The Moving Picture Weekly (1919-1922)

36 The Moving Picture Weekly May 27, 1922 Carl Laemmle Announces Fall Jewels (Continued from Page 25) it is still going strong in libraries of almost every civilized country. Priscilla Dean picked the story herself, as it was one of the first stories which appealed to her as an actress. Hobart Henley, who has produced some of the most successful big pictures for other companies, was given his first opportunity as a Jewel director. His tremendous success with "The Flame of Life" was very gratifying to Mr. Laemmle. The cast includes Wallace Beery, Robert Ellis, Frankie Lee, Beatrice Burnham, Emmett King and Katherine McGuire. BOOTH TARKINGTON'S novel, "The Flirt," has been under production for some time at Universal City, under the direction of Hobart Henley. The cast includes Helen Jerome Eddy, Eileen Percy, Edward Hearn, Lydia Knott, Buddie Messenger, Lloyd Whitlock and others. The first von Stroheim production has not as yet been titled, although it is in production at Universal City. Von Stroheim wrote the story and the continuity itself; the sets call for almost all of the public buildings of the City of Vienna; and a number of famous personages will be represented as characters in the story. However, the director of "Foolish Wives" is very secretive about the story and about the title until such time as it can be copyrighted in Washington. He was so disgusted with the many imitations, variations and near-approaches to the "Foolish Wives" title and with pictures which rode to some measure of success merely on the strength of their similarity of title, that he has decided to give out nothing vital about his new picture until all danger of this species of piracy is over. The cast, however, will include Stroheim himself, Mary Philbin, Cesare Gravina, Maude George, Dale Fuller and Al Edmundson. Of the other two Jewel pictures for Priscilla Dean, one has been chosen, and the Scenario Department is still wrestling with the problem of supplying another one. The one chosen is William Hurlbut's Broadway play, "Trimmed in Scarlet," in which Maxine Elliott starred. Von Stroheim will make another production during the year, and the final Jewel will be Fannie Hurst's novel, "Oats for the Woman." More About the Four Prize Winners (Concluded .from Page 33) asked Schade, with a grin, "there's been a rise in the demand for Caruso records since 'Robinson Crusoe' came to town ? " EF. DESCUTNER, manager of the theatre in Avalon, Pa., * which was practically a secondrun house on "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe," did excellently despite the fact that his opposition had started to show the Universal chapter-play on the Friday prior to his own opening. Mr. Descutner, on his opening day, had a man dressed as Crusoe distribute specially worded rulers to the school children during their lunch hour. Puzzles were presented to the children on entering the theatre, and as an extra inducement, a free ticket was given for the next episode to every thirteenth child entering the theatre. Four hundred children saw the first episode in Mr. Descutner's house, which seats only 248, an evidence of the effectiveness of this enterprising showman's campaign, awarded honorable mention. OH. BROWN, manager of the Palace Theatre, Waupaca, * Wis., awarded honorable mention this week, mailed blank forms to twenty-eight rural schools adjacent to his town, and also gave out a liberal supply to local school principals. Teachers were invited to attend. These printed forms had blank spaces for the names, grades, schools, addresses and ages of the children with the question "Have you read the story of 'Robinson Crusoe'?" Mr. Brown was surprised at the great number of children who had read the DeFoe classic, and obtained a complete mailing list from the returned blanks, which when filled out by the pupils and endorsed by the teachers admitted the pupils of the primary and grammar grades to the opening chapter of the photoplay. Well-made 6-inch rulers were presented to the first 500 children entering the theatre. A full house resulted from this exhibitor's excellent campaign and the co-operation of one school was obtained to such an extent that the teachers of that institution invited all the pupils to come and see KNICKERBOCKER COUPON BOOK Contains Ten 10c Tickets Price $1.00 Date Issued Name Address Boy or Girl This Coupon Must Be Returned by Front and Back of Harmon's Book the chapter-play the following Saturday. HK. MEADE, manager of the Strand Theatre, Bradford, Pa., was awarded honorable mention this week on a simple variation of an old stunt. He obtained enough furs to doll up his ballyhoo as Robinson Crusoe and had him work the entire town. On the upper side of Crusoe's goatskin umbrella ran this caption: "'Robinson Crusoe' Starts To-day at the Strand Theatre." Although the Strand Theatre, seating 300, is the smallest in Bradford, Mr. Brown created a great deal of interest in the Universal chapter-play and played to a substantial increase in business. An artistic lobby and front proved instrumental in attracting many patrons to the showing of "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe." THE first five weeks of Universal's $7,000 Robinson Crusoe Exploitation Contest has ended. There are still weeks and months to go, $5,650 to be divided among showmen whose ingenuity and originality is sufficient to evolve effective and novel exploitation stunts and campaigns to put over this remarkable sure-fire box-office attraction. All that is required is for the exhibitor to register his name and theatre address with the Serial Contest Manager, 1600 Broadway, New York City, immediately. Then, when he has staged his stunts, send photos of them and himself, with a description of the former, to the above address. Get busv, now —TODAY! Cuddle Up to Universal!