which it will not be possible to reach all the interested members of the American moving picture industry. The organization of this effort has already commenced on this side, and we would therefore be glad to receive from you as early as possible your views, and to learn whether we can rely upon your support through the medium of your valuable journal. Might we suggest that you open a subscription list in your journal for this fund, as we feel certain that many of your regular readers will be interested in this matter. We are enclosing copy of a resolution which was passed at the big mass meeting in London when the whole trade were called together to support this fund. Thanking you in anticipation for your interest and support in this good cause, we remain, Yours very truly, (Signed) — A. F. Wagner, Director and Manager, Thomas A. Edison .Ltd. W. C. Scott, Director American Company, Ltd. H. A. Spoor, Essanay Film Manufacturing Company. J. D. Tippett, Trans-Atlantic Film Company. A. E. Mainwaring, Western Import Company. Paul Kimberly, Managing Director, Thanhouser Films, Ltd. The resolution which is mentioned in one of the letter's paragraphs was passed at a big mass meeting held in London and reads as follows : Resolved, That as a thank-offering for the success of moving pictures in the British Isles, and to show appreciation of the patriotic devotion displayed by a large number of cinema patrons and members of the trade now serving with t. M. forces, this mass meeting of the cinematograph and allied trades pledges itself to present to the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John a convoy of motor ambulances and auxiliaries for the use of the army in Flanders or elsewhere. It is estimated that at least 7,000 persons who were connected with the motion picture trade in Great Britain have joined the army, and many of them have already won honors for valor and a few of them the Victoria Cross. In England it has been suggested that the exhibitors seek to raise money for the fund by the following plans : 1. Where Sunday opening is allowed for charity, you can ask the promoters of that charitv to devote one of the day's profits to our fund. 2. Where circumstances will permit, you may arrange a Sunday concert. 3. By pushing the sale of tickets for "Cinema Ambulance Day" entertainments, and also by selling tickets for the Grand Matinee at the London Opera House on November 16. 4. By obtaining subscriptions from patrons and firms with whom you do business. 5. By installing a collecting box or barrel in your vestibule or theater, where this is not objected to. Motography, while not prepared to open a'sub. senption list for this fund, strongly urges its readers who feel so inclined to forward whatever sum they can afford to W. F. Jury, Esq., treasurer of the Cinematograph Trade Ambulance Fund, 19-23 Oxford street, West, London, England, without delay. A Flowery Tribute Richard Lohrmann, whose horticultural creations of the past few years rank him with such wizards as Burbank and Purdy, recently developed two new species of dahlia at his San Rafael nurseries and named them the "Mignon" and the "Salome Jane," respectively. These names were chosen in honor of the heroines impersonated by Beatriz Michelena in two of her first photoplays. Lohrmann is now working on still a third variety of the dahlia which will be known as the "Michelena." Of the two flowers already perfected, the "Mignon" is colored a very delicate pink and white; the "Salomy Jane" is a brilliant red outside and a deep gold inside the_ petals. Both have received most favorable recognition among florists and in horticultural publications. The Elliott & Sherman Film Company, the wellknown firm of Minneapolis, has recently acquired the following Great Northern productions for its territory: "The Heart of Lady Alaine," featuring the celebrated tragedienne, Miss Betty Nansen; "Pro Patria," featuring Valdemar Psilander, the monarch of the silent drama ; and "John Redmond, the Evangelist," also featuring Valdemar Psilander.