Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1916)

Plays and Plaj ers i ■ SY1> ANDCH \ui 11 til MM l.\ havecome to the parting of the fraternal and commercial ways, according to reports from the west. Ever since Charlie got beyond the $75 a week column on the Keystone payroll, Brother Syd has handled his business affair: He i^ credited with being a shrewd business man and a cleverer director than actor Syd is to head a company of his own PHOTOPLAY tans generally, will be interterested in the return to the screen oi Alice Joyce. A Iter a number of the l> i .^ concerns had flirted with her, financially, Miss Joyce final! y appended her name to a \ itagraph contract She is to appear in a sequel to "The Battle Cry of Peace," which is to have the s a ni e n a m e with '* W a r " substituted tor "Peace." RICHARD STANTON, once an Inceville director and later a Universal serial manipnlator, is now a Fox shift boss, .it the Coast studio. 1 leorge Walsh is his lead ing man and Anna Luther, until recently a Keystone luminary, is leading woman. ESSANAY won the suit which Charlie Chaplin brought against it and lost the first round of its own half million damrge suit against the comedian, so it's a horse apiece, for the present at least. The New York jurist who heard the arguments in the Chaplin vs. Essanay suit held — that Chaplin's reputation could not suffer because his Carmen burlesque was padded after he had cut it. In the suit against Chaplin it is alleged that he did noc live up to his contract. IT would interest not a few of us to be apprised of what Messrs. Francis X. Bushman and Harold Lockwood thought, if anything, when thej' saw the recent advertisement which proudly announced that "Metro presents the screen's greatest actor, William Nigh." KOLB AND DILL, the Pacific Coast Weberandfields, are doing Teutonic comedies for American at Santa Barbara. May Cloy, .i blonde Venus, is assisting in the humoi venture. The two comedians were until re Cently in business on their own honk bill apparently, not with success H AVING 1 1 1 1 . 1 1 1 > .uid completely rem . .1 from the footlights a little behind sched ule. E, II. Sothern has begun recording his portrayals on the celluloid ribbons at \ ita graph's Studio. lie is .slated lo do three pho toplays for thai company, under the direction of Frederick Thomson, Phnto by o. C. I.undU-rg. Chicago Tribune The Lou-Tellegens, caught by the camera en route to California to resume celluloid activities. VI I \C,\i \1'|[ has recently undei gone quite a reor ganization although the Messrs. BlacktOll and Smith are still listed as i t s guiding spirits. New funds have been provided and ambitious plans are being worked out. Judging from the membership of t h e new board of directors, the financial aid came fro m Thomas F. Ryan, the railroad millionaire, and B, P.. Hamilton, of the American Tobacco Company. FROM Universal City c o m c s a pretty tale in which occultism and prescience are mingled in about equal parts. Miss Mary McDonald, formerly a Winter G a r d e n dancer, felt the call of the silent drama and stationed herself unsuccessfully in the line of applicants before the employment window for several weeks. One d a y Mrs. Phillips Smaller, the Lois Weber of the screen, felt herself strangly moved and looking about, caught sighf of Miss McDonald. Asked if she wanted work, the girl replied in the affirmative and Mrs. Smalley took her to her sanctum. Shegave Mary several small parts but could not persuade any of the other Lrniversal directors to use her. One day Mrs. Smalley read a magazine story, "Shoes," and saw Mary McDonald in every line. Result : scenario, Manstarred and envious directors demanding Mary. But Mrs. Smalley held fast to her find, procured a contract for her and henceforth she will be known as Mary MacLarcn. Universal City unites in the proverbial "brilliant future" prophecy for Mary.