Variety (July 1919)

O V I N G P I C f U R E S ■ NEW YORK AND NEIGHBORHOODS BECOMING STUDIOS' FAVORITES Long Island Appears to Be Given Preference. Jersey'*, Shore Has Many. Manhattan Isle Has Several. Los Angeles No Longer "Capital of the Film World." y'/r.f ■■" ;■*>■ "■ ', ':'■■ ■ V.V." - . . ■■:■■■ A movement back from the Coast of the producing end of pictures has -assumed concrete proportions and the location of studios of many big con- cerns in New York City or its. environs is only a matter of months. The erection of a $1,500,000 plant for the Famous Players in Long Island City is already under way while the William Fox studio located on the west side of Manhattan and but a few minutes from Broadway, are fore-run- ners of a time when Los Angeles will cease to be the "capitol of the film world." Other active picture producers \have plans for New York plants, or for studios close by. The Jersey shore is dotted with studios some rented to in- dependent picture makers. While these studios will be employed the general trend is now towards Long Island, much more accessible via under-river tubes than the Fort Lee section, only to be directly reached by ferries. It has long been recognized that pro- duction at the Coast was carried on at an economic disadvantage and a prac- tical realization of that accounts for the present movement to the east. The matter of weather is discounted by the fact that in the New York section two- thirds- of-each month are clear days. Where out-of-door scenes are required casts can be easily and quickly sent South, .many locations being but a night's travel from New York. One active concern (World) which has re- mained in the East, so arranges its stories that they may be produced with the seasons. That is scenarios calling for summer weather are produced at that time and vice versa for winter. W^here a scenario calls for "out of sea- son scenes," Virginia or even Florida are to be easily reached. With every' producer the matter of ■ retakes has been a difficult problem at , times. Often it occurs, than a complet- ed feature when screened for examina- tion by the Eastern executive heads is "deemed incomplete. New scenes or retakes are ordered. The loss of time ' consequent to the distance between , th production center and the executive ■office has heretofore resulted in release dates being set back. It has happened. ' too, that actors necessary for the re- takes were not to be found. With pro- duction centered in the East, retakes .would naturally be possible without difficulty. There is too an actual money loss to be considered for even a low-cost feature entails an expendi- ture of between $6,000 to $10,000 and the average feature several thousands more, so that such investments being held up from four to six weeks for re- takes and the like means an interest loss,. Retakes being necessary, quite often the interest loss mounts up to no mean sum during a year's time. Independents bring all of the New York studios into demand and all the plants appear to be occupied continu- ously. Purchase of these plants for rental purposes has been quite success- ful on the part of the leasees. One business man of acumen in control of the old Biograph studio is reported to have cleaned up $100,000 in the past year through rentals. Some picture men regard the east- ward movement as necessary in a wax but insist that the best results can only be gained in the West. They insist that regardless of the big building plans a majority of films will continue to be "shot" in California. AUTHORS' PROHIBITIVE TERMS. London, July 23. British authors—evidently as the re- sult of a conference at which concerted action was determined on—are de- manding from picture producers terms that are impossible to comply with. So far as is known, no American pic- ture concern has attempted negotia- tions with any British author since their new demands were made—and it is safe to predict that none will. Briefly, here is what the British play- wright or novelist is demanding: A substantial cash advance (in most cases larger than the outright pur- chase price ordinarily paid by Amer- ican 'companies) to apply on account of future royalties; .> A percentage based, not on the net profits derived from the sale of the picture, but on the gross receipts (this percentage ranging as high as 15 per cent.); > The play or novel and its picture rights are not.sold at all, but such rights are leased to the producer for a term of years, varying- from three to five and at the outside to seven years; At the expiration of the lease, the world rights to the play or novel re- vert to the author, who can then sell (or more properly re-lease) the picture rights to another concern who can make another film version of the play or novel—on equally prohibitive terms. It needs hardly be said that n^ pic- ture has ever been made in the United States under any such conditions, nor would any sane producer attempt such a suicidal venture. But. strangely enough, the terms are said to have been acceded to in certain instances by British producers,' whose "not" is generally much less than that of the American picture concern. How long British playwrights and authors will persist in their present stand is problematical, but until they evince a spirit a little less ridiculous and unreasonable, it is certain that film producers in the United States will seek material elsewhere. GOLDWYN TALK. The reported Shubert-Godsol-Gold- wyn alliance is all talk to date as far as any of the executives in the Gold- wyn offices will divulge up to the present. - When the question of "new" money was broached in the Goldwyn offices this week, it was stated by one of the executives that there was a quantity of "new money" in the con- cern, but just who was responsible, for it was not known. One executive speaking of the new alliance stated "as far as I know there has been nothing done except to talk up-to the present." F. P.-L. 125th St. Studios. The Famous Players-Lasky Corp. has taken over the Estees studios and lab- oratories 361 W. 125th street. The plant will be renovated and two new stages added. When alterations are completed the F. P.'s latest acquisition will accommodate eight companies. IF YOU DON'T ADVERTISE IN VARIETY— DON'T ADVERTISE EASTMAN'S M. P. ACADEMY. It seems to be settled that, Samuel L. Rothapfel is to be the director gen- eral of the National Academy of the Motion Picture which the Eastman interests propose locating in Roches- ter, N, Y. The tremendous fortune Eastman has made out of the picture industry would make it possible for him to endow a like institution in almost every town of any importance in this country without injuring the bankroll to any great extent. A re- port on the Eastman income last year showed that there was $40,000,000 paid to the Government in income taxes. That a couple ef millions are to be -invested by the company in a perma- nent monument to their organization means nothing more or less than that it is going to be a standing advertise- ment for the company. The theatre is to seat 3,100 and have an orchestra of at least 75 men. East- man is not stopping at cost for any of the details for the institution, and if there was one thing needed in the picture industry to leave an indelible record of the tremendous strides that the industry is making it is just the National Academy Eastman proposes to endow at Rochester. The approach of Rothapfel as man- aging director for the enterprise is sufficient to bespeak the lengths that the power behind is willing to go to achieve the ultimate in his ambitions. • Adolph Zukor has made a -proposi- tion of a guarantee to go to London and be the supervising director of presentations for the string of thea- tres that the Famous Players-Lasky is to open there in the near future. This following the offers that have been made to" several New York picture theatre managers by representatives of Jury, Ltd., seems to indicate there is to be a battle staged in the exhibiting end of the picture field as well as in the producing end in the very near future. It is accepted that the province of Rothapfel is in the exhibiting field. As a director of presentation of the motion picture he undoubtedly stands without a peer and when the theatre lost him it lost one of the most ac- tive and progressive figures that there was in the exhibition field. Rothapfel was not the success expected of him as a director. The Hall management of the affairs of his Unit idea might be in a measure responsible as any other contributing cause. The fact re- mains, however, that the Unit Program did not meet with the acclaim looked for. For this the managers of the big- ger theatres may be thankful. If it is the means of bringing Rothapfel back to the exhibiting field they are bound to receive a number of suggestions from his work that will be for the general betterment of the picture thea- tre at large. —=-:— ' / MOSS' NAME REMAINS. Though the B. S. Moss circuit of vaudeville theatres has been taken over by Famous Players-Lasky, the name of Moss will remain on them., This is one of the policies decided upon by Mr. Moss, who is in general charge of the picture people's own theatres. Any theatre acquired by Moss for F. P.-L. will retain its individuality through the title if that is considered of trade value. Mr. Moss has set no policy for the Broadway (New York) theatre after the picture run. From the present in- dications it is unlikely vaudeville will supplant the picture regime. C. C. FLIV COST $300,000. The gross of cancellations of the First National products due to the fliv of the Charlie Chaplin "Sunnyside" is estimated by a canvass of exhibitors and exchanges throughout the country to exceed $300,000. BIG SEATTLE CONVENTION. Seattle, July 23. Over 1,000 accredited delegates repre- senting 700 picture theatres and 30 ex- changes, were in the attendance at the Northwest Film Convention and Screen ball, held here July 16-19, inclusive. Mayor Hanson and Governor Hart addressed the delegates at the opening session which was devoted to welcom- ing the guests. Friday's session was devoted to the election of/ officers and the place for the next convention "was selected. The ball was in the evening, with 12,000 persons present, it being held in two places at the same time, theArene and Hippodrome. A number of picture stars were present. The delegates went on record as being opposed to "fly by night" pro- ducers and their inferior productions Were severely condemned. Operators and exhibitors were pledged to^show only the better grade of pictures' and such as retain and respect the con- fidence of patrons. Spokane will be the next convention city. Miss Motie was chosen officially to represent that city as "Miss Spokane."' The convention proved to be the biggest event of its kind ever held in the West CLUNE STILL CASHING ON B. "Pop" Clune's bit of "The Birth of, a Nation," acording to a semi-annual statement rendered last week, showed him .to be $275,000 ahead of his original investment of $16,000. The net cost of the production was $HS f 0Q0. Thomas Dixon is stMl drawing his 25% of the gross receipts for his au- thor's rights in "The Clansman" from which the world beater was adapted. RACE RIOTS HIT THEATRES. . v. , Washington, July 23. The serious race riots, following four attacks on white women by negroes, has seriously cut into the receipts of the picture theatres and the only le- gitimate house open, the Garrick. The casualty list of ten Monday night caused the people to remain away fro-1 the downtown districts. « OFFER FOR "WAYFARER." • Seattle, July 23. Rev. J. E Crowther local Methodist minister returned yesterday from at- tending centenary exposition of that church recently held in Columbus, O., says he was offered half million dol- lars for copyright of "The Wayfarer" pageant which drew one hundred sixty, thousand attendance in twenty days at the centennial and which exceeds "Ben Hur" and "Parsifal" in fidelity of biblical narrative, in massive scenes and in impressive presentation of the theme. Rev. Crowther has been asked to take his pageant around the world. Lasky Secure* "So This Is America?" F. P.-Lasky has acquired the distrib- uting rights for a new series of com- edy tra-vel subjects called "So This Is America?" The entire series of 12 will be jointly written by Ring Lardner, John W. Gray and Arthur B. Reeves. Jack Gardner will have the leading role and Arvid Gillstrom will direct. The initial release is scheduled for Sept. L A Doraldina Starting Films. The Doraldina Films Corp. recently formed will soon start on a produc- tion program which calls for the mak- ing of six features a year, with Mme. Doraldina the dancer featured. Those named in addition to the star are Frank Saunders and Lew Rodgers. Jack Noble Goes With Vita. Jack Noble has signed with Vita- graph to direct a series of eight fea- tures.