Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1923)

Manager of Advertising: James A. Milligan. Manager of Circulation: Dennis J. Shea. Subscription price: United States and it* possessions, Mexico and Cuba, $3.00 a year; Canada, $3.50; foreign countries (postpaid), $10.00 a year. Copyright, 1923, Chalmers Publishing Co. Copyright throughout Great Britain and Colonies under the provisions of the Copyright Act of 1911. (All rights reserved.) Other publications: Cine Mundial (Spanish). Technical books. John F. Chalmers, president; Alfred J. Chalmers, vice-president; James P. Chalmers, Sr., vice-president; Eliza J. Chalmers, secretary and treasurer, and Ervin L. Hall, business manager. Branch Offices: 28 East Jackson Boulevard, Chicago; W. E. Keefe, 1962 Cheromoya Avenue, Los Angeles, Cal. Editorial Staff: Ben H. Grimm, Associate Editor; John A. Archer, Managing Editor. Moving' Picture WORLD ROBERT E. WELSH — EDITOR Published Weekly by CHALMERS PUBLISHING COMPANY 516 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y. Member Audit Bureau Circulation Middle West Exhibitors Pick Hays as Admission Tax Leader Representatives of exhibitor organizations in Central Western States conferred this week with Will H. Hays. This conference was the outgrowth of a meeting of heads and directors of these organizations at French Lick, Ind., on November 14 and 15, when it was decided that a concerted effort would have to be made to bring about the repeal of the admission tax. It was the opinion of the exhibitor leaders that the amusement business is severely handicapped by the admission tax, which they also view as a burden upon the general public to whom they are dependent. The visiting representatives chose H. M. Richey of Detroit as their secretary. Mr. Richey will remain in New York City for an indefinite period. The admission tax was discussed from all angles at the French Lick meeting and it Allan Holubar Dies (By wire to Moving Picture World) Los Angeles, Nov. 20. Allan Holubar, the well known film director, died this morning after an illness of six weeks. He was filming scenes at Nashville, Term., getting atmosphere shots for his first of three pictures to be released by Metro, when he first became ill. Upon returning to Los Angeles he was taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital and showed such a decided improvement that he went to his home after having a major operation performed. He had a relapse yesterday and began to weaken. Holubar was 34 years old and was born in San Francisco. He leaves a wife, Dorothy Phillips, and a young daughter. His chief film successes included “Heart of Humanity,” “Man, Woman and Marriage,” “Hurricane’s Gal” and many others. It was while appearing in Henry Savage’s Play, “Every Woman,” that he met his wife. was agreed that every effort must be made to have it done away with. It was the uninimous opinion of all exhibitors present that Mr. Hays should be asked to take charge of the situation and begin action for a repeal of the tax. The following exhibitors telegraphed Mr. Hays their request that he act as leader and pledged their co-operation as a committee appointed at the French Lick meeting; Joseph R. Denniston, Michigan; Ludwig Siegel, Illinois; N. A. Cole, Texas; H. B. Varner, North Carolina; Jake Wells, Virginia; Harry Crandall, Washington, D. C, “per Wells”; R. G. Liggett, Kansas, “per S. A. Handy”; Gustave Schmidt, Indiana; W. A. Steffes, Minnesota, chairman. Mr. Hays telegraphed William A. Steffes, at French Lick, that he would be glad to “consult by phone or in person at a very early date with your committee or with a committee of, say, three whom you might elect for that purpose, and in such consultation decide as to the best way to proceed.” Among the exhibitors from Indiana who attended the meeting were Gustave G. Schmidt, Edward H. Bingham, A. C. Zaring, Frank Rembusch and Charles Olsen, of Indianapolis; J. N. Wyckoff and S. P. Katzenbach, of Terre Haute; Nat Bernstein, of Michigan City; J. B. Stine, of Clinton; Frank Heller, of Kokomo; S. S. Schauer, of Valparaiso; W. F. Easley, of Rushville; Billy Connors, of Marion ; E. M. Eggleston, of Seymour; O. I. Demaree, of Franklin, and Arthur Jackson, of Crawfordsville. Other states represented at the meeting were Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, Texas, Wisconsin and Virginia. The other exhibitors present included A1 Steffes, of Minneapolis; H. M. Richey and J. R. Dennison, of Michigan; Jake Wells, of Virginia; Joseph Rhode, of Wisconsin; H. A. Cole, of Texas; Judge Handy, of Kansas, and Ludwig Siegal, Glenn Reynolds, J. T. Dittman, Ben L. Bervey, G. E. Johnson and Julius Lamb, of Illinois. Buys Canadian House Calgary Citizens Form Company; Through Foreclosure Get Palace for $306,000 As the outcome of the foreclosure of a mortgage the National Theatres, Limited, is now the owner of Allen’s Palace Theatre, in Calgary, Alberta. The house had been in the hands of a receiver. The purchase price totaled $306,000, according to a report coming from Calgary. The first mortgage of $176,000 was held by the National Trust Company. The remainder, the report states, seems to have been made up in a second mortgage of the combined claims of a group of Calgary creditors, city taxes and mechanic’s liens. The Palace will be run as an Independent house. Celebrities at Dance Many Leading Screen Stars to Attend Goldwyn Club Affair Many celebrities of the motion picture and theatrical world will be present at the Goldwyn Club dance at the Hotel Pennsylvania Friday evening, Nov. 23. Cosmopolitan, Distinctive and Goldwyn, whose pictures are released by Goldwyn-Cosmopolitan, are sponsors. Among those leading players of stage and screen who will be present are Marion Davies, Alma Rubens, Anita Stewart, Gloria Swanson, Thomas Meighan, Alice Joyce, Lois Wilson, Conrad Nagel, Marguerite Courtot, Jobyna Howland, Jetta Goudal, Mimi Palmeri, Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontaine, Ann Pennington, Peggy Hopkins Joyce, Jeanne Eagles, Edith Day, Naomi Childers, Queenie Smith, Richard Barthelmess, John Steel and Mrs. James Vail Converse (sister-in-law of Mrs. Reginald C. Vanderbilt). The program of entertainment, for which S. L. Rothafel of the Capitol Theatre will be the announcer, includes Miriam Battista, the child star, in songs and dances; Nina Byron, of “The Rendezvous”; De Villa & Ruarks, Argentine tango; Helen Shipman (appearing with Delysia in “Topics of 1923”), song and dances; Marga Waldron, of George White’s “Scandals of 1923”; Margaret Wilson and Ray Ramond and chorus, of “Little Jessie James”; Evelyn Herbert, from “Stepping Stones”; Joe Cook, of “Vanities of 1923”; Bard and Pearl (with Delysia in “Topics of 1923”) ; Constance Evans, of “Artists and Models”; George Rosner, leading player in the same success; Helen Ford, of “Helen of Troy”; W. C. Fields, of “Poppy”; Lee Morse, “Artists and Models”; Brook Johns and Tom Moore. Music will be furnished by Vincent Loptz in person and his Pennsylvania Hotel orchestra. Lighting and setting effects have been arranged by Mr. Rothafel, as master of ceremonies, with the aid of the staff of the Capitol Theatre. A limited number of tickets will be on sale at the entrance to the grand ballroom. Test Theatre Curtains District of Columbia Commissioners Contemplate Changes Washington, D. C. — Fire resistance of fire curtains used in theatres is being investigated by the Bureau of Standards of the Department of Commerce, at the request of the District Commissioners, who contemplate changes in the regulations relative to theatre proscenium curtains. Certain tests for strength when subjected to fire temperatures were made by the bureau some years ago, following the Iroquois Theatre fire in Chicago, which developed the fact that neither the plain asbestos cloth nor that reinforced with brass wires interwoven with the cloth were entirely satisfactory when subjected to temperatures of 1700 degrees Fahrenheit, it is stated in a preliminary report from the bureau. These findings show that cloth using alloy wires afford sufficient strength for the service required.