The Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1913)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1237 of Mrs. De Forest before the blow fell. But Ralph was just a few hours before hand. The officers arrested West while participating in a reception given by Mrs. De Forest, the evening before her marriage. The shock completely unnerved that lady, and at first she looked on her son with revulsion; but time soon restored her normal mind and she was immeasurably thankful that his filial love had saved her from the false love of a villian. "Voodoo Vengeance" Three-Part Release of the World's Best Film Company. THOSE who like sensational pictures which touch on the primitive, with wild animals and savages, will like this picture for the story that it carries. That it will go strongly in a majority of houses is probably true. Those of quieter tastes, who prefer stories of today or yesterday, either, so long as they are of civilized communities, will find in the tropical backgrounds and in the photography much that will charm. It is hard for a Northerner to realize that in the United States, even in Southern Florida, there can be found so dense a tropical jungle that for an African setting it so well serves as the ideal. In the second reel of this picture there is a river scene, tinted, that is a'work of art. So, also, in the third reel near the end, where the girl reared among savages journeys down stream with the man she has lured from civilization, there is a setting which stands out. Scene from "Voodoo Vengeance" (World's Best). The story is of a religious sect of African fanatics described as Voodoos, whose practices the British government finally stopped. The opening is where a man and woman on the way to the gold district are set upon by savages and killed. Their little girl is taken captive and raised by the tribe, the priest of which is impersonated by Captain Jack Bonavita, the lion tamer. Twenty years later the government determines to put the Voodoos out of business and notifies the resident commissioner to carry out its desires. There is a conflict, and the Voodoos in order to avenge themselves for their defeat, instruct the girl to lure to the jungle the son of the commissioner that he may serve as a sacrifice to the Moon God. She succeeds in the attempt and hands him over to the tribe. Also she falls in love with him. While his family is searching for him young Yale escapes, and after many vicissitudes in the jungle, combating fever and wild animals, he is again captured. He is found by his father just in time to prevent his destruction by lions. He is taken home. The girl again goes to the settlement, finds the young man. and again she lures him into the jungle; this time she holds him. THE SMALLWOODS IN NEW YORK. Ray C. Smallwood, expert cameraman of the Universal West Coast Organization, and his wife, who in the world of motion pictures is known as Ethel Grandon, have arrived in New York City, having been called East by the very serious illness of Mrs. Smallwood's mother, Mrs. Edward S. Grandin. The many friends of the Smallwoods will be pleased to know that Mrs. Grandin has rallied wonderfully since her daughter's return, and is now on the road to complete recovery. Both Mr. Smallwood and Miss Grandon expect to work around New York this summer, for one of the Universal Eastern companies. Laemmle Controls Universal. Little Giant of the Independents Buys Horsley's Interests — Swanson Deposed and Supposed to Have Sold to Powers. It would be a dull week that did not produce some new sensation in the game of film politics that has been associated with the conduct of the Universal Film Manufacturing Company since its inception a little over a year ago. That company has been a storm center and, when not putting something over on its competitors, it has had its own little internal squabbles. The contention has arisen over the question of control. After the first break when Kessel & Baumann separated themselves from the company, Pat Powers assumed the position of commanderin-chief, but his direction did not meet with favor among his associates and, upon the return of Carl Laemmle from Europe, he was deposed and Mr. Laemmle was put in control. Matters went smoothly for a while, but it was only for a while, and the next stir resulted in landing Pat Powers on the outside of the breastworks entirely, leaving Laemmle and W. H. Swanson in control, with David Horsley barely hanging on. It could not be expected that Pat Powers would take defeat meekly. He did not, for he was hardly out before he began to frame up a game to put his former associates in the hole. It was a pretty deep hole that he digged for them, but they refused to fall into it. Though Powers had nothing left but the hole, he was not discouraged. Rumors had it at one time that he had secured an option on the stock of David Horsley and that he hoped to secure enough more to give him control of the company. Swanson and Laemmle were sticking tight, though the betting against them was strong. For the past week the rumors began to grow stronger in Powers' favor, and it was hourly expected that an announcement would be made that he was "it" at the Universal. When asked by an acquaintance if he had secured control Mr. Powers said, no later than Tuesday last, that he had bought some Universal stock. This did not explain matters at the time, for it was believed that he had but taken advantage of the option he was supposed to have on the stock of David Horsley. Thursday, June 12, the situation was cleared up by an authoritative announcement from the Universal offices that Mr. Carl Laemmle was in full control of the affairs of the company and that the business would proceed as usual without interruption. The statement issued is to the effect that Mr. Laemmle has purchased the interests of David Horsley; that Mr. Swanson has been deposed from the position of vice-president and that he is supposed to have sold his holdings to P. A. Powers. It was said that Mr. Swanson had left the offices of the company with the message to his associates that he was going to Chicago on personal business and that, since his departure, all efforts to locate him had been futile. It was also stated that Mr. Burton Garrett, assistant secretary and second assistant treasurer of the company, was also absent and had not been located up to that time. Further statement was made by a representative of the company that some of the books of the company were missing from the safe, the stock book among them, so that it was not possible to ascertain what transfers of stock had been made, but it was believed that Mr. Swanson had sold his stock to Mr. Powers. A meeting of the company had been held, it was said ; that Mr. Swanson had been deposed as vice-president, and that Mr. Garrett had been ousted from the offices he held. G. E. Kann has been elected assistant secretary and Joe Brandt elected assistant treasurer. Otherwise the roster of the company's officers remains the same with the exception of Swanson. It is now believed, with Mr. Laemmle in sole control of the Universal, that the troubles of that company are over. All disturbing elements have been eliminated and the possibility of Mr. Powers obtaining the least measure of influence in the management of the company is so remote that it need not be taken into consideration. If this view of the situation proves to be correct the Universal Company is to be congratulated. Mr. Laemmle has proved, heretofore, that he is a real business builder and that he realizes the necessity of making good pictures. Undisturbed by contentious associates he should soon put the Universal product on a high plane. KINEMACOLOR TO PRODUCE HISTORICAL DRAMAS. William H. Hickey, European representative of the Kinemacolor companies of America and Canada, and general manager of the Natural Color Kihematograph Co. Ltd., of England, is in New York arranging a schedule of productions for the allied corporations. On Mr. Urban' s Teddington estate, near Bushey Park, London, studios and a revolvingstage have been erected, and it is proposed to reproduce a number of historic dramas amid characteristic English, scenery.