Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1915)

1144 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD August 14, 1915 Sennett, Ince and Griffith Finally Incorporate the Triangle. The formal and official anouncement of the combination of the forces of Mack Senett, David VV. Griffith and Thomas H. Ince was made here this week when Ad Kessel, Charles Kessel and C. O. Baumann, executives of the New York Motion Picture Corporation, arrived from La Junta, Cal., where they had been in session with the Big Three who went East to meet them for the purpose of organizing the five-million-dollar corporation. The birth of this company, which is made up of a number of men most prominent in the business, marks an epoch in the history >f the moving picture industry. At the meeting H. E. Aitken was made president; Ad Kessel. Mack Sennett, D. \V. Griffith and Thomas H. Ince were selected as vice presidents. C. O. Baumann as secretary, and Charles Kessel as auditor. This combination will make no material change in the present producing companies working under the personal supervision of the three directors. The same supporting players will be seen as heretofore in the big feature productions, and the only noticeable change will be in the screen appearance of well known legitimate stars. The pictures made at the Mutual Studios will be released on the Triangle circuit as Griffith features, while those made at Inceville will be known as Ince feature?. Mack Sennett is the only one who will retain a brand; his comedies will be known as Senett-Keystone Comedy Features. Of course, tlic regular brands of smaller pictures will be sold the same as heretofore. In anticipation of the positive demand for lengthy pictures of merit. Thomas H. Ince has already signed Billie Burke, who will arrive at Inceville shortly to face the camera. He has also re-signed Frank Keenan, who will be a permanent film worker here. Ince's idea is to get stars, teach them the tricks of the camera and then keep them at salaries high enough to retain them so that they cannot work first for one company and then' for another. The Triangle Corporation is probably the most comprehensive Film producing organization now in existence. The new concern will participate in every branch of the moving picture business. It will not .only write its own stories and produce them, but will maintain agencies in every large citj which desires the service. It is al.-o said that a chain pf theaters wherein will be shown features made under this name, will be owned and operated by the Triangle. The United States will .not -be the only neld. for the plans of the Triangle are. to Have auxiliary companies in the principal cities of Engla:.J. France. Germany, Russia. Italy, Australia. Spain and t e South American countries. After having completed the first arrangements for the ictipn of pictures which -will be released probably by ( Ictober, Charles Kessel. Ad Kessel and Mr. Baumann left Los Angeles on July 27 for San Francisco. There they will spend a few days before going East, where the distributing plans of the newly organized corporation will be carried out under their supervision. Lubin Completing Studio at Coronado. Work has been rushed speedily the past two weeks and i result of the dynamic efforts of Captain Wilbert Melville, managing director of Lubin's Western forces, a handnew studio has been completed at Coronado across the bay from San Diego. The new plant will be opened t August 15 with officials of the exposition, mayor, city officials, and citizens in attendance. A banquet, demonstration and ball will feature the opening date which marks the start of the first large company in the south. Captain Melville has been working between here and the new plant for the past month, completing arrangements for the moving of the Los Angeles studio and equipment. This does not mean that this city is to be left off the Lubin map, for when the new place is opened and the present location vacated, a corps of artificers will immediately start work on the new and large concrete plant which was announced some weeks ago. The San Diego plant is complete in every respect. The location is ideal. The plot of ground, nearly a ranch, is located near the water, on a sloping hill, with all kinds of locations nearby. There was a three-story building on the lot. This was converted into office, dressing rooms, and other like places where business is transacted. An ornamental wall ten feet high incloses the square. In the front is a forty-eight foot castle style gate, one of the towers of which is utilized as the scenario office so that the editors will be elevated for inspiration and at the same time be safe and far from the maddening crowd of writers. * * * The large and roomy stage is in the center of the lot. On one side and paralleling it is a two-story building for the technical and mechanical men. At one end is a cement building for the construction department, garage, chauffeur's home and other like spaces. A completely equipped machine shop is a feature of the plant; $1,500 was spent in tools alone for this department. * * * Thursday of this week the Lubin Western forces packed up the studio equipment and loaded it into a special baggage car train bound for the south. The train was run on passenger schedule so no time was lost. August 1st work began and only the week end was lost in transporting the big plant. * * * Captain Melville is about the busiest man in the land this week with so much to do supervising the moving and building of the new place. He also has been besieged by what he says seemed to be millions of little parasites who even climbed fences to get an interview with hifn in regard to working as extra at the new studio. And yet he managed to smile when the "World man dropped in to get the details. He certainly is a worker and. a pleasant man to" talk to. The address of the new southern headquarters will be The Lubin Studio, Coronado, California. , . * ' * * While enjoying a pleasure ride through -the ,bLg trees of the forest near the Universal Lake Tahoe studio this week, Helen Leslie, ingenue leading woman in the Kerrigan company, was thrown, from her horse and .received injuries which will keep her in bed for several weeks. Glen Martin, the • aviator, and three Universal players, were hurt in a sham battle at Venice this week. none, however, very seriously. Martin, though engaged to participate in the battle with a military hydroaeroplane, did not actually do so. as the sea became too rough for his machine. He was injured later, when one of the supposedly harmless is which it had been planned he should drop from the air exploded in his right hand, burning him quite badly. * * * .Lillian Brown Leighton, star character woman of the Sejig Polyscope Company, and who is well remembered in "When a Woman Is Forty." "The Transfer Corner," "The Mother of Seven," and a number of other successful Selig productions, is now playing lead in the Bloom Center comedies. Miss Leighton's particular hobby outside of the pictures is embroidering, and she is said to be an artist with thread and needle. * * * Chang, the pet supreme of the Selig Zoo, has been very ill for the last two weeks. Chang, or to give the gentleman his full title. Prince Chang, is a five-year old orang-outang of pleasing personality and many accomplishments. The prince is an actor, and like a true artist possessed of considerable temperament. W. E. Wing, the feature writer, who is interested in the Prince and a close student of animal psychology, ventured the opinion that wounded professional pride may have been the cause of Mr. Chang's illness. t * * Kathlyn Williams is threatening to transfer her affections from her pet leopard Kathlyn to this magnificent animal's two little kittens born ten days ago. In spite of their tender age these diminutive beasts are quite vicious and claw and growl at anybody approaching their cage except Miss Williams. * * * Colin Campbell, the dean of the Selig producers, is taking his regular July vacation at Catalina Islands. Mr. Campbell's conception of a vacation is to take a company of players along. The scenery of Catalina is picturesque and gives wonderful setting and atmosphere for stories of the sea. * * * The new stage at the Kalem Glendale studio is now completed. The equipment is modern in every respect, par