Variety (May 1923)

Thursday. May 34, 192S PICTURES 17 COHEN'S ELECTION ALL SET AMERICAN RELEASING MERGES Im.P.T.O.A. F OPERATIONS WITH SELZNICK Sales Forces Unified for Economy—Banking Groups Bring About Amalgamation—Saying of Over $500,000 Annually Estimated » The Utica and Los Angeles bank- ing groups operating the newly re- organized Selznlck Distributing Cor- poration, Tuesday effected a transfer of all the operating activities of the American Releasing Corporation to the Selznlck organization. This means that the American's 24 ex- changes will be Immediately closed and the sales forces of both or- ganizations unified for a saving in operation expense estimated at over $500,000 a year. W. C. J. Doolittle, president of Selznick and representing the Utica InvestmentsCompany holdings; Mot- ley H Flint, vice-president of the Pacific-Southwest Trust and Sav- ings Bank of Los Angeles, and W. E Greene and Fred B. Warren, re- spectively, president and vice-presi- dent of the American Releasing, closed the negotiation. This Is in line with the banking interests seem- ingly well-grounded opinion that there are too many separate physi- cal distributing entities in the pic- ture industry. All the American picture contracts will continue without a ' hitch through the Selznick organization. It Is said the latter will facilitate matters considerably fpr exhibitors booking heretofore through the American. In territories like Indi- lanapolis, New Orleans and bait Lake City the Selznlck exchanges are located at points where the American had to render service from more distant cities. ' BRADY BACK Bays He'll Return to Picture Making Next Fall Chicago, May 23. William A. Brady, who Is here for the opening of "Chains," which was presented at the Playhouse as spon- sored by Lester Bryant and John Tuerk, opening last Monday night, stated that he was about to return actively to the picture producing game. Brady has the Paragon Studios at Fort Lee, which are being remod- eled at present, and next fall ho expects to start work there. MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE Jack Roth of Kansas~City Held for Motor Accident VARIETY'S DAILY ISSUE SENT OUT BROADCAST Published in Chi During Con- vention—Variety's Inno- vation Copied Chicago, May 23. Variety is publishing a daily bul- letin here during the convention. It is of eight or more pages each day of the usual Variety size and is sent broadcast throughout the U. S. and 1 Canada to all film exhibitors, ex- changes and other picture people. A daily bulletin has been a Va- riety feature, inaugurated by it as a trade paper several years ago when any momentous theatrical matter arose of continuous duration. In former years it was mostly pub- lished during strikes by actors, either of vaudeville or the legit. In the last couple of years the Dally Variety has appeared at the picture conventions. » The idea is being generously cop- ied by other trade papers. The Dally here is not solely con- fined to the convention matters. Wires are being received from Va- riety's offices everywhere, and from its correspondents, giving the Dally Bulletin in its condensed news form a suggestion of weekly Variety. Fred Schader and Al Greason of Variety's New York office are In charge of the Bulletin, with Hal Halperin of the Variety's Chicago office, and his staff assisting. PHILLY COMEDIES Thestrical and Picture Men Form Seltzer'* Productions . / Kansas City, May 21. Jack Roth, manager of the Isls ^Theatre, at 31st and- Troost, the city's leading residential house, has been charged with manslaughter and is under bond to appear for trial in June in connection with the death of R. T. Lester in a motor accident. Lester, a drug salesman from Wichita, was injured fatally when the car in which he was riding col- lided with the roadster driven by | Roth. A coroner's jury recom- mended Roth's arrest for investiga- tion, and he was charged with man- slaughter. Roth pointed out to the county at- torney that the car he was driving when the accident occurred was the one struck and that the right side was crushed in even with the door and that there were no marks on the front of his car, as would have been the case If he had hit the car In which Lester was riding. lie •ays he will be able to prove that he could not have been driving rapidly and struck another car. Producing the scars the car shows. Witnesses of the accident, how- ever, claim Roth was drlving~15 or liO miles an hour and that the other car was almost at a stand- still. Philadelphia, May 23. Headed by a group of theatrical and picture men, many of them of this city, the Frank N. Seltzer Productions, a comedy film produc- ing unit, with studios at Betzwood, the old Lubln headquarters near here, was launched in Philadelphia last week. Active operations will commence June 1 on a series of 26 one-reel subjects under the per- sonal supervision of Frank N. Seltzer, producer of the "Tooner- vllle Trolley" series of comedies, "Breaking Home Ties" and nu- merous other subjects. The finished products will be released to the trade as "Seltzer Comedies." The comedies, according to an announcement by the new organi- zation, will be patterned after the old Chaplin and Arbuckle Alms, and the company will Include Bob Max- milllan, formerly a Keystone star; Ferd O'Beck, old Lubln player, Ralph Maglin, Frank E. Walters, James Watson, Frank Rody, Henry Qulnn, Margaret Moore, Blanche Smltg} Mae Butler and Carolyne Swars. The last-named, who made her screen debut as a child with Lubln's here, will be the Ingenue of the company. The remaining members of the personnel include S. Brian Baylln- son, art director; ITred F. Sully, press representative; Russell Shields, supervising camera man, and Noah Reynolds, studio man- ager. PRESENT HEAD FOB 4TH TIME AJ Steffes Withdraws Candi- dacy——Cohen Prefers to Let Exhibitors Think It Over for One Night to Sidestep Steam Roller Charge — Wednesday Meeting Develops Into a Landslide for Present Chief Executive ALL OVER BUT SHOUTING Hedda Hopper Off Husbands Los-Angeles, May 23. Hedda Hopper has arrived here for the purpose of forgetting De Wolf Hopper, whom she recently divorced. Mrs. Hopper expressed herself as desirous of growing up with the picture Industry'and is through with husbands. Chicago, May 2S. All is set for the election of Syd- ney 8. Cohen to his fourth term as president of the National Theatre Owners when the oonvention meets to-morrow morning st the Coliseum. Opposition did develop for a short time, but it crumbled in a few hours. Cohen could have taken a walk-over yesterday, but he pre- ferred to let the boys think it over for )ne night to forestall charges of steam roller tactics. \ When the tide turned it developed into a landslide for Cohen. The turn came an hour after the opening of to-day's session when Theodore Hayes, campaign manager for Al Steffes, of Minnesota, withdrew his candidacy In a' hot speech that all but brought on a riot and In which he acoused Cohen of "stacking; the cards." Hayes was almost howled down by the crowd. O. D. Schmidt, of Indianapolis, who took the chair in place of Cohen, hammered foe order and declared "I'll run this meeting until I'm carried out," and Cohen himself poured oil on the troubled waters by begging the convention to listen to Mr. Hayes with all due courtesy. After that it was all over but the shouting, but while the swift rum- pus lasted it was as feverish as any crisis in a national Democratic con- vention. The events which led up to the dramatic climax were as in- teresting and as fast moving as any gathering in the picture history. The high spots might be enumerat- ed in this order: Monday, organization leaders were represented as urging Cohen to run and Cohen standing non-committal. Tuesday, the same situation held true, except that around the Sher- man House lobby and in the con- vention hall at the Coliseum the at- mosphere rather reflected that Cohen was open to persuasion. Tuesday night, they got down to brass tacks. Cohen wanted to make the race, but did not want to gen- erate any sore-heads. In other words, he would rather retire than bring on another Washington break, but If he could win with dignity for himself and benefit to the organi- zation, he would like to do so. Tuesday night, they began to canvass the other candidates for a compromise. There were a few favorite sons in the race looking only for honor, but the real contenders were Steffes of Minneapolis and Rltter of Detroit. They were approached, and efforts made by the Cohen followers to frame a compromise At one time it was reported Steffes was ready to stand aside, but Kilter was standing out and would insist on a floor fight. At an- other time it looked as though both* the candidates would come together against Cohen, and as It turned out this morning something like that may have happened. The big doings started around 1 o'clock today, after the usual delay over the credentials. It was de- cided that nominations would be asked for by States as they were called off In alphabetical order by the chairman.. It got down to (Continued on page 21) NEW STYLE OF PROLOG FOR FAMOUS PLAYERS PICTURES Special Productions Next Season Available for All Cities with Local Artists Eligible—Present Pro- logs Found Waste of Money 5 SPECIAL FEATURES AIMED FOR BROADWAY Main Stem Theatres Taking Summer Dose of Films • The use of Broadway theatres for picture erploitation is again Indi- cated for thla summer. Five special features are in line for showing on the main stem. Universal Is angling for a theatre to show "The Hunch- back of Notre Dame/' William Fox has "If Winter Comet" ready, and is reported after the Central. If the latter house again switches to pic- tures, "The Gingham Girl" may be moved to another, although the Shuberts are reported desirous of establishing the Central for produc- tions. The Lyric switched to pictures again Tuesday, when D. W. Griffith opened "The White Rose** there. Metro is understood seeking a loca- tion for "Scaramouche," while Louis Selznick is preparing to exploit "Rupert of Hentsau." SENATOR HARRIS, HOST Penn. Show-Statesman Entertain- ing Legislative Correspondents Harrisburg, Pa., May 28. Senator John P. Harris, one of the members of the upper House from Allegheny county and owner and operator of numerous theatres and picture houses in Pittsburgh and other cities, will entertain the Penn- sylvania Legislative Correspond- ents Association tomorrow night by showing it movies of its members at work at the Capitol. Senator Harris was one of the prime movers back of the picture taken here showing the progress of the Old Age Pension Law through the Legislature to the Governor's office. The Famous Players people took the picture and Harris had the movie men remain here part of dast week until all of the Capitol corre- spondents got back for the weekly 1 session of the Legislature. Pictures of the political writers at their typewriters, playing cards,, in small skits and playlets were shot and taken to New York for production. The newspapermen will be enter- tained at Folger's Inn at Dauphin, a road house above this city by Senator Harris, who put the pictures on as a feature of the evening. Famous Players Is planning spe- cial prologs for each of Its fea- tures next season, the prologs to consist of a special score and script, with costumes and scenery, to be sent along with the picture. The prologs will be produced by Arthur Spitsl and will get away from the present prolog as much as possible. They will be constructed with a view to giving the picture * theme song for each principal char- acter. The present prologs, supposed to create atmosphere, usually consist of a group of singers costumed la the period of the picture. Investi- gation has disclosed the prolog Is forgotten the moment the picture starts and that It If a waste of money. The new prologs will have the singers costumed as the principal characters are, and, in addition, will identify them all through the pic- ture by repetitions of the Individ- ual's song, played on their every appearance. The scripts and lyrics of the pro- logue will be sent out with the pic- ture, together with minute instruc- tions and costumes, which will elim- inate the necessity of transporting the artists from East to West Bach house or group of houses will en- gage the artists for the prolog. merely sticking to the script ind costuming of the general produce tion. YOUNG EXPLORER MARRYING Los Angeles, May 28. Sidney Snow, son of the famous explorer, H. A. Snow, who recently made.the out-of-door film "Hunt- ing Big Game In Africa," is to marry Virginia Grace Ormsby, young so- ciety bud in Oakland. Young Snow, according to reports, took an active' part in the filming of the spectacular photoplay. The couple, after they are mar- ried, Intend to leave for an extended honeymoon hunting big game in Africa. << STR0NGHEART" IS A DADDY Los Angeles, May 23. L. A. Strongheart, the dog won- der, became the proud father of ten children while on location for the Trimble-Murfln production, "Julie." GAYE IN MANN ACT CHARGE Los Anjcelos. May 2$. Howard Gaye, film director and actor, must stand trial on a Mann act charge. * It is alleged he took Fanchon F Duncan to England. AUTHORS' CONVENTION On Pictures June 7-t In New York City The Authors' League of America i» announcing a convention of rep- resentatives of various associations interested in pictures from an art and educational standpoint, to bo held at the Waldorf-Astoria June 7-8, under the auspices of the Au- thors' League. Rex Beach, famous author and brother-in-law of Fred Stone, Is the chairman of the com- mittee on arrangements. Novelists, playwrights, scenarists and actors will attend. , GOLDWYN CORP. * _ $25,000,000 Capital—Meet of Sales Convention in Atlantie City AUantlc City, May St. William Randolph Hearst headed the movement which resulted in a merger of the Cosmopolitan, Gold- wyn and Distinctive Picture Syn- dicates into a $25,000,000 corpora- tion here yesterday. The meeting which resulted in the merger was that of the sales convention of Goldwyn-Cosmopoll- tan, at which Hearst was the prin- cipal speaker. 0 Aocordlng to statements made after the meeting, Cosmopolitan puts In $8,000,000, Goldwyn $10,000,- 000 and the Distinctive $7,000,000. Hearst in his address before the meeting declared "the public has been played down to long enough." He advocated the hlghqit grade of photoplays as the best business get- ters and declared that "the best picture is the best box office pic- ture." F. J. Godsol, president of the Goldwyn, Is to be president of the new corporation, and James XL Grainger will be sales manager. It is reported the stock may bo listed on the New York Stock Ex- change. Barbers La Marr Going to Europe Los Angeles, May 21. Barbara La Marr and her new husband, Jack Dougherty, have left for the East en route to Eur op*.