Variety (September 1913)

VARIETY IS FILM FLASHES The SolAx releases "The Rogues of Paris," In three reels, Sept. 22. Winifred Qreenwood has Joined the Ameri- can Flln» Co. colony at Santa Barbara, Cal. The Central will be the name of the new movie theatre which Frank Montgomery la promoting at Jacksonville, Fla. Sixty-three new movie houses were added to the country's film theatres last week. The Weber and Fields Klnemacolor film series will be photographed by Joseph De Fresne, whose Egyptian sunsets first attracted attention to Kin. Pearl White has turned over to the Chrys- tal Film Co. "A Night on a Houseboat," a scenario inspired by her recent vacation abroad. State rights are being offered for sale of "Sapho" in six reels. The American agency for the London Turner films, and "David Copperfleld," In six re«ls. are among the fruits of Albert BUnkhorn's recent trip abroad. "In the Colls of the Python," a forthcoming Universal release, monkeys, a gorilla, a chim- panzee, an elephant and a herd of camels are shown, besides the cobra playing the star pari. F. J. Crolln and W. S. Milllken, of Manhat- tan, are the Incorporators of a new $l,0(H>,00(i Delawurt; moving picture corporation. Edwin Holt will appear in the movies as the City Editor, his original role, when the Lleblers motograph "The Fourth Estate." The Scovell's children's movie company, for Juvenile films, now organizing in Las Angeles, will motograph the Hans Christian Anderson tales. Seymour Rose has disposed of a comedy film playlet to the Pathe Freres which Don- ald MacKenzie will stage. The Progressive M. P. Co. of San Francisco has two companies playing Les Miserables over the Cort time. Oeorge Loan Tucker. Imp director. Is at work on a New York half-world Aim. Jane Gail will have the important role in the pro- duction. William Robert Daly. Victor producer, is back from Saratoga where he completed a new track and paddock film entitled. "The Winner." Fritzle Brunette, Qlen White and Frank Smith are prominent supports in the Daly output The Imp players surprised Jack Cobn. film editor of the combination, with a birthday party Sept. 17 last, arranged without the principal's knowledge. After the banquet. Cobn thanked everybody, and said he'd like another birthday party on the same date next montb. his real natal day. The mistake was charged to Charley Greene, who got up the party. Matthew Moore Is the hero In a new 4-reeI Imp feature that Oeorge Tucker is staging. Walter MacNamara, who has two tabs. "The Rose of the Harem" and "The Count of Stromberg." playing the big vaudevlle time this season, wrote It. It took a bathing scene at City Island last week, In which Charlie Greene of the Imp was appearing, to reveal to his Imp associates that the former manager of Andrew Mack wears broad toed shoes because he has six toes on each foot. Dorothy Davenport will hereafter play op- posite roles to Wallace Reld for the Univer- sal. J4PAN Thirteen thouHand feet of the Mikado's country, varying in subject and territory un- til it would fleom that no picturesque nook of the land of graBRhoppern, bamboo and fire- crackers escaped the camera explorer, are among the week's lists of Klnemacolor novel- ties, to be seen now at the Mecca studio of the color process preliminary to their gradual inclusion in the company's weekly travel sym- posium service. One must be particularly immune, it would Bcem, against the enchantments of beautiful tones in sky views, flower gardens, nnd the changing foliage of the seisons In the Occi- dent to view the new Japan Klnemacolor movie views with aught but enthusiasm, so splendid in chromatics are the moving sub- jects for the most part, nnd bo interesting hu- manly are they generally. Scarcely a phase of Japanese life is omitted from the series, from the fllrtatlou'^ geisha girls of the public tea gardens to the wor- shippers at the sacred shrines of Shinto and of Bbudda. Cort. KINEMACOLOR*S COUP. General Manager Arthur Sawyer of Kinemacolor yesterday announced what he deems the best Kinemacolor news smce the Urban color process was adopted into the syndicate family of the Motion Picture Patents and Gen- eral Film Company. With 62 contracts for a new special film service signed with out of town theatres whose playbills hitherto have been confined strictly to regular productions, and plans and options that insure a list of several hundred thea- tres before Thanksgiving, Mr. Sawyer felt safe in revealing the consumma- tion of a Kinemacolor booking plan upon which he has quietly been at work for the past several months, and which will in no wise affect Kinema- color's new arrangement with the big film corporations with which the pro- cess has recently become affiliated. The Sawyer plan promises Kin, and black and white for a fine show. "THE RIVALS." The three-reel Kinemacolor film re- production of "The Rivals," staged from the prompt book of the late Joseph Jef- ferson, is announced ready for imme- diate release. William Winter Jefferson appears in the role of Bob Acres, made famous by his father. The play was staged upon the estate of E. N. Smathers on Long Island and at the home of Mrs. Jackson Giroux at Larchmont. A particular quality of the new film feature is its cast, comprised almost in its every member of prominent captures from recent Broadway regular productions, the list including besides Mr. JclTersun, George Staley (last season with "Broadway Jones"); Dallas Anderson (of the Marlowe-Sothern forces); Sam- uel Hines (of "Arizona"); David Young (last season with "Little Miss Brown"); Lorraine Frost (recently of "Sunny- brook Farm") and Florence Stanley (of "The Witching Hour"). Gaston Bell, the Kinemacolor leading man, has a prominent role in the fea- ture. AUDIENCE DIDN'T KNOW. Spokane, Sept. 17. Al. G. Hayes, film operator at the Rex theatre, was seriously burned about the face and hands yesterday when a film exploded during a per- formance. The fire was confined to the project- ing room and the audience was not aware of the conflagration until it was all over. FILM HUNTING PARTY. The Baptist Missionary Society's representative at Spargo, northern Alaska, Aug. 25 showed a native ICsqui- niaux bible class movies for the first time. The scene was Alaskan, taken on the spot, and showed a white polar bear coming over the ice from a dis- tance. The bible class vanished as soon as the bear appeared, the iiioii ducking for their puns, the women and children to join in the chase. DOMINO FILMS. The N. Y. Motion Picture Corpora- tion's naval and Puritan productions, originally labeled the Empire Films, and later changed to the Peerless, have been again rechristened, this titiie the Domino. Copyright rcasonj caused the title changes. AGENTS ASKING TOO MUCH. The manufacturers of moving pic- ture feature films are confronted with a heretofore unforeseen obstacle, in the person of the authors' agent, who stands between them and the play- wright in the securing of an agreement to reproduce on the screen the suc- cessful plays which are now being de- manded. The agents have tilted the price for such rights to what is re- garded a prohibitive figure. For the right to use a successful play in picture form the authors' agent now demands from $500 to $1,000 down on a contract calling for 25 per cent, of the profits, said profits to be not lesrs than $5,000 a year. The film manufac- turer has been placed in the position of taking the gamble of making the picture production and guaranteeing its success. They have tried to argue that the using of a play in the pictures cre- ates a healthy demand to see the piece in regular stage form, as novelizing a play is generally conceded to do. On occasion they have been able to con- vince the author that this is correct, but the agent stands between, always holding up the price. A similar condition existed in Europe until recently. It prevailed until one firm, after a spirited competition, se- cured the rights to one of Ludwig Ful- da's pieces. The pictures had an enormous sale, but Fulda secured all of the profits, leaving the picture con- cern nothing for its trouble. The film people thereupon got together and de- termined to make only pichlres from their own scenarios and are'continuing to do so until the authors, through their agents, become amenable to rea- son. It is understood that the Ameri- can manufacturers will follow suit. KINKMACOLOR'S "SHOWERS." A forthcoming comic trick release announced by Kinemacolor shows a village of several thousand people at a Wyoming railway station to greet the arrival of Theodore Roosevelt. Every- one carries an umbrella because of »mpending rain. A terrific wind storm ensues and whips the umbrellas out of the hands of their holders; 2,000 open umbrellas are shown in the air. STOCK BURLESQUE IN PHILLY. Philadelphia, Sept. 17. A policy of stock burlesque is an- nounced for the Gayety, Philadelphia, which was eliminated from burh squc under the terms of the recent merger between the Columbia and Empire Cir- cuits. It had been operated as a bur- lesque Wheel stand on the Eastern side. Johnny Eckhardt. a veteran bur- lesque manager, backed by Philadel- phia business men, secured the lease from John J. Jermon. The house is being renovated. When this work is completed it will start on its career as a stock establishment, featuring sports as added attractions to the shows. The people have not yet been engaged. FIXING "VANITY FAIR." The BilT Clark show. "Vanity Fair." on the Eastern Wheel, is reported to be undergoing revision. COAST BURLESQUE COLD. San Francisco, Sept. 17. Izzie Weingarten of Chicago left here last week for the east. Wein- garten was in the west trying to line up a burlesque wheel on the coast. Before leaving, Weingarten, who wa«» associated with a Mr. Sargent in the real estate business, stated that the deal was cold. The jumps wtnild be too long and there are practically only five towns on the coast that could be counted as live ones for the bur- lesque entertainment. PROGRESSIVE CENSORS OUT. Chicago, Sept. 17. Hatch & Stair of the Progressive Burlesque Wheel are now on a tour of inspection over the circuit. Last week the censors were in Chicago and besides looking over the shows watched details around the houses. One of the first moves made was to insist upon the theatres employing no less than nine men in the orchestras. Mat Woodward is accompanying the committee. AFTER THE ENGLEWOOD. Chicago, Sept. 17. The Columbia Amusement Co. is again endeavoring to get the new Englewood theatre, now playing the Progressive Wheel shows. The house is in the south end of. the city at Halsted and 63d streets, and from all reports is doing a great business. NEW PRIMA DONNA. Chicago, Sept. 17. Hilda Le Roy takes the place of Kitty Maher with the Jean Bedini "Mischief Makers" show on the Pro- gressive Burlesque Wheel. Miss Le Roy will play the prima donna role. DAN DODY HAS AN OFFICE. Dan Dody, the stage producer, hai taken an office in the Columbia The* atre Building. Business has been so plentiful with Dody he didn't have time to think of it before. It's the first time Dan has ever had an office of his own, and he is decorat- ing it himself. TAKING "PANSIES" PLACE. The Progressive Wheel has ordered another attraction to take the place of Max Armstrong's "Panama Pansies" on the circuit. Armstrong is said to have invested all of his money in the initial production of the show, and found himself unable to follow the in- structions from the censors. Much re- gret is heard about that Armstrong was placed in this way. Dave Kraus will have charge f)f the new Progressive company, which start- ed rehearsal Thursday. It will be the Wheel's own company, aceording to rc|)ort. REDINI BK.ATS HASTINGS. Chicago, .Sept. 17. Jean Bedini and Harry Hastings were the rivals on Madison street last week. The Bedini show ("Mischief Makers") was at the Hayinarket and Hasting's at the Star and Garter. Bedini with the better show did a fair business, ^^etting a\^ay to a poor Sunday opening,', but pick( (j up as the week went alone. T!ie II;i^t;ii-- s!iow did not do linsiiics«.