Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

January 5, 1918. MOTOGRAPHY 23 Harmony Reigns in United Industry EXHIBITORS AND DISTRIBUTORS JOIN HANDS FOR CONCERTED ACTION AS the result of meetings which were held in New York during the past week between the Allied Exhibitors' Legislative Committee and a similar committee from the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry, it is authoritatively reported that harmony and unity was established and the two bodies agreed on a definite plan of campaign to be pursued in obtaining the necessary remedial legislation from Congress during this session. This combined committee is to be known as the Legislative Committee of the Motion Picture Industry. It is made up as follows : Walter W. Irvin, P. A. Powers, Gabriel L. Hess, Ricord Gradwell, Arthur S. Friend, Frank Rembusch, H. B. Varner, John J. O'Donnell, Ernest H. Horstmann and Lee A. Ochs. The followingcommittee on publicity was also appointed: Walter W. Irwin, P. A. Powers, Frank Rembusch and Lee A. Ochs. The two committees were enabled to comprehend that success could only be achieved by means of a united industry and after some discussion it was determined that the two committees could concentrate their efforts along the same lines, and the plan of campaign as finally decided upon was eminently satisfactory. The duties of the publicity committee that was appointed will be largely that of collecting and collating information of a statistical nature for the benefit of the legislative committee. In order to bring this to the attention of the exhibitors of the country the committee has taken full pages of advertising in all of the trade papers calling upon exhibitors to supply the detailed and accurate information as to how the war taxes have affected the business of their individual theaters. The advertisement is addressed to all motion picture exhibitors and says : "The undersigned committee of the Allied Exhibitors' Organizations of America elected by the joint convention of all exhibitor organizations held at Washington, D. C, December 11 and 12, hereby request the fullest co-operation and assistance of every motion picture exhibitor in America. "We are charged with the duty of gathering the exact and absolute truth of how the war tax is affecting every motion picture theater, with a view of securing through united effort a re-adjustment of the war exise taxes on motion picture theaters and film presentation to Congress. "Therefore we respectfully request each and every exhibitor to fill out the following blank, giving the full facts and figures available, the experience of each theater, and forward immediately by mail to Frank Rembusch, secretary. Allied Exhibitors' Legislative Committee, Indianapolis, Ind." Following are the questions which exhibitors are requested to answer : "How does the business of your theater for the month of November, 1916, compare with the month of November, 1917? "Have you suffered a comparative loss and to what do you attribute same ? "Did the tax affect your business and to what extent? "General remarks." In filling out this blank exhibitors were requested to be absolutely frank and honest. No attempt is being made in collecting this information to disclose business secrets in any way. Miss Young Donates Studio as Barracks Clara Kimball Young has been keeping open house for Uncle Sam during the past week, and the big studio at •New Rochelle where she makes her Select Pictures, has taken on the appearance of an army barracks. When a detachment of troops ordered to Fort Slocum arrived in New Rochelle* ahead of their schedule the other day, they found quarters at the fort too congested to accommodate them, and the townspeople were called on to provide billets. Miss Young placed her studio at the disposal of their commanding officer with the result that about fifty of lb men have been using it as sleeping nuarters. New Laughs in Big V Comedies New laughs and thrills are promised in the last two Big V Comedies on the 1917 program, completed at Vitagraph's Hollywood studio: "Dummies and Deception," on December 24, and "Stowaways and Strategy," on December 31. In this last named comedy, Director J. A. Howe took his compaViyto sea for a couple of weeks and the actors risked their necks high above the Pacific, with masts instead of skyscrapers to leap and climb about on. Down the funnels, up and over the sides tackled on dry land, crew and passengers standing aghast at their ingenuity and daring. Montgomery and Rock are the stowaways and Director Howe, who wrote the comedy, makes them earn their money keeping aided and abetted by Lucille Hutton. "Dummies and Deceptions," written and directed by Henry Kernan, centers about the strange adventures of a $1,000 bill, which husband hides in an old coat, which in turn wife sells to an old clothes man. Jack Dill, Caroline Rankin and Air. Kernan furnish the fun, which is fast and without let-up, and they are ably supported by the Big V's famous beauty squad. The latest photograph of Young. Clara Kimball Alice Joyce Begins Play Alice Joyce, star of many big Vitagraph productions, has begun work on a new Blue Ribbon feature, to be entitled "The Song of the Soul."