Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

1222 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIX, No. 26 Ethel Barrymore Returns to Metro First Picture Following Her Season on the Stage Will Be the Screen Version of "Our Mrs. McChesney" ETHEL BARRYMORE, the dramatic star, having completed a brilliant season of stage successes at the Empire Theatre, New York, will return at once to her motion picture activities under the auspices of Metro, the only film concern with which she has been identified. Richard A. Rowland, Metro's president, has acquired for Miss Barrymore the screen rights to her famous play of a season ago, "Our Mrs. McChesney," which was dramatized by George V. Hobart and Edna Ferber from the famous Emma McChesney stories by Miss Ferber, including "Roast Beef Medium," "Personality Plus," and "Butterside Down." Luther A. Reed is completing the picturization of "Our Mrs. McChesney" for Miss Barrymore's use, and it will be placed in production at once under the direction of Ralph W. Ince, who has been engaged for this production by special arrangement with Arthur Sawyer and Herbert Lubin. A supporting cast of a high grade of excellence is being engaged. "Our Mrs. McChesney" traces the fortunes of the clever saleswoman of the Featherloom Petticoat company. When the story opens Emma is shown "on the road," at the Sloane House, Sandusky, Ohio, where she is endeavoring to sell a large bill of goods. Her "deadly rival" is Abel Fromkin of the "Fromkin FormFitting Petticoat — It clings." Emma discovers that the affairs of the Featherloom company are in a precarious condition and she refuses Fromkin's offer to identify herself with his firm, preferring to "stick by the ship." She is influenced in this decision by a fact at the moment unrecognized by herself— the existence of T. A. Buck, the junior member of the firm. How she invents an entirely new "garment" to suit the dictates of fashion's whim, and incidentally sends the Featherloom stock soaring, and the way in which the marriage of her son Jack to a chorus-girl further affects the fortunes of the Featherloom company, are incidents in a story packed with heart interest. Huge Merger Accomplished? (Continued from Page 1197) said to be a man of international reputation, a multi-millionaire known for his executive ability and gift for organization, but who had hitherto not been identified with the film industry. It was thought, at the time this rumor was current, that it referred to a well known downtown banker, especially as it was asserted that three of the largest banking interests in the Wall Street district were behind the proposed merger. Billie Rhodes as she appears in her latest Mutual-Strand comedy, "Her Spoony Affair." The announcement, made early this week, that Col. Jacob Ruppert, the millionaire brewer and president of the Yankees, had investigated the motion picture business with a view to entering it in a large way gives another slant to the situation which is distinctly interesting. In the published report, which first appeared in "Wid's" and later in some of the other trade papers, it was said that Col. Ruppert contemplated forming a clearing house for exchanges with which he intended to simplify the distribution of films for all the exchanges now in existence. This announcement is in itself, very significant, and it is certain that if Col. Ruppert is the man selected to direct this gigantic enterprise there will be ample capital to back it. In this regard it may be said that the lack of new capital was one of the problems which has prevented the concerns involved from going forward with their plans up to this time. The clearing house idea, as previously worked out, has proven economically sound in the vaudeville field and it is declared that if the same principles of the centralization of distribution were applied to the motion picture industry, an immediate saving of between $200,000 and $250,000 weekly would at once be effected in the reduction of selling costs and excessive overhead charges now borne by the various companies. Later this saving would be paralleled by a similar reduction in the manufacturing costs, by relieving the different companies of the necessity for producing a given quantity of pictures during the year, as they are now required to manufacture, in order to maintain their programs and sales organizations. In connection with the possibility that Col. Ruppert may be the man selected to head the new organization it was pointed out that Percy Waters, recently made general manager of Triangle, might be chosen to serve with him. It was even said that Mr. Waters was one of the two motion picture men whose names had been under consideration to head the alliance of the big film interests. However this may be, Mr. Waters is by training and executive capacity well fitted for either position. Certain it is if Col. Ruppert enters the motion picture business he will require as his lieutenant, some one as familiar with the details of film production and distribution as Mr. Waters is. Mr. Waters could not be seen at the Triangle offices to confirm or deny this report. It was said, however, that the Triangle officials had no information yet in regard to the matter.