Exhibitors Herald (Mar-Apr 1924)

March 29, 1924 EXHIBITORS HERALD 57 Fox LEW SEILER has started work at the William Fox West Coast studios, on a new comedy, as yet without a title, starring the Chimpanzee trio, Max, Moritz and Pep. These three stars are working amiably enough together because they have appeared in a score of pictures and are the best of friends. "The Cowboys" and "On the Job" were the last two Imperial Comedies featuring these animal actors. + + + PRODUCTION has been started at the William Fox West Coast studios on "The Mark of Cain," the latest vehicle for John Gilbert. Howard Mitchell is directing the picture from the story by Fred Jackson and the scenario by Charles Kenyon. Evelyn Brent who played in the Fox picture, "The Shadow of the East," will be seen as Gilbert's new leading lady. The others in the cast are: John Miljan, Edward Tilton, Frank Beal, Harry Todd and Florence Wix. Hodkinson THE FINAL scenes of "Miami" the Alan Crosland Production starring Betty Compson for release through the Hodkinson Corporation will be made this week according to reports from the company now in Florida and the entire unit will return to New York where after a conference Miss Compson will leave Los Angeles to appear in the James Cruze picture before making her next production for the Hodkinson Corporation. + + + F. C. MUNROE president and Harry A. Richards secretary of the Hodkinson Corporation have left Los Angeles on their return to New York after several weeks in the West Coast producing center negotiating with independent producers for the distribution of first run pictures. + + + THE CAST supporting Dorothy MacKaill, as the star of the first Frank E. Woods production for the W. W. Hodkinson Corporation has been enlarged by the addition of Joan Standing, Tom O'Brien and Danny Hoy. It is interesting to note that O'Brien was Assistant Director with the Fine Arts Productions nearly ten years ago when Frank E. Woods was in charge of the making of these pictures for the Triangle Program. Vitagraph CARMELITA GERAGHTY, daughter of Tom Geraghty, production editor and scenario writer, makes her debut in comedy in "Trouble Brewing," the latest Larry Semon release through Vitagraph. Miss Geraghty is said to be one of the prettiest of the younger recruits to the screen. + + + /. STUART BLACKTON is said to have _ invented a new technical arrangement of lights by which he has procured effects in photography which never before have been shown on the screen. The experiments iverc conducted upon his arrival in Los Angeles and used for the first time in the studio set of "Between Friends," where a model poses for a statue. Lou Tellegen plays the sculptor and Alice Calhoun has the role of the model. Anna Q. Nilsson, Stuart Holmes and Norman Kerry share honors in the cast. + + + DAVID SMITH, who has just finished "Borrowed Husbands." is taking a short vacation in southern California before beginning work on his coming picture. Mr. Smith made seven pictures in ten months, all of which were given Broadway premieres. They were "The Man From Brodncy's," "My Man." "Pioneer Trails" "The Midnight Alarm," "Masters of Men," "The Ninety and Nine" and the one he has just completed. Paramount WARDEN LEWIS E. LAWES, of Sing Sing, who probably knows as many confidence men as any other person in the United States, visited Thomas Meighan at the Paramount Long Island studio and gave him some pointers on the making of "The Confidence Man," his latest picture. In the story Meighan plays the role of one of the smoothest confidence men in the game. + + + ELSIE KIRBY, who plays the role of the Duchess de Luynes in "Monsieur Beaucaire," the Sidney Olcott production for Paramount which stars Rodolph Valentino, also played the same part on the stage years ago with James K. Hackett when Hackett was touring the country playing "Beaucaire." + + + GEORGE NASH, known for his characterization of Charlie Yong in the stage play, "East is West," has an important role in "The Confidence Man," Thomas Meighan's forthcoming Paramount picture. Mr. Nash had been touring the country with his wife in a vaudeville sketch. Preferred B. P. SCHULBERG, President of Preferred Pictures Corporation, has concluded his stay in New York and is now en route to Los Angeles, where work on his next production, "The Breath of Scandal," ztnll start immediately. Gasnier who is to direct the production is now busy with the preliminary casting and it is expected that shortly after Mr. Schulberg's arrival in the west, announcement of the complete list of players will be made. * + + /. G. BACHMANN, treasurer of Preferred Pictures Corporation, announced today the sale of the Preferred franchise in the Washington, D. C, territory to the Trio Productions, Inc., of which Ben Amsterdam is president. Christie THE LATEST director engaged by the Christie organization is Gil Pratt. Mr. Pratt will be at once assigned to the direction of the next Bobby Vernon comedy which goes into work this week. The story is now being written by Pratt, in collaboration with Frank R. Conklin, Walter Graham and Keene Thompson. + + + NATALIE JOYCE, recently added as a leading lady, plays her first lead with Neal Burns in the new comedy. Others in the cast include Jay Belasco, Lila Leslie, Ward Caulficld, George French, Budd Fine, Bob North and George Burton. GrandAsher "TART. AN and the Golden Lion," one of the latest of Edgar Rice Burroughs' series of Tarzan stories, will be filmed at tlte Grand Studio for Grand-Asher, it was announced today by General Manager Samuel Bischoff , following a conference with Samuel V. Grand, President, who arrived this week from Boston, in which the future activities of the organisation were gone into thoroughly. + + + R. WILLIAM NEILL, who has just completed shooting "Rose of the Ghetto" will, as previously announced, make four more Grand -Asher features, including "The First Violin," "The Furnace of Life," "Back of the Beyond" and "The Way of All Flesh." Principal WILLIAM A. SEITER has given the initial order to "shoot" on Baby Peggy's second production, "Helen's Babies." The cast that will be seen in the starlet's support includes Gene Carpenter, Clara Bow, Edward Everett Horton, Claire Adams, Richard Tucker, George Reed, and Mattie Peters. The picture is being made at Principal Pictures Studios and is the second of the series that Baby Peggy is signed for by that organization. Nate Watt is assisting Seiter in the direction and Glen MacWilliams is in charge of camera work Hope Loring and Louis Leighton have credit for the adaptation of the story and Louis Milestone has been engaged as film editor for the production. Independents LOU MARANGELLA, erstwhile press agent and Wampas member, has cast his lot with the grease paint artists of the screen. "Lou" as he is more familiarly known, has played his first bit in the Ruth Roland feature, "Dollar Down", being produced at the F. B. O. studios by Co-Artists Productions under the direction of Tod Browning. + + + JOHN L. RUSSELL, president of Lowell Film Productions, Inc., announces that he has closed a contract with David P. Howells, Inc., the terms of which give the latter organization the sole distribution rights to the Lowell picture "Floodgates" for all territories outside of the United States and Canada. + + + TOM TERRISS, while making "The "Bandolero" in Cuba, has been able to enlist the services of Captain Nunguesser, French ace, who has been making several flying trips around Cuba. Watch for the title of EMORY JOHNSON'S Coming Big New Box Office Attraction To be distributed by FILM BOOKING OFFICES