Ann Murdock Already at Work (1916) 🇺🇸

Ann Murdock, little star of Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines, Essanay’s film version of Clyde Fitch’s brilliant comedy, has arrived at the studio and begun work in the production. The young actress, prominent in the dramatic firmament, is ridiculously young to hold such place.

Five years ago she finished her studies at a boarding school in Philadelphia. In June of that year, any ideas she may have had regarding a stage career were most certainly nebulous. But the following September found her starring in The Call of the North in New York, a hastily arranged and produced offering of Henry B. Harris. Under the Harris banner, the little lady appeared from time to time in such short-lived things as The Noble Spaniard.

Two years ago, Charles Frohman offered her a contract which she accepted and she is still with him on the stage. Her first Frohman play was The Beautiful Adventure, a translation from the French in which she scored heavily. Then she appeared in A Celebrated Case. After another successful run she created the role of the bride in Excuse Me. In Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines she plays the part of Trentoni, the prima donna. Richard C. Travers plays opposite her in the title role.

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Jacksonville All Right

Richard Garrick, Gaumont director, enthusiastic over winter studios in Florida and believes climate equals that of California

Because of his intense interest in the first Mutual Masterpicture, edition de luxe, completed by Gaumont for the Mutual program, Richard Garrick, director of the production, made a hurried trip from Jacksonville, Fla., to the factory at Flushing, N. Y., to superintend the final cutting of the film. The photodrama is called The Idol of the Stage, a five-reel feature in which Malcolm Williams is starred. While north Mr. Garrick conferred with General Manager F. G. Bradford regarding the new studio to be built at Flushing, N. Y., before the companies return in the spring.

“The work we are doing in Jacksonville is truly remarkable,” said Mr. Garrick, who is managing director of all the southern Gaumont organizations. “From the experiences we have had, I see no occasion for regretting we located in Florida instead of in California. Since we went down last autumn, we have had only three days when the weather interfered with our work. Our studios are splendidly located and adequately equipped, and now we are receiving everything we require in the way of co-operation from the local sources we must draw upon for our productions.

“What surprised me most was the quality and quantity of the extra people we were able to pick up. In the theater scenes of The Idol of the Stage we had eleven hundred people in the auditorium we built for the occasion. With a liberal sprinkling of people in evening clothes, the scene easily matched any metropolitan theater for smartness. A number of capable people are being developed in our stock company who never had any thought of motion pictures until we reached Jacksonville and began to augment our forces.

“Now that we are confining our work on the Mutual program to the making of five-reel features, we are organizing an additional company. There are to be three directors in addition to myself when we have completed our plans. Miss Gertrude Robinson and Alexander Gaden are now at work on As a Woman Sows, under the direction of William F. Haddock. A day or two after my return Director Henry J. Vernot will have Miss Marguerite Courtot and Sydney Mason [Sidney Mason] at work.” [Transcriber’s Log: The movie referred to here is probably The Dead Alive (1916)]

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Equitable Stars to Appear in Person

Sincerely believing that the personal appearance of the players at the theaters where their film work is being shown helps to boost the business of the average exhibitor, President Arthur H. Spiegel, of the Equitable Motion Picture Corporation, has announced that a plan is being worked out under which Equitable will undertake to have a number of its most popular stars appear in the flesh at such theaters as the exhibitor believes the star can bring additional shekels to the box office.

Naturally, Equitable itself expects to profit from the advertising its star will secure, but the scheme is not wholly a selfish one, for the exhibitor is bound to benefit in a big way and to feel deeply grateful to the corporation which is willing to supply him such a drawing card as the personal appearance on his stage of a real flesh and blood film actor or actress.

President Spiegel announces that in the future all the stars contracted for by his concern will find a stipulation in their contracts calling for their services two nights a week, when they are expected to attend as many theaters as they possibly can. To ascertain at which theaters the equitable stars may most appropriately appear Harry L. Reichenbach, Equitable’s general press representative, has already inaugurated a gigantic nation-wide mailing system for the purpose of keeping the public informed about the Equitable stars who may appear in their neighborhood theater.

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Cyrus Townsend Brady Defends Films

At a discussion held under the auspices of the Drama League in the Broad Street theater of Philadelphia recently Dr. Cyrus Townsend Brady, author of The Island of Regeneration, The Chalice of Courage, and similar well-known film dramas, representing Commodore J. Stuart Blackton, the Vitagraph Company, and V. L. S. E., Inc., declared that the spoken drama rather than the screen is on the defense. Dr. Brady’s remarks were in answer to the comment made upon the merit of the spoken drama as opposed to the film drama by Howard Kyle of the Actor’s Association of New York, Louis Mann, and Miss Elsie Ferguson.

Mr. Mann declared that the delicate shades of emotion could not possibly be transferred to the screen. Miss Ferguson asserted that at best, the pictures were but a substitute form of expression.

The discussion, which was arranged by J. Howard Reber, an attorney of Philadelphia, who is president of the Plays and Players Association, was in reality a preliminary meeting to a debate which is to be held by the Drama League on censorship, in which the Pennsylvania Board of Censors will speak, and at which time there will be launched, the first organized attack against censorship in Pennsylvania. Dr. Brady will probably also take part in this meeting.

Collection: Motography Magazine, January 1916