IMP Employees Ball

100 years ago today, Carl Laemmle threw a party for his employees in New York City.

The Moving Picture News reported the event as follows:

The Sales Company have scarcely got their great event off their hands when another ball looms up to attract the members of the industry in New York. We refer to the ball of the employees of the Imp Company. They have engaged the Leslie Rooms, on 83rd Street and Broadway for February 11th for their event, and we wish them every success, which must naturally accrue from the receiving committee, which consists of the following:

President, C. A. Willat, superintendent of the company.

Vice-president, E. Roskam, assistant superintendent.

Secretary and treasurer. D. MacDonald, private secretary.

Assistant secretary, Miss D. B. Pollack.

Floor manager, J. Cohen, superintendent of printing room.

Arrangement committee: Chas. Wallack, superintendent, perforating room; Henry Klotz, shipping clerk; E. Williams, printer; Bert Seibel, printer; J. Gaudio, superintendent, dark room.

Music with be furnished by MacArthur’s band, from the music house of Laemmle. A special feature will be all the latest song hits.

We need not say that the above will be very pleased to welcome every one connected with the industry, and that they desire them all to rally round to make the event a success.

– Moving Picture News 4, no. 5 (4 February 1911): 7.

A little digging revealed that the “Leslie Rooms” were located at 260 W. 83rd Street. And google maps street view reveals that even though the space appears to have been taken over by Harry’s Shoes, and the entrance bricked over a trace of Leslie remains.

Courtesy Google Maps

The following week Moving Picture News continued their IMP publicity campaign, running this photograph of the members of its stock company with their names published underneath.

MOVING PICTURE NEWS 4, no. 6 (11 February 1911): 16

They also provided the following:

First Row — George L. Tucker, David Miles, Mrs. Smith, W. R. Dailey, T. Gaudio.
Second Row — W. E. Shea, Mrs. David Miles, F. MacDonald, H. S. Mack, Mrs. F. MacDonald, W. Harvey.
Third Row — Thomas Ince, Owen Moore, Mary Pickford, King Baggot, Joseph Smiley, Isabel Rae, John Pickford, Lottie Smith.

What I want to know is: does this suggest that the company had not yet moved operations to Cuba in February of 1911? [Thus suggesting that Their First Misunderstanding was NOT filmed in Cuba as I presumed]. Or were there multiple offices? Or was NYC simply the place to have an industry party in 1911?