Variety (May 1915)

MOVING PICTURES 15 FILM STARS WON'T SUPPORT THOSE FROM THE LEGITIMATE Lottie Briscoe Leaving Lubin for That Reason, It Is Said Francis X. Bushman Reported Having Left Essanay Like- wise. Miss Briscoe With Lubin Over Three Years. After three and one-half years with Lubin, Lottie Briscoe, Lubin's feminine star, is leaving the concern this week. According to report, Miss Briscoe resigned for the same reason that led Francis X. Bushman to sever his con- nection with Essanay. Neither, it is said, would agree to play in films, in support of players drawn from the legi- timate, who would have technically been placed above them in the casting of characters. Lubin, according to the story, called upon Miss Briscoe to assume a role which would have been the "third par- ty" of the film play. Resting upon her prerogative as a picture star, the girl declined to submit to the assignment, upon the ground it would be ill-fitting her position in the picture world to play secondary or thirdly to anyone of her sex. Picture players, it is said, are sur- mising manufacturers have ulterior mo- tives in casting well-known film play- ers below legitimate people. The ob- ject, the picture players believe, is to lessen the film star's value, in order that the manufacturer engaging them may be more certain of them. "Legits" may play in one picture or more. It is not positive they will remain in the picture field, while the film players who have been in pictures altogether, will likely remain there. If secondarily cast, it is likely to lessen the demand for them by other manufacturers, and their acceptance of the secondary assign- ment would be practically an admis- sion on their part the selection is agreeable to them. This is what the players say regarding it. Mr. Bushman upon notifying Essanay he would depart, signed a contract with the Metro and is to be heavily fea- tured by that concern. Miss Briscoe has entered into.no future engagement as yet. She has been co-starred with Arthur Johnson of the Lubin while with that concern. Their long associa- tion in one stock company is a picture record. Mr. Johnson was lately re- ported ill and retired from active play- ing, for the present anyway. ROUGH ON THE ENGLISH. London, May 10. An English newspaper, or more cor- rectly speaking a Scotch one, makes a rather daring statement in print—one which would probably not be made by a purely English publication. It if to the effect that the British picture pro- ducer is lacking in imaginr ion and for this reason the native fi'm produc- tions are inferior to th <se of other countries, especially America. The article goes on to qti te a man con- nected with a larfce fi *n renting estab- lishment, as follows: I know of only three producers in this country—two of whom are Americans—to whom I dare give script. Were it the best and most "practical" scenario ever written, every one of the others would de- cline to promise to carry out the author's instructions or to allow him to co-operate in any way. The average British producer is a person absolutely devoid of imagination, who, because he has been placed on a pedestal by the film manufacturer, thinks he can write scenarios, and accordingly looks upon the author as an interloper. American and French producers, on the other hand, in- variably give full consideration to the author, and try to faithfully in- terpret his meaning. In America, indeed, the author, whenever pos- sible, is present during the filming, and has many conferences with the producer. You have the same co- operation in, Great Britain, in the theatre, between playwright and play- producer, and until it exists in British film production foreign films will continue to hold the market. This unusual statement has stirred up considerable resentment in the pic- ture fraternity in London, but when one considers that the majority of pictures shown in England are of American manufacture, it gives rise to the conclusion that possibly there is a modicum of truth in the allegation. HOFFMAN'S PROMOTION. M. H. Hoffman, with the Universal for the past five years, was notified Wednesday afternoon he had been ap- pointed general manager of all the ex- change territory covered by the U. service. Hoffman was first in charge of the Springfield, Mass., branch, then trans- ferred to the 23rd street, New York branch, and then later general manager of the eastern territory to Boston. He becomes Carl Laemmle's right- hand man through the promotion and goes to the Coast within a few days to look over the new fences there. Hoffman's appointment is a popular one, as he is one of the best-liked film men jn the east. HALF MILLION CO. Chicago, May 19. The Eagle Film Co. has been lately incorporated for $500,000. The com- pany will produce and manufacture fea- ture and comedy films. The officers of the new company are Theodore Aaron, president; Martin S. Froemae, vice-president; # Abe S. Roe, secretary and treasurer, and William J. Dunne, general manager. All of the directors are Chicago business men. THE GODDESS" AT $20. The Vitagraph serial film "The God- dess" is now being offered to exhibitors at a daily rental fee of $20, the price originally scheduled when the serial was announced. This is $5 cheaper than the figure listed last week and a re- duction of $10 on the amount decided upon when the picture was given a private showing at the Vitagraph thea- tre. However, the Vita people insist upon the subscriber paying three weeks' rental in advance, one charge being for the first week's run and $40 for the last two episodes, which will reach the ex- hibitor in 15 weeks. The latter amount is claimed to be necessary to pay for the advertising distributed through the local papers, although the exhibitors feel it is rather an imposition on the part of the manufacturer to look for- ward to them to guarantee the overhead expenses in advance. ESTABROOK'S ADVANCE POLICY. Howard Estabrook, author of "The Butterfly," a new feature released by the World Film Co. this week, estab- lished a unique precedent when he no- tified the trade papers he could not ap- prove of the release in any way, the World having decided to market the film because of its shortage of avail- able features. Estabrook's communication is rather emphatic, claiming the release was made -over his protest, the arrange- ment being for a-subsequent rewriting of the original scenario, which was prevented through his absence. While the author issued his "warning" strict- ly as a matter of business and with the kindest personal feelings toward the manufacturer, .his note is purely a dip- lomatic measure and is clearly intend- ed to relieve the writer from all re- sponsibility. PENN'S NEW CENSOR LAW. Philadelphia, May 19. The Daix bill, establishing a new picture censorship board was signed Monday by Governor Brumbaugh. The bill creates a commission of three, the chairman to receive $3,000 a year, a secretary $2,400, and a woman member $2,500. It is made unlawful to sell, lease, lend, exhibit or use any picture reel or view in Pennsylvania unless it has been duly approved by the State Board of Censors. One-dollar fees for original inspec- tion and duplicate are provided. The new measure provides for seven clerks and stenographers, a chief in- spector, six other inspectors, four op- erators and one assistant operator, a patcher and two messengers. The board is to have offices at Harrisburg and where else needed, provisions be- ing made for projecting and inspecting rooms in Philadelphia. NATIONAL NO-DRINK FILM. The national Unitarian Temperance Society which yearly selects a picture which it exploits all over the world in its crusade against drink has selected "The Spender," a two-reel drama, written by the Rev. Clarence J. Harris ONE-REELERS GOING. The incessant and increasing demand for features has resulted in throwing a scare into the manufacturers making one and two-reeled subjects. So pro- nounced has been this insatiable cry for multiple-reeled films manufacturers are beginning to arrange for the mak- ing only of features. Not only is this noticeable in dramatic subjects, but it is also true of the comedies. Most of the Licensed and independent com- panies have made new announcements upon the one-reeled film status. One of the most important is that the Keystone one-reeled comedies have been discontinued and it looks as though Essanay will issue no more one- reeled Chaplins. The Vitagraph has quit makfcg one- reeled pictures with its biggest stock people and the result has been that the Vita has been besieged with 'etters and missives asking why players like Anita Stewart, Edith Corey and Earl Will- iams are not exhibited in the short- part subjects any more. One reason the Vita returned was that these peo- ple are under big salaries and their service is necessarily called for in fea- ture pictures. The bottom has apparently dropped out of the one-part subjects. The de- mand has been so great for features that the Universal was forced to aban- don the one-reeled field practically on "first runs" in New York to the Li- censed companies. RACIAL BILL PASSES. Chicago, May 19. The Illinois House of Representa- tives yesterday passed a bill prohibit- ing the exhibition of picture film that could be classed as racial. The measure is evidently aimed at or was inspired by "The Birth of a Na- tion" and "The Nigger," two feature subjects now on the market. CENSORS HOLDING UP "NATION." Chicago, May 19. The Illinois Board of Censors is re- tarding the opening of "The Birth of a Nation" film at the Illinois theatre. The management has the theatre un- der a lease and will place the big fea- ture on exhibition as soon as they can secure the official O. K. of the Board. The general manager, secretary to Griffith and the chief operator of the company having the picture have been here since Tuesday of last week and have revised the film since showing it to the Board. Another showing is to be given this week. Atlantic City, May 19. "The Birth of a Nation" feature is to open here at the Apollo for an in- definite engagement in June. The fea- ture people are to play the house on a percentage. FIGHT FILM DRAWS $5,500. Montreal, May 19. The Willard-Johnson fight film at the Gaycty drew about $5,500 gross last week. The film promoters secured fa- vorable terms with the theatre through other houses also bidding for the fea- ture.