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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 1919)
4 -XV f r TODAY'S FltM FEATURES. Columbia Jack Pickford, "In Wrong." Peoples Billle Burke. "Sadie Love." Majestic Dustin Farnum, "A Man e Ftgrht." Strand ll arry Carey, "The Rider of the Law." Liberty Wallace R e i d. "The Lottery Man." Star Mae March, "Money Mad." Sunstt Nazlmova, "The Brat." Circle Theda Bara, "The Light." AGAINT changes in the principal theaters o film, row are cur rent, and again it is the Jensen & Von Herberg houses. Contrary to the announcement made last week, A. C. Raleish, manager of the Columbia theater and director of exploitation for Peoples and Star theaters, will remain with his present firm. Rumor has it. however, that a new man will enter the field one Marshall Taylor,- the present house manager of the Clemmer in Seattle. He will assume full charge of the Peoples and Star. This will relieve Mr. Raleigh of the extra load he has been carrying since the resignation of John C. Stille, who for three years directed the destinies of these two houses. Again rumors on film row have it that Mr. Raleigh's resignation of last week was in protest against the extra hours which be was forced to put in and that by Mr. Taylor's presence he will resume his old posi tion as directing manager of the Co lumbia. He will not resume his old duties until after a week's vacation, which will be concluded on next Sun liay. Laeey Worka Overtime. ilartshall Taylor is one of the pioneer motion-picture managers of the northwest. His home that is. the home of his parents has been in Portland for many years. The Clem mer theater Is the largest house in Seattle operated in opposition to the Jensen-Von Herberg forces. It is felt that by his last move the Portland Seattle firm has made great headway. Another Portland manager who has also been putting in extra hours re cently has been Frank Lacey, man ager of the Majestic theater. Mr. Lacey has worked in conjunction with Mr. Raleigh in the management ol the Star theater. The sensational lobbies which the Star has displayed during the last few weeks have all been the result of Mr. Lacey's in genuity and originality. Among the most striking of these were "The Qirl Alaska," when a man and woman Alaskan fur costumes and holding on the leash the German police dogs, the property of Max Miller, owner of the Speedway kennels, were used; the throne chair for "The Thirteenth Chair," and the novel studio effect for the presentation of "The Virtuous Model." Mr. Lacey will continue his position as manager of the Majestic Nurtn(h Gives Own ArraaKemeDt. Admirers of Henry Murtagh, organ 1st at the Liberty theater Wurlitzer, the largest motion - picture house musical instrument in the city, have been delighted by the announcemen for this noon's concert. The feature number will be an arrangement by Murtagh himself. The selection will be In the nature , cf a descriptive poem. It will start with a melody interpretative of an ideally beautiful day birds will be heard singing, the murmur of a brook and the sighing contentment of trees will be distinguishable. Then the tempo and chords will show the clouds have come. Later thunder, rain, a flash of lightning will come and then the clear, sweet calm that follows the storm will be inter preted. Interest aroused by Mr. Murtagh's programme for today la typical of ,v 1 sjfx i V what the cinema houses have done for the music world. Up to a few years ago churches and then only the most prosperous and a few wealthy individuals whose houses were by no means open to the public could boast pipe organs. Today all motion-picture houses of the first order not only have these instru ments, but they have the finest and most elaborate organ in existence. And the audiences to which these or gans are played are composed not of one but of all classes. Day laborers have become familiar with Litz' Dream of Love," with the Barceuse from Jocelyn. and with "Connais tu le Pays," although, perhaps, they would not recognize them by their titles. v hen one hears newsboys whistling these- masterful melodies it is a safe chance to assume that they came by them via the motion - picture house route. Cbrhlnai Plana In Making-. Leave it to Paul Noble, manager of the Liberty, to keep several miles ahead of everyone else. Paul has been busy for weeks on Christmas plans while other managers have been thinking of Halloween and Thanks giving decorations. Mr. Noble has decided to festoon his house with madrona sprays, boughs which are covered with wee bright red berries. Now, Oregon is not the home of madrona and the re sult is that orders for boxes of the pretty foliage have been sent to many and various California points. The instalments have already arrived and more are expected this week. Decorations are not the only mat ter of concern to Manager Noble. Plans for a great and wonderful mid night matinee for New Year's eve are already well under way. Details of these plans Mr. Noble will not divulge. New Offices Arranged. C S. Jensen, of Jensen & Von Her berg fame, will preside in new offices this week. Two rooms across the hall from his former sanctum have been regally fitted up to serve as a fitting background. The first room will be used as a waiting room while the innermost holy of holies will be re served as Mr. Jensen's personal office. Mr. Jensen left Thursday noon for Seattle. He was expected to return to Portland today or tomorrow and with his arrival more detailed news of changes which may take place in Portland within the near future are expected. The Sunset theater has two an nouncements to make this week. One is that it. too, has a new manager, and the other concerns a great elec tric sign which was due to arrive in Portland from San Francisco 1 night. The new manager is Mrs. Ralph Winsor and she has held this position since a week ago Saturday, when she changed from Miss Hazel Tisch of Tacoma, Wash., to Mrs. Winsor. Mr. Winsor was gone from Portland several days. The couple are making their home at the Chesterbury hotel. Mr. Winsor had even more fame thrust upon him last week. It ia his father. Colonel H. G. Winsor, who is in com mand of the regiment of state militia sent from Tacoma to Centralia after the Armistice day excitement. The fact that he is not able to be with his father is a matter of annoyance to the Sunset manager, as he is a world-war veteran, having gone overseas with the 69th artillery or the old Wash ington coast artillery. Lacey Gets Publicity. Frank Lacey has been breaking into trade journals again with his new methods of exploitation. This time it was through the Motion Picture News, which published pictures of the lobby display of the Majestic during the period in which it showed "Broken Blossoms," and of the Majestic ushers in their new fall costumes designed by Mrs. J. J. Parker, wife of the owner of the theater. The present season continues to see rapid changes in management of small suburban theaters and out-of town theaters in Oregon, and the sit uation among the motion picture ex hibitors out in tbe state is what might be termed "unsettled." Road men who have returned re cently from Latlern Oregon and 4 . HI -,!: . A ,t 1' Idaho say that the question of ad mission prices is one of the principal worries. Federal taxes, which have not been repealed, combined with the increased cost of operating, compelled nearly all of the exhibitors in upstate houses to raise their admission prices a year or more ago. But the causes that produce high admission prices have not ceased to operate. Features Cost More. I Higher prices for film features are the order of the day and the season is bringing forth such a quantity of big features for which the exchanges are demanding higher rentals that nearly all of the out-of-town the atrical men are contemplating, with uneasiness, the prospect of increasing admissions, and are wondering if the public will take as kindly to the in creases as they have in the past. This and the rumors persisting that big Interests are scouting the territory with a view to establishing theater circuits are the principal wor ries of the upstate exhibitor today," says C. D. Beale, road man for the Universal Film Exchange, who re turned this week from a six weeks' run over the territory east of the Cascades. "In spite of the fact that they are alarmed over the possibility of hav ing to raise prices, they are enjoying excellent business at present, and if the public accepts the idea of in creased admission congenially they will have little to worry about this winter. New Theaters Open. "There are new theaters opening and new theaters projected over the territory, to a large extent. Univer sal opened Helix as a motion picture town with the community theater operated by G. A. Gaskins only re cently. Ontario is to have a new the ater in about two months. It is build ing under the auspices of the roan agement of the Moore hotel. Hereto fore the field In Ontario has been held by Miss Dorothy Jaquish of the Dreamland theater. "W. A. Coughanour of Payette sold the Emma theater some time ago to J. A. Hughes, who is operating it with success. O. M. Whittlngton, who controls the theater situation in Bend, Or., was in Portland this week and also said that the rumors of circuits and scouts out from the big theaters have been going strong in eastern Oregon. "A representative of the Greater Theaters circuit was in Bend for sev erar days looking over the territory and preparing a report on it," he said. "There have been no tangible results from the trip of this 'scout through the territory as yet, but it is under stood that the interest he represent is still making a thorough investiga tion of that part of the state with a view to establishing secondary cir cults." The spirit of the Thanksgiving. Christmas and New Tear is to be brought to the attention of the peo pie throughout the northwest, through the agency ol tne tneater men, civic organizations and Business concern in co-operation witn tne service oe partments of the Universal Film com Dany- Instructions to the service depart ment in the Portland exchange were received from the general manager o the exchanges, with instructions to Dlace all possible facilities of the or ganization at the disposal of organi zations interested in cultivating the "holiday spirit." "In this time, when the world i surcharged with unrest and forebod ing and sorrow," says the message to the exchanges from President Carl Laemmle, "the beet we can do is to offer all possible service to everj agency that will help to awaken in people's hearts the old spirit of broth erly love and cheer and holiday hap piness. November 15 to January 1, inclu- sive. is the period through which th observance of Universal holiday sea son will be carried. Among the many things that will be done by the serv ice departments will be the furnish ing of suitable holiday motion pic- THE SUNDAY QREGOyiAN. PORTLAND, yOTEMBER 16, ture programmes to orphanages and institutions that have not means or facilities for providing such enter tainment, and the co-operation with civic organizations In special holiday drives and good cheer enterprises that they may attempt. Liberty. Handsome Wallace Reid In "The Lottery Man" is the main feature of the present Liberty programme. Kinograms and a Prizma picture, 'Japan," in, natural colors, wlll.com- lete the cinema offerings at the Llb- rty until Wednesday, when a new show will take the boards. A spe cial feature for today at this theater the concert by Henry Murtagh on the Wurlitzer organ announced for 2:30 this noon. Jack Wright has secured a job as special writer on the Daily News, a paper owned by Foxhall Peyton, his chum in college. Jack wishes to play tip in Wall street and tries to bor row $500 from Peyton. As security he romises either to pay the money back or to furnish Peyton's paper with the biggest circulation-boosting story it has ever published. On these conditions Peyton consents. Jack loses the money and his job. He feels onor bound to produce the big Idea for the News. Taking his tip from a chance re mark heard at a wedding, he suggests to Peyton that the News run a big lottery at one dollar a chance. Jack ffers himself as the prize, promising to marry the woman who holds the winning coupon. Peyton sees the publicity possibilities of this novel idea and is enthusiastically for it. But in the meantime Jack has met Helen Heyer. a cousin of Peyton's, and at once falls in love with her. He hastens to telephone Peyton that the lottery is all off. But it Is too late. The papers are already on the presses. The next morning the whole city is aroused by the news of the contest. Coupons pour In by the thousands. Helen will have nothing o do with Jack, branding him as a money hunter. He rushes about try ng to buy up as many of the fatal coupons as possible. The drawin takes place and the winning number is held by Lizzie, an old maid rela tive of the Peytons. She embraces Jack as her lawful prize, but Nora. the Peytons maid, reveals the fact that Lizzie has stolen the coupon from her. Since Nora is in love with the butler, she readily consents to split the profits of the lottery with Jack, and he claims Helen for his own. Harrison Ford, who has appeared as leading man for virtually all the prominent female stars, is Wallace Reid's righthand man in "The Lottery Man." Beautiful Wanda Hawley, long a favorite with the fans, is th leading woman. Sylvia Ashton and Carolyn Rankin are cast in charac ter parts that enable them to "get over" some side-splitting humor. Others who maintain the high stand ard of tbe cast are Wilton Taylor, Clarence Geldart. Fannie Midgley, Marcia Manon, Winifred Greenwood and Fred Huntley. Columbia. Jack Pickford Is the hero of a big round-up of "yeggs," in "In Wrong his latest picture which will be see at the Columbia theater until Tues day midnight. He plays the part of a grocers boy who has been con. demned as a rather worthless char acter and whose suit for the hand o: Millie Fields, the daughter of the vil lage's best boarding-house keeper, has hitherto been unsuccessful. Throughout the early part of hli trials Johnny finds nothing but mis fortune and disappointment. His mother whips him for going swim ming against her wilL Millie plays with his heart, and makes him feel keenly his position aa a grocery boy, with no seeming 'prospects. Then, to make matters worse. Mor- gan Coleman, a New Vork boy. comes to the village, ail dressed up In 1c cream pants and white shoes, armed "jjl? II I f " r' Hi P : . 'U fc; ..w . A li JL i ii'nIi'I7 1 1 ' K4 C X -if with a most engaging smile, and a knowledge of big city ways which is dazzling to the jnost of the simple minds of the village. Meeting Millie, Coleman at once begins to make love to her and she seems to listen. This leads Johnny to neglect his work and mope. While walking about in such a mood he loses the great chance of his career, that of saving (lis vreiir ewuiiicari, wuv a Dy nerseit in a canoe, ana i&hd hilu the water. Of course Coleman is on the job. He jumps from a bridge and saves Millie. At once he is acclaimed by the whole village, and a banquet Is arranged by the young ladies of tne place to honor his heroism. Even Johnny's mother is on the committee to make the banquet for Coleman a great event. This is the final straw. Johnny decides tnat an there is left for him to do is to sneak ut of town as quickly and quietly as possible. He stays behind only to get together a few or nis vaiueu posses- Ions, Then he writes a note to nis mother and starts. As he goes he finds a horse ana ae- it must have straved away. He will take it home, he thinks, ana mounts. A moment later bullets be gin to sing about him and in fright gets into a barn, -rnereupon no hides. He learns through conversation that the men are robbers who have blown the safe at the village bank. Sum moning all his courage he makes one last grand attempt to reaeem oimscit Strand. Harry Carey plays the lead of "The Rider of the Law," the feature of the Strand programme today. The ple ura will show until tonight only and tomorrow a Pauline Frederick pic ture. Bonds of Love," will open for a four-day run. Carey plays the role of Jim Kyne- ton in the present Strand picture. All womankind merited respect and protection from Jim Kyneton of the Texas rangers, so he took Roseen, a treacherous girl of the dance hall, into his own home when she was oppressed by Soutar, king of, evil In the border town. The trouble that Roseen caused Jim was not easily adjusted and for a time It seemed that his reputation as an officer of the rangers was blackened. That Is the theme. In brief, of "The Rider of the Law." Should a widower marry a second time, to give his child a mother? This is one of the questions which come up for settlement, and whicn urmsn some of tne dramatic scenes in faui- ine Frederick's latest picture, "Bonds of Love," which will be shown to morrow. In the photodrama. the child is be ing "mothered" by a selfish aunt wno knows only her own comfort or dis comfort, and never thinks of the child's honest desire to play. As the boy is a real mischievous lad, his lite is one round of spankings. However, a new governess is engaged who un derstands his needs and the void hlch the missing motner love nas made. And she succeeds in lining the breach. What should tne lamer ao : mm action and how he was lmpeiiea to , follow it is dramatically torn in "Bonds of Love." I Phillip Pelz, with his large symph ony orchestra, and Ick Ogden. on the Strand organ, will furnish music to accompany these pictures. The spe cial midweek orchestra concert will be given Thursday evening. Peoples. Broadway stage successes, like Broadway stage stars, are succumb ing to the lure of the movies with startling regularity these days. The latest newcomer to the screen is Avery Hopwood's Bprlghtly farce. "Sadie Love." which made its appear ance at the Peoples theater last evening, with Billie Burke In the stellar role. It will ehow there all week. It la our personal opinion that Miss Burke could take the dreariest play ever written, inieot it witn ner oe lightful personality and taints as a 1919. 4.-' W M 1 X V commedienne, and make a thoroughly entertaining picture out of it. We would like to see her put to the test. No such demands are made of her in "Sadie Love." for she has been given Just the sort of light, polite comedy in which she excels. There is some thing for every type of screen lover In It. Right off the reel Billie Burke won the hearts of the ladies in last night's audience by appearing as a perfectly adorable bride.- But orange 1 blossoms and veil were forgotten a moment later when funny things be gan to happen in double-quick order. The story concerns Sadie, a viva clous girl used to having her own way, who marries a handsome young Italian count named Luigl. It seems that she has previously had a love affair with a certain Jim Wakely, and. when the latter phones her a short time after the ceremony, she invites him to call and, womanwlse, imagines herself In love with him. When an excitable French countess appears on the scene and claims Luigi as. her "twin soul." Sadie confers the same title on Jim and invites the countess and him to accompany her on her honeymoon "in name only. j A couple of laughable attempts on the part of Jim to elope with Sadie are followed by further complications, brought to a climax by Luigi's at tempt to starve his bride Into submis sion. Finally Jim and tbe irrepres sible Sadie escape and board the steamer on which' the newlyweds had Intended to sail for Italy. But Luigl and Jim's wife intercept them at the pier and International complications are averted when bride and groom fall into each other's waiting arms. Miss Burke, of course, makea a be witching Sadie and plays the role with her usual dash and finesse. Her leading man Is James L. Crane, who will be remembered as the handsome young soldier-hero of "The Mislead ing Widow." This time he has a little black moustache, but you couldn't mistake that pleasant emlle for a vil lain s. Majestic. After faithfully sticking to one pic ture for an entire two weeks' run the Majestic has again turned fickle. It announces two shows for even the first of this week. Dustin Farnum in ' A Man's Fight," which opened yes terday, will continue to show there until tomorrow midnight. On Tues day Alice Brady, in "Marie, Ltd.", will be the feature. Ceelle Teague baa announced the roiiowing programme for this after noon at 1:30 o'clock: "Marche Mili- tatre, Schubert: "To Spring," Greig "Chocolate Soldier," Strauss; "Lost Chord" (by request), Sullivan; "Tell Me, Kostlander. "It Is one of the best dramas I have ever starred In." says Dustin Farnum of his latest super-picture, in express ing nis satisfaction 'ith all the de tails of "A Man's Fight." In this new offering, Mr. Farnum enacts the role of the son of an aristocratic family who. through circumstances, pays the penalty for a deed of which he is in nocent. These earlier scenes are laid in and around New York, then come scenes at Sing Sing, and the later part of the play has its location In the west with Dustin Farnum in the role of a successful mine manager. Here adverse fate again takes a hand and love also enters into the plot. Some wonderful scenic effects taken at the San Juan Capistrano Mission, in lower California, are said to give a beautiful and spectacular touch to the production. This mission is re ported never before to have been filmed. Us inclusion now in "A Man's Fight" being by grace of a special dis pensation. "In "Marie, Ltd.." Miss Brady is cast in" a role for which she is well fitted and gives an admirable charac terization of the girl who gave up a promising career to take a position In her mother's fashionable millinery establishment on Fifth avenue. All the true metropolitan atmos phere is seen in this remarkably real istic story. Traffic-crowded, people filled Fifth avenue, the exclusive hat shop of "Marie, Ltd.," a train hold-up all are true to life and furniuh an s N - 4 . excellent background for this clever and versatile Select star. The story is clean, breezy and fasci nating, with just enough heart-interest to make it appeal to all classes. The plot is absorbing; the characters, human ones, each actor portraying to the best of his ability which is some ability when you consider the cast in the picture the role he assumes.. Star. The Star theater has announced a prize picture or, rather, star, for a four days" run which will end Tues day night. The offering is beloved Mae Marsh in her newest picture. "Money Mad." On Wednesday Sessue Hayakawa, in "The Man Beneath." comes to the Star. Miss Marah plays the role of Elsie Dean in -Money Mad." As a child Elsie Dean lives with her rich mother and Martin Ross, her stepfather. A strange illness over takes the mother and in her sim plicity Elsie does not connect it with Sima, a Hindu, who Is tnere ostensi bly as a servant, but Is really a con fidant and confederate of Martin Ross. Elsie's mother leaves a superb col lection of pearls to be Elsie's own when she grows up. Some years later Elsie returns irom school and finds Martin Ross a dif- erent man. Outwardly polite, he does not conceal his dislike for the girl nor remind her that she is living wholly on his bounty, i nis incenses Blllv Gavin, a childhood sweetheart of Elsie Dean, who suggests that she demand the pearls left In trust Dy ner mother. Gladlv he rives Elsie the pearls. With Billy she has them appraised and is shocked to learn that they are clever imitation. Both suspect trickery and determine to get at the truth. Elsie conceives the idea of trapping Ross and Fanette tnrougn their weakness for all forms of for tune telling, and. with the help of Billy Gavin, she arrays herself in gor geous Oriental attire ana installs ner self in a splendid room. Elsie's revelations so rrignten ran- ette that she inadvertently makes known that the pearls are hidden In her hair. She is apprehended, Sima is proved guilty of the murder of Elsie s motner ana .cisie tears on ner veils forever. Sunset. The supreme Nazimova, star of a thousand moods, in her latest pro duction. "The Brat." will be presented at the Sunset theater for seven days, beginning Saturday. 'Witty, satirical ana original, it is one-woman ahow," says the New York Herald in its review of the pre mier showing of "The Brat" in New York. The most consoling play of the season, a female Chimmie Fadden and collection of slang -phrases that make George Ade's fables eeem as simple as nursery rhymes, are eome of the other comments made on the production by the New York papers. That "The Brat" is unique and wholly fascinating there Is no doubt. It ia rich In humor and has an under current of pathos which will readily win your sympathy. The uncomfort able position of the brat in the scene of the rabbit dance Is something that will make you clench your hands and sympathize hard with the nameless girL A number of Nazimova's own ideas are worked Into the plot, which was taken from Maude Fulton's famous stage success of the same name. One of the big scenes of the pic ture required the construction of a theater from stage to foyer. The usual procedure is to rent a playhouse and "shoot" scenes before it opens. However, the directors of "The Brat" deemed the production worthy of the additional cost ana ouut an entire playhouse. Circle. Who is the "wickedest woman in Paris?" Theda Bara. It is in this role that she appears In the super-production, "The Light." a photoplay which plays today and tomorrow at the Circle theater. Here T 1 1 ..V - - A -S ,- . .. I Miss Bara portrays a woman who laughs in the face of the misery of Paris In recent years. While other women sacrifice themselves she be comes entangled in numerous love affairs and lives a life of luxury. But misery must leave its scar, even upon the heart of a notorious woman. She finds the salvation cf her soul in her compassion for a blinded' sol dier. He teaches her the lesson of sacrifice "and noble devotion. For his sake she deserts her old haunts and her old associates. She sees duty at last and obeys its summons by caring tenderly for the blind hero and bringing light into his life. The real dramatic ability which Miss Bara possesses comes to the front in this picture. She plays a sen sational role, it is true, and yet she depicts with wonderful simplicity the soul of a strong woman. By her por trayal of this PariBlan of the demi monde she shows in some manner the cause of her perversion, Bhe makes us understand that even women of her sort have strength and goodness (Concluded or I'a Come! iTHEO'EE Fourth at Washington TODAY and TOMORROW Theda Bara The Sarah Bernhardt of the screen 'The Light' The story of the wickedest woman in Paris. A stu pendous theme wonderfully staged and superbly por trayed by the sublime Theda Bara Also a Sunshine Comedy "Merry Jailbirds" and a Mutt and Jeff Cartoon. Coming Thursday, Nov. 20 One Day Only "THE CAVELL CASE The great dramatic sac rifice of a noble woman. jifirtv Come! 1 IIU x . 'tll".:x.'. - .iti in
