Motography (Jul-Dec 1917)

October 13, 1917. MOTOGRAPHY 789 BRENON PRODUCING FOR SELF Acquires Entire Control of Corporation Which Bears His Name— Will Produce Hall Caine's "The Woman Thou Gavest Me" Herbert Brenon is now one of the most active forces in the industry. He has become an independent producer' in every sense of the word, acquiring entire control of the corporation which bears his name. He has just produced, "The Fall of the Romanoffs" with remarkable success at the Broadway Theater, and secured Hall Caine's "The Woman Thou Gavest Me" for immediate production. Incidentally, he has found time to undergo an operation for appendicitis at the Postgraduate Hospital, New York. "The Woman Thou Gavest Me," visualized from the famous Hall Caine novel, will be an important link in Herbert Brenon's chain of productions for the year. Mr. Brenon has already contributed "The Lone Wolf" and "The Fall of the Romanoffs" to the screen. He is now completing Rupert Hughes' mystery romance, "Empty Pockets." "The Woman Thou Gavest Me" will immediately follow the Hughes story and will preceed "Kismet," in which Otis Skinner makes his screen debut. "The Fall of the Romanoffs," Herbert Brenon's recently completed history-drama, has had a remarkably successful Broadway premiere. Capacity audiences have greeted the production at each showing since the opening performance. The newspaper comments established a motion picture record in their warmth and approval, placing Mr. Brenon's cross-section of contemporary history on a level with the screen's biggest achievements. A brief summary of the critical comments follows : Tribune: "The Brenon picture was a mighty undertaking, which the director has carried through to a successful completion." World: "Pictorially, it has seldom been surpassed." Morning Telegraph: "One of the most remarkable and noteworthy pictures of the year. Emphatically a stride forward in motion pictures." Times: "The general effect is one of great realism and the film as a whole is grippingly interesting." Sun: "Truth is not often so dramatic as fiction, but in this story of the most remarkable by-product of the war, all the essential historic and histrionic elements were present, awaiting only the skilled hand of a producer like Mr. Brenon to fuse them into the most impressive pictorial form." Herald: "The picture drama, lavishly embellished with Rus sian atmosphere, has an almost startling effect of reality." American: "It abounds in thrills, in spectacular scenes, in gripping situations. More than that, it is a very human story that could be understood by the humblest Russian peasant." livening Sun: "Is likely to have an extended success." Evening World: "Engrossing — a motion picture that deserves popularity." Big European Star in New York Asta Nielsen, noted European screen star, is in New York. She is one of the world's highest salaried screen stars and is as well known in Europe as is Charlie Chaplin here. Some of her films have been shown in this country, through Pathe, and created a sensation. Among these were, "In a Fix" (comedy), "Suffragette" (comedydrama), "A Girl Wtihout a Country," "The Dance to Death," "Gypsy Blood," "The Traitress" and "The Heart of a Pierrot." In these plays Miss Xielsen portrayed characters of widely different emotions and import. Whether as a jolly young student, care-free and happy, or as a suffering woman of the people, she holds us with the vivid reality of each one. She is one of the few actresses on the screen who seem able to show us her inmost thoughts, almost, one might say, the workings of her mind. Miss Nielsen has with her a scenario made from Holger Drachman's "Once Upon a Time," to which play she secured the film right some time ago, and George Brandes, the famous Danish author and philosopher, is now writing a new story for her production in films. .Miss Nielsen has been busy studying the American film art and said that what struck her most forcibly was the excellent photography, the great amount of titles and the extreme length of time consumed in photographing a feature film. While Miss Nielsen has not made any definite plans for the future she has her studio manager, Fred Wingardh, with her, who has taken offices in the Strand Theater building. Asta Nielsen. European sta> York. now in Neu Ore of the many striking scenes from "The Fall of the Romanoffs," much talked of Herbert Brenon play. the "Womanhood" Plays Return Alice Joyce and Harry Morey in "Womanhood,'' played a return two days' engagement at the Strand Theater, Nashville, Tennessee, and enjoyed a good run. At the former presentation the Strand could not accommodate the crowds which came to see this picture, and Manager Bradford found it necessary to play a return date. Prices were set at 25 cents the first time, and 20 cents on the return.