Variety (November 1917)

42 ,•• : MOVING PICTURES NEWS OF THE FILM WORLD "Blue Jeans" baa been oompleted by Metro. V ——— William Ruaaell baa been playing tbe Ooaat In a feature entitled "In Bad" (American). Oeorge D. Proctor baa been added to tbe Patbe Scenario Staff. "Lee Mlcerables" (film-Fox) succeeds "Cleo- patra" at tbe Lyric. New York, Monday. Viola Dana Is to be In "Tbe Weaver of Dreams," a Lillian Parker story. Molly Malone Is playing leads wltb one of tbe Universal companies on tbe Coast. William L. Sberrlll waa confined to bla borne early tbls week wltb a severe cold. J. Harwood Springer started wltb Metro Monday aa representative for New Jersey. William B. Raynor Is now attacked to tbe New York offices of Patbe. BUI Raynor is as well known In Chicago as in New York. Constance Talmadge baa severed ber connec- tions with 8elsnlck and gone over to tbe Fa- mous Players' studios. William Alexander, reoently resigned from tbe Fox company, baa gone on tbe road for "Tbe Zeppelin's Last Raid." 8. L. Rotbapfel waa a guest at a dinner aiven by Turner a Dabnken at tbe Press Club, San Francisco, during bio vtalt last week. Walter Wright, who came Bast to direct for Goldwyn, left Monday to rejoin tbe Mack Bennett forces on tbe Coast. Harry Carey's latest feature Is "Back to tbe Rlgb Trail," which Jack Ford Is directing on the Coast. "Mother" Maurice. Vita's beloved star with silver hair, celebrated ber 78d birthday last week. Corliss Giles has been engaged by Clara Kimball Young for her company. It Is his first appearance In pictures. Constance Talmadge will eoon leave for Cali- fornia, where some of ber future productions will be filmed. Alice Brady is now working at tbe Select 54th street studio, having been transferred from the Paragon at Fort Lee. John Emerson and Anita Looe have returned to California and will Immediately commence work on their next Douglas Fairbanks picture. David Graham Phillip's "Tbe Grain of Dust," will be the second of the Lillian Walker series of plcturee produced by the Croat Hedda Nova, the Russian actress has been engaged by Vltagraph and will be starred In super features. Charlotte has transferred her art, skates and all, into pictures. 8he is in a six-reel film shortly to be produced. The screen rights of Edward Bbeldon'e dramatization of "The Song of Songs" have been obtained for Elsie Ferguson. The Pickwick, San Diego. Cal., is again playing pictures, after trying musical comedy for a while. George Scarborough, author of "Tbe Lure" and "At Bay." has written a big war play which William Fox Is to produce in film. "Mother" Mary Maurice. Vltagraph s silver- haired star, celebrated her 73d birthday this week. She has been on the stage 51 years. Five-hundred persons walked out of a pic- ture theatre in Eighth avenue. Nov. 25, which was on fire. Not a single person was hurt. Damage, $500. R. A. Walsh, who left the Fox forces to direct for Ooldwyn, Is said to have a contract with the latter concern for one year at SI,- 250 a week. A picture theatre to be owned and managed by the soldiers at Camp Upton was assured on Nov. 25, aa the result of a benefit at the 44th 8treet theatre, which netted $13,000. The First National Exhibitors' Circuit Is re 1 ported to have made an offer to Dustln Farnum, now with Fox, to be starred at $3,- 000 a week. The first New York showing which will also be the Initial release of the Petrova feature. "Daughter of Destiny," will bo made at the Rlalto Dec. 2il. Blllle Burke has returned to pictures and ■he will shortly start on a film version of "Eve's Daughter." Grace George's late vehicle at the Playhouse. ' The Motion Picture Exhibitors have oom- pleted arrangements to bold a ball at Terrace Garden Dec. 7, under tbo auspices of the Man- hattan Exhibitors' League. J. 8. Woody, late of tbo Triangle forces in New York, has been appointed sales manager for tbe Seattle office of Select Ho loft Tues- day. The Famous Players has rented tbo Norma Talmadge studio, and will make "Tbo Cliff Girl" there. Constance Talmadge la featured In It. Mary Anderson, who haa Just concluded ber contract wltb tbe Vltagraph, haa Just returned to New York and will remain In the city until after Christmas. e Tbe next release of the Empire All Stars (American Film Studio, California) will be Mrs. Humphrey Ward's novel, "Lady Rose's Daughter." Wheeler Oakman has been engaged to play opposite Edith 8torey In tbe Metro photo- drama "Revenge." from a scenario by H. P. Keeler. Clara Kimball Young has secured tbo rights for tbe screen to "La Fille Sauvago" by Fran- cols Curol. The English version la called "Tbe Barbarian Woman." J. Ernest Williamson received a verdict of $8,175 In the Federal Court, Nov. 23, in bis suit agalast tbe Universal for bla work on underwater motion pictures. Patbe has acquired the rights to "Runaway Romany," the feature starring Marlon Davlea, and will release It aa a Gold Rooster play. Doc 28. "Tbe Tenderfoot," tbe second picture made from the "Wolfvllle" tales of Alfred Henry Lewis Is announced as the Blue Ribbon fea- ture for the week of Dec 3. M. H. Horkhelmer, president of the Balboa Picture Corporation, gave a ball In honor of "Fatty" Arbuckle, at tbe opening of the new Indoor studio at Long Beach, Cal., Nov. 28. Barle Williams was on Broadway last week and saw an Earl Williams picture ("The Creel Mystery"). He Is working a new film, "The fttars in Their Courea." Tom Mills is directing. Arthur 8. Kane, general manager of Se- lect, left this week on an extended trip In the Interest of his company, visiting the cities In which the Select exchalnges are estab- lished. Sidney Olcott has sold the negative of his picture, "The Belgian," to the UY S. Booking Corporation, which wHl make It their third release. Olcott will commence work at once on another production. Greater Vltagraph announces three new branch manager appointments, each in tbe nature of a promotion. A. G. Edwards is now In charge of the Denver office, J. M. Tally In Seattle and G. A. Earle in Los Angeles. Theodore C. Deltiich, formerly nonnested with the International Film Service, announces the formation of Do Luxe Pictures, Inc. s $200,000 concern, which will produce features with Doris Kenyon as the star. A picture bouse Is proposed for Camp Kear- ney, CaL, by G. A. Buab of the Broadway and 8uperba, San Diego, who reoently reopened the Illusion theatre there after It bad been dark for several months. Jack O'Brien, director, has Informed friends he lntende to start suit against the Mutual for breach of contract. He claims be waa under a year'a contract, and was "let out" last Saturday. LEAH BAIRD Who has the lending feminine role in the Ivan production, "Sins of Ambition." She has been engaged by the same concern for their new picture, now in making, "Life Against Honor." Owen Moore is organising his own produc- ing company. It Is understood William R. Hearst will be interested In the venture. In which event the output will be released vis the rehabilitated International Film Service. Judge Phillips of Cleveland dismissed a motion Nov. 24 against 13 picture exhibitors in that city who sought to restrain 11 producers of films in New York from sddlng alleged exorbltante amounts (15c per reel) to tbo rental price of films to cover the war taxes. Work has 'been commenced on Arteraft'o next spectacle, "Tbe Blue Bird," adapted from Maeterlinck's masterpiece. It la being staged at tbe Famous Players-Lasky studio In Fort Lee under the direction of Maurice Tourneur. Charles Malgne wrote tbe scenario. Joseph Kaufmann, whose last Artcraft pic- ture was George M. Cohan In "Broadway Jonea," la directing Elsie Ferguson In ber newest picture, "Song of Songc" Tbe film la being produced at the Famous Players-Lasky Fort Lee studio. The title of William 8. Hart'e new Ince- Artcraft picture has been ebsnged to "Dead or Alive." It has been advertised as "The Blood- hound." The film should be finished within a week, and released by Artcraft about Jan. 15. Twenty-five members of the Metro-Yorke, headed by Harold Lock wood and Francis Ford, the director, left New York, Nov. 24, headed for a lumber camp In New Hampshire, where they will be for tbe next two weeks taking exteriors. A new system of titling has been adopted by the Paralta for the Bessie Barriscale pic- ture. "Madame Who." to be released next month. The titles are animated scenes built in such a manner the working appears to stand out In midair. A meeting of the Allied M. P. Industries was called in 8an Francisco following a re- port that a "gentleman's agreement" against raising the prices of admission to the picture houses has been violated by two theatres in that city. The third of the World's Bradymade histor- ical-dramatic features is about ready for the screen. It Is entitled "Alexander Hamilton," with Carlyle Blackwell in the stellar role. It will be released about Jan. 23. The first of the American historical subjects was "Nathan Hale." and the second "Betsy Rose" The official war films of the Italian govern- ment, known as "The Italian Battlefront," first exhibited in Boston last August in the Tremont theatre for two weeks, played a return engagement to capacity last week at almost every performance. Tbe pictures opened last Saturday night at the Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, to an audience estimated at 10,000 people. The World is maintaining noticeable secrecy about a forthcoming film feature, both as to title and principals, with little known of the theme. It will deal with the present world's war. When Leander Richardson, bead of the World publicity department, was asked about the picture he said all he could say was that it was going to be a big war story without any battle scenes. When J. F. Skerrett died a vacancy was created on the board of the Supply and Equip- ment Division of the National Association of the M. P. Industry. At a meeting last week Will C. Smith was nominated to fill the place. The decision was reached that regular monthly meetings would be held on the second Tuesday of each month and the first meeting will be held at noon, Dec. 12. Harmony exists between the promotere of the Italian war plcturea. which will be pre- sented at the Auditorium, San Francisco, for the benefit of Italian war sufferers, and the picture men who have opposed tbe project. Tbe protest had been made to make sure that the project waa genuine Having received this assurance the film men have promised to aid the project In every way possible. Sir Ollbert Parker has given J. Stuart Blackton the picture rights to all of bla novels, and they will be released at tbe rate of about four a year. The first story, "The Judgment House," has been released. It features Conway Tesrle, who will appear thla winter upon tbe stage with Ethel Barrymore and Violet Hem- ming. Other 81r Ollbert stories to be released through Paramount are "Wild Youth" and "The World for Sale." COAST PICTURE NEWS. BY GUY PRICE. Los Angelee, Nov. 28. Sylvia Bremmer's contract with Ince ex- piree in December. The Franklyns,' Fox directors, are vacation- ing. Bert Bracken Is now directing Gladys Brock- well at Fox'a. Eugene B. Lewie haa resigned from the Paralta scenario department. Work on Ince'a new studio at Culver has been started, Tbe plans call for an elaborate place. And General Manager Ailen haa prom- ised to personally see to It that the publicity bounds get a St-to-llve-ln billet. Jack Halloway Is doing publicity for Paths in Olendale. Tbe Actors* Equity Association held a meet- ing in Walker Auditorium. Maroell Marrell, until recently .with Uni- versal, is now art director at the Dlando studios. Lew Cody is move-ing In the vicinity of Glendale. Each time he changes Jobs his salary check Jumps. Norman Manning haa installed several new improvements at Pathe'a new plant. He is studio manager. .lober* Prunton, in charge of Paralta here, is a bard man to "get to" these days. Many rumors are flying the rounds in regard to changes In the scenario department, having to do wltb the acquisition of three of the best known writers and editors in the business, but Bruonton continues to emulate the w. k. sphinx. Bryant Washburn bought a house a few days after hie arrival. The other day a new motor was driven up to his door. They are charging admittance fees to some of the studios. The admission is one or more cigarettes, which go to the soldiers in France. Son la Markova was before she got hifalutin ideas Just plain everyday Gretchen Hartmen, according to friends here. Metro baa engaged Wheeler Oakman to play opposite Edith Storey. Tod Browning threatens to resign from the Donation Club. But on thinking It over he may stick until he gets a little back. Louise Glaum is now to be starred by Paralta. She says her contract with Triangle is off. She will begin work upon ber first picture for that firm within a few days. William Parker has gone to the desert to write a story for Viola Dane. Being patriotic he took along some red, white and blue— chips. Harry Edwards has completed his first pic- ture for Triangle-Keystone. Roy Del Ruth and Ray Griffith, picture reg- ulars, were drafted and later rejected. They are both back In town. Harry Gribbon has taken permanent quar- ters at a downtown hotel. The cow-and- chlcken stuff didn't agree with him. Anyway, he wanted to be close to the Picon Highball Corner. RICHARD STANTON in New York direct- ing: feature films for William Fox. Current Release: "THE, SPY" ....