Moving Picture World (Jul-Sep 1911)

THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD ^75 THE NEW MANAGER. A Dramatic Story of Business Life by Essanay. The Essanay Company's dramatic subject, "The New Manager," released August 4th, is, in the opinion of that company's producers, one of the strongest and most appealing dramas by the Essanay Eastern Company that has been issued in some time. It tells a splendid story, the theme of which is uplifting in its defense of the old. Old Samuel Gorman, according to the story, has been the manager of the hrm of Carlton & Co. for more than thirty years and through his careful and conservative methods he has amassed a large fortune for his employer. However, upon the death of Carlton, head of the firm, young Phillip Carlton steps into his father's business with an earnest desire to make the name of Carlton & Co. world famous. His office staff is composed chiefly of old men with old ideas and when he lays plans before Gorman for a reconstruction of their methods generally, the old man shakes his head and says that only failure can be the result if they adopt the new ideas. Young Carlton is displeased and resolves to sacrifice Gorman for a younger man, believing that what the business needs most is new brains and new blood, so he offers Gorman's position to an old college chum, and Gorman is told that his services are no longer required. Two years pass by and Gorman, who received a $5,000 legacy from old man Carlton, has, by careful investments become a wealthy man, while young Carlton and the firm under the new manager have been steadily sinking until there is but a vestige of the great business left. To make matters worse Carleton meets Miss Gorman, who has just returned from Europe and, not knowing that she is the daughter of the man he threw out of his office, makes love to her and wins her consent to marry. At a reception one evening the match is unceremoniously broken off when the elder Gorman, coming on the scene, informs his daughter that her fiance is the man who threw him out of his position with Carleton & Co. The next day the crash comes. Bankruptcy proceedings are inaugurated against the firm of Carlton & Co. Gorman learns of the company's embarrassment and resolves to help the young man out. After some hesitation the offer is accepted. Carlton grasps Gorman's hand and murmurs his thanks, and his apologies for the caddish part he had played the few years before. That night at the Gorman home Carlton finds Nellie waiting for him and with a happy smile the old man turns his daughter over to the son of his former employer. The new manager is exceptionally well cast with Francis Bushman as young Carlton, and Dorothy Phillips as Nellie Gorman. Bryant Washburn plays the "new manager," and Howard Messimer is excellent as Samuel Gorman. The acting in all parts is discriminatingly subdued, yet played with a quiet fervor and sincerity which is thoroughly convincing. MIRROR SCREEN COMPANY INCREASES CAPITAL STOCK. Papers were filed in Albany with the Secretary of State on July 26 by Thomas F. MacMahon, attorney for the Mirror and Transparent Screen Company of New York, which call for the increasing of the capital stock of that corporation from $5,000 to $50,000. The officers named are Scene from "The New Manager" (Essanay). M. R. Sheedy, president; Frank Manning, vice-president, and Charles F. Pope, secretary and treasurer. A representative of the Motion Picture World was informed by Charles F. Pope, general manager of the company, that it was because of the steadfast increase of business that the company was forced to recapitalize so as to be in accord with the constant widening of their field of operation. "There are more than three hundred mirror screens in actual operation at the present time." continued Mr. Pope. "We have been flooded with inquiries from all parts of the United States during the short time we have been advertising the mirror screen and we found it absolutely necessary to increase our capital so that we might increase our output. Under the old corporation it was only possible for us to put two screens per week on the market. Beginning with next month, however, we will be able to fill orders at the rate of one per day. The prime object of the company is to lease the mirror screen to the smaller picture houses at a nominal sum weekly. This will give the small operators the full benefit of 'Pictures in Daylight' protection in face of the laws that several of the State legislators have under advisement, and at a cost that will not be noticeable in the face of increasing business." The new company have opened offices at the Knickerbocker Theater Building in suites Nos. 203 and 204. Mr. Pope stated that within a week or ten days actual demonstration of the mirror and transparent screens would be given to those interested.