Motography (Jan-Jun 1918)

1230 MOTOGRAPHY Vol. XIX, No. 26 Latest News of Chicago OF INTEREST TO ALL THE TRADE pEORGE FISCHER, manager of the Alham*-* bra, one of the Saxe theatres in Milwaukee, took a group of Chicago picture critics to that city last Saturday to see his_ theatre, to hear the community singing, which is an unusual feature of its program, and to show them how Milwaukee does things. The party consisted of Kitty Kelly of the Chicago Examiner, Oma Moody Lawrence of the Chicago Evening Post, Beatrice Barrett of the Exhibitor's Trade Review and Genevieve Harris of Motography. Ann McMurdie, photoplay editor of the Milwaukee Journal, and Helen Ryan of the Milwaukee Sentinel were also included in the group. Under the leadership of Mr. Fischer and Miss Henryett Luscher, who handles publicity for the Saxe Amusement Enterprises, the writers visited the Alhambra, Miller, Princess and Theatorium theatres. Then Mr. Saxe took them in his car to Waukesha Beach for dinner, stopping en route to say "Howdy" to Flossie A. Jones of the Colonial and Auditorium theatres in Waukesha. The community "sing," which is under the direction of Fred Carberry each evening, and in which the entire audience of the Alhambra joins, proved an entertaining and truly inspiring feature. Its fascination indirectly added a true "movie" thrill to the day, for the guests lingered so long that they missed the train they "simply must get" back to Chicago. But Mr. Saxe came to the rescue with his car and^ in a wild race overtook the train, giving the critics of Helen Holmes' daring a chance to experience some of her sensations. Mrs. McMurdie insisted that to be "real movie stuff," Mr. Saxe should have been arrested for speeding, but the others breathed a sigh of thanks that he was not. Anyway, it was a wonderful day and Mr. Saxe and Mr. Fischer demonstrated completely that they know how to entertain either theatre audiences or personal guests. 4 4 4 L. A. Roselle came back from his New York trip full of enthusiasm for the new World Pictures and the new plan under which they are now produced. "Before a picture is made in the World studio," said Mr. Roselle, "a conference of all directors is held. The picture is planned out in detail before a scene is shot. The public taste is taken into consideration in every way, because the aim is to please the public. Clean subjects of the type the average person likes are chosen and the director best suited to each particular play is chosen. I don't see how the coming World pictures, made under this plan, can help hitting the public favor." 4 4. 4 Joe Farrell comes from the Strand Theatre, Minneapolis, to become Harry Miller's assistant in the managing of the Rose, Alcazar, Boston and Acme theatres. "Debs" Miller, Harry's brother and former assistant, is now in Toronto, on his way "over there'' with the Canadian forces. "Debs" had been rejected by the American army on account of physical disability. When he heard of the wounding of a boyhood friend with the American army in France he determined to get over some way_ and show the Huns how he felt about it, so he joined the Canadians. 444 Miss Katherine Melcher, who has been playing the organ for the big feature pictures at the Auditorium the last few weeks, this week began a permanent engagement at the new Woodlawn Theatre. Miss Melcher is one of the best organists in the city. Previous to her Auditorium engagement she played at the Kedzie Annex Theatre, Kedzie avenue and Madison street, for several years. Last winter she attained much prominence by her work in the fight against the music tax. 444 Jackson J. Rose, head camera man of Commonwealth Pictures Corporation, after working for the past year on his new invention, the "CinemaTrycycle," has finallv obtained a patent on the contrivance. The "Cinema-Trycycle" is a minature auto truck with a flat top, six feet square, with an electric motor. The machine will start slowly and will attain a speed of fHteen miles an hour,_ and can be used both in the studio and for exterior scenes, for long shots and following scenes at close range. 444 H. A. Spanuth, president of Commonwealth Pictures Corporation, has now completed five of his first "Vod-A-Vil Movies." The following Chicago theatres have contracted for the series : Drury Lane, Casino, Woodlawn, Twentieth Century, Harper, Vista. Shakespeare, Karlov, Atlantic, Halsted, Hub, Ziegfeld, Star, Calo, Roseland, Twentieth Century (Prairie avenue), Howard, Franklin, Strand and States. 444 "The Bluebird" was enthusiastically received at the new Woodlawn Theatre, where it ran for two days. Part of the proceeds were given for the purchase of a flag for the third regiment of the Illinois reserve militia, the members of which are recruits from the South Side. The colors of the regiment were on display at the theatre and a formal presentation was made at one of the evening performances. 444 T. W. Chatburn has received a wire from Walter W. Irwin announcing that the home office had viewed six episodes of "A Fight for Millions," the next Vitagraph serial, and believed it excelled anything in the serial line ever offered. The entire fifteen chapters will be complete before the first is released. If they live up to the first six, box-office records are going to be smashed in the fall, Mr. Irwin believes. 444 Max Levy is offering $25 a day for a man who will impersonate the Kaiser during the week "To Hell with the Kaiser" is shown at the Playhouse. So far no one has volunteered for the job. It isn't as dangerous as it sounds, for he will be enclosed in an iron cage and further protected from the mob by two soldiers and two sailors, who will guard him faithfully. 444 Nino Marcelli, conductor of the orchestra for D. W. Griffith's "Hearts of the World" and "Intolerance," has been summoned by the government and is now connected with the base hospital in Camp Grant. Mr. Marcelli is known as a conductor in Italy, France, and Russia. He has given up an earning power of $8,000 a year for patriotic duty. 444 The Woodlawn Theatre issues an attractive and ambitious weekly program. It has a distribution of 5,000 weekly and is well supported by neighborhood advertisers. E. J. Ryan, head of the publicity department of the Woodlawn, edits it. Mr. Ryan has been in newspaper and magazine work for the past twenty years. He is one of the founders of Photoplay Magazine. 444 "Hearts of the World," the Griffith masterpiece playing at the Olympic, goes into the Colonial Theatre June 24. The theatre has been leased from Jones, Linick & Schaefer and the picture will be handled by the same staff as at the Olympic. 444 Billy West was in town last week. The comedian made a personal appearance at the Circle Theatre, West Madison street, to a large and excited crowd. He expects to return to Chicago soon and will appear at Harry Miller's houses. 444 F. W. Redfield, who has been assistant manager of the Milwaukee Vitagraph exchange, is now T. W. Chatburn's assistant in Chicago, and W. R. Van Courtland, who held that post, has been transferred to Milwaukee. 444 Four hundred days' bookings in the Chicago territory for showings before July 30 is the record for "Over the Top." Every district in the city has been closed. The feature is exceeding all expectations the Vitagraph Company had for it. 444 The motion picture censorship club of Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago, at a meeting recently, decided that pictures shown in Chicago and passed by that board were not suitable for Oak Park, but must be still further censored. 444 The stores and offices in the Pantheon Theatre building have been completed and many of them occupied. Work on this new Lubliner & Trinz house is progressing, and it will be ready for the public early in the fall. 444 F. Mahin, private secretary to M. E. Smith of the George Kleine offices, has enlisted in the navy and gone to the Great Lakes station for training. His associates gave him a farewll dinner at the North American. 444 Fred Hartmann is in New York working with the men who have charge of the coming exposition and convention of the Motion Picture Exhibitors' League, to be held in Boston, July 8 to 15. 444 Aaron J. Jones accompanied Samuel Goldfish to New York early last week, and finding one ride left on his commutation ticket, used it for a return passage to Chicago Saturday. 444 The Cosmopolitan Theatre gave a benefit performance of Louise Glaum's "An Alien Enemy" for the benefit of the Parent-Teachers' Association the other day. 444 S. Spencer, formerly with Paramount and before that with Pathe, is now with the Chicago Metro exchange. The North Side of the city is his district. 444 The Twentieth Century Theatre, Twelfth street and Central Park avenue, will be^ open only Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the summer months. 4 "h "h Commonwealth Pictures Corporation moved June 17 to new offices on the seventh floor of the Consumers building. 444 R. A. Maxwell, formerly with World, is now traveling Indiana for Metro Pictures. Gloria Swanson as she appears with Jack Richardson in the new Triangle picture, "You Can't Believe Everything."