Variety (June 1915)

MOVING PICTURES 17 FREULER NEXT PRESIDENT OF MUTUAL FILM CORPORATION ? Annual Meeting of Stockholders in Richmond June IS. New Directors Meet in New York June 17 to Elect Officers. Aitken Has Not Asked (or Proxies to Vote Stock. May Also Retire from Majestic and Reliance Companies. From an undoubted source there comet the statement that by this time next week John R. Freuler, who is the President of the North American Film Co., of Chicago, will be the new presi- dent of the Mutual Film Corporation, succeeding H. £. Aitken, the present incumbent The annual stockholders' meeting will take place in Richmond, the Mutual being a Virginia corpora- tion, Tuesday, June IS. Thursday the new directors, who will be elected at the Richmond meeting, will come to- gether in New York and elect officers. On the surface it would seem as though Mr. Aitken had taken for granted that his term of office with the Mutual is at an end, for he has not even exerted himself to obtain proxies of stockhold- ers to vote at the coming meeting. The retirement of Aitken from the Mutual may also mean he will retire from the presidency of both the Ma- jestic and Reliance companies. Lately there has been a feature corporation formed, the incorporators of which are C. O. Baumann and Ad. Kcsscl, of the t N Y. Motion Picture Co., and H. E. Aitken. The title of the company is the Fulton Feature Film Co. It is be- lieved Aitken will cut loose from the Mutual entirely and devote all of his time to the direction of the affairs of the new feature company. It is the purpose of the Fulton to make two features a year. Each will be from eight to ten reels in length. D. W. Griffith, who directed "The Birth of a Nation/' is with the Majestic- Reliance forces. With the dual com- bination he receives a salary and a percentage of the pictures turned out. Griffith may also associate himself with the new feature venture. There is also a rumor that the N. Y. Motion Picture Co., which has been making the Keystone comedies, may withdraw from the Mutual. It is said that the new Mutual offi- cials slated to take office June 17 con- template materially reducing the run- ning expenses piled up under the pres- ent administration. The Mutual ex- changes throughout the country are re- ported to have a steadily increasing business within the last month or so. Among the changes reported contem- plated in the Mutual is one that has to do with the legal department, now pre- sided over by Walter N. Seligsberg. At the present time Seligsberg, the senior member of the firm of Seligs- berg & Lewis, of 55 Liberty street, is also the attorney of the Mutual, the Reliance, the Majestic and of Mr. Aitken. As the Reliance and Majestic release through the Mutual, Seligsberg has been attorney fpr both sides of the r( nation. Sometimes it has been diffi- cult, it is said, to know whether Mr. Mutual Seligsberg advised Mr. Reli- ance-Majestic Seligsberg as to what to do to Mr. Aitken-Seligsberg. Seligs- berg represented the Mutual in the Ohio picture censorship suit, which re- sulted disastrously to the Mutual in the United States Supreme Court This fight cost the Mutual about $30,- 000, it is reported. It is also reported that the Western Import Co., which had the right to dis- pose of the pictures of the Majestic, Reliance and N. Y. Motion Picture companies in London and of which Roy E. Aitken (brother of H. E. Aitken) was the managing director, had discon- tinued and had disposed of its rights to an outside party. "D0WNT0W1T ' TIP, It has been quietly tipped by an in- fluential member of the National City Bank, it is said, that pictures are to witness one of the biggest consolida- tions in history during the coming summer. The story as far as can be learned at present; was spilled to a friend who was about to invest deeply in one of the big feature companies. The policy of slashing and raising all sorts of picture prices has made the divi- dends rather few and far between and tc these concerns a consolidation of the kind proposed would be a god- send. It would also do away with several of the shrewd promoters who have been feathering their nests for a year or so past with "stock shoving" schemes. MISS CLARK'S LONG CONTRACT. Although - the picture makers have been tendering Marguerite Clark many offers, it is time wasted upon their part, according to Ben. P. Schulberg, speak- ing as a publicist for the Famous Play- ers, which has Miss Clark under con- tract for three years. Though there were no such agree- ment, says Mr. Schulberg, now speak- ing for Miss Clark, that picture star would not sever her connection with the F. P. under any circumstances. As for himself Mr. Schulberg says raught. ROLFE'S FIRST WEEK. B. A. Rolfe is in his first week as managing director of the Strand, where he succeeded S. Rothapfcl. The Strand show this week was staged by Mr. Rolfe. It includes a medley of "Home, Sweet Home" as played in all countries, and lastly by Irving Berlin as a rag. that has excited considerable comment for the ingenuity of arrangement. BIG SHAKE-UP AT VITA. The next two weeks will witness a shake-up at the Vitagraph Studio in Flatbush. There will be a general leave-taking on the part of a number of directors and players, who have be- come dissatisfied at the picture plant. Among them are reported Cissie Fitz- gerald, Billy Quirk, Estelle Mardo, Lionel Adams, Donald Hall, J. Her- bert Frank, Anna Laughlin, Harry Fitzgerald and Leah Baird. Of the directors at least four will discontinue their connection with the Vitagraph company. They are Lee Beggs, Capt. Harry Lambart, C. J. Williams, J. Han- worth and Harry Fitzgerald, who has been assistant to Wally Van. The entire "guarantee" stock staff at the plant will also leave. There are about 20 people in this company who have been working on a three-day guar- antee each week, some filling in as many as six days. Some of those who are retiring are in receipt of letters from the managing heads of the company stating that a policy of retrenchment on the part of the Vitagraph is necessary because of business conditions caused by the war. Estelle Mardo quit last Saturday. Her last Vita work was in "The Thief's Daughter," a future release. Lionel Belmore, formerly director at the Punch & Judy theatre, is now one of the principal directors at the Vita studio. FAVORING STATE RIGHTS. It was intimated in some of the film offices this week that State Rights as a way for marketing features would be in use again shortly, owing to the present way of working on percentage with exchanges throughout the country not proving satisfactory with the in- dependent producers, who do not re- lease on a regular program. With the percentage basis employed it is said producing companies have not secured the right returns, owing to the exchange men not giving correct financial statements. This is the reason given for some of the independent manufacturers going to the wall. The state rights proposition gives the pro- ducer money down and ready cash, which seems to be lacking in many film concerns. "NATION** OPENS IN CHICAGO. Chicago, June 9. 'The Birth of a Nation" was shown for the first time here Saturday night at the Illinois theatre. Through in- junction proceedings in the Circuit court, the court ruled early Saturday the picture could be exhibited pending final decision. The picture drew well at the opening but Sunday was the first scorching day of the summer a ftAth c Illinois suffered along with the offer downtown the- atres. Monday bigger business was re- ported with more favorable weather. MAY ROBSON WITH VITA. May Robson has been placed under contract by the Vitagraph to appear in one of her forme* successes, "A Night Out,** which is to be one of the com- pany's feature releases. GARDEN ON SHARES. Madison Square Garden was to have had Lubin's "The Sporting Duchess*' as the feature picture of the opening show but through a misunderstanding over the financial arrangement between the management of the amusement re- sort and the picture people "Silver Threads Among The Gold" was sub- stituted. The Garden held a fair sized crowd when opening Saturday night and a very slim one Sunday night de- spite that there was a quantity of paper out for both performances. It is understood the Arena Amuse- ment Co. which is the sponsor for the picture policy at the Garden has the house on a sharing basis from the present holders of the property. The sharing terms provide that the Garden receives a minimum of $50 daily for their share. The United Garment Makers of the World have taken the Garden for a matinee performance and are paying $1,400 for the afternoon. In addition to witnessing the perform- ance they will also hold their annual convention. AN ACE IN THE HOLE, v When the Rialto (formerly Hammer- stein's) opens, it will have a special entrance from the new subway which is being completed. This is a sort of an ace in the hole which the Hammer- steins held back. The subway construction company had to "kick in" to the Hammersteins before they would consent to the cut- ting into their building. C. G. Stewart, formerly of the Prin- cess theatr will act as manager for the new Rothapfel picture playhouse when it opens in October. METRO AFTER MARY GARDEN. It is possible Mary Garden, the oper- atic star, may be lured into pictures. Joseph N. Engle, treasurer of the Metro, and one of the directing heads of the Popular Plays and Players Company, has opened negotiations through Hugh Massie, of London, with a view to securing the prima donna for the titular role of "Barbara Fritchie." If the film people are successful in se- curing her the work on the picture will commence Aug. 15 and the film will be released in November. The scenes are to he staged in Frederick, Maryland. MEETING IN READING. Reading, Pa., June 9. At the current gathering of picture exhibitors in this city, 300 picture house owners pledged their support in a bat- tle to be waged against the Pennsyl- vania state censor board, The war will be started immediately through a wide publicity campaign, the principals hav- ing decided to raise the necessary ex- pense fund by popular subscription. A parade carrying over 60 autos was held here Tuesday, with the ball Tues- day night. At the latter affair many star screen actors were in attendance. Monday more than a thousand tickets had been sold for the event. This was to be followed today by a big banquet a: the Berkshire Hotel, for which 500 plates were arranged in advance.