Moving Picture World (Aug 1917)

1076 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD August 18, 1917 < Revolution gave presentations of "The Slacker" in aid of the society, at the Beach theater, on the South Side, Thursday afternoon and evening, Aug. 2. Captain W. A. Moffett, of the Great Lakes training station, delivered an address. * * * Shortly after the Pathe fire in the Consumers building Manager Bunn transferred the shipping and inspection departments to the second floor in the building located at 168-72 \\ est Washington street, the old quarters occupied by the Hopp Pjlm Exchange for years and afterwards by the Laemmle Exchange. Early Thursday morning, Aug. 2, fire broke out in a restaurant in the basement. With great difficulty it was prevented from spreading to the second floor by the firemen. Reports of the fire in the daily papers stated that the firemen found Pathe films lying on the "second floor, and that they made superhuman efforts to prevent the films from being reached. This is far from the facts, as all the films were carefully stored in the large vaults, and only empty tins were on the floor. Of this Manager Bunn is certain, as his instructions on this point were absolute. Had they been on the floor, as stated, an explosion would have been unavoidable. Manager Bunn expects that the repairs in the Pathe quarters in the Consumers building will be fully completed on August 9, when the shipping and inspection departments will be transferred to their former location in the Consumers building. * * * William N. Selig has begun the release of a series of jungle dramas in one and two reels through the General Film service. He believes there is a demand for this type of pictures just now. Bessie Eyton plays the lead in "The Sole Survivor" and "Between Alan and Beast," which will be released August 13 and August 20, respectively. "The Barker," a Selig five-reel feature to be released through K-E-S-E, Monday, August 13, has just been finished at the Chicago studios under the direction of J. A. Richmond. Lew Fields appears in the title role, and supporting him are Amy Dennis, Wm. Fables, James Harris, Pat O'Malley, etc. The circus scenes were made July 30, and an entire circus — "big top" wagons, clowns, aerial performers and all the other requisites — was transferred to the Selig lots for the day. Needless to say a large crowd assembled to take in the big show, many of the sightseers participating in the filmed scenes. "The Barker" is not a comedy, but a pathetic drama of real life, in which Mr. Fields figures prominently. * * * Samuel S. Hutchinson, president of the American Film Co., Inc., and of the Signal Film Corporation, left the city for Santa Barbara studios Thursday, August 2, where he will remain several months. * * * I find that unintentional injustice was done two energetic members of the Exposition Committee through an oversight which caused the omission of the names of A. C. Krebs and M. S. Johnson in a former article. Mr. Krebs, as secretary of the committee, was untiring in his labors, and it was mainly due to his efforts that the moving picture fans of Chicago were thoroughly advised of the features of the big show by means of slides shown in theaters throughout the city. Mr. Johnson rendered good service as space solicitor and as floor manager of the moving picture theater in the Annex, while the expositon lasted. The other members of the committee were Ludwig Schindler, manager; F. W. Hartman, assistant manager, and Geo. M. Laing, manager of publicity. * * * Hughie Mack, formerly with the Vitagraph Co., was in the city Thursday, August 2. He has signed a contract with the Universal Film Manufacturing Co. to appear in the L-Ko comedies released through that company. VAN NESS JOINS GOLDWYN PICTURES. Frederick A. Van Ness, a well known newspaperman, has resigned from the New York Evening Journal to join the publicity department of Goldwyn as assistant to L. L. Arms. Mr. Van Ness will edit and have charge of the Goldwyn exhibitor press sheet service which will be inaugurated with the release of Mae Marsh in "Polly of the Circus" on September 9. He was identified with the "show game" on the Pacific Coast before coming to New York, where he has worked on the Globe, the Evening Sun and the Mail before going to the Evening Journal last spring. Bluebird Photoplays Gives War Luncheon Army Officers and Film and Trade Press Men Attended Celebration in Honor of Completion of Message of Cheer to Pershing. UNDER the auspices of Bluebird Photoplays a "war" luncheon was held at the Astor on Thursday, August 2, to celebrate the completion of the message of cheer to General Pershing and his men compiled by the company. Signed to the message are the names of Speaker Clark, former President Taft, a majority of the members of the House of Representatives, of the Senate and of the Governors of the states and fifty mayors of large cities, as well as many prominent citizens. Also there were names of thousands of plain citizens, secured through the co-operation of the exhibitors of the country. Tiffany prepared the album. The workmanship and design is of exceptional richness. Gold is used throughout in the mountings, inscription plates and monograms. The pages containing the signatures are of vellum, while the deckeledged text is illumined in delicate pastels. The pages are bound in soft Morocco leather. The album rests on a bed of gray moire tufted velvet inside of a case of fine grained holly wood of the Louis Otiatorze period. It is a work of art worthy of the preservation of this document. Joseph Brandt, who originated the idea of the album, planned the luncheon. Arthur Leslie was toastmaster. Present representing General Bell, commanding the Department of the East, were his chief of staff, Major E. E. Booth, and the latter's assistant, Captain Creswell Garlington. Both of these officers are members of the general staff of the United States Army. There were film men there, too, as well as many representatives of the trade and daily press. Major Booth was the principal speaker. The major, whose uniform bore the colors of four campaigns, spoke most interestingly of the personality of General Pershing, with whom in the Philippines in other years he had been associated. He said the commander of the troops in France was a man of great physical strength, a hard and tireless worker, of positive character, and one who dispatched business rapidly and accurately. He said further the general was a most pleasant man with whom to meet and converse, and a charming companion. And then the major added a "but." He suggested to his hearers, should it be the privilege of any present later to serve under the general, that he was a man who knew what he wanted and who expected obedience. "It is the consensus of the army," concluded the major, "that the President could not have selected a better man to command our soldiers in France." Charles C. Pettijohn was the only other speaker. Ziegfeld Starts for El Paso Head of the New Cinema Corporation Announces Doris Darst as Leading Woman in First Picture. WK. ZIEGFELD, founder and president of the new Ziegfeld Cinema Corporation, which recently se• cured a charter under the laws of Delaware, left last week for El Paso, Texas, after having made several important arrangements in furtherance of his project to erect a "film city" in El Paso, Texas. "I will divulge the facts concerning the character of my first photoplay and the personnel now being engaged on my arrival at El Paso," declared Mr. Ziegfeld, starting for Chicago, where the mid-western offices of the company are situated. "I have been particularly fortunate in securing adept directors and a technical staff. Miss Doris Darst will be the leading woman for the first picture. She is a discovery of mine, and, although active on the concert stage in London, where she is well known, is a native of Columbus, Ohio." The Chamber of Commerce of El Paso, it is announced, is giving to Mr. Ziegfeld for studio purposes a tract of land in the foothills region north of the town. Work on the first picture to bear the Ziegfeld imprint is to start almost immediately, buildings, where necessary to house equipment and form weather-proof quarters, to be leased for use until the permanent structures are ready. The architectural scheme is to be Spanish Renaissance. NEW MANAGER FOR PATHE AT DENVER. H. E. Friedman, formerly branch manager at Minneapolis and associate branch manager at New York, has just been appointed manager of Pathe's Denver exchange. NEW SALES MANAGER FOR CANADA ART DRAMAS. George F. Perkins, of the Independent Film and Theater Supply Company, Montreal, which distributes the Art Dramas Program for Canada, announces that he has secured the services of Abe. H. Fischer as general sales manager for the company. Mr. Fischer, in addition to looking after the business of the organization in an executive way, is to actively take full charge of the exploiting of Art Dramas in the territory.