Moving Picture World (Jul - Aug 1918)

August 31, 1918 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 1239 on the opening day and receiving the service flag given to the city by the Government, made an address in behalf of the various war stamps and bonds. Helen Keller, most famous blind girl in the world, and now a film star as well, also made a patriotic speech that was enthusiastically received. On other days, such as Naval Day and Children's Day, Douglas Fairbanks and Charles Chaplin appeared and delivered addresses. A benefit given by the Stage Women's War Relief at the residence of Mrs. Estelle Dowling, was attended by the following film stars, who appeared in sketches, dances and other entertaining acts: Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ray, William Desmond, Bert Lytell, Harry McCoy, Bessie Barriscale, Howard Hickman, Lillian and Dorothy Gish. The big movie masked ball to be given as a benefit for the War Hospital soon to be erected by the Motion Picture War Service Association at Shrine Auditorium has been postponed to August 17. At War Benefits and Red Cross Shops. The Stage Women's War Relief gave a big war fund benefit on August 10 at the Alexandria, at which a number of film stars took charge of booths and other forms of entertainment. Ralph Lewis was in charge of the dancing pavilion and Vera Lewis was mistress of the national marquee, which was decorated in red, white and blue and had all sorts of national emblems for sale. Gladys Brockwell peddled cigarettes; Charlie Ray presided at the paddle wheel, and Charlie Murray and Bryant Washburn auctioned off autographed photographs of Mme. Sarah Bernhardt, who was in town filling a vaudeville engagement at the Orpheum. Theodore Roberts delighted the patrons of the Red Cross Shops at Eighth and Alvarado streets, on Tuesday, with a monologue and humorous "tea tales." William S. Hart and other film stars attended the War Work Emergency Drivers' benefit given at the Rex Arms on Friday. Louise Glaum, Katherine MacDonald, Mildred Harris, Winifred Weston, and Mr. and Mrs. Sessue Hayakawa appeared at Red Cross Headquarters on Saturday. War Notes. Kenneth Harlan, now in training at Camp Kearney, has been transferred to the 143d Artillery, Mary Pickford's own regiment. Russell E. Smith, former scenario and publicity writer for the Betzwood Film Company, has joined the army. The four stars in the new service flag at the Kinema means two Filipino boy ushers, Jack Loranger, former manager, and H. McQuestion, doorman. A Present for Chaplin. T. L. Tally, vice president of the First National Exhibitors' Circuit, has a novel gift all ready to present to Charles Chaplin. The gift is a handsomely bound souvenir of Chaplin's first picture, "A Dog's Life," in which the comedian opened his engagement with this association. The book includes copies of advance advertising, colored plates, autographed letters from members of the Circuit who ran the picture, and a large number of criticisms and clippings. Film Star Obtains Divorce. Mae Murray, Bluebird star, known in private life as Mrs. Mae O'Brien, obtained a divorce from James O'Brien, a New York broker, in Los Angeles last week. Miss Murray was married to O'Brien on December 19, 1916, and the pair separated on January 3, 1917. Miss Murray testified that her brief married life began unhappily with a quarrel on the very night of the wedding, when she refused an intoxicating drink that her husband ordered for her at the wedding supper. Picture Show at Balloon School. The Army Balloon School at Arcadia, Cal., will be able to see moving picture shows in the future, as the camp has been provided with a projection machine by the Y. M. C. A., and moving pictures will be a permanent feature of the entertainments provided for the students of aviation. Wednesday has been set aside as educational day, when only films of an educational nature will be shown, in addition to lectures on various educational topics. Hart to Take Active Part in Fourth Loan Drive. William S. Hart is preparing to do his bit in the coming Fourtli Liberty Loan drive by making a featurctte, for which he wrote the story himself, and by making-arrangements to drop all cinema work during the drive to go on a speaking tour as he did during the Third Liberty Loan drive. Picture Previews. Quinn's Rialto gave a private showing of "To Hell With the Kaiser," one morning last week, and invited as guests some eight hundred sailors and soldiers to view the film, filling up the remainder of the house with city officials and newspaper folk. The first two of the Sessue Hayakawa features, "His Birthright" and "The Temple of Dusk," were given a private showing to a number of invited guests in the projection room of the Brunton studios. Winter Headquarters. Harry Aitken, president of Triangle, who has just arrived in Los Angeles from the east, predicts that nearly all the big picture stars of the country will make their winter headquarters in Southern California this year. Entertained by Cowboy Soldiers. Leon T. Osborne, vice president and treasurer of the Diando Film Corporation, was entertained at Camp Kearney recently by Art Acord and other cowboy-actor soldiers in training at the camp. New Members to Miller Theatre Company. Several northern capitalists have become interested in the new Miller Theatre that is going up on Broadway, owned by Fred and Roy Miller and Harry Leonhardt. J. L. Gottstein of the Greater Theatres Company, of the Northwest, and Messrs. Aronson and Davis have become partners to some extent in the new theatre, which promises to be one of the most up-to-date and modern on the west coast. Robert Bartleson has been engaged as secretary and assistant manager of the house. Clune's Auditorium Renovated. A thorough process of renovating and beautifying has been going on at Clune's Auditorium in preparation for the run of D. W. Griffith's new Artcraft picture, "A Great Love," which began an engagement on August 12. Bert St. John, manager of the house, and Theodore Newman, general manager of the Clune interests, have not overlooked the least little thing in the way of added comforts and pleasures for the patrons of the house. New Theatre for Hill Street. A new theatre is being planned by Alexander Pantages to be erected on the lot at Seventh and Hill Streets, adjoining the Los Angeles Athletic Club, which may cost all the way up to a million dollars. Mr. Pantages has not decided yet whether to make the building five or twelve stories, but he wants nine store rooms and the theatre a thing of classic beauty. Service Star is Admission. The Los Angeles Herald, an evening paper, was host to mothers, sweethearts and sisters of soldiers and sailors at the Kinema Theatre one afternoon last week between the hours of 12 and 5, during the run of "The Service Star," with Madge Kennedy in the leading role. All that was required of the guests was that they show their service star and pay the war tax. Kehrlein Finds Business Good. Emile Kehrlein, of the Kehrlein Kinema Circuit, which includes theatres in Oakland and Fresno, has returned from a visit to those two cities, and declares that although he found no place of amusement where people were being turned away, business conditions were good, and none of the exhibitors he spoke to were losing money. The Alhambra Theatre boasts a splendid new augmented orchestra, which has been engaged to play afternoons and evenings during the run of the war films, such as "Pershing's Crusaders," which have been and will continue to be a feature of this house. Jack Curtis, former assistant manager of Clune's Auditorium, has left for New York, motoring with friends as far as San Francisco. Rubbernecking in Filmland Personally Conducted by Giebler. LADIES and Gentlemen, on a day a little more than four years ago two young men, weary and foot sore from tramping here and there In our fair city and Its environs in search of a suitable location for their enterprise, stood on this corner casting their eyes across the street. Placing their respective left hands between the third and fourth buttons of their respective vests, they raised their right hands to the high heavens in a fine dramatic gesture and cried in a thankful and simultaneous voice: "Eureka! On yonder spot we will build our studio!" One of these men, my friends, was named Jesse L. Lasky and the other Cecil B. De Mille. On that fateful day, the block which you now see ornamented to the uttermost inch with buildings of various dimensions, all devoted to the making of movies, wa»