Variety (November 1908)

VARIETY 13 POSTPONE CONVENTION TILL FILM PEACE PA CT IS MADE Annual Meeting of Renters Put Over From Dec. 12 to Jan. 9 "For Important Business Reasons." Under date of Nov. 18 the Film Service Association has issued a bulletin notify- ing members the annual meeting, which should have been held on Dec. 12, next, has been postponed until Jan. 9, in New York City. The reason as given is "because of the fact that it will be necessary for the as- sociation members to meet the manufac- turers early in January to consider new business arrangements." It may be presumed from this notifica- tion of the adjournment of the annual meeting of the Edison renters for the pur- pose set forth that between the dates of Dec. 12 and Jan. 0 it is expected the pro- posed amalgamation of picture interests between the Independents (as represented chiefly by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Co. and the principal sales agent, Geo. Kleine & Co., of Chicago) and the Edison manufacturers will be con- summated. It has been rumored that the final de- tails will be arranged and the amalgama- tion go into effect within a very few days after Dec. 12, much before New Year's, this having been exclusively reported in Variety some time ago. The combination of the opposing inter- ests in the moving picture business among the manufacturers will be of such un- usual interest to the trade, and the rent- ers in particular, that the Film Associa- tion has probably been inspired by the Edison Co., which controls it, to intimate by phrases such as are contained in this bulletin that "something is coming off." The amalgamation will probably mean a revolution in the manner of directing and controlling the picture industry. This will come sooner or later after the com- bination goes into effect. The bulletin is as follows: The Executive Committee of the Association has voted to adjourn the annual meeting of the Asso- ciation, which, according to the by-laws, should occur on December 12, 1008. for four weeks to January 0, 1000. The meeting will be held In New York City, and further details will be an- nounced later. This adjournment was decided upon because of the fact that It will be necessary for the Asso- ciation members to meet the manufacturers early In January to consider new business arrangements. A number of changes are to be made by the manufacturers which affect the present conditions of the business, and It Is most Important that every member of the Association be represented at the January meeting. The Executive Committee was informed that the new arrangements were not ready for Decem- ber 12th, and to avoid calling two meeting* with- in one month It was decided to adjourn the annual meeting as above Indicated. FILM SERVICE ASSOCIATION, (Signed) By D. Macdonald, Secretary. FINED $3 FOR CRUELTY. Paris, Nov. 10. It was Charles V of Spain who noticed in the sixteenth century that Paris was a hell for horses. Things have not changed in the twentieth. From Lorient, in the west of France, comes the report of a bad case of cruelty practised by a cinemato- graph company, making a specialty of reproducing dramatic and sensational scenes for moving picture shows, the mat- ter having just been decided in the police courts. And when a case of cruelty to animals is brought into a French court it is bad indeed. Some months ago the defendants agreed to supply a scenario in which a horse and cart are thrown over a preci- pice. The photographers began work at Qraix, in Brittany, and a horse was made to run away at breakneck speed, but the inhabitants were so indignant they mobbed the operators rendering the film useless. The camera was then taken to Oouregan, where the horse was harnessed, to a car- riage, well flogged, and driven full speed towards the edge of a cliff, 300 feet high. It naturally dashed right over, while the photographers calmly took a film of the terrible event. A formal complaint was made and proceedings instituted against the offenders, but owing to the fact they had gone to Africa for other tragic pic- tures, the case has only just been decided. A maximum fine of three dollars and costs (all that is allowed by French law) was imposed on the company, while the actual employes who enacted the scene were acquitted. (A moving picture by a French manu- facturer containing a scene very similar to that described above was exhibited in New York City some months ago. If it were the same one, the manufacturer and all those connected with it should have been sent to prison—a light punishment for the imbecilic promoters who will wantonly destroy a horse—and the peace of the community where the morbid picture may be exhibited.—Ed.) COLUMBIA, BROOKLYN, FOR PICTURES. The Columbia Theatre, Brooklyn, which has been playing combinations, has been subleased to Mark L. Stone for a moving picture exhibition. The Stair & Havlin attractions which were to have played the house have been cancelled and the new policy went into effect on Monday of this week. The house is the property of Green- wall & Weis, but W. T. Keough holds a long lease upon it. E. D. Stair also has an interest in the lease. Keough turns the place over to Stone on a rental basis. It was said this week that Mitchell Mark is interested in the Columbia project with Stone. In addition to the usual moving picture show three vaudeville acts are given, with a change twice a week. $80,000 FOR PICTURE HOUSE. The New Rochelle Theatre, formerly given over to combinations, was purchased this week by a New York moving picture exhibitor at a cost of $80,000 according to report. The property belongs to the local organ- ization of the Knights of Columbus, and Julius Cahn is the lessee. The new pur- chaser, whose name remains in the dark, is said to have given Cahn a bonus of $2,000 for his lease. CRAWFORD MAKES CHANGES. New Orleans, Nov. 19. J. M. Dubbs, connected with the O. T. Crawford motion picture enterprises for several years, has been appointed man- ager of the Shubert, succeeding W. J. Henneasy, who has been placed in charge of the New Orleans branch of the Craw- ford Film Exchange. Owing to the growth of the exchange with its increase of customers throughout the South, it was thought best to operate this department separately from the Shu- bert management. SUBMIT PICTURE SUBJECTS. For the past two months the American Mutoscope and Biograph Co., of New York, has conducted a general advertising cam- paign in which the general public was in- vited to submit ideas and plots for cine- matograph productions. The response has been amazing. Four thousand suggestions have been received from all over the Western hemisphere. Correspondents appear as far away as South America and the Pacific coast. A peculiar thing about the general run of offerings is that, although some of the best-known.dramatic writers of the coun- try have submitted material, little of it has proven available. The trained writer in the dramatic field does not seem to grasp the necessity for quick, terse, vital action, and his ideas are for the most part not adapted to the moving picture sheet. Newspaper writers have a better apprecia- tion of the needs of picture producers, and the large proportion of the accepted sce- narios have been from this source. NEW FRENCH TRADE ORGAN. Paris, Nov. 10. A new organ of the moving picture in- dustry has been launched, the Cine Jour- nal, by Mr. Dureau, late of the "Argus- Phono Cinema." The trade is pretty well represented with its own publications in this country. CHICAGO'S "PICTURES" INCREASING. Chicago, Nov. 19. Several new vaudeville and moving pic- ture theatres opened in this city last week. Two or three new places open every week. It is estimated that there are at least 300 moving picture shows in Chicago at present, and about twenty-flve per cent, play from one to five vaudeville acts. W. J. Boyd is building a moving picture theatre at Winnipeg, to cost $10,000. It will have a seating capacity of 500. The Savoy Amusement Co. has been in- corporated at Cleveland with capital of $10,000. It will operate a number of mov- ing picture theatres. "The World's Dream," a moving picture theatre at Springfield, 111., was destroyed by fire last week. Loss partially covered by insurance. Upper Sandusky, O., will have a new picture theatre soon. L. B. Einsel and Marson Houscr are building it. The Bijou at Youngstown, Ohio, said to be the most elaborate picture place in the State, opened last Monday. Walter Hanitch is the manager. MOVING PICTURE REVIEWS "The Pirates." Manhattan. In this subject the makers have done the best work that has come from their studios il a long, long time. It is from France, and strangely enough has nothing in It cither gruesome, suggestive, or disgusting, o fact which alone sets it down as an ex- ception to the French rule. "The Pirates'* is a splendid, dramatic recital, fairly packed with action and thrilling incidents. A sailor lad is betrothed to a belle of the fishing village, when the pirate chief sets envious eyes upon her. He peeks to pay court, but is repulsed. Thereupon he sets his traps, and under his instructions the pirate crew abduct the village beauty end bring her aboard the buccaneer's ship, which immediately puts out to sea. The girl still refuses to accept the pirate chiefs ad- vances, and to punish her, the latter has iter thrown into the chip's prison. But the sailor lover learns of the outrage. Gather- ing his loyal friends about him he man* ship and goes in pursuit of the pirate ves- sel. The two ships come together and the pirates and sailormen join in hand-to-hand conflict on the deck. This is one of the best water scenes that has been shown. It was probably arranged by some trick means, but the close fighting of the board- ing party of sailors, and a frequent plunge of a wounded combatant into the sea, are thrillingly and realistically shown. Of course, the sailors win the battle and the heroine is restored to her true love, who has led the fight. What a pity it is that the particular manufacturer in question can not have his dramatists spend more of their time on such productions, instead of upon the disagreeable subjects he has been attempting to foist upon the American market. Rush. "The Auto Hero." Colonial. "The Auto Hero" is an extraordinarily lengthy reel, containing comedy, excite- ment, interest and melodramatics. A story is told of an auto race finally won by a girl. It has "spills," speeding of the machines and funny effects, making one of the best views as a whole shown in as long while. Sime. "The One-Legged Han." The fun of "The One-Legged Man" la supposed to be concealed in a "chase" pic- ture of the unfortunate pursuing a thief who has stolen his crutch or support. On the way the purloiner picks up other ar- ticles including a bicycle. At the finish, when he is caught, quite a mob surrounds him for vengeance. The fun is concealed, for it does not become visible. It's not humorous to watch a one-legged man hobble about. Sime, James E. ("Bluch") Cooper's father died in New York last week. Funeral services were held Sundav. The new vaudeville and moving picture theatre contemplated at Savannah, Cm., by Bandy Bros., will open soon. The house will be booked in conjunction with the Southern Advanced Vaudeville Asso- ciation. The new Empire, 417 Genesee Avenue, Saginaw, Mich., opened November 2 un- der management K. W. Seaver.