Malvine Lobel (1915) 🇺🇸
Another star has been lured from the legitimate by the promise of even greater success on the photoplay screen. This time it is Mme. Malvine Lobel, known abroad as well as in this country as an emotional actress of extraordinary ability, who has measured talents with Mme. Sarah Bernhardt by reason of her work in Alexandre Bisson's Mme. X, and also achieved distinction in such plays as Everywoman and the masterpieces of Shakespeare.
Mme. Lobel's venture onto the screen is to be conducted by the Ivan Film Productions, Inc., of which company Ivan Abramson is the managing director. The script is a five-part photoplay carrying the title of The Unwelcome Wife, and preparations for its production have been in progress for many months. Mr. Abramson has written the photoplay and at the present time is engaged in supervising the actual making of the picture for release the latter part of April or early in May.
To support Mme. Lobel in the new production Mr. Abramson has engaged a number of well known screen players, among them Miss Vivian Prescott, to whom has been entrusted a part which is equally as strong as that provided for the principal member of the company. Miss Prescott will be remembered as an able player whose past performances with other companies in the motion picture industry have given great promise for the future. William B. McNulty, who has played leads with Essanay, Biograph, Pathé, and others, has been secured for the leading male role. Other principals are Edward J. McKim, Pearl Ganz, and D. L. Dunn [R. G. Don].
The Sins of the Parents, and Should a Woman Divorce? previous Ivan Film productions, have been quite successful, and even better things are expected from The Unwelcome Wife, which is claimed to have a much stronger story than either of the previous photoplays.
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British Notes
The European conflict has been mainly, if not entirely, responsible for the exploitation of a kind of film which does not by any means appear to find the same favors with the American producer. I refer to the biographical picture, a new and master specimen of which was unspooled for the first time yesterday (March 11). This production, created by the British and Colonial Company, centers around the life history of Florence Nightingale, the "lady of the lamp" of Crimean fame, and treating as it 'does a military theme of topical import, should stand a reasonable prospect of commercial success. Only a few weeks ago the Life of Lord Roberts was released by the Samuelson Film Company, while we have had several biographical picturizations of non-military celebrities since war was declared. Retrospection is reputedly a national characteristic of the Briton, and it may not be too much to anticipate that the usual press notice upon the demise of a notability will in the future be invariably illustrated by its motographic equivalent.
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The Walturdaw Company, of Gerrard street, London, have secured the world's picture rights for the important sporting event at the London Opera House at the end of this month when Frank Moran (American champion) boxes Bombardier Wells (English champion) for the world's heavy-weight white championship.
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The Railway Clearing House, the Metropolitan exchange of all our different railroad systems, has notified the Film Renters' Association that in future films will not be conveyed by passenger trains unless in special boxes. The boxes specified must be unpainted rectangular wood-lined metal cases to hold not more than six spools. The only lettering permitted beyond the name and address of the owners is "Cinema Films. Keep in a cool place."
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Verily, truth is stranger than fiction. A Liverpool exhibitor gives me this as gospel. One evening last week a policeman entered the auditorium for the customary daily inspection. The time was ten past nine and the picture on the screen — well, I forgot for the moment the name, but it was a Thanhouser featuring little Helen Badgley. At this point I should explain that one of the conditions under which Liverpool shows are licensed is the exclusion of children after nine p. m. Turning to his uniformed confrere the strong limb of the law was overheard by the manager to seriously query whether the provisions relating to children being in the hall after nine embraced the pictures on the screen. And Liverpool is still called the Mersey City.
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Bunny is to have a new role in the moving picture theaters here in a few days' time. Mr. Geo. H. Smith, the London Vitagraph representative, is preparing an assortment of lantern slides depicting the inimitable and ample John appealing for contributions to the Belgian Relief Fund.
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A well-known producer is instituting arrangements with the object of preparing a feature film revolving around the career of King George V. As this has been the ambition of not a few producing luminaries any development will be watched with the keenest interest.
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At the last meeting of the "Authors Society" (Cinematograph Committee) a communication from the Essanay Company asked for the co-operation of the society, in the alleviation of infringement of author's titles. While not guaranteeing that any list of titles submitted were in order the society gladly agreed to render what assistance they could. Similar assistance, it is understood, will be accorded to other firms.
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A deep interest is already manifesting itself amongst students of motographic technique in the researches of Dr. C. E. Kenneth Mees of the Eastman Kodak Company's laboratories, Rochester. When, upon the absorption of the London firm of photographic specialists, Wratten & Wainwright, into the Kodak Company, Dr. Mees removed to Rochester, England lost one of her foremost authorities upon photographic color values. A few evenings ago specimens of his new "Kodachrome" results were submitted to the members of the Royal Photographic Society and I have since been privileged to see these. As, presumably, they have been similarly exhibited in America it will be superfluous to describe the discovery, but although the process is at present confined to the limitations of ordinary photography, one thing above all is significant. This is, that Kodachrome," like "Kinemacolor," is a two-color and not a three-color process. Modern experience has taught that if only upon account of the screen-rulings three-color processes are not the most suitable means of achieving- perfection in natural color reproduction. The salient feature of the "Kodachrome" positives shown here is that screen-rulings, marks or dots are absolutely minus and this improvement, coupled with the easy duplicity of both negatives and positives, will undoubtedly strongly commend the new process for motographic exploitation. Beyond the foregoing distinction "Kodachrome" is not markedly dissimilar from Kinemacolor" in chemical construction and treatment.
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Operators of the Gaumont Company have been very heavily fined at Newcastle for taking moving pictures of a battleship on the river Tyne without permission. Despite the evidence that the films, intended for the "Gaumont Graphic," were not exhibited fines amounting to £35 and an order for the confiscation of the films were imposed.
J. B. Sutcliffe.
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Warren Directs Jungle Picture.
His Jungle Sweetheart is a Selig Jungle-Zoo wild animal story directed by Giles R. Warren and in which Miss Edith Johnson enacts the leading role. She fondles wild animals during the action of the story as if they were house pets, and tile one-reel picture play is certain to create a sensation. There is an arena scene in which Miss Johnson compels the jungle beasts to perform to her will.
Collection: Moving Picture World, April 1915