Moving Picture World (Sep - Oct 1918)

September 21, 1918 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1713 Fanning the "Flaming Front." PHILIP FOX, of the Dallas TimesHerald, who represents the World down that way, adopted a peculiar method in sending his report of the grand opening Little Italy put across for the First National's stirring war feature. He sent the following story to Herschel Stuart, of the Hippodrome. It burned Mr. Stuart's fingers until he got it over to Douglas Hawley, representing the First National in Dallas, and Mr. Hawley thoughtfully slipped it along to RAMBLES, where it reposes, with credit and acclaim, as follows: Hulsey's Hippodrome, Dallas, was delicately decorated with hanging festoons of macaroni — Italy's national flower — when members of the Dallas Italian colony first viewed "Italy's Framing Flunt." A patriotic atmosphere of garlic pervaded the entire playhouse, and as Garabaldi's Battle Hymn was thundered on the organ many a swarthy Sicilian bootblack blew his nose on his bandana in profound emotion. Signor Herschello Stuartado addressed the assembled Italians in their native tongue, receiving hearty "bravas." "Benevuto cellini shinola tribuna Italiana charlie pappa. Fra Diabolo bologna in tres partes divisa est. Sursum corda," he declared. The noted impresario was escorted from the stage by members of the organ grinders union. Local No. 534 — who at request of the management had checked their monks in the lobby. A clever feature introduced was the distribution of programs in the form of Black Hand letters each bearing the skull and cross bones of La Mana Nera, and, thus, making the audience feel perfectly at home. Ushers wore the conventional evening dress of the Texas and Pacific track gangs blue overalls, pick and shovel, and gay colored bandanas. They welcomed the patrons with specially studied gestures. Thrilling scenes of the great battle film which showed the Italian fighters scrambling through the spahgetti entanglements and lustily bayonetting the Huns brought the audience cheering to its feet. The whole occasion was a well deserved success. — w s s Mae Murray, in "Modern Love," is happily released by Universal closely following the star's up-to-date divorce case. — w^ s s — "The Marvelous Maciste," "Monster of Fate" are two products of Hanover Film Co. that synchronize. — w s s — Converts Barn Into Picture Theatre. — Trade Paper Headline. Why not install a stock company? — w s s — Sohmer's "Ruling Passions" Arouses Exhibitor Interest. — Trade Paper Headline. Said R P's being good shows and attendent profits. — w s s What Does Press Copy Cost? Being thus inclined the Popular Science Monthly has figured on the cost per letter of your business correspondence. Figure for yourself what mimeographing for publicity costs after you have read the following scientific expression: Taking into consideration the cost of stationery and stamps, the salary of the stenographer, cost of all accessories to the typewriter, all overhead charges, and last, but not least, cost of time of the man who dictates the letters, it works out at 40 cents per letter, and that is an absolute minimum! — w s s — ■ ■ The combined lives possessed by a litter of kittens would not total the different kinds of finishes the Kaiser is enjoying in films. — w s s — Stripping a motion picture poster does not constitute indecent exposure In any court of law. If you have been arrested for this go to jail ratiier than pay a fine. Rambles Round Filmtown Here's a Letter from "Over There." Stanley Bayer, who kicked the old mimeograph into the corner of World Pictures educational department and went to join the colors, reached France within six weeks of the time he shook hands w^ith Lee Kugel and the rest of "the bunch." Through the courtesy of Mr. Kugle we are allowed to print this much of Mr, Bayer's first letter home: "The past month has seen me make Argosy through the States, across the ocean, and partly through France with the rest of Young America. "The lamp of Aladdin is puny in poicers compared to the capacity of Uncle Sam to transport one about. We are noiv comfortably settled at a part not so very distant from the front, yet with all the appliances of our home camps. The manner in which ice are doing things here would seem to indicate almost permanency. The huge warehouses, miles of railroads, scores of barracks— ivell, the sight doth boggle the eyes! Everyone has high hopes these days that the affair ivill come to a speedy and satisfactory conclusion. "Then there is the efficiency of the French which is making its power felt in curbing our impetuousness. Imagine the Frenchman, who is a cynic in some icays, looks with smiling condescension upon our will and aggressiveness. He's had four years of it. "Still France is marvelously unaffected by the u-ar. It is accepted as a fact. The icomen and children and older generation of men pursue their tasks with usual accustomness, and life travels with few ripples. At the railroad stations it is familiar to see a number of men returning to their commands in gaily decorated cars and a Vusty celebration accompanying their departure. "Everything back home seems such a far cry from this present life that it appears to have dissolved in the mist of Time. Here you are so preoccupied with little details that any memories are fast eliminated. But that's treading on the tragic muse, and before I descend to that, I'll close." — w s s Mrs Castle started something when she loaned her name to a series of articles in a New York daily. Other film queens may now be expectea to become "interviewers" for the love lorn— and talk about themselves while getting paid for it. — w s s — "How Firm the Foundation." Charley Chaplin has a letter from Corporal Johnnie Douglas which carries this sentiment: "Tell Sidney and Minnie not to worry about my getting mail. If it don t catch up to me in France I'll get it through General Delivery, Berlin." — w s s — Stuart Holmes has completed a poster for the fourth Liberty Loan drive upon which he has been working all summer. The drawing shows all the countries representing a face, with Germany illustrated by an ulcer. Uncle Sam dressed as a surgeon is shown cauterizing poisoned Germany. No Chance for Caustic Comment. — w s s • Nat L. Royster, sales manager of Special Features Company, Knoxville, Tenn., sent to the World a cotton blossom in full flower with the remark: "Cotton is good so is the 'movies.' " Which gives opportunity, appropos of nothing at all to assert that while Germany will not acknowledge Yankee corn it would like to admit the cotton. — w s s — Films are shipped in metal cases because they fit. If they came in paper containers they would be beer. — w s s Sessue Hayakawa is prepared for gasless Sundays. The Jinricksha he recently received from Tokio may be inspired by gin insteal of petrol. From Scenes of Much Film Bravery. LATE in the season there comes a discussion as to the desirability of bathing in the Hudson at Hazard's Landing and above Englewood Ferry house. The public prints have carried charges and counter-charges over the signatures of George W. Perkins, president of Palisades Interstate Park Commission, and Edward Hatch. Film stars who have slid down ropes, plunged into the Hudson, and otherwise made life gay along the beautiful Palisades would be surprised and shocked to read the stuff Mr. Hatch turned out. By the way, Mr. Hatch is ''chairman of the Committee on Pollution and Sewerage of the Merchants' Association. More Pollution and Sewerage: Trade paper go-cart campaign against the scandalous film industry. Waistcoat wastage for summer suits. Suspenders and belts at one and the same time. Alleged press sheets printed on both sides. The use of UPPER CASE in film publicity copy. Eighth run mimeograph copy. Stills with an "extra" in the foreground; the star peeking out from behind a tree in deep centre. Advertisements prepared for use in metropolitan dailies submitted as "aids" to an exhibitor in Opelaka, Ala. "Longs" sent to papers that only use "shorts." — Vf s s — Giving the Wife the Worst of It. "Husband and Wife" (World). "For Husbands Only" (Jewel). "A Husband's Mistake' (Biograph). "A Husband's Awakening" (Lubin). "Her Husband's Honor First" (Mutual). W S E How Publicists Break Into Print. Dropping into one of Holyoke's leading cinemagogues I happened across a copy of the M. P. World, and, in perusing it, discovered my name in with a lot of other bandits connected with the industry that used to be in its infancy. I could pull a lot of this "I knew you when" stuff, but I don't believe in hurting a guy's rep when he's in there trying all the time. But look here, Mr. RAMBLER, when you say I am press agent for a Holyoke Paper Factory, I want to tell you something. I ain't press agent for no single paper factory, but for twenty-nine of them, and I guess that beats writing press notices like I know a certain guy used to. If you want to know who I work for I'll tell you, you big stiff. I work for the American Writing Paper Company, I do, the largest manufacturers of Fine Writing Papers in the world. Look for the "Eagle A." Of course you don't know anything about Fine VVritluss, but maybe some of your friends do. While I'm about it, I want to tell you that Curley Welch is a hot guy to be boasting, as I know about him too, and I can see no reason why you should be giving yourself an ad when the whole country will be dry pretty soon. Any further remarks of this scurrilous nature will be turned over to my New York attorneys — Park & Tilford — so take heed lest you also get into the legal columns of the papers the same as Bill Johnson, Lesley Mason and some more of those guys have. Not wishing you anything worse than an ulcerated tooth, I remain. Insultingly yours EDWARD B. MULLEN. — w s s — Julius Singer is perplexed. With three shipping clerks gone to war the fourth left last week. King-Bee's Brooklyn representative has joined the naval reserves and the Jersey representative is working in a ship yard. Julius is now trying to induce exhibitors to volunteer — to come to his office and do their booking in person. Good Trick If He Don't Do It. — w s s Nuff sed. THE RAMBLER.