Eric Campbell Killed in Accident (1918) 🇺🇸

Big Chaplin aid, driving machine sixty miles an hour, collides at corner with another car.

The millions of photoplaygoers who for the past two years have laughed at and with Eric Campbell, the big Chaplin aid, will learn with deep regret of his death at Los Angeles December 20. Mr. Campbell was driving an automobile in Wilshire Boulevard at a speed said to be sixty miles an hour. At the corner of Vermont avenue his car collided with another machine. When Mr. Campbell was picked up it was found death had been instantaneous.

Three women were in the car with the actor. One of them, Gene Crosby, of Brooklyn, was taken to a hospital suffering from a badly crushed arm and other injuries.

It is hoped, however, she will recover.

Eric Campbell was one of the best known members of the Chaplin company. He was widely popular for his stage work when he joined the Mutual-Chaplin organization, coming to it direct from the Pom Pom, one of the stage’s successful musical comedies. He was with the Lyric Theater stock company of London for seven years, appearing in a number of successes. His first appearance in America was under the management of Klaw & Erlanger. Campbell was an author as well as a player, having written and produced a number of film comedies for the London Film Company. Campbell’s big frame and stature — he weighed nearly 300 pounds and was well over six feet in height — his agility in spite of his size, his ability to take punishment and his seeming ferocity when simulating rage all combined to make for popularity. The marked disparity in size between Chaplin and Campbell was sufficient in itself to start a laugh.

While the Chaplin studio was in course of construction and the comedian consequently was waiting to begin work on his contract with the First National Exhibitors’ Circuit the big comedian, under an arrangement with Chaplin, had been working in the company of Mary Pickford.

Campbell’s name had been frequently in the public prints the last few months. Last July his first wife died. A week later he married Pearl Gilman, sister of Mabelle Gilman Corey. The death of the actor ended a suit for divorce just entered by Mrs. Pearl Gilman Campbell.

Campbell was thirty-seven years old and leaves a daughter, Laura Austin, an actress.

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The Late Eric Campbell.

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Pictures Wanted in the Bahamas.

In a recent issue of “Commerce Reports” United States Consul W. F. Doty at Nassau, Bahamas, says that a communication has been received by the American consulate from a citizen of that city, stating that a movement is on foot to obtain motion pictures of a high character for use there. The persons who are interested desire to get in touch with supply firms in New York with a view to securing pictures of a thoroughly satisfactory character, both optically and morally.

The kinds of film desired are: Picture weeklies, adventure, scenic and natural history, well-known books, plays, folk stories, etc., and humor without vulgarity. Catalogues will be welcomed.

It is proposed that pictures shall be supplied fortnightly, with a reserve of two weeks in stock to cover irregularities of delivery.

[The name of the writer of the communication mentioned may be obtained from the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, its district or co-operative offices. Refer to file No. 95183.]

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Unity Now Prevails in Industry

At meetings in New York Legislative Committee is appointed representative of chief branches.

As the result of meetings which were held in New York during the past week between the allied exhibitors’ legislative committee and a similar committee from the National Association of the Motion Picture Industry it is authoritatively reported that unity was established and the two bodies agreed on a definite plan of campaign to be pursued in obtaining the necessary remedial legislation from Congress during this session.

This combined committee is to be known as the Legislative Committee of the Motion Picture Industry. It is made up of Walter W. Irwin, P. A. Powers, Garbriel L. Hess, Ricord Gradwell, Arthur S. Friend, Frank Rembusch, H. B. Varner, John J. O’Donnell, Ernest H. Horstmann and Lee A. Ochs. The following committee on publicity was also appointed: Walter W. Irwin, P. A. Powers, Frank Rembusch and Lee A. Ochs.

For obvious reasons the plan of activities as laid out by this permanent legislative committee cannot be announced at this time. The important fact, however, is that the two committees were enabled to comprehend that success could only be achieved by means of a united industry, and after some discussion it was determined that the two committees could concentrate their efforts along the same lines. The plan of campaign as finally agreed upon was eminently satisfactory. The convention of exhibitors at Washington not only succeeded in bringing about harmony and unity of action among the exhibitors, but will undoubtedly bring about harmony between the exhibitors and distributors.

The duties of the publicity committee that was appointed will be largely that of collecting and collating information of a statistical nature for the benefit of the legislative committee. In order to bring this to the attention of the exhibitors of the country the committee has taken full pages of advertising in all of the trade papers, calling upon exhibitors to supply the detailed and accurate information as to how the war taxes have affected the business of their individual theaters.

The advertisement is addressed to all motion picture exhibitors.

In filling out the blank referred to in this advertisement exhibitors are requested to be absolutely frank and honest. No attempt is being made in collecting this information to disclose business secrets in any way. At the Washington convention it was suggested that exhibitors be asked to state their gross business for the month of November in the years 1916 and 1917, but this was objected to, as it was thought many exhibitors would refuse to disclose their gross business. As a result the question was put in the form which appears in the advertisement, as it was believed no exhibitor w ould object to stating the amount of the decrease between the two years. Of course, if business has increased state that fact, but also explain the reason for the increase. It is desired that these blanks be filled out and returned as soon as possible, to go over them and classify the information they contain before appearing before Congress.

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Strand to Erect Statue to Soldiers.

Harold Edel, managing director of the Strand theater, has engaged G. E. McCune to design a bronze statue in honor of the ex-employees who are now in the United States service. The memorial will be ready in about a month. This statue will present a gigantic screaming eagle with outstretched wings, underneath which will be inscribed the names of the former Strand employees. An extract from President Wilson’s message to Congress, together with a facsimile of the President’s signature, will also be inscribed, presenting in all a pretentious token of regard for the boys, many of whom are already “over there.”

The unveiling of the statue will take place in the big lobby of the Strand.

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New Theater for Kingston.

First of the string of motion picture theaters which Frank A. Keeney plans to erect to exploit the products of the Frank A. Keeney Pictures Corporation will be a $100,000 house on property Mr. Keeney has purchased on King street, Kingston, N. Y. Plans have been drawn by William E. Lehman, architect of Mr. Keeney’s big and handsome theater in Brooklyn and also of his theater in Newark. The new house will seat about 1,500 and will be equipped as a thoroughly up-to-date place of amusement. Ground will be broken in the spring as soon as the weather permits.

Collection: Moving Picture World, January 1918