Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1916)

March 11, 1916. M O T I O iM P I C T U R E N E W S 1431 ILLUSTRATING "ALL BOWLED UP" AND ' PERSISTENT PERCIVAL," TWO VOGUE -MUTUAL COMEDIES POPULAR PICTURES ABSORBS SUN PHOTOPLAY The Popular Pictures Gorporation, in which Andrew J. Cobe is interested, has taken over the Sun Photoplay Company, Inc., and established headquarters at 218 West Forty-second street, New York. The merger of the companies was completed last Tuesday. A. C. Langan, former president and general manager of the Sun Photoplay Company will fill an executive official position and also act as a director of the Popular forces. Exactly what the scope and future activities of the newly merged companies will be has not yet been announced. A directors' meeting will be held shortly at which the future policy of the corporation will be outlined and made public. Mr. Cobe is widely known throughout the country as an active factor in the motion picture field. Best Theatres Book 7 E. and R. Animal One Reelers Policy of Clean, Rapid Action Comedies, Featuring Highly Trained Beasts, Meets with Quick Response from Exhibitors on Lookout for Novel Plots for "Family Programs" plots of the pictures combined with the BEAUMONT, ESSANAY, A FIGHT FAN Harry Beaumont, who takes one of the leading parts in "The Discard," latest Essanay multiple reel feature, is a fight fan. He is now writing a two-reel comedy drama, built on the humorous efforts of two near-champions to reach the top. Beaumont will play the lead himself. ALTHOUGH no general announcement has yet been made concerning the productions of the E. and R. Jungle Film Company, the members of this Los Angeles studio have been busily at work for the past few months. Its output is one-reel comedies featuring the two cleverest chimpanzees in existence, Napoleon the Great and Sally His Mate. To date seven comedies have been released, six of them starring Napoleon and Sally, the other exhibiting about every remaining inmate of the E. and R. Jungle. "From Jungle to Trouble," "LTncle's Little Ones," "A Jungle Cure," "What D'ye Think of That?," "Pa's Family Tree," "The Adventures of Sally" and "The Jungle Kid" have already found their way to the screens of the progressive theatres throughout the country. Representatives of Marcus Loew, Wiliam Fox, B. S. Moss, B. F. Keith and F. F. Proctor, after seeing the first few of the subjects immediately signed up for the entire output of the company, which totals one a week. The novelty, cleanliness and laughable Peacocke with California to Adapt "Kismet" Man Who Has 400 Produced Photoplays to His Credit Will Scenarioize "Arabian Nights' Tale for Ten Reel Exploitation of Otis Skinner, LTnder Beyfuss Management THE California Motion Picture Corporation has engaged the exclusive serv ices of Captain Leslie T. Peacocke, an experienced and successful scenario writer. He will make the adaptation of "Kismet," which the California will produce in ten reels with Otis Skinner in the stellar role. Alex E. Beyfuss, vice-president and general manager of the corporation, arrived in New York Monday morning at ten o'clock. At noon he had signed a contract with Capt. Peacocke and the next day the latter was on his way to the California studios in San Rafael. Capt. Peacocke has written more than four hundred produced photoplays, most of them original stories. Among the best known are : "Neptune's Daughter," "Married by Telephone," "The Closed Door," "The Nautch Girl and the Tiger," and "A Girl and Her Money." His adaptations number several of the country's greatest dramatic successes. "The Unwritten Law," a picturization of the Edwin Milton Royle play, was adapted for the screen by Capt. Peacocke. This latest California production features Beatriz Michelena. Capt. Peacocke, who was educated at Eton, England, was an officer in the British army before beginning his literary career. He is the author of more than two hundred short stories and several novels. HAHN IN SUPPORT OF MME. PETROVA Philip Hahn, a new Metro player, appearing in support of Mme. Petrova in "Playing With Fire," played a prominent role in the Passion Play, at Oberammergau. He played the role of the Christ in the Famous Plavers production of the Passion Plav. funny appearance of the chimpanzees were important factors in the immediate success of the pictures. The policy of the E. and R. Jungle Film Company now firmly established through the medium of its first releases, is to produce nothing but clean cut, rapid action comedies. Slapstick in its customary meaning plays no part in the pictures. Clever stories that give the chimpanzees real parts which they justly deserve are being written by authors of proven ability. Napoleon and Sally do more than merely walk through the scenes of their pictures. Each member of the pair was recruited from the vaudeville stage and they have brought to the screen any number of stage tricks which serve them well before the camera. They are not shy at all, and they go about their work vvith obvious understanding, entering into the spirit of the picture with appreciative intelligence. Messrs. Edwards and Rounan, respectively the E. and R. of the Company, have secured the services of Louis W. Chaudet as director of the comedies. Mr. Chaudet has had a long experience in the direction of animal pictures and knows his business thoroughly. He was formerly employed by Selig and while with that company produced the first motion picture serial, "The Adventures of Kathlyn," which relied largely on the introduction of wild animals for much of its interest Mr Chaudet's experience with Selig fits him specially for the position he now holds and he was selected by Messrs. Edwards and Rounan because of this wide experience in the handling of animals. The productions of the E. and R. Jungle Film Company are absolutely independent. Though it has received offers from various program and feature houses for the sole rights of the pictures, the heads of the company have adopted the state rights method of marketing the subjects. This course has been pursued with great success.