Variety (April 1920)

MbVir^G Ticf 6i^E's •fr* •I--' [piis^ Resolution at Tuesday's Meeting Confirming I 3tan<l Against Loew's Name Unanimously—Be- I i lieve Picker Letter Led X6 Loew Deal—Send I '; Delegatipn to Chicago Suspecting Mo- I tives dF Independent Convention. •Tbe Exhibitors' Chamber of Com- liierce atlts Weeldy naecting, held ■Jn the Hotel. JLstor Tuesdqy^ unanl- linously conflrried by resolution the ^'VOte of a previous meeting to ask (|ietro to remove the name of Mar- 'cns IJoew from the'■ lead titles of ilJQ Metro! pictures. The mating ;.Wbs in session from 1 o'clock until 5. f|t represented some 240 theatres in t'jlew York. There were seven dele- ;gate3 elected to go to the informal iponvention of eshlbitorst to be held Lfc Chicago next Monday. ; H The resolution reads: '' %:- "It Is unanln^ously agreed that ^the resolution passed at .a, nrevious fmeeting Asking the Metro to re- ikrain from using Mftrcus Loew's pfiiaihe on the. leaders of Metro re- ttlcases is correct, and was passed ii:jirithout a dissenting vote. The The- Sjitre Owners' Chamber of Commerce H^es the -suggestion' of Mr. Rott- mjki that the exhibitors inind their Bswn business and talce'i||hte means to notify him that thej^ are minding itbeir own business, as:)^ill!be seen ; Jb a very declsivo wayi'.f, i ' i!- The language of the. Resolution i iras brought about thro^ugh a state nent Mr. Rowland ir alleged to liave made when he go^e out an Interview reganllng the Initial vote taken on tho subject of Marcus Xoew's name' oh Metro teleascs by the Chamber; pt Coriimerce. Row land etaied t Ihat he ha^ a letter Jrom t)aV^ - Picker, one of;'the incmbersi iot the Chamber, to the effect thai; the vote yi&s jiot a unani mous onej Rp;<3( that hei Mvlsed the exhibitor^. (q :;mind thek Wn busi- nes8| v 1. .;■ ,,. v ■;! ^ Rbwianu pfCered to shdw this let- ter to, th^. (liam'ber at the- Tuesday meeting;, but he did not send the Je.t;t<!r. ,JLtf.'tho same time there wiia the*.announcement Loevir had PVi-diased;'the Picker, theatres in N(iw York.;-; Tjlie .members of the chknibei' in'-Rpneral pointed td this, as one of the reasons whdce-it might be possible that Rowland JijaS ia let- ter from Picker. '.'•>■ • With alnioat 240 thesitres repre- Mlitcd atv ■ the meeting, ■ it was thought advisable that a delegation vbixt the <;hamber b« 'sent- tbi Cbi- iPMto to bo present at.th«;lnformal Convention that baa been called there by Wiliard'C. PattMson. man- «g«r of tho' Criterion Theatre, At- lanta. ' A' • •. '' William Brandt, president of the cliainber,. statGct after the meeting ♦hat memb^i-s ^were going to Chi- cago to "look for the higgei^ Jn the woodpile," AS they felf certain that there was something Uehind the inoye.. One of the releasing organ- liations is suspected of '.'puning" fto convention, as;part of, its 4e- tonse campaign, and tho New York- ers want to bo .certain ''nothing is put over," ncocvding to -ttic words j4f Mr. Brandti; There will ^e seven .'Mlegates present f i^o^ii' ^he. New jTork Chamber ;ahd thei Btato teague fj^ also to be ' represented at the jSieetlng. ■r"\'^:,'V ' I'&i adveitiscmerit la Ithjil-;Vpek's. *adp papers, signed-t>y.^\V^Uard C. yatterson, manager of tHe CiyterJon, planta, president '^f ttte-*South- :i«astern Theatre "Managers' 'Asso- ■^latlon, is a general! ciiU^toffexhlb- jjtors to attend a'national mass 'Weetlng of theatre owners'at the Congress Hotel, Clift^o, April 26. (^In the announcement Patterson lya: ~"; •' ' Aa an independent exhibitor, you .|ftvo got to add your voice- to the ' emand wo will make from the Jo)" of our national mass piceting f Independent theatro-"'6Wnjers to itorn the trutli about ;th*'practices, intentions and tactics ' behind the competition we are getting from tho Woducers who.are buying, building P leasing theatres next door or '|<*0S8 the street from our houses." t NAZIMOVA EUMORS. A persistent rumor in prominent otion picture circles couples Alia azlnioya with tho Robertson-Cole Interests. An inquiry at the Robert- on-Cole offlcQ as. to whe.thet' thpy lad secured the services of the star llclted the expression from an of- jcial that "they were after the big- «st stars they could get," and "that hereas they wanted stars they ate not prepared to make a statement Until they bad such stars signed with every, form of legal ezpresstoh that was blndi;ig.'» ^ Prom the Metro office in' answer to an inquiry as to^ whether Mme. Nazimova was to renew her contract with them or leave them Mr. Row land said that "Nazimova had be tween four and five pictures to com pleto" before the expiration of hor present contract. "If there is talk of Mme. Nazi mova leaving us It's mere talk, for If tjiero is to be a renewal of her contract I think that while we have no legal option on her services 'wo^have a moral one, and from what I know of her fairness her fu- ture contract will be with Metro." ANNOUNCE LIST OF R-C STARS NEXT WEEK Three, Skinner, Chic Sales and Carpentier, Make Debut, Robertson-Cole will next week an- nounce a complete list of its screen stars for the coming season. Sev- eral of the new additions will come more or less as a surprise, as previ- ous announcements of various proi duccrs indicated their release might' be diverted into other channels, Incjudeain tho list.bf stara; are three hfever before In pJctures-^Otis Skinner. Chic Sales fcnd Georges Carpentier. ' ' Skinner's Initial production will be ,"Kismet." and during the sum- mer be will do a couple of other films. Chic Sales; will appear In Christjlc comedies, and ■ Carpentier will do a serial and isome features vrtthiFahro Binncy as his leading lady. ft-obably the niost important re- leasing deal made by Robertson- Cole' In their entire existence as fllfai distributors is the one calling for the handling of. the pictures to be made by Pauline Frederick at the Xermination of her present Goldwyn ccntractj" which will shortly expire. HarjoHe Barabeau I^^under con- tract to make eight pictures for Capoliani which are to be Robert- BOn-Cole releases. The first of them will be "The Fortune Teller." Joseph Byron Tottcn will direct BUtel Barryroore In a series of photoplays which will boar the Rob- crtsonrCole fllslributlon trade-mark. Others will be Bessie Barriscale, Low Cody and Scssuc Hayakawii. IJC SK" PRIZE M IS^IINnCKED ■ /» V • LPrLSEimS : >; 2 FOR REJSSOES "Rebecca" and "Old Wives for New" to Be Revived. th]B p. P.-li. are going, to re-isauc "Rebeoca .of Surtnybrook Farm" and "Old Wives for. New" sliortly. ,The doctoring will consist of new. prints and accesBQvles The reissue is the outcome o£ "exhibitors' demands," their New York Exchange advises, while' "Old Wives for New" is the forerunner to "Why Change Your Wife?" the latter being the sequel. .$25j600 m 8 PICTUEES. jo'seiih M. Schenck is paying John Emerson and Anita Loos $25,000 apiece for eight pictures, for which the team of writers prepare the con- tinuity of an original story, supor- vlBO the direction and personally handle the cutting and titling. BATHINa GIRL JEAIOUS. Chicago, April 21. Gladys Bruckner, one of the Mack Sennett bathing girls, recently tour- ing around here in vaudeville, swal What First National, Goldwyn, and Abrams Are Bidding. The principal tbplo of conversa- tion In film circles continues to be the diqpoBltkm of th« Associated Directors ("Big Six"^, or rather, who Is to get the distribution of its output of pictures. The main contenders for the plum are the First National, Hiram Abrams, Goldwyn and Walter Irwin J. D. Williamd has been busy re- framing a modified agreement since his return, with the idea that Rob* ert Lleber, the Middle West exhib- itor, 'financing the proposition, will advance (he ino^y needed and charge same to the respective fran- chise holders in theii' various ipro< portions. Goldwyn's proposition was to finance the deal on. the basis of $150,000 advance to each director'to make pictures, but this was veplked" by AUan Dwan, who made a demand that Goldwyn abandon its present list of stars and practically turn over tho "organization to the handltog of the "Big Six" on a 60-40 basis. Irwin claimed to be amply financed to put over the proposition, but the negotiations never reached the stage where he was asked to reveal his resources. It is riot known to outsiders what Abrams' financial resources are and he is still on the c<)astnn the throes of negotiating. Three or four English distributing organizations have ^ representatives in New TOrk at, the present time endeavoring to secure tho foreign rights to-the "Big She" output. They hiclude John D. Tippett, Kippac & Clegg, the Stoll Film Co., Ltd. On Wednesday there was a likelihood a deal would bei made with one of these concerns to liandle the for- e%n output independently pf Who- ever secured the Urtlted States and (jTanadian distribution. ' UBSpN WANTS LEASE ON THE GRAND ICINCY Perpetual Contract Will Not Interfere With Havlin's. Cincinnati, April 2i. Ike Llbson, who manages as many film houses as tho famous old- lady-who-llved-ln-a-shoe managed children, Is negetlating for a per- petual lease on the Grand opera house. ■ His prospective lease, it Is said, will not conflict with the present lease held by John H. Hav- lin, but will become effective only after the expiration of the three years that.the Havlin lease on Uie Grand still has to run. For the next three years Havlin and his business manager, Theodore E. Aylward, will operate tho Grand. Llbson w^ants It to compete with Ike McMahan and Jerome Jackson, other film men, who have purchased the Lyric, Just across Vine street from the Grand, which also Is a legitimate house. McMahan & Jack- son will not get the Lyric until July. 1021, when the present lease of the owners, the Heuck Amuse- ment Co., with the Shuberts, ex- pires. Three "years hence, unless Shubcrt builds a legitimate house, and''others do likewise, it is possi- ble that the Grand and Lyric, the only legitimate theatres hero at present, wlU be ininning pictures. LONDON.CO. TO SCREEN AUTHORS' ADAPTATIONS Such as Conan Doyle, Marie Corelli and Others. London, April 21. The Stoll Picture Co. announces it will screen adaptations of tho works of H. O.. Wells, Conan Doyle, Mnrio Corelli, E. Phillips Oppen- liclm, Maurice Hewlett, and all works, past and present, of Ethel L»tll and Olive Wadlcy. "rTTT LOEW BOYS PICKERY 4 lUO BUCKING AIIIM Its Failure Forc^ Pwner to Sell—rAte Up Money to Build It and Turned Out a Flop—A Tremen- dous Building—Value of Victory Lease Has Jumped $150,000 Since Picker Bought. Mai'cus Loew purchased the four D&vid Picker houses Tuesday. Tho new RI5, at 160th street and JBroad- way. which Rcker opened but a short time ago, |3 a tremendo^ the aire, in direct opposition to Pox's Audubon. ■ The three other Picker houses are the Ellsmere, at 174th street and Southern boulevard,! tho Spooner, at lG3d and Southern'boulevard, and the Victory, at 16€th and iThlrd'ave- nue. The latter was formerly Miner's Bronx • Picker^ seipured It under a long-term lease. The value of his lease, according to those in the ex- hibiting end, has increased at least (150,000 since Picker secured It. The aale. of tho Picker, bouses to Loew is believed to have been brought about through the failure of the new Rio. This HOuse in build- ing absorbqd a great deal of capital; and It did not go over with a bang after the opening, as expected. leased the place to Morris Fitzer, attempted to evict the tenant. Four JotI^ have been dr'ayw to hear the Issuea A disagreement was report- ed at the last trial. . - Compromise Is expected in the $50,000 damage action brought by Fitzer against O'Brien based on failure of the owner to give him 'possession Ai^rll 1 as calletjl for liir the new lease. ' ' . UBERTY LEAGUE HAS FOM HEN BACKING Exhibitors Awaking to Menace of 18th Amendment—Com- mittee Appointed. Witli a sudden rush the .picture industry seems to, have ^.wakened to the curtailment of personal liberty the^t is possible under the ,ri^trlc- tions that are place? upon the popu- lace of the nation by the adoption of tho 18th amendment to the Con- stitution. Tho fact that the amend- ment takes' from the constltutlbhal rights of tho citizenry of the nation has been brought homo to them and with.lt tho realization that national censorship and a possibility of Fed- eral regulation of Sunday perform- ances arc not imposslblo iq the fu- ture have brought them to a turn. iburing the current week a move- ment started In Troy, N. T., with tho exhibitors there for the backing of a personal liberty movement. Two members of the exhibitor body In that city were sent to Now York.to taktt up the matter with the heads of the State league, and the result Is that indications point to exhibitor bodies in tho country coming out In support of the National Personal Liberty League, which has been In existence for about three, months. This body has Its iicadquarters In the Hermitage in New York, and during the past week C. V. Henkel, who was at the head of the Flynn serial sales, has been appointed .as the head of the picture committee and a member of the general com- mittee. The first named is to start a movement to bring to tho ex- hibitor world a goneral realization of what the curtailment of per- sonal liberty means, and the ex- hibitors behind the movement thus far have pledged themselves foi" tho expense of that campaign. WIFE'S SUIT AGADiSr - FRANK MAYO iOSI Sensational Charges in • Picture World. ^''jA'Sf'.'iSiV-''•'■'■'si Los AngeloB, April 2U ■■■ [ The aniazlngly. ' sensational charges, to say nothing of the whis- perings heard on the sldo lines,:all came to nothing this week When- Judgo Cratl dismissed: the' action brought by Mrs. Joyce Bleanor Mayo ^ against Frank Lorimer MayO for ■ separate mantenance and divorce. The latter la the picture leading man- recently elevated to stellar parts by Unlveraal. The action was settled outside of court. The action for $16,000 damngesfor' libel brought by Dagmar, daughter: of the pianist, Leopold tlodowskyt against Mra Mayo was also settled without a hearing. Mrs. Mayoittl- / leged that her.husband spent tnont/f'i on MIm Qodowsky ; and othsr women, ..' ■ -i i ■• There was. no Mconotllatlbn M->.' tween husband and.wife; but .the'• Hollywood section Was much disap* pointed that nothing regarding thlS;'; affair got boyond tho |>ringIng.o£ charges and countercharges, , < •,.,;: ASCHER BROS. BUILD " IN THE CHICAGO LOOP ^hen ^Barry Cantwell, a..Crolx de Guerre hero, eloped with Nina Sea- bert of the same troupe. Cooper Manases Criterion.' M.ix Cooper has been appointed numagcr of the Criterion for the .picture proUcy at the house, wlilch iowe'd mercury In a suicidal attempt' <*b to' be • Inaugurated Sunday. He has been tl;e chief usher at the Rlvoll Tlieatre since that house opened. SIGH HAZEL HUDSON^ Character Pictures has signed Hazel Hudson as leading woman' for its first Paul Gllmore production, "The Isle of Destiny." Miss Hudson recently closed with "Maytlmo" and has appeared In "Canary Cottage," "La La Lucille" and "Going Up." The company will shortly leave for P'lorlda to moke some tropical scenes. tills A. Wolff is now head of the Character Corporation's New York ofllccfl, having lately severed his connection with Fox, where hO was New Jersey exchange manager. Building and Equipment ioc- Cost $600,000. . i^;; ■ '■,■.-• *.'i*i , ' I - ■ ■, • #■, :■ Chicago. April 21;' Ascher Brothers, leading circuit picture magnates in Jtho city, are '^ to invade tho loop, with a thcatroi ' to bo built on State street, one . block below the State-Lako, facing •. Marshall Field & Co. Tho Central Trust Co. will short- ! • ly issuo a series of $1,000,000 first-'. 6 per cent, mortgage bonds to ' finance this project. The property ■ Is valued at $1,400,000 and tho '• building and equipment will cost $60d,0O0. It Will bo called the ' Roosevelt. - .■■:■'^^ MUnON-DOUAE CONCEBN.; • Indianapolis, April 21. . -; The United Exhibitors' Froduc-.c tion Co. was incorporated at the ■:. Secretary of State's office I^st^week with a capital of $1,000,000. v r ]. Tho new concern. will maintain \ and operate theatfres, but local pic-;; ture men say they ui^derstand. the < company will conduct a booking agency for exhibitors who aco njem- ■ hers of a proposed picture circuit.. Sherman 'Williams, Merrill M^ore, Robert W. McClaskcy, Frank FItz* ' gibbon and (J. L. Pugh are dlrcctdrsv :.. '<(.i'v',','.>,... ■f-m "?.-«vv ■.■' t? ■■:-',■■■: ..'.^ '■•■ WINS SYRACUSE CASE. Syracuse, April 21: By the verdict of a Municipal Court jury Dennis M. O'Brien has been awarded possession of the Ar- cadia Picture jhoatre at South Salina and East Colvin streets. The immediate eviction of Arthur B. Merrlnian and wifo from the place is authorized by tho verdict and the ouster will bo ordered by Judge P. J. Ryan unless an appeal ia taken by the cVictod tenant. ' The case has been in the courts since April 1 when O'Brien, having •i^-":'r'-'-';"j.^;u>''<;'?:>^"^Mf-^ '■ ■■■•■■ ■• $75,000 BRITISH RI&HT8. According to Attorney Harry O. Koach, representing the Numa Pic- tures Corporation, a new high marlc has been set for the purchase ot,the ' British rights of an American fllm- in the sale of "Tho Return of Tar-. 7,an" to the Stoll Film Co. of Lon- don for $75,000. :. •• The deal was closed on behalf of tho Fnglisli company by Cleorgo King, who returned to Tvondon «ev-. oral days ago. •V'S': ..•-frJw»S CLINE'SIIETBO COMEDIES. < Lea Angeles, April 81. ; Eddie Cline, formerly dirc«!tor Of Fox Sunshine comedies, has signed to. direct a new brand of Metro comedies. He will have four sepi arate compa<IIer"ft«Lworklng at the samenjTffSr "' . • '^Mh