Moving Picture World (Sep - Oct 1918)

September 21, 1918 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1715 Dallas Great Distributor of Pictures for Army Men DALLAS film men believe their city is the greatest distribution point for army motion pictures in the United States. They do not even bar New York and other eastern centers in the classification. Seven great cantonments, besides scores of flying fields, training camps and military posts, scattered from northern Oklahoma to the Rio Grande border line, are supplied their films by Dallas branch houses at absolute cost. Some 300,000 soldiers depend on Dallas film exchanges for the war-time entertainment which is so dear to their hearts. Films from Dallas are regularly supplied the Liberty theatres at the cantonments at Camp Logan, Houston ; Camp Bowie, Fort Worth; Camp Pike, Little Rock, Ark.; Camp Doniphan, Fort Sill, Okla.; Camp McArthur, Waco; Camp Travis, San Antonio, and Camp Cody, Deming, N. M. The very best features on the market are sent from Dallas for the entertainment of the troops at the Liberty theatres, and the local film exchanges have all agreed to give Uncle Sam's boys the rock-bottom prices and not make a penny on the business. Literally scores of smaller encampments, flying fields, etc., such as Taliferro. Fort Worth; Call Field, Wichita Falls ; Camp Stanley, Leon Springs ; Aviation Repair Depot, Love Field, and Camp Dick, at Dallas ; Kelly Field, San Antonio, and many other army posts in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, call for hundreds of films weekly from Dallas exchanges through the Motion Picture Community Service, with headquarters at San Antonio. This army business amounts to thousands of dollars on the books of all Dallas exchanges, and the film men take the extra trouble gladly. Routing for army service has been brought down to a science. The Community Camp Service calls for films to be on the road for about sixtj^ days at a stretch. Along the Rio Grande border, for instance, a continuous stream of films is kept moving along the line of border posts, many of which are in out of the way places, far from the railroad on the Mexican line. A film leaves Dallas brand new and comes back two months later worn to ribbons. The soldiers appreciate the service given through Dallas branches, and many letters of thanks and commendation have been received from officers and men. BRITANNIA IN LEHRMAN COMEDY. One of the features of a recent FoxLehrman Sunshine Comedy, made in Hollywood under the direction of Henry Lehrman, is the presence in the picture of the famous British tank Britannia, which vvas among the first of. the land monsters that terrified the Germans in the battle of the Somme in 1916. The comedy, it is understood, takes several telling smashes at disloyal Americans and pro-Germans in this country. Canadian officers who were in Los Angeles to attend a war exposition heard of the comedy and were so enthusiastic over the idea that they lent the Britannia to use in the picture. The tank was handled in the play by the origiiral crew that piloted it over the front in France. Naomi Childers, Who Will Play With Ethel Barrymore in Metro Screen Version of "Lady Frederick." Naomi Childers in Metro Play N AOMI CHILDERS will have an attractive role in Ethel Barrymore's Metro offering, "Lady Frederick." The picturization of this Maugham drama was made by June Mathis and Katharine Kavanaugh, and the stage production itself was a starring vehicle for Miss Barrymore on Broadway a few seasons ago. Miss Childers will play Lady Kitty Beresford. This well-known actress has proceeded from the spoken drama to the screen and back again, and this, her first appearance in a Metro offering, is her first screen work in over a year. Five years ago Miss Childers played for Kalem. Then came a two years' contract with Vitagraph, followed by starring ventures in two productions for the U. S. Amusement Company. Her most recent footlight appearance was with H. B. Warner in "Among Those Present" when it was presented at the Blackstone Theatre in Chicago last spring. Naomi Childers wa.s born in St. Louis. Her first stage appearance was under the management of Henry W. Savage and H. H. Frazee. KENYON JOINS METRO. A. G. Kenyon is a recent addition to the scenario staff at Metro's west coast studios in Hollywood. George D. Baker, manager of production, engaged Kenyon after the latter had made an adaptation of "Faith," a short story by Richard Washburn Child, soon to be used as a starring vehicle by Bert Lytell. Kenyon formally began work when he started writing the screen version of a story for Lytell's use. The new Metro scenario writer is a brother of Charles Kenyon, author of "Kindling" and part author of "The Claim," which was picturized for Metro with Edith Storey as the star. He entered the scenario game a year ago last April with Universal under the supervision of Colonel Jasper Ewing Brady, now with Metro in New York. After eight months with Universal Kenyon went with Fox, writing original stories and continuities. He left Fox three weeks prior to joining Metro. General Film Company Is Regrouping Its Exchanges GENERAL FILM has just made several important appointments in its sales organization, and at the same time instituted a districting or grouping of its exchanges throughout the country. Four supervising exchange executives or district managers have been appointed, in accordance with this movement. Working under sales manager W. F. Rodgers, these district managers are to coordinate and facilitate the film merchandizing activities of the company. The district managers most recently appointed are, H. L. Orear for the central district, with headquarters at Cincinnati, and H. E. Elder for the Atlantic division, with headquarters at Philadelphia. Mr. Orear's jurisdiction includes the exchanges at Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit and Indianapolis. Mr. Elder will supervise the Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Wilkes-Barre and Pittsburgh exchanges. Appointments made shortly before these were of T. F. McTyer for the southern district, headquarters Atlanta, involving the Atlanta, New Orleans and Dallas exchanges, and of W. S. Rand for. the western district, headquarters Los Angeles, with the Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Portland exchanges included. An expansion and strengthening of its organization had been planned by General Film Company for some time. In fact the announcements now made have logically followed a gradual realignment of the system in all the local branches. The movement has been going on for some months. Mr. Orear, Central District Manager, is a General Film veteran, having been with the company for the last seven years and for the greater part of this time at Kansas City and Cincinnati. The latter branch is now to be conducted by George Davis, promoted from the sales staff of the exchange. Equally well known to friends of General Film is Mr. Elder. He was manager at St. Louis for a long time and recently took charge of the Washington office. He is succeeded there by J. A. Flax, who has been assistant manager for some time and who is one of the oldest employes with General Film. In the various changes the General Film policy of making promotions in the organization wherever conditions encourage them has been followed. Another recent move is the transfer of George J. Ekre from the management of the Portland exchange to a larger field as manager of the Los Angeles office. METRO EMPLOYES GIVE FLAG. Metro employes, always foremost in patriotic measures, recently presented a handsome silk unit flag to 101 Red Cross nurses just prior to the embarkation of these young women for their duties overseas. Miss Winifred Lynch, formerly a Metro player, was responsible for Metro's interest in this particular unit, which was, to be exact, the United States Government Emergency Unit, Base Hospital 67, of which Miss Lynch is now an enthusiastic member. David M. Thompson took up the collection.