Gasnier Forms Producing Company (1916) 🇺🇸
Organizes the Astra Film Corporation — will occupy Pathé Studios and release through that company.
Louis J. Gasnier, formerly vice-president and general manager of Pathé, has launched a new producing corporation, which will release through that company. The company has been incorporated under the laws of the state of New York, with the title of the Astra Film Corporation. It is a close corporation with a capital of $50,000. Mr. Gasnier is president and general manager; George Baker, well-known in Jersey City, is vice-president, and Geo. B. Seitz, secretary. The board of directors is comprised of the above with the addition of Donald MacKenzie and George Fitzmaurice. Messrs. MacKenzie and Fitzmaurice are the well-known producers. Ralph Navarro is assistant manager.
The new company has entered into a contract to release through the Pathé Exchange exclusively, and has leased a large part of the Pathé studios in Jersey City. Work will be started at once on a serial with Grace Darmond, Ralph Kellard, Léon Bary, Leslie King and Hallen Mostyn in the cast.
Donald MacKenzie, who, with Mr. Gasnier, will direct the serial, has left with a company of thirty-five players, including Mr. Kellard and Mr. Bary, for Cuba, where many scenes will be taken. In addition to the players three cameramen were taken along and a force of mechanics. A stopover will be made in Key West and some scenes taken there.
While on the boat Donald MacKenzie will put on a comedy in which he will play the leading part. This comedy will be the first instance in which Mr. MacKenzie has appeared in a picture in two years, his last role having been that of the famous pirate in The Perils of Pauline.
The company will also utilize the natural scenery of the south to make some interesting scenic and educational pictures.
With the remarkable picture-making talent represented among the officers and directors of the Astra Company, splendid results are confidently expected. Mr. Gasnier is unexcelled as a judge of pictures and knows how to obtain effects as do few men. Mr. MacKenzie has built up a reputation as one of the best producers in the business. With their combined talent the success of the new company seems to be certain.
—
Lasky Studio Active.
With the arrival of Marie Doro at the studios of the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company, at Hollywood, Cal., there is unusual activity at the head producing quarters of the company. Miss Doro will start almost immediately upon her first production entitled “In Service,” which will be released in the United States by Paramount and in Canada by the Famous Players Film Service, Ltd., on Monday, April 24.
At the studio at the present time, Blanche Sweet is completing with the support of Theodore Roberts, Thomas Meighan and an all star cast, a picturization of The Sowers, and Victor Moore with Anita King in his support, is finishing an elaborate production entitled The Race. Cleo Ridgely and Wallace Reid also have well under way their next co-starring production entitled The Love Mask, which is being produced under the direction of Frank Reicher. This is an original story by Cecil B. De Mille and Jeanie MacPherson.
—
Novel Essanay Release.
Essanay is now offering for release a series of artistic sketches of all the points of interest and large buildings in the principal cities of the world. These sketches are drawn by Vernon Howe Bailey, the noted newspaper and magazine artist who is recognized as the best in the world in this particular line of work. One of these subjects is released every other week. To date Mr. Bailey has made sketches in and about New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, London and Paris. He is now at work on New Orleans and vicinity. The sketches run for five hundred feet, the remainder of the reel being devoted to actual scenes taken around Quebec, Santa Fe, N. M., and in the Canadian Rockies. The drawings are exact reproductions of the famous buildings of the world. They quash in as the artist draws them and the spectator practically sees the structure being built, though built by a pen.
Collection: Moving Picture World, March 1916
—
see also