Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-12-28

creator. the producer. and the director
! general of the orldrenowned Key
stone comedies. His genius as mirth
rna,aer has never known a counterpart.
keystone comedies have made the
world laugh. They are not to be
compared to any other brand of come
dies that have been flashed on the
screen by any concern, as there is an
, inimitable touch OF all Keystone joy
tests that defes competition. Every
screen comedian OF note either is or
has been, pupil of the Sennett school.
With ID. w. Griffith and Thomas II.
I Ince. the name of Mack Sennett forms
a triangle that is the most powerful in
every respect since the foundation of
the drama in the time of Sophocles.
| The worth Of each of these three men
{ has long been a by-word in the motion
! picture industry, for their individual
achievements. Until very recently. the
imagination baked at conceiving what
these three, associated together, and
working as one, could accomplish. That
they would furnish the world with hith-
erto-unapproached specimens of their art
was a foregone conclusion. Still. the
event of their coalition was regarded as
so unlikely as to preclude any prophesy-
ing over the pocibiiities to be revealed by
their combining. Then. came the most
startling announcement in the history OF
the motion picture, the news of the for
nation of the Triangle Film Company.
Three months ago d. W. Griffith,
Thomas III. Ince. Mack Sennett. Adam
kessel, and Charles Baumann signed the
articles which brought the greatest dra-
( matte organization ever assembled into
existence. Messrs kessel and Baumann,
both veterans in the picture world. We're
the "moneyed men of the combination.
Their resources are almost unlimited. 1t
is impossible to conjecture Just how
much capital is represented in the Tri- |
angle Company. That it extends we'll in
to the millions. there is no dsputing. !
Equally difficult for the Imagination to
conceive is the manner with which the
three directors will proceed. now that
money is secondary. and the result Of
this money. as shown in their filmic pro- !
auctions, is the primary object.
. When D. W. Griffith made THE Birth |
% Nation" and declared that it would |
command $500 the same price as any |
legitimate stage offering, he was laughed !
to scorn. But. THE Birth of Nation |
not only did play to this maximum ad- |
mission, but what is more. in all of the |
larger cities it broke all records for at |
tendance and duration, of stage plays |
as well as pictures. In New York City, |
THE Birth of Nation" is now ap- !
preaching its ninth consecutive month at |
the Liberty Theatre.
Consequently when the Triangle an
nounced that its standard would be so
wonderful as to make its s2.G0 price one
that would be willingly met, the entire
motion picture world was aghast One
picture, such as 1.-THE Birth of a Nation"
might get $780, but for any company to
release all of it's products and expect to
receive such a price-never. Undeterred,
the Triangle proceeded to sign the very
cream of the stage for it's offerings. not
being content alone with the screen stars
that it already had at it's command.
Then. the producing began.
Triangle operated three theatres, which
II chose to call its model theatres" viz,
the Knickerbocker. in New York. the
Chestnut ST., in Philadelphia. and the
Studebaker. in Chicago. The three most
critical cities in this country were first in
vaded by Triangle. And the maximum adj
mission was $500. 1t was an overnight
success. Column after column Of news
paper praise was bestowed upon the Tri-
angle attractions: even staid, conserva.
tive editorial policies were disregarded
in enthusiastic avowal of the merits OF
the new concern. Today. although but
three short months have elapsed, Tri-
angle is the recognized leader Of all mo-
ton picture producing companies.
Perhaps the most spectacular feat ac-
complished by Triangle was the securing
of the woman who IS rated as the
greatest of all actresses that the stage
has ever known--Mary Anderson. It has
been years since Mary Anderson spoke
a line on the stage. In the heydey of
her fame, the height of her career
when her name was a household word in
this country and Europe. Mary Anderson
retired from the stage. Despite the fact
that offerings; SO fiattering as to be m.
believable, were made her, she persisted
in her refusal to go back to the stage
Then. Thomas II. Ince persuaded her to
allow her art to be the property of DOS
terity. and that this might come to nass
the motion picture, and it's illimitabIal