The Washington herald., 1919-08-24
ITALY AND u. S.
SWAP MOVIES
BY O. O. MCINTYRE.

New York. Aug. 3a-PotsntiaI
Theda Baras, Norma Talmadres,
Douglas Fairbankses. and even
Charlie Chaplins, may take renewed
hope Film fame yet may come
and perch upon their lonely door
step for. by . new deal Just COM
pleted-perhaps the biggest since
the industry passed the nickeiodeon
stage and emerged into sympho ony
orchestraed production-the movie
world Is going to need lot OF new
actors and actresses.
The future movie star Is going to
cross the ocean in the $5oo-a-day
old-rose-and-silver suite. Just like
Mrs. Pat Campbell or any other
star. Hitherto the alternating Of
the movie star was between Fort
Lee, N. j.. and Los Angeles-but
not any more. Here today. tomor-
row in Italy. the Far East France,
Russia Is the new program. And
the great studios will be awaiting
the American stars and the lesser
luminaries. too. for that nnAtter-for
the entire companies, from the
growing director to that studio mis-
lens louse"-wlll be Transported.
II Is perhaps the biggest deal that
! has ever been consummated in the
moving picture world and is the out
| come OF the artistic vision OF Gen.
Giuseppe Garabaldi. the valiant Itai-
ian warrior and hero. who is to the
italian moving picture field what
Frohman, the departed. was to Amer
ica's legitimate stage.
With the formation OF the Roma
Nav York Corporation, q E.OOo .0OC
capitalized company, the new and en-
urely unharVestcd moving picture
| fields have been opened. It Is in ef-
feet the application of international
| ism to the industry-the broadening
/ OF its yistas and it sounds the depths
OF its aggressive artistry and COM
merciallsm-
Garabaldi pointed out to American
producers that the photopIay. Ca
aria. produced in Italy at a cost
OF 100000. has earned about g, 900, 900,
and that another Italian picture, Quo
Vadis." costing 10000. has produced
! about s.. 900 ooo The formation of the
Roma-New York means the applica-
tion OF internationalism to the fold.
Among the prime movers are =. A.
Powers. Carl Laemmle. r. II. Coch-
ranc. Harrington Baker, Cen Cara
oaldi and Capt. Ezio Garibaldi.
AS 4 result of the alliance the new
company secures for all practical pur-
poses the great producing plant at
nlversal City. near Los Angeles. trc
argest producing plant in the world
and also the thCaters leased. operated
or affiliated with the Universal and
the consolidated producing and photo
play houses in France and Italy affil-
lated with the Roma New York Act
ors of foreign countries will be flSlcd
| in America and American actors will
be filmed in European countries under
the direction of directors who under
stand each national taste.
1t will mean the opening up OF the
vast European-Asiatic field and the
! Russian market. The Italian pro-
ducers have never even at the maxi
mum production been able to supply
the demands of this large field. II
every theater in Italy were closed.
1t is said. the entire output given 10
the near Orient and Russian fields.
it would still be impossible to satisfy
within 10 per cent the demands that
are constantly coming to US from
those markets.
over at Fort Lee the f'utter OF ex-
citement is intense. Grips are being
packed for the first boat load Of nIm
hounds leave shortly for Italy. That.
in the language of PiccadilIy. will be
putting on some swank