Moving Picture World (Aug 1919)

August 2, 1919 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD f,59 Personals, Wise and Otherwise THE Keeney Theatre, of Kingston, N. Y., has been taken over by O. S. Hathaway, owner of an extensive chain of theatres in central New York. * * * For several months the Vitgraph distributing organization at 1600 Broadway has been subject to many film thefts. Detectives have been trailing the thieves for some time and recently have placed under arrest two or three persons employed in the same building. * * * The Metropolitan Theatre of Brooklyn has been purchased from Louis T raub by Samuel Grossman. * * * A new director has been appointed by the Capellani Pictures Corporation to produce "The Right to Lie," featuring Dolores Cassineli. The "Right to Lie" was written by J. Murfin and the theme sustains the right to break the eighth commandment under certain circumstances. * * * The Exhibitors Mutual has refurnished and redecorated its New York projection room in cool tones, giving it a summer garden atmosphere. The walls have a trellis effect with artificial roses entwined. Somebody suggested serving iced teas and lemonade during the showings. It was unanimously indorsed by the reviewers. * * * St. Swithin, according to one exhibitor in New York, hasn't been so inconsiderate after all. He says the rainy spell has filled his house every night and he hopes it continues a little longer. We would mention his name but we wish him to be happy while the rain falls. * * * Jacob Fabian, of the Regent, Paterson, N. J., has signed for the Exhibitors Mutual program for one year. * * * Harry Newman, proprietor of the Victoria Theatre, Ossining, N. Y., has appointed his former organist, Charles D. Wagner, as manager of the Victoria. Mr. Newman found that the selection of his program required all of his time. On Saturdays he shows five acts of vaudeville, and beginning September 1 he will introduce vaudeville in connection with his feature picture Friday and Saturday. Another innovation he has made is the employment of women ushers. * * * J. L. Reardon, repregentative of the Famous Players-Lasky, has just returned from Cincinnati and vicinity, where he has been on official business. He is contemplating a trip to Washington, D. C. * * * Albert Capellani, on his return from Europe in the fall, will start work on a big production featuring Marjorie Rambeau. * * * Billy Brandt is some stuntster. While showing the "Man Who Turned White" at Feltman's, his Coney Island house, he had a man costumed as an Arab, his face painted half black and half white. He carried a spear and rode a dapple-gray By Sam Sped on horse. The man rode through the streets in the neighborhood and rode back to the theatre, where he pointed with his spear to a forty-eight sheet poster, announcing " "The Man Who Turned White' now showing inside — Don't Fail to See Him." * * * R. N. Abbey, the dean of moving picture salesmen, has joined the Pathe feature staff at Minneapolis. Mr. Abbey has been selling features for over twelve years. He has traveled all parts of the world and while sojourning in Paris in 1895 saw the first public exhibition ever given a Pathe film. * * * The inspection of a number of special features of the First National brought the First National directors to New York. M. Finkelstein, of Minneapolis, representing the firm of Ruben & Finkelstein, was the first to arrive, followed by Robert Lieber, president of the First National and owner of the Circle Theatre of Indianapolis ; Seymour Tally, of Los Angeles ; E. V. Richards, of the Sanger Amusement Company of New Orleans, and George W. Rendel, general manager of the John H. Kunsky interests of Detroit. * * * Phil Ryan, assistant feature sales manager for Pathe, has spent a week at the home office in New York, preparatory to arranging an extraordinary exploitation campaign on "The World Aflame." Mr. Ryan will leave this week for Detroit, where the campaign will be launched. * * * Miss Gladys E. Mclntyre, one of the Salvation Army doughnut sisters, who will apppear in one of the Bloxbe American Series of two-reel pictures, was married to Lieut. Russell A. Harmon of Company C, 104th Regiment of the 26th New England Division. Mr. and Mrs. Harmon will make their home in Richmond, Va. * * * Leon Netter, from the Cleveland office of the Masterpiece Film Attractions, with George D. Jacobs, his associate, drove into New York in an automobile on Saturday, July 19. They returned to Cleveland Wednesday, July 23. Mr. Netter says : "Ohio is ripe for big features at the present time and I have more than I can do in anticipation of the fall trade." * * * Peter J. Schaefer will pass this coming winter in California. He will have had a cool summer in the wintry climate of Alaska and a warm winter in the summery climate of the Coast. * * * William G. Schmidt, branch manager of the Exhibitors Mutual distributing organization, is now the branch manager of the same organization at Albany. * * * The Select Pictures Corporation is establishing new offices at 679 Broadway, Albany, N. Y., occupying the entire building. * * * Willard Bradley has resigned as editor and staff of the "White Way" maga zine. He is now engaged in special press and scenario work. The Paramount Theatre, Newark, N. J., Putnam and Jacobs proprietors, has contracted for entire output of the Exhibitors Mutual for one year. * * * Allan Rock, publicity director of the Capellani Pictures Corporation, probably will announce his entrance into the producing field in the fall. He has under consideration the production of a series of two-reel subjects. * » * Mr. Fennivessey, general manager of the Strand and the Trojan theatres in Troy, N. Y., owned by Harry Hall, is contemplating a change in his activities. Fred Elliott, of the Clinton Square Theatre, Albany, has purchased a new automobile which he christened by using it in the collection of contributions for the use of a fellow film man in defraying his expenses to Denver, w"here he is obliged to go for his health. Mr. Elliott is to be commended for the ready response he gave to one in need and we will gamble that no one begrudges Fred his new car. We hope it gives him much pleasure and carries him to still greater happiness and prosperity. All branches of the industry in Albany and vicinity were so pleased with Fred's example, that they generously responded to his call and a considerable sum was raised to meet the needs of the friend in question. Frank de Lorenzo, branch manager of the Metro in Milwaukee, has resigned and has been appointed branch manager of the Exhibitors Mutual in the same city. * * * Frederick F. Hartick, branch manager of the Vitagraph at Syracuse for four years, has joined the Pathe exchange as special representative of the feature department at Boston. * * * John Dromey, for several years associated with the legal department of the Exhibitors Mutual, has been appointed purchasing agent of the company. * * * Leo Landau has resigned from the sales force of the First National and is now associated with the New York sales force of the United Artists Distributing Corporation. Ralph Proctor, general sales manager of the United Artists, is in Los Angeles, from which point he will visit the different cities in which the United Artists exchanges have been established. The circuit of exchanges is now complete and Mr. Proctor will give them the "once over" and assist in their organization. His trip will keep him away for about six weeks. B. Amsterdam, of the Philadelphia office of the Masterpiece Film Attractions, was seen breezing through the lobby of the Hotel Astor, New York, on Wednesday, July 23. Nothing slow about those Philadelphia fellows.