Variety (November 1914)

VARIETY ALCO DISAGREEMENT SETTLED. Dissensions among the officers which put the Alco Film Corporation into a receivership for one day last week, were smoothed out last Saturday and by Monday the concern was operating as usual under its old directorate headed by Walter Hoff Seely, presi- dent. Al Lichman and William Siev- ers, the latter of St. Louis, sold their stock to President Seely. With the signing of contracts for the sale, papers were also signed discontinuing the suit. Following the discharge of the re- ceiver Monday, a statement was issued by Alco setting forth that Mr. Seely and his associates who had bought the Lichman and Sievers stock had brought new capital into the enterprise. At the signing of the new contract President Seely and his associates were represented by Job E. Hedges and Messrs. Lichman and Sievers by ex-Congressman William S. Bennett of New York. A statement from the Alco offices Tuesday made it plain the transfer of the Lichman and Sievers stock had put an end to any misunderstanding which may have existed as to the sta- bility of the enterprise. Alco ex- changes throughout the country wired expressions of their confidence in the Seeley regime. The releases already announced by the concern will be made by the reor- ganized Alco, and the Alco line of supplies will be continued uninter- rupted. Photoplays featuring Florence Nash, Mabel Taliaferro, Olga Petrova, Jane Cowl, Beatriz Michelena and others will be completed and released in the unchanged program. Harry Cohan becomes manager in place of Lichman. He was'formerly manager of the General Film Co. fea- ture department, and later head of the Popular Plays and Players Co., a con- tributor to the Alco program. John D. Dunlop, a New York banker and financier, has entered the director- ate of the Alco Corporation. He de- clared this week that he had become allied with the enterprise after scru- tinizing it closely. He is said to bring strong backing to the concern. The statement issued from Alco headquarters gave the list of manufac- turers allied with it as All Star Fea- ture Corporation, California Motion Picture Corporation, Popular Plays and Players, Inc., B. A. Rolfe, and Life- Photo Film Corporation. REICHENBACH AT ALCO. Harry Reichenbach, who recently re- signed as' chief publicity promoter for the Lasky Co., joined the Alco Mon- day, in charge of its press department. BOSTON PARK, DEC. 1. The opening of the New Park thea- tre, Boston, Nov. 25 as a picture house under management of W. E. Greene and Moe Mark, has been set for Dec. 1, or as near that date as possible. CASINO PICTURE POSSIBILITY. There is a prospect of the Casino becoming a home for pictures indefi- nitely, following the term of four weeks the World Film Corporation has taken on the Shubert house. The World opens its feature policy there Monday. If it returns a profit, the Shuberts will lje willing to listen to a proposition to leave the Casino in the picture field, according to a re- port. PENN. RIVALS MAY MERGE. Reading, Pa., Nov. 25. A committee of the Motion Picture Exhibitors' League of Pennsylvania held a special meeting at Harrisburg recently, at which Jan 4 to 6, 1915, was choosen for a convention to be held in Harrisburg. At present the Pennsylvania exhibit- ors are divided, the League represent- ing the eastern picture men, while the Association comprises the exhibitors in the vicinity of Pittsburgh. This ses- sion is called for the purpose of amal- gamating the organizations. During the convention the legislature will be in session and the exhibitors will take up a number of matters with the sen- ators relative to the recent laws which affect the picture houses. Foremost among these are the censor and tax laws. The National Censorship Board, which works without any remuneration, has accomplished effectual work, and the exhibitors are willing to allow the latter board to censor the films. They seek to get rid of the Pennsylvania state board made up of two paid mem- bers. At the present time it is alleged that some films bearing the state seal have not been viewed by either member of the state board. This is accounted for by the fact that more reels are released every week than can be viewed by the board of two. The convention committee is com- posed of all Reading exhibitors. HAZEL DAWN RE-ENGAGED. The Famous Players Co. has re-en- gaged Hazel Dawn to star in the screen version of "The Love Route." Miss Dawn some time ago played be- fore the camera in the Famous Players' production of "One of Our Girls." Famous Players' announcements this week included the statement that the subject "The Step Sister" promised as a Christmas surprise is a film version of "Cinderella" with Mary Pickford in the title part. The subject will be re- leased in the Paramount program Dec. 28. Two new dramatic classics lately se- cured by the Famous Players for pic- turization are "Are You a Mason?" and "The Dictator," in both of which John Barrymore will appear. Rooms In th« Flr».p-o©f REGENT HOTEL Annas aro now opon. Tb« performer'* k< Elinor E. Co mp oolL Prop. St. Lovjo. Mo. FRAMING A BUYER. San Francisco, Nov. 25. Both the press and public of Hollis- ter, Calif., vigorously protested last week against the methods' used by Mr. and Mrs. George Wheatley, who reside there, to effect the sale of the M. P. theatre, Viola. It seems the Wheat- leys got hold of Fred Murphy and his mother, Mrs. Carrie Klas, and induced them to visit the Viola several even- ings when it was packed. Later, rep- resenting business to be good, they sold the house to Murphy and mother for $500. During the following week Murphy learned he had bought a lemon. To lessen the loss he attempted to sell the fixtures and learned they were tied up with a mortgage, so he closed the house and left town after tacking the following notice on the door, "We came to Hollister with hope, money and faith in humanity. We depart with our money gone, hope and our faith in humanity shattered. The papers declare that the Wheat- leys had papered the whole town on the evenings Murphy visited the the- atre prior to purchasing it. FILMING VAN LOAN STORY. The first moving picture company to go to Banning, Cal., took possession last week, and the town is theirs. Ho- bart Bosworth and a company of 25 are putting on some lively Western scenes for the opening reel of Charles E. Van Loan's "Message to Buckshot John." For the big scene of the capture of the Bad Jake Kennedy gang, who "shot up" the town of "Clayton," the entire town of Banning turned out. School was dismissed, stores deserted and when "Kennedy," "Buckshot John" and their followers tore along Main street the citizens helped to make the scene. Van Loan is with the company. In the cast are Courtenay Foote, Art Ac- cord, the famous cowboy, Karl Von Schiller, Helen Wolcott and Rhea Haines. Mr. Bosworth himself plays "Buckshot John." The Smalleys have completed "False Colors," a four-reel story of theatrical life, and will begin Monday on "Sun- shine Molly," a story of the oil well country written by Mrs. Smalley (Lois Weber). Mr. Smalley will direct the production and he and Mrs. Smalley will play the leads. The entire company will be taken to Midway, Cal., the center of the oil well region. Paramount'^ Weekly, Souvenir. The Paramount Corporation each week writes its exhibitors a circular letter regarding change of release dates and keeps them posted on any deviation in the weekly service. The Paramount has announced that starting Dec. 19 it will publish a Para- mount Weekly, a little booklet with colorworkcd cover, which the lliealre managers will be permitted to pass out to Hb patrons as souvenirs. PARAMOUNT^ REPORT SYSTEM. The Paramount Picture Corporation has sent out to its theatre exhibitors a blank form of report which is to be filled in by the houses where Para- mount films are shown. Each manager is expected to "class- ify" pictures, after the fashion of the present-day vaudeville manager, who reports on each act. The exhibitor is requested to jot down on the report whether the film is good, fair, poor or inferior. This in turn is mailed to the picture people, who plan to upbuild instead of go down. It will also give the manufacturer a line on future booking. The maker of a feature film benefits greatly in a finan- cial way through these reports. DAILY PROGRAM MAKERS. Ludwig G. B. Erb, president of the United Motion Picture Producers, Inc., the concern affiliated with Warner's Features, Inc., which proposes to re- lease a daily program of 21 reels a week, a few days ago made public the identity of the various concerns asso- ciated in the enterprise. The United opened offices and began the booking of its one and two-reel daily releases. This week's list numbers 10 subjects, an increase of three. Other additions will be made from time to time until the total of 21 is complete. These are the concerns which make up the United Producers: Albuquerque Film Manufacturing Co. (G. S. Hamilton, president), using the brand Luna films, with Dot Farley, the comedienne; the Crystal Film Co. (Joseph A. Golden, president), with Superba as its brand; Features Ideal, which has produced single reelera un- der another name; Gene Gauntier Film Co., with the brand Gauntier films; Mittenthal Film Co., with Starlight films; the Nelson Film Co. (J. Arthur Nelson); The Smallwood Film Pro- ducing Co. (featuring Ethel Grandin); St. Louis Motion Picture Co., known for its brand ofTremier films, and'L. G. B. Erb Co., the enterprise of the United, Inc., executive, whose brand will be the Pyramid. It is proposed to put out one-reel and two-reel comedies, comedy-dramas, Western pictures and educational sub- jects in conjunction with the feature films made by Warners, Inc. WOMEN FREE. The National Winter Garden, a 1,500- seat house, located on the East Side of New York, makes a specialty of ad- mitting women free during the mati- nees. LARGE IMPORTATIONS. In a report issued from the Customs office from Oct. 3, 1913, to June 30 last, picture films imported into this country reached 44,717,323 feet, valued at $889,500.