Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-23

Even John Bunny never had the success
in comedy that Charles Chaplin is en-
joying today. He is the movie" favorite
OF the hour Sometimes he is seen at eight
or ten Philadelphia picture houses in the
same ngnt The crowds go from ono
place to another to see HMM The
Tramp" "a Jitney Elopement," In the
Park and in half dozen other com
edies.
Charlie and his brother Sid went into
the movies" about year and half
ago. They are natives Of England and
came to this country in n pantomme
called An English Music Hall" Charlie
represented drunk and mis- fantastic
antics made the sketch so The brothers
played what is known as family time
on the Keith circuit in the second-rate
vaudeville houses.
Mark Sennett the director, wanted
knockabout acrobatic comedian for his
Keystone comedies and employed Chap
lin first as a substitute, Charlie then
was paid at the rate Of SIS week, draw
ing pay only for the days he worked.
Later he was put on as a regular. Then
he was given four months contract at
a better salary.
BY the end of 1914 all the producers
were after him The Keystone people
offered him an annual contract II -
said at n salary Of $1,000 week Es-
sanay raised the bid TO sl1O0 a week
Chaplin signed and that Is what he is
getting now as regular as Saturday nEnt
comes round. That means about $500
working day, II you count a half holiday
for STANDARDIZATION a year, more than
the Secretary of State, the Chief Jus
tice OF the Supreme Court the two Penn
sylvania Senators. the Governor and the
Mayor OF Philadelphia combined get in
In Gtn NNati tinn Gtntn nd sit
Lubin Notes
Siegmund Lubin has gone to Jackson
vile to inspect his Southern studio and
arrange plans for the summer. Mr. Lubn
intends to establish in Jacksonville one
of the biggest comedy studios in the
country Work on this has already begun.
The studio there has Just been overhauled
and enlarged and two comedy companies
are working there at present, one headed
by Billy Reeves, the English comedian
and pantomimist. and the other by JAG
Tucker the comedian, writer and artist.
Mr.. Lubin plans to send a number of
other prominent comedians to Jackson
vile within the next few weeks.
Clyde Fitch's THE Climbers" has just
been completed by the Lubin Company
and promises to attract wide interest
through the strength of the play itself,
the Importance of the cast and the eN-
traVaEance of the production. Clay NJ.
Greene made the scenario and Barry
O'Neil produced the play. Gladys Han
son. one of the best known of the younger
emotional actresses, is featured in the
production, and supporting her are Flor
ence Hackett, George Soule Spencer Wal
ter Hitchcock, Bernard Siegel, Charles
Brandt Peter Lang, Walter Law, Eleanor
Barry Ruth Bryan. frankie Mann. Edith
Ritchie, Walter Clarke. Mildred Gregory
and Rosetta BriCe
Ja11 ha T.tth nbn
toplaywriGht, does most of his writing al
his cottage in Glen Echo. Md, coming to
the studio in Philadelphia every once in
a while with a bagload of plays. Halls
latest serial, Road O. Strife was re-
comfy released This week some of tho
Lubin officials gave a dinner for Hall, the
guests including John Ince, who directed
Road o. Strife: Mary Charleson, Crane
Wilbur and Jack Standing, who are fea-
tured in the plays.
An Unexpected Thrill
A thrill not down in the original story
occurred while "The Wild Engine" the
latest episode of Kalem's Hazards OF
Helen Railroad Series, was filmed.
Astride a motorcycle, Helen Holmes, the
heroine of this series. plunged off a high
trestle and landed in the river
According to the story, Miss Holmes
was to have brought the motorcycle to a
halt on the edge of the trestle Instead.
the machine got beyond her control. I'm
able TO stop it, the actress was hurled
into the river when the motorcycle shot
out into space.
The accident was totally unexpected
and for a time the observers on shore
were paralyzed with fright, Fortunately,
however. Miss Holmes is an excellent
swimmer and came TO the surface of the
stream. Before boat could be showed
out from shore she was swimming to
safety
According to the Kalem actress, some
thing went wrong and she was unable to
shut off the power. Because OF the steel
girders on both sides of the trestle, Miss
Holmes was compelled to steer a straight
course, She proved to be none the worse
for her experience. and after getting into
dry clothes went ahead with the picture.
Not Proposal
Florence LaBadIs Is girl after my