Motography (Jan-Jun 1915)

March 6, 1915. MOTOGRAPHY 371 Brevities of the Business Harry Weiss, who is just entering his twenty-seventh year is said to be the youngest of the Chicago film exchange managers. What he is short in years, he has made up in experience. Graduating from St. Vaitors College at Kankakee, Illinois, in 1902, Mr. Weiss put in two years studying electricity, and in 1904 was employed by the Chicago Edison Company, as calibrater, having charge of the meter department of the entire south side division of the City of Chicago. Early in 1905 whenever there was moving-picture-machine trouble in Chicago, (and in those days there were but six or seven machines in operation at two of the theaters in Chicago, and a few of the colleges), the work had a fascination for Mr. Weiss, as it coupled electricity with mechanics, and the year 1906 showed him to be a full-fledged member of the old Chicago Moving Picture Operators' Local, having one of the first cards issued in Chicago. Between 1906 and 1908 Mr. Weiss in short succession became operator and then owner of a string of a moving picture theater. In 1908 he became associated with the Chicago Film Exchange, working in the various offices throughout the country. Mr. Weiss has also been manager of the Duluth Film Exchange of Duluth, Minnesota, the Minneapolis Feature Film Exchange of Minneapolis, the Feature Film Sales Company of Chicago, and was associated with the General Film Company's Minneapolis branch. Being a Chicago man, he finally drifted back to his old home town in 1911. Early in 1914 he met L. J. Selznick, general manager of the World Film Corporation, and on April 29, 1914, took charge of the Chicago office, which then boasted of 600 square feet of space, and two employees. Today the same office occupies an entire floor, has twenty-one employees, and is doing exactly twenty times the business that it did when Mr. Weiss took charge. G. M. Anderson has leased the Morosco theater, Los Angeles, Calif., where a company recently organized in New York' will play musical comedy stock. Thomas Ince and two other picture men have also secured a lease on the old Lyceum theater of the same city, formerly playing Orpheum acts. It is Mr. Ince's intention to use the house for burlesque productions. Sydney Ayres, director of and leading man with the Big U company of Universal, has received an invitation from Jack London to spend part of his summer vacation at the home of the noted author in Glen Ellen, Cal. Mr. London and Mr. Ayres for years have been the closest of friends, both being fond of outdoor sports. Del Henderson, for the past six years comedy director for the Biograph, has joined Keystone. That the Griffith-Mutual forces in Los Angeles are to be augmented from now on with stellar recruits from the legitimate stage became known last week when it was announced that Harry Woodruff, of "Brown of Harvard" and "When We Were Twenty-One" fame, had been secured to play the lead in a four-reel feature production. Samuel Goldfish announces on behalf of the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company that it has been decided to feature House Peters in "The Unafraid," the new picturization in which Rita Jolivet makes her screen debut under Lasky management. According to word given out by officials of the concern, the plant of the Oz Film Company at Hollywood, Calif., which has been closed for several weeks, will reopen April first with a full company of players for the filming of the tales by L. Frank Baum. Stanly Twist, former advertising manager for the Selig Company, has purchased state right for California on the widely advertised Captain Williamson submarine pictures. Despite the damage done to Universal City, Calif., by the recent unexpected storm, General Manager Isadore Bernstein announces positively that the city will open on March 15, as planned. Four George Kleine attractions, "Vendetta," "Othello," "Judge Not," and "The Golden Beetle," which heretofore have been booked through the special feature department of the General Film Company, are now available for rental through the thirteen Kleine branch offices. Arrangements have been made by the west coast branch of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company for the holding of an inspection day, dance and rodeo at Universal City, Calif., on March 7, one week prior to the formal opening of the city. It is not generally known that R. A. Walsh, director with the Reliance-Majestic Company at their Hollywood, Calif., studios, is the son of Tom Walsh, well-known New York politician. At the initial showing of "Alias Jimmy Valentine,' Harry Weiss, of the Chicago office of the World Film Corporation, pulled off a novel "stunt." Everybody connected with the city government, from officials down to the women social workers, were invited. In the audience could be seen jailers and turnkeys from the municipal institutions of the city. Carlyle Blackwell, of Favorite Players, his director and scenario writer, have been sitting with corrugated brows reading and considering six novels to determine which shall be the next feature photoplay they will produce. Roszika Dolly and Martin Brown, a pair of the cleverest dancers on Broadway, have been screened for the Universal program in several of their most popular dances. Film Market Quotations and Financial Gossip Supplied by R. D. Small of A. E. Butler & Co., Chicago. Bid Asked American Film Mfg. Co 155 Biograph Film Co 50 55 General Film Co. pref. 50 53£ Majestic Film Co 150 160 Mutual Film Corp. pref ; 59 61} Mutual Film Corp. com 80 83 New York Motion Picture Corp 77 80 Reliance Motion Picture Corp 34 40 Thanhouser Film Corp 69 75 Thanhouser Syndicate Co. pref 50 60 Thanhouser Syndicate Co. com 60 70 Syndicate Film Corp 115 125 Universal Film Mfg. Co 160 World Film Corp 4 4} Biograph Company — Several lots of this stock passed hands within the last week at between 50 and 55. Trading activity in this security seems to be increasing. Mutual Film Corporation — Sales of the common have been reported at 82 and better, and 61 and better for the preferred. These two securities continue to be the most sought after in the motion picture field. New York Motion Corporation^-The last three days there has been a constant demand" and sales of odd lots have been reported at 77 and 78. World Film Corporation — As the par value of this company's common stock is $5.00 — the bid price of 4 represents 80 in terms of a par of 100. This still seems a trifle high, for one need only to compare it with a like bid of 80, which happens to be the present market of Mutual Film common. The Mutual Film Corporation has had a seasoned record for a number of years and a consistent paymentof dividends of 1 per cent a month on the common stock, whereas World Film Corporation's life can be computed as yet only in months and no dividends have yet been paid. Thanhouser Syndicate Corporation — This company reports an increase in business in certain localities — such as Cincinnati, New Orleans, Omaha and throughout the south and west (with the exception of Chicago, where the serial does not apparently take hold). The receipts recently are understood to be at an increasing rate.