Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1917)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 957 Doings at Los Angeles. « r% ULL" DURHAM, one-time mound favorite for the New rS York Giants, will preside in the same position at Sunday's ^"^ game here, on the 26th, when his Keystone team will meet the Big U aggregation. Baseball fans here are highly interested in the Movie League, and the attendance will probably be large. There will be a war between the Reliance and Majestic teams at Long Beach, while up at Santa Barbara, the Americans and Universal Ranchers will fight. * * * It has been reported here that word reached San Diego of the capture, by Mexicans, at Mazatlan, of two American sea-going launches, one of which was loaded with moving picture makers from San Francisco. No definite details have been received, and the movie men are not known. * * * Next Monday, the 27th, the United States Film Company starts operations in San Diego. Hal Clements, who directed the Kalem company at Santa Monica, and who was for some time identified with Solax, has gone south to direct a company of players. The new firm will release through Warner's. * * * Closely following the death of William Warner Kirby, the actor-trainer, who died of blood poisoning caused by his being mauled by a lioness, the beast was shot, at the order of the officials of the Universal Company. The unfortunate happening will no doubt serve as a sinister example in future handling of these dangerous felines. Easterners who frequently read of filmers being held up by big rains must not think that it rains here all the time. Not for a minute. Last Sunday was a forerunner of summer. Everyone wore straws and white shoes, but on Monday it was cloudy, and on Tuesday the heavens opened and a fine rain helped along the crops of the farmers. If it did not rain they would not get the money for the wheat, and the exhibitors would be minus some nickels. Then on Wednesday it was cloudy and the day after every film worker was toiling again. So much for our climate — just a mere half holiday to give the cutters and scenarioists a chance to catch up. * * * One good diversion the photoplayers of this locality have is the good fellowship dinner on Wednesday evening when the elite of the studios fare forth to partake of a feast, and to enjoy a good smoke and chat. Last week the spread was that of a kingly kind. Max Asher was the mystifying toast general, and he carried off the honors with a comedy night of fun. Max is of German descent, and every member, in honor of the toaster's nativity, wore chin "viskers" and amputated derby hats. The gathering looked like a horseshoe table of a thousand twins. Everyone looked the same, and the thousand and three laughs that were made filled the diners with delight. Not satisfied with good jokes, musical numbers and other entertainment, the comical Asher borrowed a pair of tangoers who performed some wonderfully clever dances, to the great admiration of the assemblage. * * * Tom Santchi, of Selig fame, has been awarded his prize. He is now telling Kathlyn Williams what to do in a big feature drama out at the Zoo. Hugh A. Saxon, who has been a newspaper editor, actor and general business man, has become identified with Keystone, and is acting as assistant manager. By the way, this studio is about the busiest place in the city, and this week the whole stage area was filled with various comedians, all hard at work on Kevstones. * * * Another motorist has been added to the fold. Wallace Reid has invested in a "40" of racy lines, which he will pilot himself. He traded in a smaller machine, and is now as happy as a cup winner. * * * Out at the Loftus Features Studio in Hollywood, a new stage is being added to the already large area. This place is on the move. They have a lemon tree outside the window, from which they pick lemons and make lemonade inside the bungalow office. Some speed to California producers. Yes, and down at the Balboa place, E. D. Horkheimer steps out the back door of the bungalow office and picks radishes and lettuce with which to make noon salad. * * * David M. Hartford, who has been known on the stage as a great director, and who has been producing for Zodiac, has left that company. * * * Here's something that might interest a few exhibitors: The Rosemary Theater, on the pier at Ocean Park, run by the Raymond Amusement Company, has probably the only ventilating system of its kind anywhere. The building is on a pier, under which the surf is always rushing. A strong breeze is ever blowing. Small registers allow the breezes to blow, up through tht floor, the cool refreshing salt air, which thoroughly ventilates the playhouse. There is nothing to worry about. The system cares for itself. * * * Phillips Smalley was shot in the arm and was laid up in bed for two days last week. He is all right now, but says that the bullet stu->g. * * * Milton H. Fahrney, who has directed many plays for the Albuquerque Company here, has closed with that concern and will take a brief rest before opening with another company. Jessalyn Van Trump, of Mutual fame, is sick with an eye trouble that keeps her shut up in a dark room. She hopes to be out again soon. * * * Blazoned on billboards is the announcement of the opening of the old and famous Auditorium "Theater Beautiful," as a downto-the-second moving picture house, by W. H. Clune. May 4th, the initial bill will be offered the public. This playhouse has for years been the home of grand opera, great musical events and all highbrow entertainments. The passing of the place is regarded as only one more step in the progress of the life picture. It is one of the largest theaters here, the building itself being ten stories tall, with a court for light in the middle of the structure. Dolly Larkin, who was seen in Lubin films, has joined the Frontier, as has Florine Garland, who was in vaudeville. * * * Many new small theaters for photo-films have been started here, and more are to be built. In and around this city, building of this kind is most always going on. Business is good everywhere, and all exhibitors are well satisfied, so it seems. * * * Besides the film folk who work at Santa Monica, there are nearly a hundred players from Los Angeles who live at that beach resort. Swimming is the order of the day down there, and everyone enjoys it immensely. * * * The Bosworth Company, headed by the man whose name graces the films, leaves next week for the north — San Francisco. Seattle, Victoria and Ketchican, Canada — to do some more exteriors for "Odyssey of the North." There will be fifteen in the party and they expect to be gone some time. * * * A visit to the new General Film Company's offices, occupying the entire fourth floor of the Loewin Building, was very interesting. Everyone was most cordial and every nook antl corner of the elegant headquarters was thrown open for inspection. The new place is large and airy, and every person who works there wears a smile of satisfaction. The vault is a feature of the new location, having a capacity of over 5,000 reels. This large space will suffice for some time to come. * * * The Selig outfit from Prescott, Ariz., arrived here this week. Tom Mix is here and is already busy with a big picture. The whole camp was moved on the train — animals, camping outfits, coaches, and everything. * * * Charles Bennett, who was with Vitagraph some time ago, but who quit work and rested for a month, has joined the Kcystoners, and is busy doing funny characters with Marie Dressier and. Mack Sennett. Actually 1.000 extras were used recently in a big Broncho picture, "The Wrath of the Gods," portraying the volcanic eruptions in Japan. Most of the employees were Japanese people. The picture was very spectacular, being staged on the beach near the Santa Monica camp. Clarke Irvine. JIM CORBETT TO APPEAR IN BLACHE FEATURES. Frequent mysterious visits of James J. Corbett to the Blache studios at Fort Lee, New Jersey, have resulted in an arrangement whereby the ex-champion heavyweight tighter of the world is to appear in several big film productions to be launched in the near future. Mr. Blache will stage the dramas in collaboration with Mr. Corbett and "Gentleman Jim" will be surrounded by a cast composed of a carefully selected group of artists including several members of the companies who appeared in the original stage presentations of the different Corbett plays. The new half-million dollar company recently formed by Herbert Blache for the producing of special features under the name of the U. S. Amusement Corporation, will control the Corbett photodramas in addition to several other well known Broadway successes shortly to be announced.