Variety (May 1915)

14 MOVING PICTURES FILM FIRMS NOT PERMITTED TO OVERLOOK TELEPHONE RATES Company Contends that Picture People Are a Bad Risk and Cut Off Service Unless Payments Are Made Promptly No Credit Extended. The telephone company is close on the heels of all its subscribers who are not prompt with their payments, among which are many of the film concerns who are very apt to let a little thing like a telephone bill slip. A few weeks ci no money and the film office is noti- fied that if cash is not handed over with rapidity all 'phone connection will be cut off. A suave representative of the com- pany calls and if npthing is forthcoming the cutting off of the lines is put in force. The telephone company is said to have lost more through picture con- cerns not paying than any other line of business. EXPLAINING STOCK DROP. In the Weekly Market Letter, dated April 22, issued by Jones & Baker, a brokerage concern which appears to have been active in handling World Film stock for some time, the letter comments upon the drop of that stock ♦o $3.50 (par value, $5). The letter ■ays: "The drop is said to have been due to the fact that a very large stock- holder, who is a trader on the Stock Exchange, was caught short of Bethle- hem Steel and forced to sell his World Film and other stocks to cover. In any case we believe stockholders have no occasion to be alarmed and should in fact take advantage of prevailing prices and average down the cost of their holdings." World Film stock closed last week to a $4 quotation on the curb market. Its high point is said to have been $4.62 T /£ on the curb. The company is a Virginia corporation, capitalized at $2,000,000, nearly all issued. The recent election of George B. Cox. of Cincinnati, to the presidency of the World Film is believed to have some stock market bearing, although Cox and some associates are reported hav- ing placed a large investment with the concern. In the same firm's market letter of March 11, the year's receipts of the World Film were given, in 1914, $876.- 808; for 1913. $1,103,077; surplus (1914). $719,885; surplus (1913). $403,076. It was stated a dividend of \)i per cent, would be paid on the preferred stock April 1. A statement is made in one of Jones & Baker's Weekly Market Letters that the World Film net earnings are 40 per cent, of its crross receipts. It was men- tioned in the same paragraph that al- though the figure might seem unusually large the Syndicate Film Corporation had paid dividends of 103 per cejit. dur- ing its last fiscal year. In the same issue and afterward the letters bore in an important way upon the prominence of the managers, stars and plays con- trolled for pictures by the World Film. The name of William A. Brady, a figure in connection with the World Film, has been mentioned of late as deal- ing in Bethlehem Steel stock. Mr. Brady is said to have made a good sized profit on his market dealings, although noth- ing was reported about Mr. Brady hav- ing "unloaded" any World Film stock. The Syndicate Film Co. was or- ganized by the late Charles J. Hite to handle the first film serial, "The Mil- lion Dollar Mystery." Up to the last report of that concern, the "Mystery" serial had netted its promoters $514,000. CLARA KIMBALL YOUNG JUMPS. Clara Kimball Young is said to have left the World Film forces unexpect- edly and joined Fox. The World is understood to be plan- ning a fight to retain Miss Young's services, claiming she violated a signed agreement. In private life Miss Young is the wife of James Young, the World director. WALLACE REID DISCHARGED. Los Angeles, May 5. Wallace Reid, the coast picture star, was released on the charge of man- slaughter in connection with the auto- mobile accident in which Reid's ma- chine killed Harry Craig. The case was dismissed. TITLE NOT LIKED. Chicago, May 5. The Chicago Board of Film Censors would not stand for the title of a fea- ture called "With Serbs and Austrians." The picture dealt with the horrors of the war. MUTUAL GIRL IN STOCK. Norma Phillips, well known to movie patrons as "The Mutual Girl." is to make her stage debut in stock at Miner's Bronx with the Ornstein Players in "Baby Mine" on May 17. Investigating Mall Advertiser. Chicago, May 5. Gilbert Shorter, who has received publicity of the undesirable kind lately, is being investigated by the U. S. pos- tal authorities in connection with his school of acting, advertised through the malls. 12,000 Capacity at Madison Square. It is said that when Madison Square Garden opens about the middle of May with a picture policy, the seating ca- pacity will be 12.000. The Arena Am- usement Co. will run the house. In- terested are Messrs. Wellman, Foss and Hoop. STILL SEEKING STARS. The wild scramble after stars from the legitimate field on the part of the feature producing concerns still contin- ues with unabated vigor. The Uni- versal has been the most active in sign- ing names. The Universal only lately awoke to the fact if they wanted to produce features with names that it would cost some money, but once hav- ing realized that such was the case its raid on the market of available mate- rial sent the prices soaring. Among the names captured by the U. are Wilton Lackaye, Nat C. Goodwin, Helen Ware, Julia Dean, Emmett Cor- rigan, Lawrence D'Orsay, Florence Reed, Blanche Walsh, Kelcy and Shan- non, Frank Keenan, Henry E. Dixey and Ward and Vokes. The prices quoted along the street during the week for material that has been holding out are as follows: Evelyn Nesbit, $2,500 a week for three weeks; Mme. Nazimova, $1,500 a week; Julian Eltinge, $2,500 a week for four weeks and all expenses; Cyril Maude, the English star, $1,500. Frank Keenan's price is said to be $3,000 for each pic- ture. The picture producers have discov- ered the market in plays available for picture productions is running dry and have turned their efforts to securing musical comedy books of past suc- cesses that have had sufficient plot. BLOWING UP A MANSION. The Pyramid, Edwin August, di- rector, has purchased the old J. Pier- pent Morgan mansion which is located on a lonely hill near Woodland. This big house will be blown up in a pic- ture August is writing. The Pyramid is to have a portable summer studio in the Berkshires. Ruth Blair, Iva Shepard, Bill Bailey and Harry Mainhall will spend the heated months there making films. PAID CIRCUS FOR SCENES. The Frank A. Robbins Shows opened in Trenton, N. J., last week. The Universal paid Robbins $1,500 to permit the Victor (with Mary Fuller and sup- porting players) to use the ring for film scenes. EDWARD SHELDON'S SCENARIO. Edward Sheldon during the coming summer is to write a piece exclusively for the camera, to serve as the second film production with Holbrook Blinn. This is the first time that Mr. Sheldon has ever written for film form first. FORBES ROBERTSON'S FIGURE. Negotiations are on for Forbes Rob- ertson to play in a big feature picture with Robertson holding out for more money than offered. Robertson asked $25,000 when first approached and the makers offered him $17,500. CHEVALIER FILM HERE. Albert Chevalier, the English music hall star, will make his first film ap- pearance in a version of "The Middle- man," by Henry Arthur Jones, the fea- ture being made by the London Film Co. and handled here by the Cosmos- fotofilm Co. 6,000 "EXTRAS" HANDY. Ithaca, N. Y., May 5. Theodore and Leopold Wharton, the producers of "The Exploits of Elaine," have secured Renwick Park, on Cayuga Lake, here and will convert it into a picture studio. The park has an area of 45 acres and some of the wildest scenery in the east. All of the pavil- lions in the park will be converted to the use of the picture manufacturing plant. There will be two indoor studios, 70 by 90 feet, and an outdoor platform, 60 by 60. The Whartons will take possession May 30. They say that they have the greatest class of "extras" in the coun- try in the students at Cornell, who number 6,000, embracing every race and nationality. A. H. WOODS IN FILM. The film market is to gain a new pro- ducer, A. H. Woods, who is yet un- decided how he will enter that field. The summer may be half passed away before the producer of many legitimate money makers will settle upon his film policy and plans. DIRECTOR REFUSED $12,000. Robert Milton is said to have refused ?i: offer of $12,000 annually from Edwin Thanhouser to become principal di- rector of dramas at the Thanhouser Studio. Milton has not directed a pic- ture as yet, but is one of the best known stage directors for farce and drama in New York. LEGITS STILL SIGNING. The latest legitimates to sign a pic- ture contract are DeWolf Hopper and Virginia Pearson (Vitagraph). John Mason is announced as a forth- coming Famous Players star. An effort is on to sign Otis Skinner. Two con- cerns are said to have made him an offer. WRITER'S BREAKDOWN. Marguerite Bertsch, scenario chief of the Vitagraph staff, whose last work was the screen adaptation of the Rob- ert Edeson feature, "Mort Main," sui- fered a nervous breakdown at the Vita studios Tuesday. Overwork is the cause of her condi- tion, and she will have to take a good rest before returning to her scenario work. Plant for Animal Pictures. Los Angeles, May 5. Construction work on the new plant of the David A. Horsley Film Co., to be operated in conjunction with the Bos- tock Animal Arena and Farm (recently established here by Mr. Horsley) is advancing rapidly and will be ready for operation within a week or so. Fifty thousand dollars are invested. The Bostock plant represents an outlay of $110,000. The company will make prin- cipally animal pictures. Weber-Fields Films Sold. The Weber & Fields-Kinemacolor Co., which made the first comics with the two famous derman comedians, has sold the three one-reelers it had to the World Film.