The Moving picture world (April 1921)

474 MOVING PICTURE WORLD April 2, 1921 Educational Makes Big Comedy Contract; White, Hamilton and Adams Are Signed EW. HAMMONS, president of Educational Films Corporation of America, . and its distributing subsidiary, Educational Film Exchanges, Inc., announces that he has signed a contract with Jack White and Lloyd Hamilton for the production of twelve two-reel Mermaid Comedies a year for a period of three years. At the same time he announced a contract with Astra Film Corporation for eight tworeel comedies featuring Jimmie Adams, which will be delivered in the next twelve months. These will also be released under the Mermaid brand name, which is owned by Educational, making a total of twenty of these comedies a year, an increase of eight over the past year. Since the organization of Educational's exchange system Astra has been making the Mermaid Comedies for Educational, Lloyd Hamilton starring in half of them and Jimmie Adams in the other half. Jack White, who is recognized as one of the geniuses of the comedy field, has supervised the production of all of them. These pictures are reported to have enjoyed the greatest popularity that has ever been accorded a new series, and the high productions standards that Educational has required to be maintained has been responsible. Form Own Companies Under the new arrangement Jimmie Adams will remain with Astra, but the contracts of Hamilton and White have expired and they have decided to organize their own producing company to make pictures for Educational. Both of them are now in New York and they will make at least one and probably other comedies here, starting work within a short time. They expect to produce a higher grade of pictures than in the past because they will have greater facilities, and their long term distribution arrangement with Educational insures a permanency of booking that they have not enjoyed in the past. Lloyd Hamilton will be the star in six of thse comedies and six others will be personally directed by Jack White with a new featured player whose name will be announced shortly. A number of players who have scored unusual successes in the comedy field have also been placed under contract and the entire roster of available material will be coinsidered in selecting full companies. Young But Capable While he is one of the youngest directors, Jack White has established an enviable position in his field where he is regarded as a leader in making the lighter productions. As a boy of fourteen he began work in 1912 as an office boy at the Mack Sennett studios and gradually worked through all departments of the studio, including scenario writing and cutting until he became a director. He left there to become a director in Sunshine Comedies, where he originated the lion pictures, the first in which animals supplied a greater portion of the laughs. In 1919 he attracted still greater attention by his direction of "A Twilight Baby," which was released by First National. It was in making this picture that he became closely identified with Hamilton, who was featured in it. Hamilton is easily one of the best known of all comedy actors. He began his career as an advance man with a circus and from that went into stock in California and later became leading man with James K. Hackett. He then had experience in vaudeville and burlesque and then became associated with the old Kalem company, where he played in 134 single-reel "Ham and Bud" comedies. He later joined the Sunshine Company and appeared in many of the biggest successes of this brand. When White decided to join the Astra forces Hamilton accompanied him. Investigated Policy Tentative arrangements for the contract with White and Hamilton were made by Mr. Hammons during his recent visit to Los Angeles but he declined to sign a contract at that time because he wanted them to personally investigate Educational's policies and plans and to consider in comparison the many other offers that they had obtained. "We know," says Mr. Hammons, "that in the period that we have been distributing comedies we have established ourselves in an unquestioned position in this field. We occupy the distinction of being the one organization maintaining exchanges in every center in the United States and Canada and confining our attention to short subjects. We feel that we have fulfilled our promise to supply the theatre with everything except the feature. "When we decided to enter the comedy field we considered a vast amount of material, far the greater portion of which we rejected because we did not believe it met our standard. We resisted any temptation to have quantity at the expense of quality. We have allowed many other series of comedies to go to others because we did not believe them quite up to our mark. And we have had no reason to regret this action. The Mermaids Comedies were one that met our standard and with White, Hamilton and Adams they from the start met an exhibitor appreciation that is not surpassed by any other series. "However, we have wanted more than this. We want every producing unit that is associated with us to be 100 per cent. Educational in spirit. For that reason I told White and Hamilton in Los Angeles that I wanted them with us, but that first I wanted them to come to New York, to investigate all of their flattering offers and to become fully acquainted with the policies and practices of Educational. They have done so and their contract is the result, and both are fully assured that they selected the best releasing agency in motion pictures." Incorporations Fewer in Picture Industry There was a decided slump in the number of motion picture concerns incorporating in New York State during the past week, when only five filed the necessary papers. These companies, the amount of capitalization, and directors for the first year follow: Yankee Film Corporation, $10,000, Samuel Borchardt, James R. Boswell, William A. Leith, New York City ; Four Horsemen Exhibiting Corporation, $5,000, Nelson and Norbert Ruttenberg, S. Edward Fink, New York; Mastodon Films, Inc., $20,000, Charles C. Burr, William T. Lackey, A. J. Romagna, New York; Affiliated Distributors, Inc., $20,000 with the same directors as the Mastododn Films Inc.; Burnside Theatre Corporation. $5,000, J. A. Lewis, Myron Butler and R. L. Scheriner, of New York City. Dyer Dead Wayne Dyer, booker at the Pittsburgh Universal branch, is dead from pneumonia. THESE THREE FIGURE TN A BIG CONTRACT On the left and right are seen Lloyd Hamilton and Jack White, res pectively, <who have signed for three years to make Mermaid Comedies for Educational, whose president, E. W. Hammons, is seen in the center