Moving Picture World (Dec 1920)

582 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 4, 1920 Keeping JACOB FABIAN, who holds the First National franchise for New Jersey, will open the Opera House at Ridgewood, N. J., as a first-run picture house. For many years W. W. Young has had the only theatre in that town. Mr. Fabian now has two theatres in Paterson, two in Passaic and two in Newark in addition to the one in Ridgewood. * * * Former Vitagraph employes of the Flatbush studios have organized a club which will meet at the Italian Gardens in Greenwich Village, New York, on December 17. A large gathering of the old Vitagraphers is expected to be in attendance. * * * W. A. Goff, supervisor of exchanges of the Vitagraph, was obliged to make a hurried trip to Pittsburgh last week to attend the funeral of his uncle, with whom he lived when a boy. * * * Walter K. Hill, who was one of the Moving Picture World staff and later a promoter of theatres, is now associated with the Fox publicity staff of “puflicity” writers. * * * Lee Ferguson has resigned from the publicity department of the Selznick Enterprises to accept a position in the First National publicity department. * * * Charley M. Seay, who is directing for the Community Productions, has just completed four five-reel pictures portraying the beauty spots of the State of Maine, which will be released on program and shown more especially in Maine. * * * Hopp Hadley, formerly director of publicity for Hallmark, has opened the Producers Service Company in the Times Building. The object of this company is to take over pictures for the producers, retitle, edit and handle them, thus relieving the producers of all these worries and troubles. * * * Ernest Horstman and Albert S. Black, of Boston, were in New York last week. Raymond S. Peck, at one time connected with the Canadian Exhibitors Digest and manager of the Mutual exchange office at Montreal was in New York this week with E. Stanley Turnbull, a Canadian artist. Mr. Peck is now director of the Exhibits and Publicity Bureau of Canada. W. H. Goulding, of the Keith interests at St. John, N. B., was in New York this week. * * * Alice Brady has been remarkable in many ways, one of which is that she has and never refused a request for her photograph and it has given her much pleasure to receive the many letters of warm appreciation for her graciousness. * * * R. W. Marsh, who owns one of the largest high bred cattle ranches at South Pierre, S. D., is also one of the leading theatre owners in that city. He has recently made extensive alterations in his Majestic Theatre in South Pierre. * * * William S. Adams, personal cinematographer to J. Stuart Blackton for many years, has resigned owing to the absence of Mr. Blackton abroad. Mr. Adams is one of the veteran cameramen of the picture field, and is widely known for his work. For a considerable time he “shot” all the in Personal Touch SAM SPEDON scenes in the pictures of Anita Stewart, Clara Kimball Young, Earle Williams and many other Vitagraph stars, and since the establishment of the Blackton studios he has photographed all of the Blackton features. Mr. Adams is Mr. Blackton’s step brother. * * * Among the productions to be released by the Specialty Film Import, Limited, are Jesse D. Hampton’s “Half a Chance,” featuring Mahlon Hamilton and Lillian Rich, adapted from the novel by Frederic Isham; Geraldine Farrar in “The Riddle : Woman” ; Benjamin B. Hampton’s interpretation of Upton Sinclair’s story “The Money Changers;” Edgar Lewis’ production, “The Beggar in Purple;” Blanche Sweet in “Her Unwilling Husband;” Fritzi Brunette in Robert Brunton’s “The Devil to Pay,” etc. * * * Treve Collins, Jr., who writes originals and continuities for Legend Film Productions, Inc., recalls with a good deal of pleasure the days when he ran a syndicated movie page and Sam Spedon, then Vitagraph publicity man, used to be one of his main-stays in furnishing up to the minute dope about Vita players and productions. * * * W. R. Figard will open the Old Home Theatre at Six Mile Run, Penn. Mrs. M. F. Parkhurst is now operating the New Lyric at Charleston, W. Va. * * * The second special comedy release by Legend Film Productions, Inc., featuring Edna Shipman and John Junior, has been announced as “Wanted — A Girl,” and production is scheduled to commence within the next few days. Both story and continuity are by Treve Collins, Jr., who also sponsored the first Legend release, “A Million— More or Less,” which is now in the cutting room in charge of Al. Lehrer. * * * J. W. Williams has opened a new film exchange at Dallas. Mr. Williams is stopping at the Hotel Astor. He is enthusiastic about Southern film conditions and says Lynch Enterprises is practically in control of the South. * * * John L. Russell, president of the Blazed Trail Productions, has just completed a studio and laboratory at Gloversville, N. Y., where he will begin producing features of the far North about January 1. Mr. Russell is stopping at the Hotel Lenox, New York. * * * Miss Doreen Sheldon, who has been acting in pictures in Michigan, arrived in New York November 13 and has associated herself with the International. * * * Sol Peritz, formerly of Peritz & Yocum, who owned the Fern Theatre, selling The beautiful lace waffle iron is awarded this week to George Blaisdell for the excellent simplicity of his advertising in behalf of Stoll. It is an effective example of the power of black and white. out to the Saenger interests, has bought the Scott Theatre in Hazelhurst, Miss., and is remodeling it. * * * W. E. Shallenberger, president of the Arrow Film Corporation; A. E. Jones, office manager, and J. K. Adams, of the Rotograph Company, enjoyed a day’s duck hunting on Long Island recently. Judging from the number which the three nimrods brought back, ducks must be plentiful. * * * Tom North has resigned from the Tom Moore theatres of Washington, D. C., and has signed with the Louis Mayer Productions. * * * Harry Cohen, formerly with Metro and recently representing Special Pictures Corporation at Washington, D. C., has resigned and is stopping at the Hotel Astor. * * * M. H. Eppstein, of Richmond, Va., is now running the Franklin Theatre at Franklin, Va. * * * George Panagotacos, president, treasurer and director general of the Grand Amusement Company, of Johnstown, Pa., arrived in New York on his return from Greece, where he has been visiting for the past four weeks, on Saturday, November 13. L. W. Barclay, managing director of the company, came on from Johnstown to meet Mr. Panagotacos and together they spent the early part of this week in Manhattan. * * * Matilda G. Dunne, of Brooklyn, recently purchased a large tract of land at Brookhaven, L. I., for the Ferndale Film Studios, for $70,000. * * * The Dixie Theatre, formerly the Ideal, re-opened under the management of Miss M. Kelly and A. Riley. This is one of the most comfortable suburban theatres in New Orleans. * * * Joe Brandt, president of C. B. C. Film Sales Corporation of New York is attending the convention of the Federated Film Exchanges being held at St. Louis. Mr. Brandt extends through Moving Picture World heartfelt appreciation and thanks to the vast number of friends and business associates who have offered their condolences to him upon the death of his father. * * * Colonel Fred Levy, First National franchise holder of Kentucky and Tennessee, a visitor in New York this week, extended an invitation to W. E. Shallenberger, president of the Arrow Film Corporation, to spend Thanksgiving with him in Louisville, which invitation was accepted. * * * Marc Shea has purchased the Parthenon and the Victoria theatres of'Ossining, N. Y. Mr. Shea has taken immediate possession of the Parthenon and is conducting it under the previous management. Harry Newman has a lease on the Victoria, which has three years longer to run. Rumor has it that these two theatres will be, after Mr. Newman’s lease expires, merged and a large house will be built under one management. The Parthenon and Victoria are the only theatres in Ossining.