Variety (February 1913)

14 VARIETY PICTURE STOCK SCANDAL MA Y CARR Y ITS LESSON Publicity Barely Averted in Local Film Company Over Trouble Involving a Young Girl and Director. Simi- lar Condition Said to be not Uncommon. Direct- or Promised "Jobber" "Leading Lady" Part Following Week. Husband and Brother Looking for Him With Gun. A scandal occurring last week in the stock company of a picture concern with headquarters in New York City is now the subject of general conversa- tion in all of the studios hereabouts. The affair was kept from the daily newspapers and the police only by the herculean work of those concerned who were friendly to the director of the stock company involved, they realizing what exposure might mean to the trade and the general public who are patrons of the screen. There are two versions concerning the scandal itself. The correct one seems to be that the director of the company made advances to a young girl, known as a "jobber" (a picture actor or actress who works by the day when called upon, usually receiving $5 for the day's service, although this lately has been reduced as low as $1.50). The director promised the young woman the following week she would become the leading woman of the stock company. Lured by his promises, the little actress was betrayed. She was picked up on the street by an officer, who sent her to a hospital, finding her stupefied with liquor. By the time the effects of the drink wore off friends of the directors who had heard of the affair located her and despatched the girl to the asylum for complete recov- ery. The father and brother of the little actress also heard of the outrage. They started for the studio of the stock com- pany loaded with firearms, but the di- rector had been taken out of town by the same friends. The scandal has not quieted down yet. It is said there is an indefinite leave of absence grantee the director, who is not certain when he may return to New York. His present whereabouts are kept a perfect secret. The young woman has been pronounced temporarily insane. She will leave the asylum in a week or so. The story has created the most talk in picture circles among the actresses engaged in that line. A couple in- formed a Variety representative that similar conditions would not be hard to unearth among three-quarters of the picture stock companies. It has grown to be looked upon, they said, as a pre- rogative of the picture stock director. The "jobbers" are nearly always the victims. In some cases where girls are ordered by the director for a day's work, and the task of calling them either by 'phone or postal card falls to the lot of an office man, very often this person encroaches upon the pre- cincts of the company's director by in- forming the "jobbers" that unless they listen to him he will forget their 'phone number or house address. The picture stock scandal is expected to have a lasting lesson among the companies. It was a very narrow es- cape for the director in question. The actresses of the profession believe that hereafter directors will be more dis- creet, at least, if not strictly attending to their business only. THEATRE BOYCOTT THREATENED. Oakland, Cal., Feb. 20. The Building Trades Council of Ala- meda county has expressed its most strenuous objections to the display of moving picture films showing the pro- cession of Unionists going from the court house to the train in Indianapolis, following the conviction and sentencing of the labor leaders in the famous dynamite case, and is reported to have given notice to all moving picture con- cerns that they will boycott any the- atre displaying the films. A resolution to that effect was adopt- ed at the last meeting of the Council and is immediately effective. "CRISTO" DECISION SUSTAINED. The New York Supreme Court of Appeals last week sustained the lower court's decision in favor of Famous Players Film Company's infringement suit against the General Film Co. and the Selig Co. and a continuance of the injunction restraining the Selig firm from selling or making any production of "The Count of Monte Cristo." BANKING ON BLANCHE WALSH. The Masko Film Co. is banking on some new pictures with Blanche Walsh as the central figure. She was last seen before the camera in "The Resurrec- tion." PICTURE EXPOSITION. When the Motion Picture Trades Exposition is going full blast at the Grand Central Palace, New York, July 7-12, Broadway is going to see all the picture men worth while as they will flock here from all parts of the country. Two picture studios will be in opera- tion afternoon and evening whereby the exhibitors can get a full line on the movie product of both the independ- ent and licensed concerns. OBJECT TO "DANTE'S INFERNO." Melrose, Mass., Feb. 20. The women of this city raised a hue and cry against the pictures, "Dante's Inferno," being shown here. One woman objected because she had seen 'em elsewhere. U. 8. MAKES "TRUST" CRAWL. At the behest of the United States Department of Justice the film trust has promised to be good. It has with- drawn its cancellation of the license of William Fox's Greater New York Film Rental Exchange and promised to let that concern, against which it has been engaged in a two-year fight, do busi- ness. This action was not taken vol- untarily, but only after the heads of the Patents Co. had been peremptorily summoned to Washington and, so it is reported, been neatly grilled by a re- presentative of the Attorney-General. The Supreme Court of New York State about three weeks ago rendered a decision in the Fox-Patents Company injunction proceedings in which the re- lief was refused Fox in his fight to- continue as an independent renter of licensed films. Fox has been doing bus- iness under a writ of injunction for many months, the courts having tem- porarily enjoined the Patents Com- pany against concelling his license. It was during this period the Govern- ment's suit for the dissolution of the Patents Company and the General Film Company was brought. Basing its action upon the decision of the State Court, the Patents Com- pany about two weeks ago again served notice upon Fox that the li- censed manufacturers would after a specified date refuse to lease film to his exchange. Apparently-the trust heads had forgotten all about the At- torney-General's dissolution suit. At any rate they disregarded it. The cancellation was brought to the attention of the Department of Justice and immediately the Patents Company officials were ordered to Washington. The flock of lawyers.who represented the embarrassed film makers, it is said, counseled compromise and the Patents Company agreed to "take it all back" and recall its cancellation. Gustavus Rogers, Fox's lawyer, at 160 Broadway, was in Washington Tuesday in a conference with Govern- ment officials. Upon his return to New York Wednesday he said: "Following my visit to Washington, I am assured that the cancellation of the Greater New York Exchange will be withdrawn and that the manufac- turers licensed by the Patents Com- pany will go on making deliveries c>\ film to that exchange on the same terms as those on which it does busi- ness with the General Films Company and th« Kinetograph Company. "I have every reason to believe the Greater New York Exchange will have no further trouble in transacting busi- ness and will continue in the field. We have the verbal promise (which we ex- pect soon to have in writing) that the attitude of the Patents Company toward the Greater New York ex- change will be passive. Certainly this condition will continue until the out- come of the Patents Company dissolu- tion suit is known." BONA VITA HURT. Tampa, Fla^ Feb. 20. Captain Jack Bonavita, lion tamer (now in the employ of the World's Best Film Co.), who was badly in' jured by "Brutus," a big lion, as Bona* vita was putting the jungle beast through his paces in front of the pic- ture camera, may be saved by skin grafting, according to the attending physicians. Bonavita's right leg was badly torn and his thigh ripped open by the ani- mal's claws. Captain Jack cracked Brutus on the nose with a short whip and as his hold was released jabbed his fingers into the animal's eyes. As- sistants rescued Bonavita. He was rushed to Halcyon hospital. The New York office of the film com- pany received a wire Monday from Harold M. Shaw, the picture director, saying Bonavita was slightly improved and that the necessary skin to cover his damaged leg had been volunteered. Since Coney Island closed last sum- mer, Bonavita and his lions have been doing special posing for the camera men. KEITH'S INDEPENDENTS. The Mutual Picture Corporation, which now has about 40 movie com- panies on its books, is crowing lustily over the placement of its brand of pic- tures in some of Keith's vaudeville houses, which have always been bound hand and foot to the "licensed" product. Keith's Providence - house and the Union in Pawtucket are running the Mutual pictures, while the National, Boston, has been running them for some weeks. INSPECTION BILL WITHDRAWN. Boston, Feb. 20. The sponsors for the bill providing for the inspection of all pictures ex- hibited in Massachusetts by the district police, were given permission to with- draw the proposed enactment by the committee that took the bill under ad- visement. ONE TOWN WITHOUT MOVIES. Woburn, Mass., Feb. 20. The entire 15,000 local denizens are denouncing the city dads in no endear- ing terms through their refusal to grant film exhibitors a license to show pic- tures here. F. W. Randolph, a former newspaper man. has taken charge of the Universal Film Co. In the Hawaiian Islands. He will not only write a series of scenarios hut will do con- siderable directing. Charles A. Pryor. president and general manager of the Yale Feature Film Co. (Inc.). hns gone to San Francisco to transact some special business for the firm. With him went Charles Wynard and Joseph Kerns, camera expert*, who will take some pictures on the trip. ESSANAY PEOPLE. Gilbert M. Anderson ("Broncho Billy"), after an extended visit to New York and Chicago, is back at Niles, Cal., where he is producing a new series of Broncho Billy pictures with the western company of the Essanay concern. Arthur Mackley is assisting him with the movie productions, August Carney is to be seen in a new run of "Alkali Ike" pictures (Essanay). Helen Dunbar of the Eastern Co. is rounding out her fifst year in picture work. John Steppling is now handling comedy roles with the Eastern Co. Dorothy Phillips, formerly of Henry W. Savage's "Everywoman," has signed with the Essanay for a permanent birth. E. H. Calvert, leading man with the Eastern Essanay, was in vaudeville for three years.