Moving Picture World (Nov-Dec 1924)

December 6, 1924 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 513 Ince’s Widow Takes Helm; Corporation Will Continue; Tributes to Decedent THE sudden death of Thomas H. Ince at his Berkeley Hills, Cal., home last week is followed this week by a statement of assurance from the New York offices that the activities of this late producer will be continued by the Thomas H. Ince Corporation. In this respect comes the announcement that Mrs. Thomas H. Ince will take a grip on the helm of the corporation’s destinies. Impressive memorial services were held last week in Grauman’s Hollywood Egyptian Theatre where hundreds of film capital folk paid tribute to the late producer. In the darkened theatre with a huge portrait of the departed leader, wreathed in roses on the stage, the entire assemblage stood with bowed heads singing “Rock of Ages,” “Onward, Christian Soldiers,” and “Nearer My God to Thee.” Edward Davis, former president of the National Vaudeville Artists and Green Room Club, and also an actor of note, delivered an eloquent address, in which he paid the highest tribute not only to Mr. Ince, but to the industry which he helped found. William J. Farrell, representing the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, also eulogized the departed. The official statement issued this week by the Thomas H. Ince Corporation is as follows : “The Thomas H. Ince Corporation will go forward with the activities of Thomas H. Ince. “Under plans made before Mr. Ince's unexpected death and in accordance with contracts executed by him, the business will be continued. “Mrs. Thomas H. Ince, widely recognized as a woman of unusual ability, has taken a desk at the Culver City Studios and will take an active part in the direction of affairs. “Production activities had been planned for months in the future. Several important pictures were in the course of production at the time of Mr. Ince’s death. Others had been planned. Contracts call for the delivery of others. “As a matter of fact, Mr. Ince was planning to go abroad about the first of the year for an extended vacation and the plans of the Studio had been made with an expectation that he would be absent for some time. “In the course of his years of active production activity, Mr. Ince had built up one of the finest organizations in the history of the industry and the Ince studios were recognized as a model of efficiency in high quality production. “The business of Thomas H. Ince had been operated for several years as a corporation. This fact makes it possible for an uninterrupted continuance of activities. The corporate official personnel consisted of Mr. Ince as president; Mrs. Ince, first vicepresident ; Colvin W. Brown, second vicepresident, and Ingle Carpenter, secretary. Mr. Carpenter has long been personal attorney for Mr. Ince and general counsel for the Ince Corporation. “The fact that Mrs. Ince intends to take an active part in the business was received with much gratification throughout the industry. She had always been a close con fidant and advisor of Mr. Ince. In his earliest experiences as a director and producer she was his active assistant. When Kay-Bee sent Thomas H. Ince West to found Inceville in the days before motion picture production was organized and before its technical equipment was developed, Mrs. Ince was almost constantly with him, and he frequently paid high tribute to the help that she gave him in the preparation of stories, the writing of continuity and the editing of his early pictures. In addition to her long association with Mr. Ince in both the production and business phases of his operations, Mrs. Ince is known as a woman of keen and sound judgment and high literary attainments. “It was Air. Ince’s oft-repeated desire to arrange his business so that it would function without his immediate presence, and to that end he had contemplated a reduction in the number of personally supervised productions in the immediate future. The corporation, through subsidiaries, had contracts with several distributing companies. In contemplation of relieving himself of the entire responsibility for his tremendous business, Mr. Ince last January divided the executive duties of the organization by appointing John Griffith Wray, the well-known director, as general manager of production at the studios, and appointing Colvin W. Brown his Eastern representative vice-president and manager of distribution.” Among the personal tributes paid the late Thomas H. Ince were those by Carl Laemmle, president of Universal Pictures Corporation ; J. D. Williams, president of Ritz-Carlton Pictures ; Associated Motion Picture Advertisers, and M. J. O’Toole, president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America. ( Mr. Laemmle said : “Thomas H. Ince was a credit to this industry; he was a credit to himself ; he was a cerdit to his country. His untimely death was a severe loss to the I ndustry. The accomplisher of a record for consistently high achievements seemed about on the point of the greatest things in his career. Yet the things he had accomplised will remain a fitting monument to his memory. Mr. Williams said: “In the death of Thomas H. Ince the motion picture industry has lost a pioneer whose name will always be remembered. No other man has developed more stars and directors. In the entertainment he had given the world he has left behind him a monument more lasting than bronze.” The A. M. P. A. tribute : “The Associated Motion Picture Advertisers, Inc., at its regular weekly meeting in the Cafe Boulevard, New York, Thursday, Nov. 20, passed a resolution offering its sympathy to Mrs. Nellie K. Ince, widow of Thomas H. Ince, the producer, which was introduced by Vice-President Charles Barrell.” Mr. O’Toole’s message: “The Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America as an organization and through its officers and members keenly regret the death of Thomas H. Ince. We recognize his great service to our industry and the irreparable loss his removal occasions. We join with all others who knew him or who understood and appreciated his art, with the millions who enjoyed the advantage of witnessing his masterful screen productions in the theatres of the United States and elsewhere, in this expression of our sincere sorrow at his sudden passing out of this realm. United Artists to Continue UNITED ARTISTS will continue in business, Joseph M. Schenck, chairman of the Board of Directors, announced this week upon his arrival from the West Coast. All deals for distribution of the product of United Artists stars have been rejected. This ends the rumor that Metro-Goldwyn might handle these pictures. A complete statement is expected before Mr. Schenck sails for Europe. Mr. Schenck’s statement said that “after fully considering various propositions offered, the United Artists have determined to continue with their own distribution. Hiram Abrams will remain in charge. We believe we can best express our thought and maintain our ideals by having our own independent distribution.” “I have never been fully familiar with the problems of distribution,” Mr. Schenck went on to say, “but I intend to start at once to familiarize myself with these problems. And I should like to say this: That any mistakes of the past will be adjusted and sincere efforts will be made to overcome any difficulties which may have developed. We want exhibitors to make money with our product, and to make money on every picture they buy. No exhibitor need buy one more picture from United Artists than he expects to make money with.” Also on the train from the West Coast were Norma Talmadge, Marcus Loew and Mrs. Loew, Lola Bara, Theda Bara's sister; Sidney Franklin, Hans Kraely, Hiram Abrams and John Considine, general manager of the Joseph M. Schenck Productions; Harry Rapf, Mr. and Mrs. David Loew, Dennis F. O’Brien, Robert Fairbanks and Arthur W. Stebbins. Marcus Loew said that he found conditions very good throughout the West.