Variety (August 1922)

Friday, August 18, 1922 '.'Fy**Jlii^*"." 77^ PICTURES .>" w.*-: ^"■^.Af.:. ■r*"^' ■''V. ^ ''"' T7Njr>'air- •* FILM ITEMS The incorporation within the week ©f a new photoplay producing or- ganization named in the papers T. Si A. Film Producing Corporation, capital t500,000, haa for its early ultimate the projection in screen plays of Boris Thomashefsky, the Jewish star. The T of the tirm name stands for the player, the A for Alexander, the financing and direc- tion of the new company to be sup- plied by the Alexander Film Cor- poration. On the new organization's board ©f directors is Abraham Cahn, editor Of "Vorwarts," the Jewish n<'ws- paper. The organization will start with "The Green CJrocer" and "The Blind Musician," two pieces most popular in the actor's .epertoire. William Alexander, Jack Levy, M. Barondess, labor leader, and Mark Pintenfass are among the other di- rectors. X Finkelstein & Ruben have made a number of switc'. es in their house stafTs in Minneapolis and St. Paul. C. P. Murphy of the Strand is to be assistant to A. G. Dainbridge, Jr., the circuit's producing manager, who is now handling the State in .lAinneapoIis and the Capitol, St. Paul. Stanley Brown, at the Loring, succeeds Murphy at the Strand. Al. Kells, former treasurer of the Shu- bert stock, will manage the G<irrick, which opens with Shubert Unit Shows on Sept. 3. C. C. Perry, re- cently at the State in Minne.-ipolis, resigned, with no successor chosen as yet. The second of the series of pic- tures with the shepherd dog "Stronghoart" as the star is to ar- rive in New York from the coast his week. It is entitled "Brawn of the . North," directed hy Lawrence Trim- '. ble. The director hai^ been here for •everal werks awaiting the. arrival ©f the negative and first print, so that he might start work cutting the same. The picture is to be released through First National about Oct. 15. Nils Bougenjr. former executive director of production tor Swedish Biograph, and now interested in American distribution, will come to this country in September, accom- panied by his family, and will re- main on this side for some months. He is a large holder of the Ameri- can Kreuger & Toll, branch of the Swedish export hou.se, which han- dles Bio in this market and dis- tributes via George H. Hamilton. The J. Deane Stalter Producing Co. has been incorporated in Ohio . to make pictures, with studios at Buckeye Lake, near Columbus. J. Deane Stalter is president, and James A. Fitzgerald, vice-president. Capitalization. $50,000. Billy Gilbert and Avis Leslie have been engaged for comedy leads with Gilbert direct- , ing. , — The Capitol Educational Films of BSastern New York, with principal ©fflces in Troy, was chartered by the Secretary of State last week. The company will produce and present picture films to be used in member- Bhlp drives by various organization.s, It is understood. Incorporators are Margaret A. Manning and George H. Briger of Troy and S. P. Briger of Albany. The capital stock Is $3,000. John Iris, sales manager for the N«w York Exchange of Educational Films, returned to New York this week after having spent three weeks In New England vacationing and making a survey of business condi- tions as to short subjects. The San Francl.sco Motion Picture TJtility Corporation that has financed several San Franci.sco- made film productions, including several by Hobar. Bosworth, is seeking to Interest investors in its •ntcrprises. Earl W. Hammons oftfie Educa- tional Films sails for Europe tomor- row (Saturday). He is to remain abroad for several months, visiting England, France, Germany and Austria. Harry Kopp has been appointed receiver under $2,500 bond of Baum- er Films, Inc., against whom an in- voluntary petition in bankruptcy was filed last week. As.sets are $15,- 000 and liabilities total $40,000. Bert Siebel, abroad with Tom Walsh filming "Marianka" for thf Sascha Film Co. of Vienna, will pail for New York next week with the finished production to arrange American distribution. It is reported that Josoph Piunkoff Js shortly to embaik in the f<.atur» - producing field. Ho ■will not. liow- ever, sever his cohnection with the Strand, New York, as managing director. Josrph Berry, assistant director at Universal, and Virginia Siegworth were married on the coast, with I'riRcilla Dean and Wheeler Oakman as maid of honor and best man. The interior of the Elk Grand theatre stage, Bellaire, Ohio, was l^^irned by fire last week, but the building was uninjured. Lester S. Tobias is representing the U. for specials at New Haven. COAST PICTURE NEWS Los Angeles, Aug. 16. The "Western Motion Picture Press Agents (V7ampus) have made "Will H. Hays an honorary member of their organization. Evidently they don't want their "copy" cen- sored. Jack Brunton, b-Jther of Robert Brur.ton, who recently sold his hold- ings in the big unit studio here that bore his name to a syndicate headed by M. C. Levee, has gone to Florida, where he is producing on his own. Hollywood papers please do not copy! Bruce McRae. who remained here following the Henry Miller engage- ment to appear in tl»e film produc- tion of the Elinor Glyn story. "The Worlds a Stage." Is leaving shortly for New York to begin rehearsals for a new Miller production due to open on Broadway next month. One of the local press agents had it right when he wrote it "scensor." James Young, the muchly married director, whose latest joust in the matrimonial ring resulted in his third wife, who w.s Clara Whipple, the scenario writer, asking a di- vorce, is due for a battle in the civil courts soon. The Mrs. Young that was Is demanding alimony and a property settleme Young says he'll be gosh-dinged if he'll do it— whatever itjs she wants. Harry (Snub) Pollard Is to be starred for the first time within a very short time. Hal Roach is bringing it about. nd. let us add. Snub deserves it. for he has worked faithfully for many, many years. Charlie Murray, who returned a week ago from what he claims was the longei^t p>^rsonal-appearance tour ever made by a picture star, says he wl' ""t a couple of months before maki..g ...i aftlliation. Jimmie Adams is back in Mer- maid comedies. — Reginald Barker returned Tues- day from the north, Canada to be exact, where he went to shoot scenes for his next, also his first Louis B. Mayer, production. ^ Albert Hale Is in Atlanta en- deavoring to organize a picture company with local capital. Viola Dana and company are at Balboa, near here, making their next Metro picture. Lloyd Hamilton is entertaining his aged mother, who came down this week from Oakland. Jack White isn't sparing on di- rectorial expen.se. He is now >)eing directed by Del Lord and Harry Edwards. Hector TurnbuU, the writer, han sold his home in Hollywood and is spending a month at Del Monte. He is accompanied by Mrs. Turnbull (who was Blanche Lasky, sister of Jesse L. Lasky;* and the latter's daughter. Patsy Ruth Miller can dance and speak French, if that's any help to you. Lewis S. Stone has been engaged as a regular member of the Para- mount-Lasky stock company. ^^ George Melford has brought his company .safely back to Hollywood from Catalina. Foundations for the big new lab- oratories at the Lasky studio have been laid and now await the saws and hammers of the carpenters. Wesley Barry is now being di- rected by William Beaudine. Jack Mulhall is with Warner Bros. Marie Prevost is confined to her home with tonsilitis. Marshall Neilan's forthcoming production for Goldwyn will exploit shipbuilding at the Los Ang«les harbor. Imagine the publicity the L. A. Chamber of Commerce will "kick through with." M.nidi« Lfslie, at one time with i;..ri»oiim Tree, is here to do film work. ', . J^ena Ba^kftto. tho dnnrer who has won no littlr fame in pi'!:»ir<.s, is en route east to appear in big- time vaudevill»\ R. S. Van I)yk*» is dir«'< tin^' Burk .lorus for \V ill)itm Fox. H< started tins Wtcli RICH AGAINST POOR WITH MAYOR BETWEEN Piqua, Ohio, Sees Real Blue Law Sunday Enforcement —Mayor Tells Why Cincinnati. Aug. 16. Piqua, Ohio, a city of 16,000 in- habitants, near here, Is being "blue lawcd" to the extent that Mayor Alvah De Weese threatens to arrest choir singers for warbling in church Sunday. But the mayor Is not a "blue law" guy. Theatrical people say he's a "good scout"; in fact, he is a director of the Piqua Amuse- ment Co., the closing of whose three theatres on Sunday caused all the trouble. "It's a fight between the rich and the poor." explained De Weese, who is also a State Senator. "The rich want the town closed because they will feel no ill effects from the order. They have their golf clubs and autos. They can enjoy themselves. They can drive to Dayton. 28 miles away, and see movies or p'ay golf. But they don't want the poor man to have any amusements. They close his only place of amusement in Piqua —the movie theatre—but do not want to bother other businesses from which they might benefit. I'm fighting the fight for the poor man. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. So I refused to per- mit any sodas or soft drinks sold to the rich at the golf club; I re- fused to permit the sale o' gasoline for their autos; I wouldn't let tYiem play billiards or sell drinks at their clubs. "And 75 per cent, of the citizens are with me in' that stand. You noticed how they are accepting the situation? They laugh because they know why I made that order," Luther Patterson helped slop on the indigo when he attended three Sunday movie shows and swore out warrants for the arrest of Harry LONDON FILM NOTES London, Aug. 2. The widely published story that the Kitchener film has been stopped in America has evoked no great sur- prise here. The fact that such wide- awake showmen as Americans are supposed to be should has, however. "The Life of Kitchener," made here by a small and unimportant firm, was supposed to be founded on ab- solute facts supplied by high War Office officials and by the friend and confidential secretary of the dead Field Marshal. It was, moreover, announced that the picture would solve once and for all the mystery surrounding the loss of H. M. S. Hampshire and his . death. It did nothing of ^he sort. It turned out to be a mediocre "spy" melodrama, and nothing more. Even the film Kitchener did not look like the sol- dier millions of men had sworn by and still honored. At the trade show public protests were made by the dead leader's sisters and impor- tant soldiers, and despite a lot of "hot air'' talk the country is still waiting to hear the truth about Lord Kitchener as delivered by a melpdramatic film producer. Walter Wanger has taken over the management of the big provin- cial theatre, Regv;nt, Brighton. Up to now the place has been some- what of a white ^lephant, but If Wanger can make pictures at Co- vent Garden go and a combined vaudeville-picture program of the highest class do the same in White- chapel, he should have no fear of Brighton. The klnema has a seat- ing capacity of 3,000 and Is fully equipped with restaurants and cafes. Its orchestra is reputed to be one of the finest in or out of London. Last week's vaudeville acts kept up Rivoli's new reputation. Jack Hylton's Syncopated Orchestra was "starred" and the support came from Bessie Clifford, Carl Hyson. Peggy Harris, Edward Koy«*~ and the "Rivoli Strutters." The "star" for the current week is "The Danc- ing Demons," including Dewey Weinglass, "the world's fastest dancer," and with the exception of Miss Clifford the "Rivoli Varieties" remain the same. The kinema now has its own topical, "The Rivoli Ncwf!," which also goes out to the public In "house organ" form. So succe.s.«;ful has been the pro- duction of "Lxirk's Gate." the fir.st International Artists production, the ♦ xteriors of which necessitated a rnmpftny remaning mttnt^ weeks in Kgypt, that the company has fouml it ner« f'.«?ary to have the grcnt»M- [lortion of it remade and have calkd in Donald Crisp as jyroducer. Th.- fir.st prixhu« r was J<rhn Gliddon. o young man who .sjtrang up during the boom as ono nf the heads of the <;jid(lon-I) Kyn< ourt company, which is now no more. Kress, president of the Piqua Amuse- ment Co. Kress' principal theatre is May's Opera House. "1 am a m^n- ber of the Law Enforcement I^eague and saw a violation of the law. That's why I caused the arrest." Patterson said the church element was backing him. The "blue laws" got Pi<iua's "indigoat" Sunday. There was nothing to do all day but go to church. All stores were closed; no newspapers were delivered; city street cars were not running; gas stations and garages were locked up; even the taxis took a vacation. Milk wagons were allowed to run and restaurants to keep open from 11 a. m. to 1 p. m. Mayor De Weese relented to the extent of allowing some ice cream to be sent to the hospital. Police visited the churches and took the names of choir members. "I said there shall bo no work on Sunday," Mayor De Wee.se re- marked. "Church choirs are work- ing when they sing for pay. Sj the order may be widened to Include them. Janitors cannot work in the churches on Sunday, although preachers will not be Interfered with." '\.' Rev. John Altman, pastor of the Green Methodist church, said: "The church element has no other pur- pose In insisting upon enforcement of the so-called blue laws than pro- tecting the Sabbath. We object to the open Sunday for two reasons: "We object to commercialisation of the day. "We believe an open Sunday will affect church attendance. "We know we cannot force people to £0 to church and we don't want to. But thero are too many other attractions to draw people from church. "I detest and despise the man who tries to align the rich against the poor. There Is nothing of that kind in this fight. We are proud of our mayor for the stand he has taken. His order suits us exactly. Our Bible class and congregation today voted to support the mayor in his st^jjd. , "However, we realize that the mayor's order Is not so much of a desire to enforce laws as it is to retaliate against closing the movie theatres." Rev. Altman said church attend- ance was not unusually heavy Sun- day. Kress will be tried this week. Mayor De Weese announced he would ask for a Jury trial, and was convinced no Jury In Piqua would convict him. "If the Jury doesn't convict. It will be an expression from the cit- izens of their disfavor of the blue laws," he explained. "It will prove that no other convictions will be had. "Then I will throw the city open again, with all business establish- ments and movie theatres allowed to operate." News weekly movie photographers took pictures of Piqua on a blue Sunday. They carried their own sign, reading "Closed by Blue Laws," which they hun^r up wherever they chose. They even "shot" a sleepfng Janitor with the nisn resting on his chest. Now a Screen Sensation I Drama on road showed 6 .years to record crowds in every city, town and hamlet in the country, now thrilling thousands at the New York Strand and other first run houses. WATCH IT GO! Richard Walton Tully pre Bent 9 From th« Famous Novel by Katherine Cecil Thurston and the Play by John Hunter Booth. Directed by James Young A First National Attraction