Motion Picture News (Jul-Oct 1915)

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56 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 12. No. 4. CABARET LIFE BROUGHT TO SING SING BY "MIDNIGHT AT MAXIM'S" The fame of Kalem's big four-reel cabaret picture, "Midnight at Maxim's," has penetrated to the far corners of the earth — even to George W. Thompson, chairman of the entertainment committee, Sing Sing prison, and it is learned that this spectacular four-reel feature will be run at Sing Sing prison for the entertainment of the prisoners. Thus does Warden Osborne recognize the necessity of motion pictures to further his uplift movement at the great New York State prison. Metro Releases for Midsummer Are Announced "The Second in Command," Featuring Francis Bushman and Marguerite Snow in Their First Picture on This Program, Dorothy Donnelly Subject Is Premier De Luxe Brand RETAILS of the Metro Pictures Cormidsummer output are poration s now at hand. So far July has brought forward Emmet Corrigan in "Greater Love Hath No Man," Edward Connelly in "Marse Covington," William Faversham in "The Right of Way,'' and the coming release for next Monday, July 26, will have Francis X. Bushman and Marguerite Snow in "The Second in Command." "Only 4-Reel Pictures Can Be Free from Art Flaws" Albert Warner, President of Standard Photoplay Distributors, Inc., Sees in This Len; the Ideal Feature, Making a Strong Appeal by Its Lack of "Padding" th PRESIDENT Albert Warner, of the Standard Photoplay Distributors, Inc., is a strong advocate of the four-reel picture as opposed to the photodrama of fivereel length. As one of the first practical film men to foresee and profit by the handling or multiple reel subjects through exchanges devoted exclusively to them, Mr. Warner's judgment on the subject to which he has given so much careful thought and study is receiving careful consideration by the Standard Program Producers, who are under contract to supply feature subjects to the distributing company in addition to the regular weekly releases. "Having fought so hard for the feature picture in the days when it took a good strong argument to make film men see its wonderful possibilities, I have naturally watched its development with keen interest, not only from the manufacturer's and the exchangeman's standpoint, but from the more essential viewpoint of the theatre manager and his patrons," said Mr. Warner at a recent meeting of the Standard Program interests. "At one time I was strongly in favor of the three-reel picture. I now see that it was because the subjects were either not big enough to call for greater length, or were not handled on a more extensive scale. For this reason — the bigness of many of the subjects and their elaborate staging — I concede one more reel. But it seems safe to assert that, with very few exceptions, four reels are ample for the artistic presentation of a feature. A very large percentage of the five-part productions now on the market would have been improved, had they been planned by the scenario author and the director for four reel subjects and confined to that length. "However, the exceptions must not be overlooked. There are subjects so large from the standpoint of dramatic interest and entertainment value that six, eight, ten and even twelve or more reels are necessary for their perfect picture interpretation. "This, of course, brings us to the all important point of the capable judgment of the producer — that faculty which is the determining factor in the success or failure of those who undertake the measurement of dramatic values with the great theatregoing public as their judge and jury. "But why. when the motion picture pro ducer makes his mistake in judgment, does he make it — nine times out of ten — on the long side of the film? Granted that, during the excitement of the staging of a worthy picture and the attendant enthusiasm, the temptation is generally to enlarge, but knowing this, why is the check rein not more carefully adjusted? "With these things in mind and with the interests of the theatre owner and the audience to which he caters, always before me, I am a firm believer in the four-reel limit for the average big feature. It will mean the correction of many of the weaknesses of feature productions as well as a more evenly balanced program." STARTS LIFE AS A "HOUSEHOLD DIRECTOR" Victor L. Abbey. Washington exchange manager of the North American Film Corporation, is receiving the congratulations from his numerous colleagues that he is the father of an eight-and-a-half pound boy, who made his appearance with joy like "The Diamond from the Sky at Noon on July ". 1 1 : : 1 1 1 1 : r 1 1 1 ! : 1 1 1 ; 1 1 1 : : I ! 1 1 ^ ! I ! : ■ 1 1 : 1 1 : : : i : ■ i i : l ■ ! i : i . 1 1 ; ; ! I : i . i 1 1 j , i ; . • i i 1 1 ; 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 . ; 1 1 1 : 1 1 1 ; r 1 1 ! i : i : i : 1 1 li This last Metro release will inaugurate the first appearance of Mr. Bushman and Miss Snow on the Metro program. It will also inaugurate the first production from the Quality Pictures Corporation, which company will enter largely into Metro's affairs in the future. Another new feature production that will come on August 2, will be Dorothy Donnelly in "Sealed Valley." This is the first picture coming from the Metro Corporation's own studio. It will be released as a Metro De Luxe feature, and all future productions will be so styled that will be made by this corporation. Popular plays and players have already had five productions on the Metro program. Their sixth venture will be Madame Petrova in "The Vampire" which will be released on August 9. Following "The Vampire" will come Ann Murdock in "A Royal Family" from the Dyreda studio. Miss Murdock, who has been and will continue to be a Charles Frohman star, will make her initial appearance as a screen celebrity under Metro auspices in this photoplay on August 16. Emmy Wehlen, the charming Viennese actress, who has starred in New York and elsewhere, is another of the younger actresses of international renown to appear for Metro. Her debut will be made under the Rolfe company's direction in "When a Woman Loves," an original play by Charles Horan. Gail Kane, a newcomer into the Metro fold, will appear on August 30 in "Her Great Match," another of Clyde Fitch's successes. Metro announces that beginning September 6, Emily Stevens will make her reentrance on the Metro Program in "Destiny," an allegorical study by Anthony P. Kelley. Succeeding releases are announced in Henry Kolker in "The Bridge," an all-star cast embracing Hamilton Revolle, Lois Meredith and Henry Bergman in "An Enemy to Society," Francis X.. Bushman in "The Silent Voice" and Edmund Breese in "The Song of a Wage Slave." Metro is certainly finding much to do but it has in store still more important announcements which will come before the passing of many weeks. | DOROTHY GISH IN THE KNIFE-THROW1 ING SCENE FROM "VICTORINE" (Relif§ liance-Majestic) GOLD-HAIRED GIRL FOR "GOLDEN TRAIL" Margaret Gibson is getting more popular every day, now that she is appearing in the Kay-Bee, Broncho ond Domino productions for the New York Motion Picture Corporation. Her type of beauty is such that she is excellent for certain parts. That is why she was cast to play the part of Mary, a miner's daughter, in support of Richard Stanton in "The Golden Trail," a Broncho of August 4. The script ordered a girl with "true golden hair." There are quite a few blondes at Inceville, but Miss Gibson was selected for the part because she had "golden hair" for "The Golden Trail."