Moving Picture World (Jul - Aug 1918)

80 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD July 6, 1918 Farrar Again Faces the Camera Popular Singer Already at Work on Three Stories at Goldwyn's Fort Lee Studios. NOW that Geraldine Farrar has begun work at the Goldwyn studios in Fort Lee on her first Goldwyn production it will be violating no confidence to tell ot the big surprise received by Reginald Barker, the director engaged bv Goldwvn to make Miss Farrar s productions. Barker arrived last week from the Pacific Coast in a hurry bringing with him several assistants and a portman the patriotism of its audiences it has induced many recruits to "get together." Officials in charge of the play have for some time realized that its propaganda value would be greater and more farreaching in screen form than on the stage. However, production plans submitted did not meet with approval. The name of J. Stuart Blackton was suggested and the matter presented to him. Fortunately, Mr. Blackton's intereij were so arranged that he could heed his patriotic enthusiasm over the idea. He has just completed "Missing," the last of his first series of four special features for distribution by the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. Mr. Blackton will have at his command soldiers and sailors, locations and effects rarely available to the film producer. The British-Canadian Recruiting Mission will furnish him numerous war scenes taken under fire a tthe front and on No Man's Land, to be interpolated in the film. Geraldine Farrar, Her Director. Reginald Barker, and Hugo Ballin, Goldwyn's Art Director, at Goldwyn Fort Lee Studios. teau of Goldwyn manuscripts which Samuel Goldfish had efegraphed for the moment he signed the Barker 'conteact Before the manuscripts arrived Mr. Goldfish had left for the Fast and Barker alone was there to register "surprise and "shock." . .»___ In the first place there wasn t an operatic story. And there wasn't a costume story. W here wasn't a story that even faintly suggested any motion picture ever made before by the famous operatic instead of all these there were three manuscripts. Each story Provides an unlocked for and wholly unexpected role. I, each production Geraldine Farrar is called upon to do e unusual thing that no one would ever anticipate her doing and behind tins Iks the combined commercial intelligence of Goldwvn and Miss Farrar 1, •It is time to "find novelty and newness ot theme tor m> Deductions" reasoned Miss Farrar. "I want to enact roles that I have' never had before. I want to do the last thing that any one on earth would expect me to do. Blackton to Make "Getting Together" In Conjunction with British Recruiting Mission Producer Will Put on Big Propaganda. J STUART Bl U KTON has affixed his signature to a unique contract by which he not only acquires the • screen rights to "Getting Together." the patriotic and recruiting play now running at the Shubert Theater, N\w York but is also commissioned to transfer it to celluloid under the auspices and with the co-operation of the British-Canadian Recruiting Mission. . This singular war play is the joint work of Major I.eith, who also won fame as Ian Hay. author of The First Hundred Thousand," and other stories; .1. Hartley Manners, the playwright who gave us "Peg ?' My Heart ' Out There and "Happiness," and Percival Knight, the foothght favorite who is also featured in the stage version, with Blanche Bates and Holbrook Blinn. Mr Blackton has engaged Anthony P. Kelly to collaborate with him in elaborating the plot for the screen and to write the scenario. A prominent feminine star, whose name will be announced later, is to be featured in the production. "Getting Together" was first produced for one week only at the Lyric, where it was declared a most thrilling war play, and afte'r a tour of large eastern cities it was brought back to New York a few weeks ago for an indefinite run. Presented under the auspices of the British-Canadian Recruiting Mission and with the co-operation of the United States military and naval forces and the tank Britannia it has created a furore at every performance, and in further inspiring Huff Undismayed by Fire Damage North Carolina Theater Manager Suffers Loss of $5,000 But Opens Up in Temporary Location. AX inspiring example of pluck in the face of disaster is given by A. B. Huff, manager of the Broadway theater, High Point, N. C, in a letter to C. F. Senning, Fox Film Corporation, branch manager at Washington. The Broadway has just been burned out, Mr. Huff writes, at a loss of $5,000. "The seats are ruined, as are the walls; two pianos are a smoldering mass of debris; ticket and operating machines and other expensive and valuable fixtures are partially, if not wholly, damaged by smoke and water," says Mr. Huff. "Notwithstanding it all, we are chuck full of that virtue which Jack London was prone to call guts; and while the fire damaged us to a great extent, it has failed utterly and dismally to put the damper on our spirits; and we have not yet laid down the deck. "We have made arrangements for opening temporarily in another location. On a side street and with a limited seating capacity the new house is not nearly so desirable as the old site; but is the best we can do at present." Pathe Exchange Makes Promotions Names New Managers at Oklahoma City, Albany, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. PROMOTIONS and appointments of interest are reel in the Pathe sales organization. F. B. Pickrel being advanced from the position of salesman in the Kans. is City office to manager at Oklahoma City, B. M. Moian becoming manager at Albany, F. I!. Rogers manager hicago, James W. Hill, Jr., manager at Dallas and E. 1> I. tie manager at Los Angeles. Pathe has thirty branches in this country and Sales Manager F. (". Quimby is now making a tour to the far west and will swing back around the circle, visiting the southern cities as well. Fred B. Pickrel was formerly one of the star salesmen at Kansas City. He is one of the many Pathe officials who has risen from the ranks in the Pathe service and he his promotion to consistent hard work and to his live wire methods. B. M . Moran during the past eight years has established a remarkabli in the industry. He entered the field as an exhibitor eight years ago. Later he joined the Mutual Film Company and served in turn with V-L-S-E, Triangle and George Kleine. James W. Hill, Jr. is a well known figure in the selling end of the business while E. D. Tate is a showman of long varied experience, in the exchange field, having also been manager of the big Liberty Theater, Seattle, immediately before joining Pathe. WILSON TO PUBLISH HOUSE ORGAN. Carey Wilson, sales manager for the First National Exchange of New York, will go into the publishing bush about July 1. Mr. Wilson has decided to issue a house organ for the promotion of First National interests in New York City. It will be a four-page periodical printed in a manner that will attract attention, containing news and special articles that will be of vital interest to all those selling or exhibiting First Natonal attractions in this part of the country. Mr. Wilson will be editor-in-chief. His whole staff and many of his friends will contribute to the publication from time to time.