Moving Picture World (Jun 1919)

1540 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD June 7, 1919 World Pictures to Release Twelve Judge Brown Stories WORLD PICTURES announces that it will shortly distribute a series of twelve two-reel featurettes based on the most interesting incidents and experiences of Judge Willis Brown, famous throughout the United States as having been the first to establish the juvenile court. During the twenty-five years that Judge Brown has been connected with the moral reclamation of children he has had some wonderful experiences, both of a humorous and a serious character in connection with his juvenile court. To the admirers of Mark Twain, especially those who have enjoyed reading the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, these screen stories of Judge Brown will be particularly inviting. Out in Salt Lake City, where the Judge began his career in helping boys and girls who had been charged with childhood offenses to start out again with a clean slate, he owed his success through the fact that he would speak their language. He met them on their own plane, gained their sympathy and appreciation and was able to satisfy justice and yet make good citizens out of what otherwise might have been human wrecks. From the thousands of young boys and girls who came before the Judge he gleaned stories worthy of perpetuation on the screen. From the best of these stories will be made the series of twelve pictures which "World Film will distribute. "Stitch in Time" Acclaimed Everywhere. A delightful story delightfully interpreted is "A Stitch in Time," the Gladys Leslie feature just issued by Vitagraph, according to the consensus of reviewers. Better still, Vitagraph avers, is the evidence of the box office, reports received at the various Vitagraph branch offices having been invariably of the same tenor. Everywhere the production has been shown satisfaction has been apparent. Phoebe-Ann, the part played by Miss Leslie, is only a scrubgirl, but she exerts a steadying influence on a young man, and presently he is a successful writer. The supporting cast includes Eugene Strong, Agnes Ayres, Julia Swayne Gordon, Earl Schenk, Charles Stevenson, George O'Donnell, Cecil Chichester and Charles Walton. Hall Picture Goes Big in Washington. Frank G. Hall's late release on Independent Sales Corporation's 10-20-30 series, "When My Ship Comes In," a screen version of Gouverneur Morris' novel of the same title, starring Jane Grey, had successful engagements in Washington, D. C, and Baltimore, during the week of May 18. According to reports from the press and the branch managers of Film Clearing House in this territory, the feature played to capacity business at both Crandall's Knickerbocker in Washington and the Princess in Baltimore. Supporting Miss Grey in the principal roles are William J. Kelly and Nigel Barrie. "Temperamental Wife" a First National. The Constance Talmadge Film Corporation is now at work on the first Constance Talmadge picture to be released through the First National Exhibitors' Circuit. "A Temperamental Wife," an interesting and delightful comedy written by John Emerson and Anita Loos, is to be the first picture. The director is Captain David Kirkland, of the 62d Infantry. Wyndham Standing, who is now in Miami playing the leading man for Norma Talmadge's newest picture, "By Right of Conquest," will return from Florida in time to appear as Constance Talmadge's leading man in this Emerson-Loos Production. Hedda Nova Universal's Russian star who appears with this novel headdress in "The Spitfire of Seville." Goldwyn First to Obtain Export License for Mexico THE Goldwyn Pictures Corporation was the first organization to obtain an export license and make a shipment of films to Mexico after the existent Govern•ment regulations were put into effect, according to the announcement of Arthur Ziehm, Goldwyn foreign sales manager. "On account of political conditions," says Mr. Ziehm, "Mexico was entirely cut off from the film market. No American company could contract for showings beyond the border line and fulfill their agreements. Goldwyn was the first company to break down the barriers and obtain an export license. The reception that Mexico has given to these first American films to be shown there since the embargo is more than gratifying to me. "The end of the war marks the first real opportunity that Goldwyn has had to develop the foreign markets, as we came into existence when the strife had already begun. Our determination to cultivate those markets intensively certainly has been encouraged by the results noted in Mexico." Macauley Film Gets First Run in Many Key Cities FIRST run contracts for "Whom the Gods Would Destroy." the Macauley Photoplays production distributed by First National Exhibitors' Circuit, were closed this week for Chicago, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Dallas, New Orleans, Richmond, and other important key cities throughout the country. This novelty attraction will have its premiere in Chicago at the Randolph Theatre, starting there on June 1 for an indefinite run. Its first New York presentation will be at the Strand Theatre for the week beginning June 22. All of the houses controlled by the Saenger interest of New Orleans have booked It for first runs in the cities and towns throughout the South wherein that concern is represented. The story is an adaptation of the novel, "Humanity," by Charles R. Macauley. It required many months to produce, with more than 8,000 people used in the cast for the big spectacle scenes. Selects Two Principals for First Henley Picture HOBART HENLEY, Hobart Henley Productions, Inc., has signed John Cumberland and Corinne Barker, both prominent on stage and screen, for two of the principal roles in the first of the series of Henley productions to be released by Frank Hall, president of Independent Sales Corporation. Mr. Henley announces that he will be prepared to "shoot" the first scenes of his initial production within the next week. In the meantime he is completing the casting of the six principal roles of the play he has chosen, said to be a scenarioized version of the work of one of the most popular writers of human interest stories of the present day. The amusement world and followers of both stage and screen will remember Miss Barker and Mr. Cumberland, the first two principals of the first of the four special productions to be produced by Mr. Henley, for their work in the theatre and on the screen. Mr. Cumberland is one of the leading characters in the Broadway production, "Up in Mabel's Room." Miss Barker has appeared under Mr. Henley's direction in many screen productions and was seen in several Broadway productions. The other members of the cast will be announced next week as well as the title of the story and its theme. Warren Fromme, recently returned with the 27th Division, after eighteen months in France with the Light Artillery, will be his assistant in secretarial matters. Mabel Normand Begins Work on "Upstairs." Goldwyn Pictures Corporation announces that Mabel Normand has begun work on "Upstairs," the story of which originally appeared in magazine form. It was written by Perley Poore Sheehan, and purchase of it by Goldwyn for scenario purposes was announced last week. The picturization is being directed by Victor Schertzinger. "Upstairs" is a production replete with mystery, excitement, and love. It is a tale of New York life intensified by a presentation of its two angles — the life upstairs, the life downstairs — in rapidfire fashion. Miss Normand is a young woman who says "ain't" and "pop," and generally thinks about life from the viewpoint of "downstairs." The streets of New York are interpreted in all their vivid hurry and clamor. Will Rogers Longing for the West. Will Rogers is counting the days till the time when he will start West for Culver City to begin his summer season of screen work for Goldwyn. Rogers is still performing on the roof of the New Amsterdam Theatre, in Ziegfeld's Follies, The work that Rogers will do in the pictures will be consistent with the reputation that he has made on the legitimate stage. Will Rogers in action will be shown in picture form, which can easily be done, and Will Rogers in banter and quip will be shown in the titles, which Will's ready wit and inventive genius have brought about. "Too Many Crooks" Ready for the Screen. Ralph Ince has just completed "Too Many Crooks," a picturization of a popular magazine story by E. J. Rath, In which Gladys Leslie will be seen in a characterization entirely new to her screen admirers. Miss Leslie will take the role of "Boston Fanny," a "baby vamp," who is in with a gang of crooks and performs the feminine functions that go with misleading gullible men. This role represents a startling departure on the part of Miss Leslie from the type of characters for which she is so well known, those of an ingenue-comedienne persuasion. Others in the cast include Huntly Gordon, Andrew Randolf and James Dent.