Variety (September 1913)

VARIETY FILM MEN MEET SECRETLY TO PROT ECT TH EIR BUSINESS Afraid Newcomers From Legitimate Theatricals Will Drive Them Out. Few Old Time Movie People With Any -Previous Stage Experience. Laemmle Ran a Cloth- ing Store—Lubin Sold Spectacles Before Finding Wealth in Moving Pictures. A secret movie society sprung into being last night. It has no name. The Union Square Hotel was the scene of its organization. It is composed of film manufacturers and exhibitors, with purpose to form an affiliation to offset the effects of the fast growing entrance into the film industry of recruits from the regular theatre. The movie men in the new combi- nation believe the time has come to consider the effect of the growing pres- ence in the field of theatrical produc- ers. The old timers fear the entrants may in time run away with the cream of spoils that have hitherto been the exclusive prizes of the founders and their cohorts. The old time men recognize a force in the newcomers. Of the old time crowd none has brought actual stage or show experience to the business, save Smith and Blackton. of the Vita- graph, who had stage experience of a sort, also Anderson ("Broncho Billy") of Essanay. The theatre men who have come lately to the field have brought deft experience that has instantly shown the value of experience. The old timer selected his scenarios, and often helped to stage them. When as- sisted, his aides have been men, for the most part, with little or no actual stage producing experience. The new theatrical blood in Daniel Frohman, George Ledcrer, Weber & Fields, Klaw & Erlanger, Mrs. Fiske and the Mittenthals has illumined the field. Knowing a comic or other sit- uation at a glance, from long experi- ence, their direction has been author- itative. There has been no waste. It has been the observation of this, and the almost sensational success that has attended the outputs of all the strictly theatrical entities that have entered the field that has aroused the old time movie men to action. Hence the new organization. The club meeting last night was nec- essarily in secret. A glance at the lists of directors of the principal pioneer film concerns will reveal many of the names of 17 members who attended the preliminary gathering. The order pro- poses to watch the growing theatrical encroachment, and to devise ways to keep the new force in check so that their own wares may not suffer liy comparison in the sales market. The fact that some such combination would, be effected sooner or later has been acknowledged by the showmen newly added to the film industry. .\ possible result of the organization of the pion- eers will be a combination of the the- atre men who have j^otic in for films. These report an aniaziiit? set of condi- tions. They say men arc in charge of scenarios, productions, and film stock companies almost wholly devoid of the necessary experience for the posts. Film stage directors are named without limit whose only real stage experience has been "holding book," yet these men are responsible for the selection of scenarios and their casting. Men and women are found, also, among the ranks of movie players, who never had a day's experience on the stage before, while people qualified by years of work, some with big companies, wait daily for the favor of a day's "jobbing" in a movie that one of these directors is free to give or decline. The men controlling the film output of the country among the old timers, their theatrical rivals, aver, are mostly recruits from highways and by-ways of trade that could hardly be classed as art, Carl Laemmle, President of the Universal, for instance, jumping into the game from a clothing store he ran in Oshkosh, Wis., and S. Lubin giv- ing up peddling spectacles in Chicago to become a film magnate. IND. AT McVICKER'8. Chicago, Sept. 3. Beginning this week the independent films get their first showing at Mc- Vicker's. The Jones, Linick & Schaef- fer houses up until this time have used "trust" pictures. The Colonial will continue with "the trust" reels. SLAPPED HER HUSBAND. Chicago, Sept. 3. Erm Harold Mason, a scenario writer for motion pictures, has filed a suit for divorce in which he alleges that his wife slapped him in the face, and also held a gun to his head while he was in bed and threatened to kill him. Harold Schlessingcr, a former roomer in the Mason home, testified that he had .seen Mrs. Mason slap her hus- band. Further testimony will be heard later. "SLAVE" PICTURE NOT SHOWN. The San Francisco "White Slave" or the Diggs-Caminetti trial picture (as it is also known), was not exhibited at Flaniiucrstcin's Monday as billed. The Wednesday night before a pri- vate viewing of the picture in the tlua- tre disclosed it was a poor film photo- graphically. Two pictures of the "White Slave" trial were taken, one "officially" and one snapped by stealth from the rear of the court rootn. It is said IfanumT- stcin's got the much inferior film oi the two. If yon ilon't advertlwe In VAKIKTV, don't •dvertlfte Ht all. BURLESQUE BUSINESS TO DATE. The burlesque season to date has de- veloped that the Progressive Wheel, the Eastern Wheel's opposition, is stronger in shows and patronage than any well seasoned burlesque man looked for before the attractions started out. The Progressive productions arc being quite nicely reported about, and appear to be doing business. The Eastern Wheel shows are run- ning about the same as before, from early indications, with the usual busi- ness, not uniform, however, all over the circuit but averaging the same as in former seasons. SELL OUT WITH BBDINI SHOW. Chicago, Sept. 3. Musiness in the vicinity of Halsted and 63d streets was at high tide Sun- day night. At the Englewood, Jean Bedini offered his new burlesque show "The Mischief Makers" with (Senator) Francis Murphy in one of the chief roles. The house was com- pletely sold out. At the Empress, many people were turned away at both of the night shows, and "The Cost of Living," the new play offered by Rowland & Clif- ford at the National, also played to a packed house. The picture houses also did big business, and the streets were far more lively than they are in the "loop" district. "PENN CIRCUIT" TOWNS. The Penn Circuit of one-nighters over which the Progressive Burlesque Wheel shows will travel between Scran- ton and Cleveland will include Potts- ville, Reading, Harrisburg, Altoona, Johnstown and McKeesport. The latter town is 15 miles from Pittsburgh. As the new organization is not represented in the smoky city, the shows will jump direct from Mc- Keesport to Cleveland, losing one day en route. DIXON HAS TOO MUCH PLOT. Chicago, Sept. 3. Ollie Mack will join Henry P. Dix- on's "Belles of Beauty Row" next week, replacing Jo Perry. One or two other changes will be made in the cast and the book toned down in several places. There is too much plot to the piece at present, according to Mr. Dixon, who thinks that he will leave the drama to others. LEAVING "MIRTH MAKERS.** Chicago, Sept. 3. Johnnie Fogarty will not be with the "Mirth Makers," the Progressive Wheel show, after this week. PROGRESSIVE HOUSE DRAWING. Chicago, Sept. 3. May Howard's own show at the Haymarket (Progressive Wheel) this week has gone far ahead of the busi- ness done at the house the opening week. A general survey of the Star & Garter and the Haymarket during the past week gave the latter house a little the best of it in the matter of attendance, although because of the higher prices the .Star & Garter (East- ern Wheel) got more money. BURLESQUE HOUSE CONDEMMED. Terre Haute, Sept. 3. The new Empire (scheduled to open Aug. 31 with Harry Hasting's bur- lesque show) has been condemned by the state building inspector who de- clared the second floor unsafe. Joe Barnes who owns the house,, claims several local officials advised hun to go ahead with his preparations as the house was all right. The Hastings show was cancelled and is laying off this week. MAY DROP **PANAMA PANSIES.** It is understood that "Panama Pan- sies" will be dropped from the Progres- sive Wheel for the reason Max Arm- strong does not see his way cltar to make the changes suggested for the show. CENSORS ARE OUT. Chicago, Sept. 3. The Columbia Amusement Co. cen- sor committee hove into town last week. The committee found some cen- soring to do about the Star & Garter theatre, where the billposters strike did not hit their fancy at all. They wired the Hyde & Behman concern they needed a new house manager and six union billposters at the Star & Garterr The Censor Committee of the East- ern Wheel did not start out on its official censoring tour, but made a brief dash, returning to New York last Sat- urday. The trio of critics will leave again to make the regular Wheel trip in a week or so. BOOSTING CALIFORNIA. San Francisco, Sept. 3. The State of California and this city in particular, is about to be boosted throughout the country in the most tn- crgetic and up-to-date fashion through the medium of moving pictures. With that end in view, the publicity depart- ment of the local Chamber of (Com- merce has arranged with the produc- ers of the "Golden Gate Weekly" to feature things generally Californian and ecpecially San Franciscan. Special attention is to be given to the Exposition, to which a reel will be devoted weekly. FILM IN DE.MAND. Waterbury, Mass., Sept. 3. William Fox opened his theatre here last Thursday and one of the big feat- ures of the bill was a Kinemacolor feat- ure film "The Scarlet Letter." The pic- ture was in great demand elsewhere and the company ordered it returned promptly, but the management object- ed and threatened the Kinemacolor op- erator with arrest if it was not retained for a week. The operator stole out of town in the niiddle of the night, taking with him the precious film and now Fox declares he will sue for damages "RKEL LIFE** WEEKLY. Herbert New has st('i)i)cd into H. J. Strickyiuans' job with the Mutual Cor- I)orafion and is getting out the pic- ture sheet formerly edited by .Strcck. New has renamed the Mutual Obsef- ver. Reel Life.