Variety (October 1922)

Friday, October 6, 1892 MOnOlf PICTURE DEPARTMENT—Pages 40 to 47 PICTURES ^.'*•y? W'' «r CHAS. SCHWAB SLATED^ FOR IJOEW'S BOARD? =K=^ J... \ Report Denied—Reported Pos- sibility—Stock May Have Risen Through Holdings Although Marcus Loew denied a ttory appearing In one of the New York dallies this week that Charles M. Schwab would become an imme- diate member of the Board of Di- rectors for Loew's, Inc., inside Information said that while Mr. lioew's denial was correct, there is a possibility Mr. Schwab in the near -future may Join the organization as a director. •>"' The big steel man Is reported to have lately bought up a large block of Loew stock, "it may have been an accumulation of some time, but It is claimed he is now a large Loew * holder. Some account for the re- cent rise in the Loew's, Inc., quo- tations through the Schwab buying, other than that indulged in by a buying pool that Schwab was not concerned in. Mr. Schwab is said to be finan- cially interested in the Ward & Qlyn% theatres in Brooklyn and As- toria, L. I. He financed the building of them by Ward & Glynn, with the Ventures developing into theatrical . successes. It is presumed by the wiseacres that if Mr. Schwab be- comes openly associated with Loew's the Ward & Glynn theatres may find their way Into the Loew bookin(j^ offices. ZUKOR-LASKY BREAK .i"'r^*'i ■#' SCttEEN ACTORS ONLY • PUPPETS, SAYS BEBAN NOW REPORTED IMMINENT Lasky Due Back in New York—Metro and Goldwyn Mentioned for Lasky's Future If Break Occurs and DeMilles Go With Him >:•: r METRO'S ALDINE Playing Picture Policy With Stanley Co. Interested rhiladelntia. Oct. 4? Metro has the Aldine and will re- open Oct. 23 with "The Prieoncr of Zonda." It is understood the St.in- ley Co. will be jointly intorested, though the Aldine w411 be u Metro exhibition theatre. It Ih suid K. V. Lynch, who is the only outsider *ntere;'ted in a Metro exchange (its local one) will also be intereBtod in tlie Aldine, a theatre some weeks ago taken over by. the Stanley people from the Felt Brothers. ; INFRINGEHZKT ALLEGED Prizma, Inr., has brought a suit In equity against Technicolor, Inc., in the Federal District Court alleg- ing that the defendant's process for natural color photography is an in- fringement of the Joseph Mason Patent No. 1.348.029, whi-h Prizma controls for a period of 1*^ years from July 17, 1920. Technicolor, Inc., is a new Delaware corpora- tion with headquarters in Wilming- ton. It alHo controls tlie Techni- color Motion Picture Corp. of Mas- sachusetts. Prizma asks for .'in injunction, an accounting of profits and any other damages the court may award. HAL DISCLAIMED BY TOM MIX Los Angeles, Oct. 4. The Los Angeles police depart- ment has been asked to make a search for a man named Hal Mix. who claimed that he was a brother of Tom Mix. Advices from Lancas- ter, Calif., state Hal Mix deserted his bride of a few weckt there and h'ft iirr penniless. Tox Mix disclaimed any relation- ship to the misisinK man, staling definitely that he had no brother. "TESS" DIRECT The Mary I'iekford feature "Tess of the Stoim Country" is to be re- l«'a.sed direct to the picture houses without a special road show ex- ploitation campaign, Tiiijr' decision was reached last ve"k. In Nvw Yoik il i.^ fitruiod that Ihere will be rathrr spif'ilrd bidding between the Strand and the Capitol for the production, with tlu chances ftt this time favoring the forrner house which has been jlaying the ^'nited Artist releases, having the C;oorgr Arlms picture "The Man 'Who I'layed Clod" this week. WIPE A HINDrvANCE Los Angeles, Oct. 4. Because hitf wife's jealousy proved • hindrance to his career as a pic- ture actor, "William Butts brought r 5," action for divorce against hie French war-brlde. He was granted a decree late last weeit, j.i '* ** ■ '' ' . The return of Jeise Lasky to New York within the next day or so may possibly bring 4o a head the long- rumored possibility of a split in the Famous Player-Lasky organization with Lasky and Zukor going their separate ways. -i.''. Since April last there have been constant stories that all was not well between the two biggest factors in the organization. The break It is understood came aft^r the Lasky lot In Hollywood was the center of a couple of scandals which broke all publicity records, the Arbuckle af- fair and the Taylor murder mystery. At present it seems almost cer- tain that should Lasky break with Zukor and the Famous Players or- ganization the two DeMilles (Cecil and William B.) will trail with Lasky as they have been with him from the beginning in his picture ventures. Just where La.sky Will turn in the event the break does come is a ques- tion at this time. Broadway has heard that both First National and Metro were in negotiation with Lasky with the strongest line that could be obtained favoring Metro. "Within the laet two weeks there Ivave been a number of executive sessions in the Metro ofhcos bearing on this subject, the meeting occur- ring almost immediately after thr return of Marcus Loew from a1.ro.id. It is quite possible Loew and Lasky were in consultation regarding ^he matter on the other side. There is the possibility Goldwyn would be willing to make almost any sort of rnnrf'finion to I^skv to secure him and the DeMilles as part of its pro- <fucing organization. At present Goldwyn Is beginning to build yp a selling organization that is to be the strongest the com- pany has ever had and it is going into the field to make a stronff^ fight for business. Goldwyn is making bids for several big features recently made on the coast, without advance releasing arrangements definitely set. Within the last week or so Gold- wyn has lined up 21 exploitation men for the exchanges of the coun- try, and the sales force is being thoroughly reorganized for a real fight. On the Inside of the Famous Players organization it was ad- mitted there is a feeling existing between the two heads "fend that the possibility of a break is not as re- mote as some people seem to think, but whether Cecil DeMille would be found with Lasky in the new line- up was questioned. They stated DcMille has but recently signed a new contract under which he was working under a ccst-of-production- plus arrangement. • That the Lasky name has been considerably subordinated In the Paramount advertising for months was the first Indic.ition. That fol- lowed with the hurried trip east by Lasky and a trip abroad. Just what bearing the former English connec- tions of Famous Players may have had on Lasky while he was in Eng- land is a question, but it is almost certain that they would be far from Kiifdly disposed t^ownrd Zukor. Those who have been in on the recent Loew conferences regarding the production plans of Metro know that ])lans are being laid for a 52 production program for next year. li'n: stories are being gone after and at these conferences the possibility of the Laf*ky connection with th»' Metro was frequently brought up and dfsrufifcd, as though it would br a foregone conclusion that on Lasky's return a break will come and Lasky may be a factor in the Loew producing plan for Metro. There are shrewd trade observers who put Metro first in the industry as quality comfietitor to Famous Players. At the New York offloc of TiTf-i National early this week It was stated nothing was known there about any negotiations that might have been on with Lasky although that some of the executives in Chicago this "week at the meeting of the executive committee might have knowledge of It was mentioned. Discussion of the Lasky report this week brought otil that Lasky is the last of the old crowd associated with Famous Players. About ten leading picture men have Joined the Famous Players personnel and after careers ol varying length, departed from the. connection, in all cases rich men and In nearly all cases still on outwardly friendly terms with Zukor. The Infusion of new blood into Famous came about in the old mer- ger of Famous and Parjunount. Jesse Lasky and Samuel Goldwyn ha^ been associated In the forma- tion of Paramount, a distributing organization which started with the Pacific coast distribution rights to Famous product. It has been re- lated in the trade that this concern started with production in a cau- tious way, the Lasky-Goldwyn original bankroll being around $20,000. Later Paramount grew into a national distributing m<n.ctiiMe with five franchise holders, Lasky and Goldwyn on the coast, Clark & Rowland in the middle west terri- tory, W. E. Greene and Hiram Abraras in New England, William Sherry in New York, and one other. When Famous Players took over- Paramount and absorbed it on the basis of Paramount stock for Fa- mous Players stock at a rate of ex- change that wAs never disclosed, the various factors of Paramount entered into service of Famous Players.- It Is said that when the split between Goldwyn and Zukor came, Goldwyn and Zukor arranged the details In a more or less friendly fashion and the way was paved for Goldwyn to dispose of his Famous Players stock for a total of $780,000. In a roundabout way the Paramount deal also brought W. W. Hodkinson into Famous Players. Another ex- ecutive who ha;3 come and gone to and from the Zukor organization is Al Lichtman who was general man- ager after serving as sales execu- tive! Lichtman had started In a relatively minor capacity, but ad- vanced to a salary of $50,000 a year, one of the first big "movie salaricsij^ that brought discussion. Through all these changes and shifts the leadership of Zukor has persisted. No le.«?s than five years ago his control was believed for a time to be menaced by the growing hold of the Wall street bankers on the property. At the behest of the banks which held a considerable total of Famous Players paper, E. J. H. Connick was Installed as chairman of the finance committee and trade rumor had It that his position was that of dictator within the company. Tho story of Con- nick'.s departure has never been written, but in connection with the I>asky reports this week a slight sketch of the incident leaked out. It Is related that a million-dollar obligation against F'amous I'laycrs by one of tho biggest banking In- stitutions in New York (the Guar- anty Trust Co.) was about to ma- ture and It wa.s desirable to have it renewed. The business situation wa? pretty tight at tho time and Connick was charged with the mis- sion of having the old loan renewed. He returned from a conference with the bankers with the news that a renewal was absolutely out of tho question. The story goes on to relate that Zukor took the reimrt quietly bi»t presently left the offices alone and went to work In other directions to bring about a renewal of the loan. In a few days it was made known that the loan would be renewed an<] the difficulty was overcome. A month or so later Connick resigned. There hasn't been any talk of ^v'•.nk'•^ ccntrol since then. TWO COSTUME PLAYS OPENING IN CHICAGO ^'Knighthood" at Roosevelt : May Start Before ''Robin Hood" at-Cohan's ^ The battle for time on the part of the two pictures, "When Knight- hood Was in Flower" and ♦'Robin Hood," continues, with Chicago as the objective. This week the Hearst people made arrangements to beat the Fairbanks picture Into Chicago through securing the Rooseevelt for a run for their production. "Robin Hood" Is Scheduled to open at Cohan'* Grand Oct. 16. "Knight- hood" may open before by a full week. Fairbanks and Miss PIckford ar- rived In New York Tuesday via Montreal. Miss PIckford Is to fm- mcdiately start working on the cast of "Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall," a story by the late Charles Major, who also was the' author of "Knighthood." By coincidence the Cosmopolitan Productions also has a "Haddon Hall" picture iii the course of production. Their picture is reported as already under way, while the PIckford production, get- ting started months later, would have to follow that made by Hearst's company, which would lead to a further clash between.the two companies through the similar- ity of titles. "Robin Hbod," to open at the Lyric. New York, Is to have the benefit of the personal supervision of Fairbanks In presentation. Spe- cial oflTces In the Brokaw building have been taken by the Fairbanks representatives, which takes them away from the United Artists suite in film row. About the saine time that the Fairbanks pictiire arrives on 42d street D. W. Griffith will open "One Exciting Night" at the AppUo, suc- ceeding the Frn»>k T*nn*>y nhow «♦ that house. Directors Fix Poses and Ex« pressions—Players Merely '*Exhibits" ^ Chicago, Oct. 4. George Beban gave an Interview • to the dailies, while playing neigh- boring towns around here. The ^ point of his Interview was yie faIN ure of motion picture actors to b« - actors. Beban says they are "ex- hibits." He Illustrated his point with per- sonal incidents where he saw fa- mous stars not only undergoing the whipping hand of the directors, but even their face muscles and poses had to be set by directors. "When the screen stars cry on the screen and make you cry then they are artists, otherwise they are simply exhibits." The dailies took the story up for a quarter of a column. TAX ACT WINS ■^'*^ Prosecutions Starting Upstate—« Fraud Alleged COMPLErtLY -'WASHED" Picture Men Cleared in Young- Whipple Matter Syracuse, N. Y., Oct. 4. First move on the part of the In- ternal Keveeue Bureau to prosecute upstate theatrical men for alleged revenue law violations was an- nounced by Collector Jesse W. Clark of the Syracuse revenue headquar- ters. Harry Gilbert and Leo Blad^rh proprietors of the Langan theatre^ this city, and the heads of the Gil- more Amusement Co., operating the Strand and the RJchardson In Os- wego, 'are the targets. Evidence against the two theatrical men, charging them with lilleged at- tempt to defraud the government In war taxes, will be presented to the United States grand jury today at Auburn. According to Collector Clarke, the Syracuse and Oswego theatricaf operators failed to regard govern-J ment instruction in having their, admission tickets printed, apd fur-| ther they failed to keep the pre^ scrlt>ed record of attendance. Field deputies of the Syracuse revenue headquarters uncovered the alleged violation.^ some time ago,' but action was withheld until i^ complete checkup had been made. J Los Angeles, Oct. 4. Jack PIckford, Tom Moore and others of the picture colony have been completely whitewashed as to any connection with the sensa- tional divorce proceedings and counter suits being waged by James Young and his wife, Clara Whipple. Before leaving for New York Young completely exonerated all of those mentioned In connection with the case a week ago. Young lost the action to recover from his former wife the property that he gave her in settlement of the divorce action. GOLDWYN SELLING Chicago Capital Reported Taking Over Aacher Houses Chicago, Oct. 4. A deal Is reportc*! on hero where- by Goldwyn will relinquish its inter- est in the As< hrr string of theatres They now hold the controlling inter- est in tho houses and a group of local capitali.sts have gotten to- g*>thtr to form a pool to take over their holdingw, the report runs. HOPE, DALLAS, EEOPENING I)alla.s, Tex., Oct. 4. The Mflha, formerly the Hope, re- cently under the management of J. 1). Williams and a.s8ociates, will reopen Sunday. Oct. 8, by P. f;. Cameron. C. Y. Charninsky and John T. Jones. The stage has been enlarged and other lmprov<?ments made. The Melba is to houso I*antages vaude- ville. It will, however, open with a picliiic .iiMl 20 jicf r orchesti.u MRS. VALENTINO TALKING I Providence, R. I., Oct. 4. ( Mrs. Rodolph Valentino, petite^ brunet, slim of figure and charminfr- ly gowned, told the story of Rodolph to large audiences at Fay's last week. The slender young woman, who spent the week In Providence, gained hosts of new friends by her simple recital of her first meeting with the hero of "The Four Horse- man," the story of his birth, and. In lighter vein, named hi<» favorite dessert. Mr.««. Valentino said: "Rodolph was born in Italy and was educated in an Italian military school. It was while I was engagrd In making the Hcrnes of 'Jx)mhardl, Ltd.' that I was introduced to him at a housn party at Log Angeles given by my dear friend, Pauline Frtderick. ThekJIrst ♦HJCHtion ho asked me was, 'Do you care to dance?* I decided to wit It out with him under a California moon, and you know the rcht." VIGNOLA ON WORLD TRIP A world's trip to consume six months or Jojiger ih contemplated by Jtobert G. Vignola, the Cosfnopoh- tan'H director. Mr. Vignol.-i haw n«^t taken a v«;«-f«- tioa for icu.s. . , POLI NEGRI AS BELLA DONNA' "Bella Donna," the famous Robert Hichens novel, has been selected as the first story in which I'oia Negri is to appear for the Famous Players In this country. Work on the feature is to start within two weeks in the La^ky lot In Holly- wood, with George Fitzmaurice di- recting. • • Conway Toarle Is under contract to piny the lead opposite the foreign star and hft for the coast this weck« REMAKING * SPOILERS" I Rfnjnmir i B. f! .^mpt on I s to ni - — make Rox Rea< h m "The Sj)Ollers." Originally the pii tnre was relea«c«| in 1014 aft< r h.ivin^' bron made by Col. Sf lig and it was utilized as the op<nilig f«atiuc;^;it the Htrand. New. ; York. uh'Ti iliat house opcnrd. William Fa mum and Kathlyn Willinrns wvto tbf pr'n' . .J |*!.iy(>rs f.iii thv, vii*«t .»i. U*«il iJmc. » *