Variety (December 1914)

Ninth Anniversary Number ^ _ Vol. XXXVII. No. 4. NEW YORK CITY, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1914. PRICE 10 CENTS BREAK IN MUTUAL CO. HEALED; N. Y. M. P. CO. GETS HERE Will Move Sennett and Ince Companies to Willatt Studios in Fort Lee, Shifting Much of Stocks and Factory from Pacific Coast. With the announcement this week that the New York Motion Picture Co. had acquired the two Doc. Willatt studios in Fort Lee, and would move part of its Pacific Coast plant and force there, it became known generally for the first time, that what had threat- ened to be a change in "\he line-up of the. Mutual program had been defi- nitely averted. It is understood the N. Y. M. P. Co., made up of Christopher Bauman and Ad. Kessel, Jr., had made tentative plans to establish a program of its own when certain differences arose with the Mutual. These differences have been settled and the New York Co. is fixed solidly in the fold of the Mutual again. Harry Aitken, president of the Mutual, is said to hold an interest in the New York concern. Messrs. Kessel and Bauman will leave New York early in January for Santa Monica, Cal., where the firm owns 21,000 acres of ranch land, an elaborate studio and laboratory equip- ment. They will make an inspection of the organization and will then pick the actors, directors and mechanical force which is to be brought east to operate from the newly acquired Fort Lee establishment. In all probability Thomas H. Ince and Max Sennett (the latter being head of the organization which turns out the Keystone brand) will be in the number to travel to Nov.- York. The New York Co. has eight or nine direct- ors working on the cons'. Some will remain tfrere ; together wirh 9 sufficient stock organization- to continue turning out pictures. The largert part of the mechanical department will be moved east and the factory work will be done almost en- tirely in' the Fort Lee Laboratories. The activities of that plant, according to present plan, will begin about April 1. The company will continue to hold title to its ranch land in the west The New York will continue its pro- duction of film in California until spring, although with a slightly re- vised list of principal actors. Notable among the changes is the forthcoming departure from the Keystone ranks of Charles Chaplin, the principal comedian, who goes to the Essanay, a member of the General Film Co., and aligned with the Patents Co. licensees, one of the Mutual's two principal competitors. Among the additions to the Key- stone acting forces are Harry ("Dutch") Ward, a burlesque comedian, and a newcomer named "Billy" Walsh, until lately a cabaret performer in a Broadway establishment, and a "dis- covery" of one of the New York Co.'s heads. They will leave for the coast early next month. Under a new regime the Keystone brand will release two more comedies per week and this may be added to. Ford Sterling, who recently joined the Universal directing forces, will likely return to the New York staff. Billy Ritchie recently joined the Keystone company. The New York Company controls the Kay-Bee, Domino, Broncho and Keystone brands, the last named being one of the most valuable trade marlfs. in, frlrodom. U. B. O.'S GRAND RAPIDS. Grand Rapids, Dec. 22. The Empress, supplied with its at- tractions through the Loew agency up to a couple of weeks ago, will become a link of the United Booking Offices' string Jan. 4, through a deal consum- mated in this city last week by John J. Murdock. The house is owned by local capital. Recently arrangements were made for the erection of a new theatre in Grand Rapids, the builders being Davis & Harris, of Pittsburgh, and Gilling- ham & Smith, of Grand Rapids. The United people were scheduled for a fifth interest in the project and plans had been drawn and accepted when the owners of the Empress made overtures for a peace conference, which resulted in the booking arrangement with the U. B. O. Gillingham & Smith, who also own the Orpheum, Grand Rapids, in trans- ferring their booking franchise, retain the privilege of playing pop vaudeville in their house, while the Empress will present the better grade bills. RUBE GOLDBERG, PLAYWRIGHT Rube Goldberg, cartoonist, vaude- villian and prominent Friar, has turned to playwriting. He is at present col- laborating with Frank Tannehill on a stage version of "I'm the Guy." The piece will be produced next season. "HANS DIPPLE" HAS PASSED. .Detroit, Dec. 22. ««» 'The Passing of Hans Dipple" closed Saturday night. The company, includ- ing John Sainpolis, Sidney Shield and Mildred Keith, have returned to New York. $2,000 Theatre Robbery. Chicago, Dec. 22. Robbers entered the Cort theatre Sunday night and after binding and gagging the watchman, blew open the office safe and extracted over $2,000. Before leaving, the thieves wrecked the office and did considerable damage throughout the house. "A Pair of Sixes" js the attraction there. COSTUMER ATTACHES FRITZI. Cincinnati, Dec. 22. Before Fritzi Scheff came to this city last week in "Pretty Miss Smith," the press agent put across a story of her magnificent wardrobe that had to be card indexed so Fritzi could readily lo- cate her many gowns. It isn't on rec- ord that Henri Bendel, New York cos- turner, read the article, but he had Fritzi's share of the box office receipts at the Lyric attached at Saturday's matinee, on his claim the prima donna oves him $710.52 for gowns. Through Attorneys Cobb, Howard and Bailey, Bendel filed suit in the Common Pleas Court y*. sterday morn- ing, stating that Bendel iiad obtained a judgment against Miss Scheff, or rather Mrs. George Anderson, in the New York courts. Mrs. Fritzi's ^-res- ent hubby is her leading man. « K. C. HIP CHANGE. Kansas City, Dec. 22. The Hippodrome, F. L. Talbot's Kan- sas City house, suspended Sunday night when Joseph R. Donegan, the local manager, refused to act longer a^ trus- tee for the Hippodrome Amusement Co., headed by R. N. Childs, of St. Louis, through the stockholders' failure to furnish capital to operate the house under the trusteeship. The Hip will open Thursday night under the control of George Fowler, of Fargo, S. D., and Fred Lincoln, of the Affiliated Booking Offices ot Chi- cago, according to announcement. The Swofford Realty Co., owner of the property, contends that the Hip- podrome Co. has forfeited its lease through non-payment of rent, and has given a lease to Fowler. The acts and employees were paid on the commonwealth plan from the Saturday and Sunday receipts. Sev- eral did not have sufficient funds to leave town, but were assisted. The St. Louis Hippodrome, formerly a Talbot vaudeville house, recently passed from his possession and is now booked through the Loew Circuit. The local Hip was in negotiation with Loew for booking, but it fell through.