Joseph Kaufman — A Popular Lubinite (1914) 🇺🇸

Joseph Kaufman is a fair example of the quality of players now demanded by the Lubin Company. Amateurs are treated as amateurs and given their chance, but for responsible parts the people must be actors of experience, and Kaufman is eminently fit.

Born in Washington, D. C, in 1882, he was educated at the Georgetown University and graduated with honors.

With a forceful temperament and strong personality he adopted the stage at an early age, first playing for five years in a famous stock company. This was his apprenticeship, in which he had the advantage of playing over two hundred roles.

With this experience he was well fitted for Broadway and engaged by Charles Frohman for the Empire stock company, in those days the greatest company America had ever seen. Among the stars that he supported were Maude Adams, Marie Doro, Mrs. Patrick Campbell, Fay Davis, Ethel Barrymore, William Collier [William Collier Sr.] and Elsie Janis. For a while he was a favorite player in Henry Savage’s companies, and later with Cohan and Harris, always playing leading roles.

While not really starring, Frederick Thompson featured Kaufman in Via Wireless and as Monte Brewster in Brewster’s Millions. Much more could be told of his stage career which has made him a valuable player in the Lubin [Siegmund Lubin] studio of Philadelphia and a man much respected and liked by his associates.

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Has Three Dramas Ready

The recently incorporated $500,000 U. S. Amusement Company, of which Herbert Blaché, of Blaché Features, is the president, has already completed three dramas, all of which are in eight reels. Another drama of six reels is also ready for the screen, while still another is in an advanced stage of production.

James J. Corbett in The Burglar and the Lady, produced by the new company, is in eight reels, as is also The Temptations of Satan, and a third photodrama, the title of which is being jealously guarded at the present writing. The six reel drama is a screen adaptation of Dickens’ The Chimes, by Mr. Blaché, produced in collaboration with Tom Terriss. An exceptionally strong cast, which includes “The Charles Dickens’ Associate Players,” was used in this production, and the Dickens’ atmosphere is said to be remarkably true to that of his famous works.

A number of plays familiar to theater patrons have been whipped into scenario form for production in the near future and most of them are in eight reels.

The presenting of Solax and Blaché features has not been interrupted by the activities of the new company.

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Just a Moment Please

By Heck, it pays to advertise.

Just mentioning last week that we would appreciate help in composing the goolash that gets into this Chimbarazo of Chaff has already resulted in our receiving a wad of contributions ranging all the way from near-poetry to wheezes that were so bad we had to open the window while reading ‘em.

They’ve come from Pal Haase, Friend Schaefer, tiny Mabel (our Associate Ed.), Caine, “the new feller” we introduced you to last wk., and the mail from the East is still due.

However — and be that as it may (as our friend Geo. Monroe is wont to exclaim) — there’s room for more, so come on in, fellers — don’t be bashful — we’ll use such of your stuff as we suitably can, and the rest — well, the rest will help to line our wastebasket.

A. L. H., who occupies a desk to the S. W. of us, declares that while in a sentimental mood he composed the following “ballad” to fill that aching void in the middle of our column:

Alas! Walt Mason, B. L. T.
Yes, George Ade, and O’Hagerty,
Your natural wit, your hard ground stuff,
Is but a drop, out in the rough.
This Caward guy, kow-tow do we,
To hail him King of fools that be,
For “Just a Moment Please” is surely rare.
Fifty-fifty, old scout, keep it up, you’re there.

Naturally we hate to print the above, being a bashful, shrinking violet, as we have previously remarked, but lest we offend such a faithful contrib as A. L. H., we’re going to smother our modesty and let it go.

Coming now to F. B. S.’s suggestion, we’re going to inaugurate a sub-headed department for Bromides of the Business that we shall call:

O’erheard at the rpicture rshow.
“Gee, that’s some picture!”
“Isn’t the air bad in here?”
“O, pshaw, there isn’t two seats together!”
“Ho, hum, I saw this one the other day across the street.”
(To be continued.)

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The Goatman has had a wireless from “Wid” Gunning, far out on the bounding billows, aboard the R. M S. Adriatic, which indicates that “Wid” and his party are eating alongside Lord Trimblestown, an Irish nobleman, at the purser’s table, and thinking between whiles “This is the Life.” Take it from us that Gunning person is going to be famous, yet.

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Our Burg.
A lot of our best folks are going to the Opry House nights, where Cabiria is running.
Franc Woodward has succeeded Chas. Nixon as publicity man at Col. Selig’s downtown offis. Good luck Franc and Chas., best wishes to you.
“Cap.” Boening is running for drainage commissioner and the Real Fellers club has already endorsed his candidacy. Adv.
Owing to the hot weather last wk. we got so excited that we run three pitchures of one Famous Players release with a story of another one. Forgive us Bennie Schulberg and we’ll try to keep sober in the future.

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Mabel writes us that Edna Foster likes to sew on the veranda. We can’t imagine anything more delightful unless it might be to crochet on the office desk.

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Messrs. Pawling & Harnischfeger, of the town that Schlitz made famous, write us this week regarding their new “U” Electric Hoist, and coyly add:

We believe that these hoists can be used advantageously in almost every line of manufacture and the object of this letter, therefore, is to find out from you to what extent an electric hoist of this type might be used in the field which your publication covers.

Well, let’s see — we might use it to lift wheezes from our contemps — so send it along, C. O. D.

If we can’t use it, we know Haase or Woodruff will be tickled to death to have it for hauling those big bass aboard.

It has just occurred to us that we might use it to raise

our salary.

Fine. Send it RUSH.

N. G. C. (Neil G. Caward)

Collection: Motography Magazine, July 1914

[Some of the Motography staff mentioned above: Clarence J. Caine | Mabel Condon | Allen L. Haase | Paul H. Woodruff]

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see also Motography’s Gallery of Picture Players — Joseph Kaufman (1914)