The New York herald., 1922-07-02
Report That the
Corporation VIII
. Send Riesenfeld
Into Germany to
Exploit It's Films
There.
ny FRANK vnEEfAND.

Il American film market by Ger
many, with pictures as well as
producers, America Is to surge across
the sea into the German film market
only this is to be one man invasion.
Hugo Resented, we'll known as man
aging director of the Rivoli, Rialto and
Criterion film theaters. Is reliably re-
ported to be going to Germany. the
land where he had his humble begin
ming as a musician at the monthly sal
/ AIRY which the Teuton.c film extras
Z now get daily, in the role of anbas-
, sador extraordinary OF tie movies--or
one might better say. exchange pro
fessor Of celluloid showmanship
Riesenfeld, who, by the way, is an
American citizen. is said to be destined
by the Famous Players L asky Corpora
tion, whose pictures he presents, to go
abroad soon and take over general
Supervision of the German houses al
lied to Famous, grounding them in
American principles of photoplay ex-
hibition and exploitation and putting
them through course of sprouts gem
orally just to show, incidentally that
the Continent can learn something
from the uncouth United States. He
will not confine himself to Teuton the
Atres, though Germany will be his
principal base of operations
This Is part of gigantic plan on the
part OF Famous executives to standard
lie and coordinate their activities on
both sides of the Atlantic, so that pres
emily they will be the Standard Oil of
the film world. with the sun never set
ri iC coil IA a
UFA, the German film combine with
which Famous aifiliated soon after the
war. as an exhibiting as we'll is produc-
ing concern, controlled no less than
1000 movie house in Germany as well
as Russia, though the cinema theaters
In the Slavonic country may now be
serving as soup dispensaries instead of
Just Being diverting lodging houses as
hitherto
Just how many Of these theatres now
come under the sway Of Famous is a
question, since the original agreement
with the UFA is now being unwound
from the snarls of litigation. However,
those who know Adolph Zukor, presi-
dent Of the Famous Players-Lasky Cor
poration, say that for him to buy in
tangible assets like German pictures
without getting some very substantial
assets like picture houses in addition
WOulQ DC just ike expecting
not to store up nuts. He'd be doing
positive violence to his shrewd nature
mot to have acquired a number of
theaters.
II Riesenfeld Is sent on this mission
he will without question be the most
powerful managing director among the
exhibitors of the world. and at his COM
nrand thousands Of men in orchestras
will saw wood. No doubt he will re-
sumo his title Of Doctor" since that is
banded About more easily in Germany
than here The director and musical
conductor. for whom the adjective
genial was made. ought to prove
Strong factor in developing good will
between the film impresarios of the two
countries, having shown his qualities in
this respect when he was suddenly
called upon to interpret Ernest
Lubitsch's initial speech here and went
through with It without once resorting
10 his favorite stimulus. cup of coffee.
In line with this report comes the
funnor ttlat Cosmopolitan Productions
have been negotiating for the use of the
Rivo,i for the continuous presentation
of Marion Davies and other stars with
whom they i'm TO shake the firnlament.
1T Is generally credited that Cosrnopoli-
tan plans TO expand on a large scale
and have one Of the most imposing
broods Of stellar players Incidentally.
gossip persists that the Criterion may
1apse from its film exhibition state and
have q fresh access of the spoken drama
Laura Jean Libby, II Is learned. in
tends to 20 into film production and
race the film versions Of her numerous
novels against the other rornances now
In the running. She will produce all her
stories or. as one might say. shoot the
whole works" II will be interesting to
note whether the movies have advanced
from the bottle fed stage and whether
there Is still a public. flourishing luxu-
riantly. who are ripe for backstars
classics 1t is quite possible that the
stories will be popular on the screen,
regardless Of all the gbes directed at
this style OF literature in the last and
all the sentimentality that will be
squeezed out CT them before the camera.
Miss Libbey ought to know the ge
taste. living. as she does. in Brooklyn.
though Sir Charles 1Iigham, English
advertiser and film promoter, virtually
called for the destruction of Hollywood
o Ia Sodor and Gomorrah at the ban
uuet rendered TO him n week ago. to date
not q single resolution has been passed
in Los Angeles scorching or even
slightly toasting him.
r Theda Bara, IL has now been definitely
settled, will soon be revamped on the
screen. That does not mean, however
q renaissance of the screen vanp II has
been established to the satisfaction OF
any coroner's jury that she Is dead
at least as the leading figure of a photo
play--and Miss Bara, who is very
astute, Is likely to leave her remains
IN peace. Neither. will she appear in
tho Fox sign OF the film zodiac She
will sell her face over the counter her
self.
In connection with her reappe arance
some Of the inside facts-"the truth and
nothing but the truth, sw'elp me-
concerning her initial advent in the pic
.tures are being poured out on willing
ears. II Is said that when she first
came TO William Fox she had had
little stage experience--such as in the
chorus with Just enough training to say
-"Oh. my at the right concerted mo-
fient. IL is reported that she had
known what II was to wear cardboard
as the sole Of her shoes--maybe that
was why she took such relish later al
the studio In driving men out into the
cold and making them suffer
Several of her acqua lntances saw the
possibilities OF bad, bold wicked
woman on the screen just then. as the
public at that time was beginning to
feel the blight Of pure. sawdust curls
s.nd unutterable sweetness They urged
Mias Bara to obtain a special individual
~s~rract with Fox and TO demand as a