Motography (Jan-Mar 1916)

February 12, 1916. MOTOGRAPHY Selznick Heads New Company SPIEGEL CONTROLS WORLD THE World Film Corporation and the Equitable Motion Pictures Corporation have combined and have obtained eight hundred thousand dollars of additional working capital, according to Milton C. Work, chairman of the executive committee of the World Film Corporation. Coincident with the combination comes the announcement of the formation of the Clara Kimball Young Film Corporation with Lewis J. Selznick as president and general manager. Mr. Selznick was vicepresident and general manager of the World Film Corporation. With the combination of the World and Equitable Companies Arthur Spiegel, president of the Spiegel, May, Stern Company, of Chicago, becomes the directing head. Mr. Spiegel already has assumed his duties with headquarters at the offices of the Equitable Motion Pictures Corporation, 130 West Forty-sixth street, New York City. An official announcement of the combination was issued by Chairman Work of the executive committee of the World company. It reads : For some time we have been considering the acquisition of another film company, as it became apparent that by doing so we could greatly enhance our efficiency and make and distribute pictures more economically. The board of the World Film Corporation has therefore decided, and its decision has been ratified by the voting trustees, to acquire the stock of the Equitable Motion Pictures Corporation. The majority of the Equitable shareholders have accepted this offer and we believe that all of the shares of the Equitable Corporation will be exchanged under the proposed plan. Arthur Spiegel, president of the Spiegel, May, Stern Company, of Chicago, will head the new combination and take immediate charge of the active conduct of the business. Eight hundred thousand dollars of additional working capital has been provided. The corporation will release two feature pictures each week. Mr. Spiegel was induced to come to New York only after he had become satisfied that the capital requirements of the new organization had been adequately taken care of, and that the future of the company was assured and that it might be used as the basis of a world-wide organization. Mr. Selznick has cancelled his contract as general manager and resigned as vice-president of the corporation. He proposes, however, to engage in the manufacture of pictures and will thoroughly co-operate with the new management of the World Film Corporation in the future development of its business. The million-dollar Clara Kimball Young Film Corporation was incorporated at Richmond, Virginia, and is the realization of the widely-known actress' ambitions as she has desired to have a motion picture corporation she could call "all her own." The first release of the new corporation is"" dated for next October, after which the present plans call for one release a month of the multiple reel variety. Arrangements have been made for three studios. One is to be situated in the vicinity of New York City, another in Jacksonville, Fla., and a third at Santiago, Cuba. A large company is being engaged, together with three or four directors. Besides Miss Young and Mr. Selznick there is a wealthy business man interested in the venture. Before each feature film is released Mr. Selznick will go over every foot of the pictures. The direction ■of the various studios will also be under his supervi sion. Miss Young will be featured as the star in each picture. The company is remarkable inasmuch as Clara Kimball Young will be the first motion picture actress in the history of American drama who ever started a motion picture producing company for the purpose of starring herself. Sarah Bernhardt has a film studio now in Paris, based on the same idea, but these two cases are the only ones of their kind. Miss Young is in Cuba for the World Film Corporation working in a feature film there. She has been under contract with World for two years. Before that she was with the Vitagraph Company of America. E. K. Lincoln Joins Lubin E. K. Lincoln, a screen actor of considerable note, has joined the Lubin company as a leading man. Mr. Lincoln is an actor whose career has been both interesting and successful and before joining the ranks of motion picture actors had a wide schooling and reputation in the spoken drama. After putting in a conscientious and difficult apprenticeship he soon became recognized not only for his unusual ability but also for the originality that characterized his interpretation of the parts which fell to his lot. His early experience, like nearly every other star who has achieved fame on the stage, was in stock companies and at the time he decided to enter the motion picture field he was already regarded as a promising aspirant for the highest of dramatic honors. He had in successive seasons played, during the first years of his apprenticeship, with stock companies in Johnstown, Pa., Paterson, N. J., Columbus, Ohio, Janesville Cleveland and Pittsburgh. He was the leading man in. such plays as "Over Night" "The Virginian" and "Graustark." His first film connection was with the Vitagraph company. He played a leading part in "Million Bid," the photoplay that signalized the opening of the Vitagraph theater on Broadway in New York. Mr. Lincoln has an office in New York city, where the E. K. Lincoln Players, Inc., have their headquarters and a studio in Grantwood, N. J. E. K. Lincoln. Ben H. Atwell has succeeded P. Powers as director of publicity at the Knickerbocker theater. New York. Mr. Powers has been recalled to the Triangle general offices.