The Moving picture world (August 1921)

816 MOVING PICTURE WORLD August 20, 1921 "Foolish Wives" is (the grammar doesn't sound right) to have a permanent home on Broadway. Uni- versal has leased the Central Theatre for one year, from September 4. The big von Stroheim production will go in there as soon as it is ready for an extended engagement. When it is played out another big Universal production will go in the house. The theatre deal was closed by R. H. Cochrane and J. J. Shu- bert. It is said that $100,000 was deposited to Shubert's account by Universal on the day the lease was signed. * * * Maud (no "e" please) Robinson Toombs, the Universal space grab- ber who makes life miserable for the New York newspaper movie edit- ors, has pasted a new slogan under the cuckoo clock over her desk: "Women with husbands die earlier than spinsters." Wonder if this is a subtle bit of publicity for "Foolish Wives"? Owen Moore, whose first wife was Mary Pickford, and who lately married his leading woman, Kathryn Perry, is preparing a Selznick comedy to be titled "Love Is an Awful Thing." At a meeting held Tuesday, Au- gust 2, at the home office of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, the organization of the Paramount Club was effected. More than 100 employes and executives of the com- pany were present and the follow- ing officers were elected: President, Eugene Zukor; vice- president, Oscar Morgan ; secretary, Belle Goldstein; treasurer, E. A. Brown; board of governors, H. C. Wiley, G. E. Akers, R. W. Saun- ders, G. B. J. Frawley, Paul L. Morgan. The next move will be the adop- tion by the officers and board of governors of a definite plan of oper- ation. The purpose of the club is purely social, with special attention given to athletics and amateur the- atricals. All members of the home office staff, including both execu- tives and employes, are eligible to membership. * * * Sid Smith, who risks his life for the Hallroom Boys comedies, has AN UNUSUAL HOBBY Lila Lee, leading woman in Para- mount pictures, collects Kewpie dolls added a new laurel to his already plentiful supply, for he has just won an important film golf championship in Hollywood. All of the crack studio players were entered in the tournament. * * * Louis K. Marangella, formerly on the publicity staff of the Selznick Enterprises and late editor of Mo- tion Picture Life, has joined the publicity department of Warner Bros, and will work in conjunction with Lon Young and Eddie Bonns in preparing special publicity and exploitation material. * * * "As Morrie Believes John V. W. Weaver Might Find a Theme in the Rupert Hughes Film," Goldwyn Clip Sheet says over a poem by Morrie Ryskind. We'll wager a stringless tennis racket against a last week's pass to the Capitol that Morrie believed it was as John V. A. Weaver might prospect for the said theme. * * * H. O. Davis and Sig Schlager are on their way to New York from the West Coast. * * * President Abe Warner of War- ners' Exchanges gave a "blow out" to his entire exchange staff on August 8 in appreciation of their individual and collective efforts in not only maintaining but increasing the vol- ume of business of the exchange throughout the hottest period of the summer. The affair consisted of a supper at the Astor following a the- atre party at "Two Little Girls in Blue." * * * One of the highest honors among the men who make the movies—the chair of director of the Motior- Picture Directors' Association in California—has changed hands four times this year. Reginald Barker's term expired in April and William D. Taylor was elected. Taylor went abroad to recover his health and left the chair to Charles Giblyn The latter was called to New York, so Barker stepped back in. Now Taylor is back, and this week re- sumes his office. * * * Hugo Riesenfeld is preparing an elaborate music setting for "The Affairs of Anatol." the Cecil B. DeMille special production for Para- mount, which is to be shown at an indeterminate date at one of the Riesenfeld theatres. * * * Buster Keaton and Mrs. Keaton (Natalie Talmadge) have just re- ceived a Rolls Royce for a wedding present. The donor is Joe Schenck. * * * Pete Milne is enjoying the climate of Maine and working in the Hol- man Day studio, writing titles for that company's productions. * * * S. R. Kent, general manager of distribution for Famous Players- Lasky, left New York August 10 on a tour covering twenty-five of the Paramount exchanges, includ- ing Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Denver, Kansas City and St. Louis. In addition to closing up several large contract matters pend- ing, Kent will hold a series of gen- eral conferences with the entire per- sonnel of each exchange. He will be absent from New York between forty and forty-five days. * ' * * L. T. Pellerin, of the R. D. Lewis Film Company, Dallas, is in New York at present. This week he pur- chased two series from Aywon. * * * Hugo Riesenfeld gave two theatre parties last week. On August 4 at the Rialto he entertained 100 stu- dents of Public Xight School 32 and on August 5 twenty-five convales- cent ex-service men from Fox Hills were his guests in the same house. "What's a Wife Worth?" asks one film title. "If Women Only Knew" sighs another. Edward Falck, for several years an important member of Hugo Rie- senfeld's music staff at the Rivoli, Rialto and Criterion theatres, has been appointed chief of the depart- ment which sets the elaborate music scores to photoplays exhibited at those houses. Last week Riesenfeld made two other important changes in his music department. Joseph Littau, who was pianist at the Rivoli when that house opened and who, a year later, became assistant conductor at the Rivoli, has been promoted to the conductorship of the Rialto orches- tra, where he shares the desk with Riesenfeld. Emanuel Baer, for sev- eral years assistant to Riesenfeld in arranging musical settings for photo- plays, has been appointed to the as- sistant conductorship of the Rivoli orchestra. Falck assumes the duties of the post left vacant by the pro- motion of Baer. * * * Ernest Shipman has sufficiently re- covered from a five weeks' illness to be able to take a trip to Canada. He left August 9 and is expected back within a week. * * * It is claimed, and as far as we know, justifiably, that Brownie, the Century Comedy wonder dog, is the only canine to have his picture used on the front cover of a moving pic- ture magazine. A recent issue of the Moving Picture Weekly used a pen drawing of the marvelous dog's head in that place. * * * Robert G. Vignola, director of spe- cial productions for Cosmopolitan, left New York for the West Coast this week to direct Marion Davies, Cosmopolitan star, in a new pro- duction. This production will be Vignola's first work since his re- turn recently from a six weeks' va- cation. His last production for Cos- mopolitan was "Enchantment." starring Marion Davies, which he finished just prior to his leaving on his holiday. Accompanying Vignola on his western trip are Forrest Stanley, Luther Reed, who is doing the con- tinuity, Phil Masy, Vignola's as- sistant, Ira Morgan, cameraman, and several other assistants. * » * Don Walk (no thoroughfare), of the Universal advertising depart- ment, apparently doesn't when he steps on a tennis court. That Don must wield a pretty mean racquet is evident in the fact that last Sat- urday he took four straight sets from C. A. Hill, assistant manager of Universal export department, at the latter's home in Bayonne. And Hill is no slouch. He say's he'll get even, if he has to swing a rac- quet for ten years to do it. * * * Sam Grand, of Federated Ex- changes, Boston, was in town last week to close a deal with the War- ner Brothers whereby thev will open independent exchanges in Buffalo and Albany to handle the Federated output and special state rights pro- ductions. * * * They have decided to change the name of "Peter Ibbetson" to "For- ever." * * * You can't coax Reginald Barker from California. A rumor that he had arranged to produce in the East was published the other day and he promptly squelched it. "I will work right here in California where mv family lives and where I have made my most successful productions hitherto," he declared. * * * Now that May Hopkins has fin- ished playing one of the leading roles in Goldwyn's "The Grim Com- edian" by Rita Weiman, she has re- turned to New York for a single picture. A prominent producer is now ne- gotiating with her and after arrange- ments are completed and the pic- ture is made, Miss Hopkins will re- turn to the Coast where she will play leads for a new company which will start production early this fall. Theaters holding "Three Sev- ens" and "A Pair of Sixes" are sure of a full house. Nils Granlund has returned to his desk up in the Loew offices after a long siege of illness. * * * Claud Saunders, director of the division of exploitation for Famous Players-Lasky, left this week for a tour of Paramount exchanges in the West. He will visit Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Omaha, Des Moines, Minneapolis, Chicago and other key cities. Saunders expects to return in about three weeks. CLAUD SAUNDERS