The Moving picture world (January 1922)

290 MOVING PICTURE WORLD January 21. 1922 News of the West Coast ^27 A.H.GIEBLER The Robert Brunton studios were formally taken over at noon Tues- day, January 2, by a group of bankers and producers, headed by M. C. Levee, and will be known hereafter as United Studios, Inc. The board of directors consists of Mr. Levee, F. L. Hutton, of the brokerage firm of E. F. Hutton & GDmpany; Garretson Dulin and Robert Hunter, of the investment bond house of Hunter, Dulin & Company; Joseph M. Schenck, who controls the starring and production activities of Norma Talmadge, Con- stance Talmadge and Buster Keaton; Watterson Rothacker, an extensive operator of motion picture labora- tories, and Henry S. Mackey, Jr., of the law firm of Flint-Mackey. Mr. Mackey is also attorney for United Studios. The administrative officers are Mr. Levee, president and treasurer; Fred EL Pelton, vice president; Henry Mackey, secretary; R. W. Allison, assistant treasurer, and C. A. Worthington. assistant secretary. The Brunton holdings in the studios were purchased by Mr. Levee, Mr. Schenck, Lewis J. Selz- nick, Myron Selznick, Joseph Aller, of the Rothacker-AUer Laboratories; Jack Coogan, Sr., and Allen Holubar. * * • Jack Mulhall, well-known leading man, was married last week to Miss Evelyn X. Winans, recently of San Francisco, and now an actress of the Los Angeles film colony. Jack Mulhall's first wife w^as Bertha Vuillott, a Parisian beauty, who died shortly after their marriage. His second wife was Laura Bunton, who committed suicide' last year, leaving a small son. Jack Mulhall, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Mulhall will continue their film work following a brief honey- moon. * * • One of the newest producing or- ganizations to have been incorpor- ated under the laws of California to operate under the co-operative plan, is the new concern that will be known as the Co-operative Produc- ers, Inc. F. H. Croghan, a capitalist, oi Los Angeles, has been elected presi- dent, and well-known players to be identified with the company are Lewis S. Stone, Lon Chaney, Noah Beery, Henry Otto, David Hartford and Jack Donovan. The company is capitalized for 1250,000, and expects to begin work shortly in rented quarters at the Universal City studios. Business offices are at 3274 West Sixth street. Options on a number of stories for filming have been secured. Besides Mr. Croghan as president, other officers are David M. Hart- ford, vice president; Edward Alex- ander, secretary, and E. F. Keltmi, treasurer. The principals, such as directors, stars, actors and cameramen, used in making a picture, will receive a part of their salaries in cash and the balance will be invested by them in the picture. * * * One of the most important deals in local film circles in some time was closed this week with the purchase of the Clune Film Exchanges of Los .■\ngeles and San Francisco by the Cinema Distributing Company. The Clune Exchanges were estab- lished eighteen years ago. Offices in Portland and Seattle will be opened by the new company. The transfer of this film property is probably the first move by \N'. H. SCEXE FROM "GOOD AM) EVIL." RELEASED BY Win GUNNING. INC. HOB ART BOSiVORTH IN "WHITE HANDS," A MAX GRAF PRODUCTION, RELEASED BY WID GUNNING, INC.. OF WHICH BIG THINGS ARE EXPECTED Clune, pioneer producer and exhibi- tor, in the direction of retirement. The executive board of the new company is composed of C. .-K. Cook, F. N. Lupton, T. M. Gullick. T. M. Gullick, T M. Newman, F. E. Sam- uels, F. C. Chipmin and C. C. Craig, all experienced in various branches of the film industry, and some of them formerly of .the W. H. Clune staff. Plans are under way to make their company the largest indepen- dent film exchange on the Pacific Coast. * • • Thomas H. Ince, while preparing to depart for San Francisco for the holidays, became ill of ptomaine poisoning and had to postpone his trip. He had accepted an invitation to attend a business club luncheon in the Northern city, and the presenta- tion of his new picture, "Hail the Woman," at the Tivoli Theatre. Clark W. Thomas, general manager of the Ince studios, and as repre- .sentative of Mr. Ince, attended various meetings and receptions. Dr. Orlando Edgar Miller, presi- dent of the International Society of .\pplied Ps>xhology, who has just returned from Mexico, is making efforts to interest L. .\. capital in the building of a film studio in Mexico. Dr. Milicr has held a series of conferences with Laurence A. Lambert, president of the National Motion Picture Finance Company, and the proposition is being con- sidered by the finance company. William J. Quinn, formerly book- ing manager for the entire string of West Coast Theatre picture houses, has been appointed manager of the Kinema Theatre and began his duties on January 1. He succeeds Edward A. Smith. Culleti Landis in "Watch Your Step' Goldwyn's young leading man. Cullen Landis, is featured in "Watch Your Step," a picture of small town life written directly for the screen-- and for Landis—by Julien Josephson. Mr. Josephson is the man who started Charles Ray on the way to stardom with his screen plays about small town characters. "Watch Your Step" is in much the same vein and is a comedy with romantic trimmings with an especial appeal to young folks and to all old folks who remember that they were once young. William Beaudine directed "Watch Your Step." Youthful Patsy Ruth Miller plays opposite Landis, while others in the cast are John Cossar, Bert Woodruff, Ra>-mond Cannon. Henry Rattenbury, L. H. King, Cordelia Callahan, .Mbert Lee and George Pearce. Rooting for Gunning Film The clubwomen of Cleveland have been lined up as rooters for "Our Mutual Friend," the Wid Gunning picturization of Dicken's last novel, according to a report to the Wid Gunning home offices from C. E. Holah, the org^anization's Cleveland representative. Lee Moran Making Another Comedy Lee Moran's third comedy for Century is completed. It is called "Upper and Lower," and was directed by Alf Goulding. His fourth picture, which is now in pro- duction, is called "The Janitor."