The Moving picture world (May 1921)

May 21, 1921 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 281 Keeping in Personal Touch THE Film Renter and Moving Picture News, of London, takes the English government to task in a recent is- sue. It says some pretty harsh things, and appears to be extremely hot under the collar. The editorial talks about "the in- difference to ordinary codes of honor and frequent breaches of agreement." It seems that the English government passed a war-time measure in 1916 called the Entertainment Tax, which levies a tax on amusements, which the public ultimately pays. The Film Renter says that at the time the measure was passed it was said to be an emergency issue and would be repealed when the need for such emer- gencies could not be backed up by just excuses for their existence. Our worthy brethren make some state- ments that will bear thought in this coun- try. They mention that in the screen ex- hibitors have the most powerful weapon at the disposal of man to wage war against officialdom and re-election. They direct the statements against the members of the House of Commons. It is capable of rous- ing such a storm of indignation against the men responsible that the government cannot withstand the demands. We repeat there is food for thought for the exhibitors and producers in this coun- try. By FRITZ TIDDEN The New York headquarters for George Kleine, formerly located at 110 West For- tieth street, is now in its new offices on the ninth floor of the Tilmar Building, 145 West Forty-fifth street. * * * Marc Klaw is to be congratulated. For the first time in as long as we can re- member, which is a considerable period, there was a private showing before an invited audience that was not horribly over- crowded, when he caused the French film, "J'Accuse," to be presented for the first time in this country at the Ritz, May 10. As far as we could determine everyone was comfortably seated within full view of the screen, and there was no huge overflow and indignation meeting held in the street, as seems to be the usual case, when three times as many invitations are sent out as the particular place will hold. Abel Gance, who wrote and directed the film, was introduced to the audience by Mr. Klaw, who has obtained the American rights to the picture and will present it on Broadway shortly. He made a speech in French and copies translated into English were passed around, but not until after the omnipresent coterie that bursts into applause for any old reason showed their familiarity with the French language. You know, the same people who used to per- form at the Sarah Bernhardt entertain- ments. Many persons prominent in liter- ary, theatrical, motion picture and social circles attended the presentation. Dr. Hugo Reisenfeld directed the orchestra. * * * One of the questions that will be infor- mally decided at the convention of First National branch managers next week will be whether Lieutenant Jim Anderson, of the Washington exchange, or James R. Grainger, special representative for Neilan, Chaplin, Holubar and Grainger, shall play the title role in John Stahl's production of "King Lear." To avoid any subsequent friction, a secret ballot will be taken. * * * Sometimes the movies exaggerate. Selz- nick News pictures a weird wedding cere- mony at which TWO goats were sacrificed. * * * Jack Partington is in New York from the Coast on a visit. * * * Robert Lieber came to town from In- dianapolis the other day. * * * Marie Prevost stopped in Chicago on her way back to the Coast where she will shortly start in work for her first feature for Universal. * * * Ed Rosenbaum, the West Coast publicity representative for Fox, has returned to New York. * * * Milton Hoffman was another visitor from California to arrive in town this week. * * * Joseph F. Coufal, president of the Stand- ard Slide Company, was married, on April 30, to Madeline Foxall. Our service department sug- gests to Harry Reichenbach that there is an idea for star exploita- tion in the news story from Paris which outlines the belligerent in- dignation of Cecile Sorel. Mile. Sorel attended an exhibition of painting and noticed that one of the exhibits was a colored cartoon of herself that was anything but flattering. She promptly slashed it with a knife. And during the excitement that ensued she was robbed of or lost an extremely valuable ruby. Now if one of our stars went into the lobby of a local theatre and saw a cartoon of her- self, such as a Frueh poster— Next month the Century Company will publish a book that should have appeal to motion picture people. It is called "Ye Olden Blue Laws," by Gustavus Myers. The book will go back to the beginning of the blue laws, to the reasons for their enactment, the experiences growing out of them and the final results of that experi- ment. * * * Victor B. Fisher, general manager of the Associated Photoplays, Inc., who is on the Coast conferring with officials of the Spencer Productions, Inc., relative to the series of pictures starring Helen Gibson, has wired his New York office that Miss Gibson is in a hospital in Los Angeles and critically ill as the result of a serious op- eration. * * * George Pardy is contributing regularly an extremely interesting column of sport stuff to The Winning Post. The material is offered in George's well known style and is drawn from his inexhaustible fund of sport information. * * * Next week's features at the following theatres are: Capitol—Will Rogers in "Boys Will Be Boys." Criterion—"The Lost Romance" re- mains. Rialto—Dorothy Dalton in "The Idol of the North." Rivoli—Ethel Clay- ton in "Sham." Strand—Mary Pickford in "Through the Back Door." * * * That party now being framed up by the Louis Mayer outfit for the First National boys next week at the "Flotilla" promises to be a sea-going affair. The password of the evening is B. Y. O. B. * * * Practically the entire projection staffs of the leading Broadway and Brooklyn theatres were the guests of the Nicholas Power Company Friday evening, May 5. They were shown through the plant which was kept running until the small hours of Saturday morning. After lunch was served F. H. Richardson, of Moving Picture World staff, gave an interesting "smoke box" dem- onstration on light rays as applied to pic- ture projection and Power's officials dem- onstrated their latest model "Type E" projector which will soon be on the market. The affair was a great success and lasted until 5 a. m. * * * Ernest Lubitsch, the Bohemian director, contests with D. W. Griffith, the American, for first place on the screens of Broadway this week. Lubitsch's "Deception," with Emil Jannings and Henny Porten, is in the fourth week of its record-breaking run at the Rivoli Theatre and his "Gypsy Blood," with Pola Negri, is the attraction at the Strand. Griffith has "Way Down East" at the Forty-fourth Street, "Dream Street" at the Town Hall and "The Birth of a Nation" at the Capitol. * * * Priscilla Dean recently remarked that if any of the film's bathing girls should run for office they would stand a good chance of winning on their record. They have never concealed anything from the public. * * * Fred Cruze, Rialto house manager, is in Boston acting in a similar capacity, tempo- rarily, for the showing of "Deception" at the Colonial Theatre. * * * Those versatile Goldwyn movie folk: Rupert Hughes composes music; Will Rogers plays the fiddle; J. G. Hawks and John Bowers arc expert sailors; Rex Beach used to be a gold miner; Victor Schert- zinger directs motion pictures, plays nearly every musical instrument, conducts an or- chestra and writes scenarios; Cullcn Landis can run a locomotive and build automo- biles; Frank Lloyd can eat with chop sticks; Gouverneur Morris plays the piano; Ger- trude Athcrton is a historian as well as a novelist and photoplay Wright ; E. Mason Hopper, motion picture director,, is an ex- pert chef; Reginald Barker is a shark as a fisherman; Howard Deitz is a poet, and Lynde Denig plays tennis as well as he does chess. * * * Some time ago Walter Wanger tendered his resignation as production manager of Famous Players-Lasky. At the time it was