Moving Picture World (Jul - Aug 1918)

64 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD July 6, 1918 Strand theater, New York City, winning much praise for its interesting quality and splendid photography. The educational market today is offering nothing better in general good quality than the Outing-Chester Pictures. Items of Interest. The group of films entitled "Colonel Roosevelt's Exposition Into the WiKl>." 2.000 feet of which was recently exhibited at the Strand theater, New York City, is owned by the Rondon Commission, of which Colonel Rondon is the head. The money realized on the sale of the pictures will be used, according to Luiz Reis, sales representative of the Rondon Commission in this country, for the furtherance of the education and civilization of the natives of interior Brazil under the supervision of the Brazilian government. * * * The eightieth issue of the Universal Screen Magazine contains an inspiring series of views taken on May Irwin's farm. To those interested in farming for profit this will be of value. This particular issue, which is not due for release until July 20. also contains considerable information, accompanied by a number of close-ups on the beetle, the scarab and the cricket, and some attractive pictures of prizewinning dogs ami cats. * * * A new one-reeler about to be released by the Educational Films Corporation of America is entitled "Cigars for Kings and Millionaires." The region illustrated is the Vuelta Abajo district in the Pinar del Rio province of Cuba. * » * The second of the "Mexico Today" series, exhibited at the Rivoli during the week of June 9, gave a detailed illustration of the Xecaxa dam and power plant. * * * "Our Invincible Navy." the splendid natural color production made by the Prizma, Inc.. was exhibited at the Strand theater the week of June Id. This is the same series of pictures which ran at the 44th Street theater for several weeks during the winter. The Topical Review of the previous week contained the Educational Films Corporation's film, "The Friendly Bee," and interesting views from the potash fields of Trona, Cal., from the Hearst-Pathc News. big western subject, which will be an Artcraft picture, adapted from "Pierre of the Plains," and released as "Heart of the Wilds." Mr. Meighan plays the part of Sergeant Tom, a Northwest Royal mounted policeman, in which capacity he takes part in sensational scenes, and as the lover of Miss Ferguson has some extremely dramatic moments. Thomas Meighan IX Marguerite ('lark's forthcoming production for Paramount release, "Out of a Clear Sky," which is now being completed at the eastern studios of the Famous Players Lasky Corporation, the star is fortunate in having the support in the leading male role of Thomas Meighan, one of the best known and nic-t popular of the screen's leading men. In "Out of a Clear Sky" Miss Clark plays the part of a Belgian princess who is being forced into an obnoxious marriage with a German nobleman. She comes to this country and, seeking a hiding-place in the mountains of Tennessee, meets a young mountaineer, portrayed by Mr. Meighan, who assists her to thwart the plot ; Mr. Meighan's popu-' larity is by no means confined to the picturegoing public, for he is one of the most sought after leading men in the various producing units of the Famous Players Lasky CorThomas Meighan. poration. His services have been in such demand in Paramount and Artcraft pictures that he has frequently been found working in two or more productions at the same time. He has been leading man at one time or another to nearly all the feminine stars of the organization. Previous to this Marguerite Clark subject Mr. Meighan had the chief male role in support of Elsie Ferguson in the Goldwyn Managers Hold Sales Conventions Two-Day Meetings, at Which Future Policy is Outlined, Take Place in New York, Cleveland and Chicago. TWO-DAY sales conventions of Goldwyn's managers and the salesmen from all nineteen of its American branches were held simultaneously June 22 and 23 in three cities — New York, Cleveland and Chicago. In each instance an executive of Goldwyn's home office organization was present in charge of the regional convention, bringing with him the new sales policy of the Goldwyn Pictures Corporation for the season, which begins in September. Managers and salesmen were impressed with the fact that next year they will have productions featuring six established stars, in addition to the Rex Beach pictures, and that instead of twenty-six releases there will be more than fifty. The eastern district convention was held in New York, and was presided over by Samuel Goldfish, president of Goldwyn. Present were: Samuel Eckman, Jr., manager of the New York City branch; George A. Hickey, Buffalo; Herbert W. Given, Philadelphia, and G. F. Lenehan, Washington. Salesmen from all of the offices in the territory also attended. Alfred Weiss, a vice-president of Goldwyn, had charge of the central district meetings, which were attended by H. A. Handy, manager of the Cleveland office; J. F. Flynn, of Detroit; C. C. McKibbin, of Pittsburgh, and A. J. Pincus, of Cincinnati. The Middle West convention, held in Chicago, had Harold Bolster, another vice-president, and Messrs. Aaron J. Jones and Nathan Ascher as its heads. It was attended by H. J. Bayley, manager of the Chicago branch; Richard C. Fox, Minneapolis: Paul Rush, of St. Louis, and Richard Robertson, of Kansas City. The salesmen in every division of the territory were called in to the convention cities to hear the voice of the representative of the home office and to learn from him direct of the good things Goldwyn has in store for the coming producing year. The western states convention is held in abeyance pending the arrival on the Pacific Coast of a Goldwyn executive, leaving in a few days with the official draft of the sales policy. Baseball Close-Down Affects Sunday Shows Demand for Seventh Day Pictures Increased in Nashville as a Result of Less Entertainment. AT a meeting of southern league baseball officials in Nashville on June 10 it was decided to close down the premier Dixie organization on June 28. This action is expected to have an important bearing on the Sunday moving picture situation in Tennessee, and especially in Nashville, where an active fight has been waged for the past several months in an effort to get the shows opened on Sunday. The effect of the baseball closing has been to take Sunday baseball away from Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga, thereby leaving Sunday moving pictures as the only method of entertainment on the seventh day. Chattanooga was accorded Sunday pictures after a vigorous fight. Military authorities advised that a place of recreation was needed for the various camps in and around the city, so the shows were opened, and are running full blast on Sunday. In Memphis the shows also are running, yet the mayor of Nashville absolutely refuses to permit the houses to open and charge admission or allow contributions to be made by the audience. The Nashville theaters are continuing to run several large uptown houses on Sunday, charging thrift stamp admittance. No profit is realized, and the owners are under a heavy expense in pursuing the policy. Each entrant is required to buy a thrift stamp at the box office, and, of course, permitted to keep the stamp. The moral effect of running a few show-s, even at a loss, is expected to show the desire of Nashville for Sunday amusement, and should prove of benefit in the end.