Variety (December 1917)

MOVING PICTURE DEPARTMENT PAGES 46 TO 54 I'll* '■! PICTURE MANUFACTURERS FACE SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF FILM Eastman Company Sends Out Circular Letter Which Causes Price of Material to Take Big Jump—Now at 18 Cents and Going Higher. The picture manufacturers face a serious shortage of film if things con- tinue as they are at present. Last week the Eastman Company sent out the following circular letter* As there is likely to be an im- mediate shortage of the ingre- dients entering into the manufac- ture of motion-picture film we feel compelled to anticipate this in order to safeguard the indus- try against possible shortage of all supplies of film. Therefore we would advise you that on and after February 1st next it will be necessary for you to return to us all the old negative and positive scrap film and worn-out prints that you may have on hand or can ac- cumulate between now and that date. This material we believe we can handle in such a manner as to make it available for the base of motion-picture positive film. The customers who send in the largest quantity of old film in proportion to their purchases will be the ones that will get the largest quantity of new film in ca^e of a shortage. We believe this is a vital matter and urge you to extend your fullest co-operation in order that the manufacture of motion-pic- ture positive film be not curtailed, and trust that you will make an effort to meet the situation by giv- ing positive instructions that all of vour accumulation of this ma- terial be reserved for us. P.efore the United States went into the war representatives of the Ger- man Government .were buvinp all the scran tliev could get hold of to be ii«cd in the makinrr of ammunition. The price went to 14 cents a pound. After shipninir to Germanv was cut ofT the price fnr scrap dropped to 4 cents per pound, and even at that price brought no call. On receipt of the Fnslman circulars the price jumped to 17 cents, mid has *.inrc (,'nnc tin to 18 cents, with in- f"«f ...» jr»*> •' '"* wi'l go even higher. Fox has for some lime past been ii'-imr the "base" bv washing it and havinc it re-emuNioned and making usr of "ends" for their "leaders." The "end-" are now quoted at 1'^ cents per foot. Of la»e the On Pont powder people have been purchasing old film, using an extract from it for the making of ammunition and is at present bidding for it against Eastman. Since the inauguration of the war tax on film the sale has dropped off one-third, indicating the making of pictures has been reduced that ex- tent. OFFERS TO MRS. DE SAULLES. An effort was being made this week by several enterprising film makers to induce Mrs. Jack De Saulles, the Chilian woman, acquitted of the mur- der of her husband, to sign for a film feature, the work to be done and fin- ished at Mrs. de Saulles's disposition. So far nothing has come of the pro- posed picture arrangement. FRED THOMPSON DIRECTING. Fred Thompson started work this week directing Bessie Barriscale for Pathe. Mary Anderson Not With Vita. Mary Anderson is no longer with Vitagraph. Earl Rodney Engaged at Support. Earl Rodney has been engaged to support Enid Bennett. He will play in the first production for release by Paramount. HURT WITHOUT KNOWING IT. Arthur G. Hoyt. casting director at the Triangle Culver City studio, is con- fined to his home suffering from a broken bone in his foot. Hoyt is unable to explain the acci- dent. He went to bed one evening last week and when he awoke the next morning his foot so pained him that it would not support his weight. Booking in the Open Market. Starting Dec. 17. the Harlem Opera House and Keith's. Jersey City, will inaugurate the onen booking of it ^ feature films, the houses di-.continuinv: the present Triangle contract whieh has been in vogue f < >r the past year. Kirkwood Retjrnt to Paramount.. lames Kirkwood. who left Para- mount about a year and a half ago. i-- once more directing for that organi- zation, lie is producing the new pic- ture f<>r P.illie Burke. Tlmmas Meighan will be in the lead- ing male role. $8,000 WEEKLY FOR SIR FORBES. The picturizing of "The Third Floor Back" by Herbert Brenon, with Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson as its star, and now in the initial stages of what is intended to be Brenon's big- gest effort, has a fixed charge weekly of $8,000 to Sir Forbes while he is engaged upon the special feature. Mr. Brenon is taking a role in the picture that is being Brenon-directed as well. GERARD'S FILM STORY. "About the most important single contribution to the literature of the war by an American is Ambassador Gerard's 'My Four Years in Germany/" said Mark M. Dittenfass, whose company is filming the story. "I am spending more money on the smallest studio scene of the Gerard picture than an entire play cost when I went into the business. Director William Nigh "has not spared expense. Entire foreign localities had to be built for the majority of the scenes. We are going at it as though we expected the finished production to be the most im- portant film of a decade." FRENCH COUNT IN STUDIO. H. D'Elba, a French count, the most recent acquisition to the direction force at the Triangle studios, has com- pleted work on a story entitled "Fram- ing Framers," in which Charles Gunn has the leading role, and is supported by Laura Sears. Philip J. Hum, the author of the story, acted as co-director. WEEKLY RUMORS. More than the usual crop of amal- gamation rumors were rampant this week and such reports will probably continue unless something is done in that line before the close of the cur- rent year. One had Paramount and Goldwyn getting together, with no confirmation to be had and the oft-repeated denial by both. Another had Paramount interests absorbing Metro, also denied. Some time ago Messrs. Zukor and Rowland had an informal talk on this subject, at which time Rowland, as president of Metro, said anything he had was for sale if he got his price and set his price very high, with nothing further happening at the time. Whether serious negotiations were taken up is not known. An exceedingly virile rumor this week was that Triangle and World Film would shortly combine, the World people to release two features a week and Triangle to make one a week at its Hollywood studios, all to be mar- keted through the present World ex- changes. At the World Film offices it was stated such an arrangement was not in progress, nor was it likely to be—that similar reports had hooked the World with Vitagraph and other concerns, but that nothing of the kind was in the air. The most imminent thing to an amalgamation in the film industry seems to be a combination of dis- tributors for the elimination of indi- vidual exchanges for each organiza- tion, thereby reducing the overhead without those interested sacrificing their identities. ELISABETH HISDON Tlif stiir of thf CirnrKc l»nne Tucker fea- ture film, "Mother" (McClure PJetureg). REVIVED "CLEOPATRA." "Cleopatra," a revival of the film pro- duction originally released several years ago and then declared to be the greatest photoplay production up to that time, will be offered to state right buvcrs and released at popular prices. The revived edition of the picture runs in six reels and carries Helen Gardner as the featured principal. Tt retains all the sensational views of the former version, in addition to a string of new scenes that bring the affair up to modern film work. Over 2.000 sol- diers are shown in the battle wherein the combined forces of Cleopatra and Marc Anthony are decisively defeated by the Roman army. The scenario of the new "Cleopatra" is by Charles Gaskill. who also directed the picture, using for the theme the main events of Cleopatra's life, based on a combination of Shakespeare and Sardou, together with original inci- dents interpolated by Gaskill. The revived "Cleopatra" is expected to reap the benefits of the extensive advertising done for the Fox feature of that title.