The Moving picture world (November 1922-December 1922)

434 MOVING PICTURE WORLD December 2, 1922 Sol Lesser Merges Three Companies Into One Big Producing-Distributing Concern A deal merging three of the largest companies in the business and co-ordinating activities that embrace every angle of picture production and distribution, involving millions of dollars, has been closed through the efforts of Sol Lesser, according to a despatch from Los Angeles. The three corporations with which he has been associated in an executive capacity have been merged into one and plans have been matured to launch forth as a studio-holding organization. 'Sure-Fire Flint" Sets New Record By tlie terms of tlie deal, the West Coast Theatres, operating more than sixty theatres ; the Western Pictures Exploitation Company, doing a general releasing and exploiting business, and the Principal Pictures Corporation, which has been producing pictures at the United studios in Los Angeles, have been consolidated into one huge enterprise, known as the Principal Pictures Corporation and officered by Adolph Ramish, M. Gore, Michael Rosenberg and Sol Lesser, the latter serving as general manager. Big Features Getting Money PITTSBURGH (Special)— A careful analytic stud.v of the pictures that are grossing the biggest rentals for e.xhibitors shows that the honor goes to the big features. Independent exchanges with big productions are doing a tremendous busiiiiss. judging rtum the number of bookings observed not only in this city, but in cities and towns within :i radius of 30 miles. Fifteen acres of property, ideally located, have been secured on option and negotiations are proceeding towards the acquisition of the tract. Two huge stages will be built and an equipment of the most modern character will be installed. Twelve pictures per year will be made at a cost said to aggregate not less than $2,400,000. Four of these will be of the "super-excellence" calibre based on classic literature. All productions will be conceived and directed according to the best ideals of motion picture art, said Mr. Lesser. Michael Rosenberg will be Western manager, with Irving Lesser in charge of the Eastern office. Arthur Bernstein is studio manager and Harry Wilson head of the exploitation and publicity department, with Walter .Anthony in charge of the scenario branch. "The World's a Stage." with Dorothy Phillips, is the first release. This is an Elinor Glyn story. The West Coast Theatres Corporation operates a string of coast iheatres and also finances the Jackie Coogan productions. .Ml stories have been selected for the first year's activities, which may embrace also a continuance of Jackie Coogan. pictures if present negotiations between the Sol Lesser group and Jack Coogan, Sr., are terminated agreeabl}'. In that case, as at present. Jack Coogan, Sr., \Vill personally supervisie the Jackie Coogan productions. The company is now workiner on the hext Coogan picture, Eddie Clinc directing. The story is an adaptation of James Otis' "Toby Tyler." Leon D. Netter. representing Al I.ichtman Corporation, was here last week. Netter is well known in this city, having formerly conducted the Masterpiece exchange here. He was the host of Joe Lefko while here. Harry Grelle. of .Supreme PhotoPlays Productions, Inc.. is busily engaged lining up first-run dates for bis newest acquisition, "What's Wrong AVith the Women?" — the Kquity special. .Toe Lefko. of the Federated and Al Lichtman Exchanges, is absolutely sold on the latest Preferred Picturi, "Shadows." He has hooked up some important dates on this feature. "Rich Men's Wives," the first Lichtman special, did a good business in this territory. Word from the home of William I. Fotrey. manager of the Exhibitors' F'ilm Exchange, has it that he has virtually recovered from his recent illness. However, he is not expected to return to his desk for a week or so. Standard Film Exchange here reports Arrow's "Ten Nights in a Barroom" having broken records in the followinS^ bouses: Best. Milvale: Vii-torv. Pittsburgh : T-vrlc. Becklev. W. Va.: Riiilto. Wilson: Milfnrd. Fredericktown : Midwav. McMochen. W. Va. : Park. Moundsville. W. Va. : Harvey. AVoodlawn : Olympic. Finleyville : Carrick. Pittsburgh: Victoria. Pittsburgh: Albion, .\1bion. Pa., and Couch. Carnegia. Pa. Apex Film Service Inc.. is exploiting Aywon's "Oh. Mabel. Beiiave." Alexander Gets "Great Expectations" Hopp Hadley. who is handling the new Xordisk feature of Charles Dicken?' "Great Expectations," has arranged a special .fhowing of that picture for New York exhibitors through .\lexander Film Corporation. "Only a Shop Girl" is Ready C. B. C. Film Sales Corporation's second "Big Six" release, "Only a Shop GirL" based on Charles C. Blaney's melodrama, has been finally edited and titled. Bobby North, of New York ; H. A. Lande, of Pittsburgh, and Sam Grand have viewed the picture and characterize it as one of the best melodramas they have seen. It will be shown to the trade in general next week. Lesser Closes C. C. Burr, head of Affiliated Distributors, Inc., distributors of "Sure-Fire Flint," starring Johnny _ , _^ Hines, received a wire on Thurs rOreign Deals day morning from the offices of Rubin &. Finkelstein, Minneapolis, reporting the recordbreaking career of that production at their spaciously luxurious State Theatre in that city this week. The picture, according to the telegram, has shattered every house record. Irving Lesser, Eastern manager of Principal Pictures Company, this week announced the sale of the entire South American rights to the first Principal release, "The World's a Stage," starring Dorothy Phillips, and based on Elinor Glyn's latest story, to the .\rgentine-American Film Company. S. Noan closed the deal for the South American concern. The popularity of Dorothy Phillips is substantiated by the many requests received by Mr. Lesser from foreign buyers with whom he is now negotiating for the sale of the picture in England, continental European countries, the Far East and Orient. These deals will be closed within the current week and announced next week. "Sure-Fire Flint" has set a number of records. Important bookings announced this week call for day and date showings at the Chicago, Riviera and Tivoli Theatres, in Chicago; Capitol in St. Louis, and Rialto in Denver. "Secrets of Paris" established a new house record at Edward Fay's Theatre in Providence, R. I., two weeks, according to a statement made by Mr. Fay this week in New York. Harry Chamas Loses Alexander Suil The ctlorts of the Standard Film Service Company, of Cleveland, to obtain an injimction restraining the Alexander Film Corporation from exhibiting or allowing others to exhibit certain motion pictures, has been frustrated in a decision of Justice Irving Lehman, of the N. Y, Supreme Court, denying a motion for such a restraining order. In his decision Jus-tice Lehman says. "The plaintiff has under its contract with the Alexander Film Corporation never acquired ownership or legal title to the films, but merely a privilege of I'xhibiting the motion pictures within :i certain limited territory. According lo the complaint the Alexander Film Corporation was in its turn not the "wner of the films, but had merely :icquired the iirivilege of exhibiting motion pictures within a wider territory from the StoU Film Compauy. which produced the pictures and presumaiily owns th»m. The plaintiff's privilege of exhibiting the films derived from the Alexander Film Corporation Js not enforceable unless the owner of the film delivers them to the pbilntifT's licejisor. but the plainfifl ;iii(l the owner are not in privity in any manner and neither has assumed nijy obligation to the other. The plain I iff can therefore clearly not obtain .1 decree of specific performance against llir' StoII Film Company, and since the plaintifT has never acquired title to the pictures nor any contract ri^rht of any liind from the owner, it can also not si'cure an injunction against parties who have acquired rights from !lir owner." brouglit III cciuipcl a the dcfenilenis of the movie production. I accounting by profits from the It was held by Justice Tlerney in his decision that Coutts, to use an ordinary expression, was legally "out of order" in bringing his action for an accounting without first bringing a suit for breach of an alleged contract. Coutts. with three others, charged that they had manufactured the film for the picture of "Sawing a Woman in Half," and part of their contract with the Clarion people provided they should be reimbursed by the producers with 50 per cent, of the receipts from the exhibition of same.. After the picture had been produced and exhibited in various parts of the country Ooulden claimed it was an infringement on his illusion of cutting a body in two, and first obtained a temporary injunction preventing its further exhibition, and then succeedid in having A. B. Silverman and Louis Weiss of 1475 Broadway appointed by .lustice Wasservogol of the New Yorki Supreme court, receivers for the piclure. If was this situation that precipitated the suit by Coutts to enforce the payment of 50 per cent, of the reIII pis from the picture production. .\nother phase to the controversy ot I he litigation between Horace Goldin' ;ni(I the Clarion Photoplays. Inc.. over the movie production of "Sawing a Woman in Half" was disclosed Ihe iiiist week in the New York Supreme Court, when .Tustice .Tohn M. Tierney dismissed the suit of ,Tohn Coutts against the Clarion Photoplays. Inc., "Shadows" Sets Newark MarkF The Al Lichtman release, "Shadows." presented by B. P. Schulberg and featuring Lon Chaney, is playing at the Strand Theatre in Newark, New Jersey, to the biggest business that the house has experienced in six months. The picture opened there November 17 for a week's run. The box-office receipts surpassed the record set by those of the previous week during the Houdini engagement.