Max Figman and Lolita Robinson — New Lasky Picture Stars (1914) 🇺🇸

What promises to be one of the greatest conclaves of stars in the history of the motion picture industry will be that which will meet the public at the exhibition booths of the Jesse L. Lasky feature Play Company, at the Exposition Convention at Dayton, Ohio, in July. Among those who will be present as guests of Mr. Lasky are:

Max Figman and Lolita Robinson, who will appear in The Man on the Box; Robert Edeson, who will make his first screen appearance in the filmization of Stewart Edward White’s thrilling story of the northwest, The Call of the North; Edmund Breese, who has recently completed the Master Mind in pictures, and Thomas Ross, who plays in The Only Son, and H. B. Warner, who is now appearing in the Ghost Breaker for the Lasky people.

In addition to the above mentioned celebrities, Edward Abeles and Jesse L. Lasky will make a pilgrimage to Dayton for the convention, as will Mr. Goldfish [Samuel Goldfish] and Cecil B. De Mille.

Lolita Robinson, who in private life is Mrs. Max Figman, will make her appearance in the Man on the Box with Mr. Figman, and will probably become the permanent leading woman for the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company.

Mr. Breese’s first screen effort, the Master Mind, will reach the public on May 11th, and the Only Son, with Thomas W. Ross, will follow immediately after, after which will come The Virginian, with Dustin Farnum, and The Call of the North, with Mr. Edeson.

Mr. Goldfish, executive head of the Lasky organization, left for Los Angeles last Monday, for a two weeks’ visit to the Lasky Studios at Hollywood, Cal.

The appearance of Mr. Figman and Miss Robinson on the screen will be awaited with anticipation. Mr. Figman is a master of dramatic expression and Miss Robinson has many times proved a true foil. The Call of the North is a powerful subject and should prove a splendid vehicle for his introduction to motion picture audiences. The Lasky forces will be materially strengthened by this acquisition and the subject is certain to be interesting.

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Famous Players Company Returns from Los Angeles.

One of the most distinguished motion picture companies that ever crossed the continent returned last week from the Los Angeles studio of the Famous Players Film Company to New York. Included in the party were Mary Pickford, fresh from her triumph in Tess of the Storm Country; Edwin S. Porter, technical director of the Famous Players, whose marvelous camera effects contributed greatly toward the beauty and interest of Hearts Adrift and Tess, the two Pickford subjects produced on the coast; Hugh Ford, the prominent “legitimate” producer, who recently effected an alliance with the Famous Players whereby he will collaborate with Mr. Porter on a series of big, spectacular productions; Carlyle Blackwell, who recently left the Kalem Company to associate himself with the Famous Players; Richard Garrick, former director of the Universal Film Company, who joined the Famous Players in Los Angeles and portrayed the role of Ben Letts in Tess of the Storm Country; Harry Lockwood, noted film player, who enacted the role of Frederick Graves, the theological student, in the same production, and a host of lesser celebrities connected with the Pacific Coast studios of the Famous Players.

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Universal Makes Important Changes In Program.

With the definite purpose of strengthening and improving its weekly program of film releases’, the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, will, beginning Monday, June 1, institute additions and changes in brands. The usual Monday Power’s brand will be replaced by a Sterling comedy, featuring children principally. Mr. Ford Sterling will not be featured in this release, but will have his place in the releases of Thursday.

The Monday “Sterling” brand comedy will feature a company of the most clever children players in the business. Heading this company will be Billy Jacobs, a youngster of twenty-nine months, who stands in a class by himself formerly with the Keystone, where he created a tremendous reputation he is a natural little comedian with all the tricks of the trade up his sleeve. Ford Sterling has trained him and has, in the past, used him to play side by side with him. Robert Thornby will direct these comedies, which will be a big feature of the “U” program.

The Saturday Frontier release will be changed to Sunday and will continue as a Sunday release thereafter, while the Frontier release of Thursday will give way to the Sterling brand.

Sunday’s regular Crystal comedy release will be dropped from the program. The Thursday release of the Crystal will continue as usual.

While the cutting down of the Crystal and the Frontier to one release a week will be directly due to the addition of the two Sterling releases, the Universal also expects to bring about a material improvement in the artistic quality of Crystal and Frontier pictures by giving them the opportunity they have been seeking to concentrate on the one release a week. The changes tobe trade will adjust the Universal program to a basis of twenty-eight reels per week.

Collection: Moving Picture World, May 1914