Moving Picture World (May 1919)

May 3, 1919 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 661 ^^^"'^^ News of Los Angeles and Vicinity Balboa Studios Sold. C. M. Fiirey, formerly of Portland, Oregon, and Williams S. Forsythe, of New York, have purchased on behalf of the Master Pictures Corporation, the real estate, studios and all other property formerly owned by the Balboa Film Company at Sixth street and Alamitos avenue, Long Beach. One hundred and ten thousand dollars was the sum involved in the transaction. F. C. Delano of Los Angeles, representing the creditors of the Balboa Company, made the sale. H. M. and E. D. Horkheimer, brothers, comprised the Balboa corporation, which went bankrupt several months ago. Furey and Forsythe announced that they will organize a company and begin the production of pictures within two months. Francis Ford Building a Studio. Francis Ford, film producer and star, is building a studio at Sunset Avenue and Gower Street in Hollywood, where he intends to be making pictures by the first of May. An informal dance is being planned as a sort of house warming to open the studio for business. Employment Fees Abridged. The Motion Picture Producers' Service Exchange of Los Angeles, will not be allowed hereafter to charge a fee to any applicant sent out on motion picture work unless the employment furnished lasts seven days or more, according to a ruling received by H. A. Cable, deputy state labor commissioner of the Southern district, from the labor commissioner at San Francisco. Cleo Madison Organizes Con.pany. Cleo Madison, who arrived on the west coast from New York a few days ago, has organized her own company to produce pictures, has secured studio space, and preparations are already By A. H. GTEBLER under way to make a picture entitled "The Red Serpent." Juan de la Cruze will be seen in the leading nmle role, and the rest of the cast will be announced within a few days. Miss Madison was for several years one of the leading stars of the Universal program, and shortly after leaving Universal was to have appeared in film productions under the management of Isadore Bernstein, but for some reason these plans were not carried out. It is nearly two years now since Miss Madison has appeared in a picture. Gordon-Francis. Robert Gordon and Alma Francis were married on March 25, at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Francis, in Hollywood. Robert Gordon, who played the part of Huck Finn with Jack Pickford in the Tom Sawyer pictures and one of the leading roles in "Missing," enlisted in the army just after that production was finished, and has recently been discharged from service. He has signed a long term contract with J. Stuart Blackton, and will leave in a few days with his bride for New York to work in the Blackton studios in the east. Mrs. Gordon will retain her professional name, Alma Francis, and upon her arrival in New York immediately will begin rehearsals in one of Adolph Friml's new musical comedies. Miss Francis played opposite Julian Eltinge in the film production that was made under the Balshofer management here last summer. To Establish Air Line. Sidney Chaplin, motion picture and airplane promoter, has closed a deal with William Wrigley, Jr., for an exclusive ten year franchise for a commercial airplane and seaplane landing on Catalina Island, thereby laying the foundation for what will probably be the first commercial air line in the world. Mr. Chaplin intends to go soon to New York to purchase airplanes and seaplanes equipped with Liberty motors, of five and ten passenger capacity. He will establish a school to train flyers on Catalina Island, for which purpose machines of lighter type will be used. Mack Off For New York. Willard Mack, playwright and husband of Pauline Frederick, who has been ill for several weeks, left last week for New York, where he will immediately begin rehearsals for a new play under the management of A. H. W^oods. Miss Frederick will remain in California to make several productions for Goldwyn. In the event of her return to the stage in the fall, Miss Frederick will continue to produce pictures under her Goldwyn contract at the eastern studios of that company. Lehrman Acquitted. Henry Lehrman, former producer of Sunshine comedies, who was accused of having caused the disappearance of a film worth $32,000 from the vault of the Fox Film Company some time ago, was acquitted and the case dismissed by Judge Craig when it came up for trial. New Theatre at Monroviau A motion picture theatre which has just been completed at Monrovia, Cal., has been opened for business. The house has a seating capacity of SCO, a fire-proof projecting room and one of the most modern makes of projecting machines. The theatre has triple lighting circuit with rheostat for dimming and other electrical effects, and a modern ventilating system. Warde Addresses M. P. D. A. Frederick Warde. star of the Mission Play at San (labriel, made an address H. B. Warner in "The Man Who Turned White" Isn't Afraid of the Dyeing Process. .\'or I.s He Afraid to Hie, as llie Srfiif al (lie Kinlit rroin lli.s KxhibitDPS-Mutual Feature Shows