Moving Picture World (Jun 1919)

1542 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD June 7, 1919 "High Time We Put This Over," Says Louis Bennison in "High Pockets." Not much high-larity in this Betzwood-Goldwyn. It's all serious business. Louis Bennison's Next Film Is "High Pockets" THE newest Goldwyn-Betzwood picture starring Louis Bennison is entitled "High Pockets." It will be released by the Goldwyn Distributing Corporation on July 1. Once more Bennison portrays a cowboy; as usual his vehicle for this presentation is a strong story of the West. Opposite Bennison is a new Betzwood star, Katherine MacDonald, a beauty of the highland type. "High Pockets" follows on "The Road Called Straight," which continues to gather momentum with each showing. As in this picture, the smiling cowboy star gives in "High Pockets" the same vital and sensitive interpretation of the soul of the cowboy — which, as Benison himself says, is the soul of the West. The production is rich in scenic environment and no expense has been spared in the production. Riesenfeld's Theme-Sheet Adds to Power of "Sahara" THE musical genius of Dr. Hugo Riesenfeld, managing director of the Rivoli and Rialto theatres, New York, is still further revealed in the themesheet prepared by him for J. Parker Read, Jr.'s, production, "Sahara," starring Louise Glaum in a C. Gardner Sullivan story personally supervised by Allan Dwan and distributed by W. W. Hodkinson Corporation. For days before a superb mounting of "Sahara" at a special trade showing at the Rialto Theatre, Dr. Riesenfeld worked on the scoring of this production. "Sahara" possesses the color, the warmth, the atmospheric seductiveness to appeal to the creative talents of a musician. Its initial scenes laid in Paris, the story of "Sahara" quickly shifts to mystic Cairo and to the Desert of Sahara, where two men and one woman work out their destiny in a drama of great emotional intensity. Nigel De Brullier Ideally Cast. One of the important roles in "Sahara," J. Parker Read, Jr.'s, drama, starring Louise Glaum, is in the capable hands of Nigel De Brullier, prominent for his many fine screen characterizations. With the face of a dreamer and idealist, De Brullier is admirably fitted for the character of Mustapha, the Hindu philosopher. He shows uncommon skill with several of the dominating scenes with the star. De Brullier also proved a valuable aid to Allan Dwan, who supervised the production of the C. Gardner Sullivan story. Having only recently returned from a tour of the world( De Brullier gave freely of his knowledge of Cairo, Egypt, for many of the important scenes in "Sahara." "Leave It to Susan" Goes Over Big at the Strand THE most successful Madge Kennedy picture that has appeared at the Strand Theatre, New York, since the inception of the Kennedy contract with Goldwyn, is "Leave it to Susan"; that is if the reception of the picture during the early part of this week can be taken as a criterion on the rest of the performances. The Sunday attendance at The Strand was phenomenal, according to box office reports, and the reception of the Goldwyn picture 'was truly remarkable. A dramatic portrayal, a little unusual for a Madge Kennedy part, was not warranted to evoke interjections of applause, although it was expected that the public would like the picture, despite a lack of physical manifestation of enthusiasm. Territory Selling Fast on New Bull's Eye Series MILTON L. COHEN, president of Bull's Eye Film Corporation, announced that territory is selling rapidly on the series of ten Napoleon and Sally onereel comedies featuring these Selig monkeys. Among the exchanges purchasing these rights are the following: Standard Film Service, Cleveland, O. ; Fontenelle Feature Film Company, of Omaha; Liberty Film Renting Company, of Pittsburgh, and Capital Film Service Company, of Washington, D. C. "These little pictures are precisely what I described them to be," said President Cohen. "They are clean, straightforward comedies, in which Napoleon and Sally accomplish almost impossible results in the comedy line. These films have a universal appeal and will make money for the exhibitor." Production Now at Full Speed in Selznick Studios PRODUCTION is now going at full blast in the Selznick studios in New York, to which the company recently moved, and the organization is now in smooth running order with the power to turn out plays in rapid fire order. With Eugene O'Brien already well under way on "The Perfect Lover" in which he will make his first appearance as a star, under the direction of Ralph Ince; Elaine Hammerstein ready to start work on "Love or Fame?", her first Selznick starring vehicle, and Olive Thomas about to begin the production of her next picture, Myron Selznick announces that by the end of the week with the three stars and their companies working, the Selznick studio will certainly be among the busiest in the country. Sets of all sizes and description are already being erected on the floor of the studio and the technical director with a staff of carpenters, property men, painters, decorators and workmen of all kinds are busy on plans for various structures and interiors. A whole foreign street has been built in the studio to satisfy the demand for realism. The script for "Love or Fame?" has been completed and the production of the story will be started at once. It is a story of the footlights. Within a day or two Olive Thomas will also begin work on a new production, the title and subject of which has not yet been announced, but which will be known in a few days. "A Rogue's Romance" Heads Vitagraph's June List VITAGRAPH will inaugurate its schedule of June releases with "A Rogue's Romance," a breezy play of adventure, starring Earle Williams. The play deals with the final law-breaking escapade of Mons. Picard, a character similar to Arsene Lupin. A delightful romance develops when this cultured society thief finds his automoble has gone "dead" on him, and he is in sore need of a speedy vehicle to replace it in order to escape the secret police of Paris, who are at last hot upon his trail. Mr. William's leading woman again is Katherine Adams and notable among his support are Brinsley Shaw, Harry Van Meter, Herbert Standing, Maude George and Karl Formes. "Beauty Proof" is a Curwood Play. James Oliver Curwood will again be represented on the screen in the coming month, when "Beauty Proof," the Vitagraph production with Harry T. Morey, reaches the screen. "Beauty Proof" has been scheduled for release June 23. It is a story of the Canadian Northwest and combines all the virility and inventiveness which one has come to expect of Mr. Curwood. Betty Blythe again supports Mr. Morey in the leading feminine role, with George Majeroni, Robert Gaillardf Denton Vane, Tenny Wright and Bernard Siegel completing the cast. Paul Scardon directed the picture. Lytle Books the Big Ones. W. J. Lytle, manager of San Antonio's big three, the Royal, Empire and Princess theatres, has returned from Dallas to map out strong exploitation campaigns on two big Hodkinson releases, "Thunderbolts of Fate," starring House Peters, and Augustus Thomas' absorbing Four Star drama, "As a Man Thinks," starring Leah Baird. Manager Lytle viewed both productions at the Hodkinson Dallas office and immediately booked them for his Empire and Princess theatres.