Variety (September 1914)

VARIETY The Sherwood theatre, Canastota, N. Y., has been leased for five yeurs by Herman Rakov from John E. Sherwood. Future policy, pic- tures. The deul was put through this week whore- by the Colonial film company will manuiac- ture a series of "Gut Rich Quick Wallingford ' pictures. Ira 11. Simmons, formerly connected with the Shubert Feature Co., is now a member of the Montgomery-Simmons Film Service Co. N. U. Spitzer Is now Kansas City manager of the World Film Corp. He formerly was connected with tho Syndicate Film Corp. Dolly Laikln, who has been leading lady with the r routicr Co. for six months, has left tiie organization. Jay Morley, formerly of the Broncho com- pany, has joined the Frontier Players at Sunm 1'aula, Cal. He will play heavies and leads. Lillian Christy, who has been a mem- ber of the Vitagraph and Kalem companies, i.-% also a new arrival at the Frontier studios. The manager of a Dutte, Mont, movie bouse Is repotted as giving free candy to the children at matinees, In order not to loss patronage be was forced to give flowers to i ho ladies also. William C. DeMille has abandoned play writing lor the pr. sent and departed for Los \ugeles this week, where he will pilch Into die picture production of "The Warrens of \ irginia," which he originally wrote for the stage. This piece is to be released Nov. 25 with Theodore Roberts and Bessie Barriscale leads. Oct. "> the Paramount will release a Famous 1'layers' feature, "Marts of the Lowlands." in which Berths Kalich will be featured. It's in live reels. Fred MacKay, n professional pugilist, was ;><« hilly engaged to take part in "The Straight U.i.ui" feature which the Famous Players is ..•*■ making. Herbert Payne, the California millionaire, president of the California M. P. Corpora- tion, was motoring through Europe when his sojourning was unpleasantly interrupted by i tic war. S. S. Hutchinson, president of the American Film Mfg. Co., who was in Switzerland when ilic European war broke out, is now on his nmiv borne. Mike Donlln, pinch hitter of the Giants, Is going into pictures. Another war feature is marked for release Sept. 28, called "Fighting the World." The Rosary" is going Into the pictures. Edward E. Rose has granted Sellg the right. Life's Shop Windows" Is to be picturlzed. Inability to get more foreign features Is f oi''-in« various avenue theatres In New York i i use up the American metiers. Lois Meredith has pone Into picture work. When "Joseph In the Land of Egypt" re- < • i \. - its list New York screen presentation i will disclose .fumes Cruzo as Joseph and M-irguerlie Snow as Potiphar's wife. It's s < i'lir-recler. The Vitairraph plans to put the fl.OM prir* •■«•«. ruirio. submitted In the Evening Sun's con- (.■-t. into rehearsal at once. The principals *ill be Anita Stewart. Julia Swayne Gordon. K;irle Williams, Paul Seardon and Lucille I>»e Pulph W. Ince will direct. The picture Is en- tjtled "The Sins of the Mother," Elaine Sterne l»elng the authoress. The Alco Film Corporation has taken over t!" American Feature Film Co., Boston, the Clark & Rowland Exchange, Pittsburgh, and nlans tn operate a big branch In Philadelphia. 'Die Abo. via Its president. Walter Hoff fleeley. is the recipient of many Inquiries rone mint; Its first release which is expected to be ready by the last of this month. Alice L«>arn l:a» been ennnged by the Eaen Cm. to play opposite Director Edwin August. Tho ('.lobe, Manchester, N. H., pictures, •sealing Wh» and erected at n cost of $17,000. op-tied at «WH Elm street last week. Homan \ Bnrtlett are managing it.. George Parr McCutchcon is to aid In the idintopi iy making of his novel, "What's His \::ui.'"" bv the Lnsky r*o. Owen Davis' "Lola" has been photopla/ed as a feature with Clara Kimball Young, for- merly of the Vitagraph, as the star. This picture Is to be msrketed by the World Film Corporstlon. The first American photoplay production of the Cosmos Feature Film Corporation will be released Oct. 15 when "Lena Rivers," with Beulah Poynter In the title role, will be turned on tho market. SIMILAR TITLES IN PLATS. About every other week there comes to market a photoplay with a title that is just the same or has tht same ring upon pronunciation that poaches upon titles that have been copyrighted or publicly announced by other film con- cerns. A company that has been hard hit in this respect is the Famous Players. It may go into the courts to put a stop to the name encroachment. The Famous Players was awarded an injunction in Illinois against a com- pany using "Aftermath," the same title that the F. P. Co. has in its photo- play making of Prof. William Addison Harvey's story of that title. The Apex is going to drop its use of the title "Saints and Sinners" as the Famous Players has the photoplay rights to Henry Arthur Jones' novel of that name. Stopping Lubin from using several titles is under way by the Famous Players, which also charge Kalem with having "lifted" the plot of "The Cruci- ble" for its feature, "The Brand." The Famous has prior claim to the original story title. ASKS LEAGUES TO GET BUST. From the office of the president of the Motion Picture Exhibitors' League of America to the presidents of the different state affiliations of the League goes a signed statement asking the recipients to get busy at once and write the Washington representatives their objections to the proposed war tax levy on amusement tickets. The exhibitors are being urged by President Marion S. Pearce (Balti- more) to make haste with their oppo- sition to the tax measure, saying that this additional taxation may be with them for a long time. Pearce's letter was right to the point and he did not go to any unnecessary lengths in telling the state bodies what to do. RENTfNG 44TH ST. The MacNamara Film Co. is said to he paying $1,000 weekly rent for the 44th Street theatre, where "Ireland, a Nation," a feature film, is exhibiting. Arthur KoM-^el, vbe-preHdeiit of the Path-' 'Vrnpanv. b-is paswd the crisis of his Ulnesa and Ik at preHent on the road l<> recovery. United Producers Locating. Los Angeles, Sept. 23. Gilbert P. Hamilton, vice-president of the newly organized United Motion Picture Producers, Inc., here, says it is the plan of his company to establish a larye studio in Los Angeles. TABOOS ALL WAR FILMS. Spokane, Sept. 23. No picture touching in any way upon the war may be shown in any Spokane theatre, according to an order issued by Mayor W. J. Hindley. The thea- tre managers are undecided whether to carry the matter into the courts. All of them are hard hit by the order. Dr. H. S. Clemmer, manager of the Casino, was forced to make a huge hole in Pathe's Weekly. Joseph A. Muller manager of Loew's, had to do likewise with the Hearst-Selig pictorial. The theatre men maintain the dis- crimination is particularly unfair bo- cause shop windows are permitted to display war pictures and the newspa- pers to print large quantities of them. PASTING PAPER ALL OVER. The Paramount Picture Corporation is spreading its paper all over the coun- try. 65,000 sheets have been ordered up. They vary in size. 3,000 24-sheets are posted on New York boards. SWINDLER SENTENCED. Syracuse, Sept 23. Ralph E. Miller, alias Frank E. Her- man, alias Rudolph E. Van Nagel, con- victed of swindling girls through fake advertisements for picture actresses, has been sentenced to jail in Washing- ton, D. C. Miller is wanted in a score of New York and Pennsylvania towns where he worked the same game. At the ex- piration of his sentence in Washington he will be brought to Binghamton for prosecution on another charge. He offered a position at a salary of $5 per day on completion of the les- sons promised by him. He also prom- ised to refund the $10 instruction fee after 30 days. ROBERT EDESON. In "When the Trail Divides," in his original role, now a feature film to be released by the Jesse Lasky Co., through the Paramount, Oct. 12. This week Mr. Edeson "tried out" his new sketch, "Apartment 22," at Elirabcth, N. J. It is said to contain a scene and story that may hit many of the Times square regulars as familiar. Mr. Edeson and the sketch will appear at the Palace, New York, next week. COMEDIES IN DEMAND. The number of new services that have started or are in the course of contemplation by various exchanges have created a demand for one-reel comedy subjects during the past week. The large demand for Mary Pickfords is being readily supplied, as many of the old films in which she appeared are being thrown into the open market by brokers. A sale of 110 reels of Pickford was made during the early part of the week. They brought on an average of $30 a copy. There is a present overabundance of commercial and cold copies on the market. These are largely responsible for the deterioration in value of one- reel subjects. Every little film broker and sidewalk salesman has any number of legitimate commercials and they are being offered as low as $2 a reel. Many good subjects can be had for $5 a copy. The market is also being flooded with old Keystone comedies. These can be picked up at an average price of $25 a copy. To meet the demand many of the exchanges have been pur- chasing comedies of unknown brands and clamoring for more. Negatives of these subjects have been sold for an average price of $150. MOE MARK BEHIND PARK. Boston, Sept. 23. The hand behind the leasing of the historic Park theatre, for years an ex- cellent $2 house, and which opens in two or three weeks entirely remodeled as a picture house, has at last been shown. Moe Mark, who has interests in Lynn, Mass., and New York, is a prime mover in the new stock company which has been formed to swing the new ven- ture and feature pictures are to be shown with either a 50 or 75-cent top admission price. Associated with him are Green and Abrams who last season controlled the Auditorium in Lynn. The Paramount Service is said to be planned as the main bill for the Park. REALISM IN ACTING. Pittsburgh, Sept. 23. In attempting to duplicate the thrill- ing automobile chase following the robbery of the Homestead National Hank, an automobile chartered by the Fort Pitt Film Company hit a wagon and fell over an embankment. Frank Baker and Scott Whitefield, who were acting the bandits, and the real constables who originally gave chase, were cut and bruised. Repeals Age Limit Law. Los Angeles, Sept. 23. The city council has revoked the ordinance that picture operators be of legal age and obtain a city permit be- fore accepting employment. The law was held unfair, as the ef- ficiency of young men from 18 to 20 years of age is apparently equally as great as those older in this particular work.