Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

670 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIX, No. 14. Artcraft Wins Triangle Suit Over Hart Federal Court of Appeals Upholds Former's Contention That Actor's Contract with Latter Is No Longtr Binding A FINAL DECISION favoring Artcraft Pictures Corporation in the suit brought against that organization by the Triangle Film Corporation in the William S. Hart case was handed down by the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit last week. This is the third defeat of Triangle in this case. The initial decision was given out by Judge Martin T. Manton in the United States District Court at New York last August when the application of Triangle for a preliminary injunction restraining the defendant from making or distributing pictures featuring Mr. Hart was refused. Mr. Hart's contract with Triangle called for Thomas H. Ince's supervision of productions in which the star appeared and when Mr. Ince severed his connections with Triangle, the star's contract was no longer binding, Artcraft held, which contention is upheld by the Court of Appeals decision. In the early part of December, Artcraft again won out when Supreme Court Judge Goff handed down a decision which denied the application of the New York Motion Picture Company for an injunction pendente lite, restraining the defendant from distributing the first William S. Hart production entitled, "The Narrow Trail," and vacated a temporary sta3' granted pending the argu ment of the injunction. This second suit was a local action a.nd temporarily held up the showing of "The Narrow Trail" at the Rialto theatre. The final appeal was brought before Circuit Judges Rogers and Hough and District Judge Learned Hand. Elek John Ludvigh represented Artcraft and Alfred S. Barnard, Triangle. Hayakawa Writes to Exhibitors Sessue Hayakawa, announcing the pictures which he will make at the head of his own company, is sending to exhibitors a letter written in Japanese telling of his aims. In order that no exhibitor may miss the point through his inability to read the language, a translation into English accompanies it. In this the star states that he hopes to surpass his previous work and that his new pictures will be released through the newly formed Haworth Pictures Corporation. William Fox Deals Hard Blow to Huns Orders New Prints of ' Threats of Germans Again A SPECIAL dispatch to the New Orders New Prints of Two War Films Following Threats of Germans Against Producers of Such Pictures quotes from the Frankfurter Zeitung a tirade against Americans, who are accused of organizing "hatred for Germany." The Frankfort newspaper, speaking for its particular part of the Central Empires, threatens the United States with revenge after the war and more particularly promises exclusion from that territory of American motion picture makers who have produced films antagonistic to the Teuton cause. One of the pioneer and, except with pro-Germans, most popular of these anti-Teuton propaganda pictures is the William Fox production of "The Spy," with Dustin Farnum in the title role. Mr. Fox recently ordered new prints of . this film to be sent to all the Fox exchanges in the country for immediate showing in all sections where it has not been seen and in response to numerous demands for "repeats" in territory where it has inspired patriotic enthusiasm and awakened anaemic Americans to the danger of German spies. Colonel Fox not only "stands pat" on this picture as originally produced, for the purpose of exposing the sneaking servants of Prussian Imperialism who plied their trade in unsuspicious America during the trying days when President Wilson was doing his best to preserve peace with Germany, but he "comes right back" with another thrilling feature film which shows with wonderful realism the adventures of 'The Pride of New York" in the first of the conflicts "Over There" in which American aviators figured. As the typical New York boy who graduates from sky-scrapers to aeroplanes, via the American training camps, George Walsh commits "lese majeste" by knocking down a double of the German Crown Prince for insulting an American girl who is acting as Red Cross nurse in a captured French town. And, to add point to his defiance of Teuton threats, Colonel Fox has also ordered that new prints of this picture also be distributed to all his exchanges. A big moment in "The Spy." a William Fox picture featuring Dustin Farnum. Star Praises Katterjohn Louise Glaum, who recently became a Paralta star at the head of her own company, is anxiously awaiting the release of her first play, "An Alien Enemy." The story of the play was written by Monte M. Katterjohn. "I consider myself particularly fortunate in having been provided a story by Mr. Katterjohn for my first Paralta play," said the star, "and I am pleased to know that I am to receive other stories from him for future production. After all, the story is the foundation of a picture, and in the light of Mr. Katterjohn's numerous successes, a story from his typewriter is a practical guarantee of success."