The Moving picture world (January 1920-February 1920)

February 7, 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD 919 Men Patrons Now Outnumber Women, Declares Herman Stern of Pittsburgh "Six Feet Four" Strong in Buffalo. Everybody in Buffalo, N. Y., will see "Six Feet Four," and if they don't it won't be the fault of the exhibitors of that city nor of the "Flying A" salesmen. Manager E. D. Weinberg has contracted for this latest American western for a four-day run at the Strand, beginning January 11, and is expecting turnaway crowds. Following the Strand come the Regent, Elmwood, Plaza, Lincoln, Broadway, Filmore and Columbia. Kathleen Norris Praises Screen Version of Story KATHLEEN NORRIS, one of the best known American writers of novels of international interest, has given the filmed version of her story, "The Luck of Geraldine Laird," produced by B. B. Features with Bessie Earriscale as the star, some of the most flattering praise ever given a star by a writer. Mrs. Norris was one of the most reluctant novelists to get in screen work. Now she is one of the most enthusiastic. In praise of the work which was done by Director Edward Sloman, Miss Barriscale and the large cast which supports her, Mrs. Norris said: "Of all my stories which have been put on the screen, this is the best. There was a time when I have felt that some stories suffered by adaption to the screen. In fact, for a long time I would not give permission for my novels to be picturized. But this picture, based on 'The Luck of Geraldine Laird,' forever converts me. "To see it on the screen with such capable actors as have been chosen for the various parts moved me to cry and to laugh. Deeper emotions filled me than those which are induced by the printed page. If any of my stories of the past did not make such pictures as I had expected, all my regrets are wiped out by the fine artistry which is evident all through "The Luck of Geraldine Laird." Will Soon Start Work on S-L Pictures for Metro ARTHUR SAWYER and Herbert Lubin announce that the first of the five S-L productions with allstar casts to be made during 1920 for distribution through the Metro system of exchanges, will be started within the next two months. The plans of S-L Pictures, Inc., are being completed Tepidly with the object of getting this first picture under way at the Metro studios in Hollywood. Meanwhile the S-L officials have opened negotiations for photoplay material. They state that they have two big Broadway stage successes under consideration. Selection of one or both of these vehicles will be made after Messrs. Sawyer and Lubin have consulted with Richard A. Rowland, president of Metro. They expect to be able to announce the titles of the two plays under consideration in a few days. Only successful stage plays or widely read novels by eminent auththors will be used in making the S-L Specials. This is the policy of Metro with regard to its own "fewer and better" pictures produced by Screen Classics, Inc. A GREAT change has taken place in the matter of attendance at motion picture theatres," notes Herman Stern, manager of the Universal exchange in Pittsburgh, "men now having become the dominating element in the composition of audiences. This was forcibly brought home to me in visiting quite a number of towns recently in the Pittsburgh district. Where formerly there were two women to every man, there now are more masculines than feminines. This condition has undoubtedly been in process of formation for months, but has become more apparent within the past few weeks. "Having noted this condition in every town I visited, the thought came to me that a change in the manner and matter of picture production would necessarily result. In other years the producer and director in making their selection of plays and in their treatment of them had focused in their minds the character of the audience that would view the finished article. This, it was known, was far more of a feminine than masculine persuasion. Those who had 'male' written after birth certificates, being greatly in the minority, were considered a neglible factor. Their tastes will now have to be considered, with their sex a larger box office factor than the opposite one." "It will all react to the betterment of the industry, for it will make for better pictures. These will have to be strongly constructed and contain real stories. The ones of a makeshift nature will largely pass out of existence. As men have become of exceptional importance from a box-office viewpoint, so they ought to be viewed by the producers. Naturally, men are more familiar with many phases of life than are women; accordingly they are the more ready to detect anything which does not ring true. It will, therefore, come to pass that life will be the better and with more fidelity reflected on the screen." Capitol Books Flynn Series. The William J. Flynn series of tworeel motion pictures, from incidents in the career of the detective, will be shown at the Captitol Theatre, New York. This announcement was made from the offices of Republic Distributing Corporation, of which Lewis J. Selznick is ad-, visory director, and which organization is distributing the series of eight pictures. Although the play dates for the Flynn series have not been announced it is thought they will be given an early release in New York. "Pollyanna" Booked by Loew for Three Weeks ADDING to the impetus that "Pollyanna," Mary Pickford's first United ArtistsS release, has received in the Middle West, comes the interesting announcement that the Euclid Theatre, the largest of the Marcus Loew theatres, in Cleveland, has booked the production for a run of three weeks. All through the Middle West "Pollyanna" has been making a tremendous hit. In Chicago, Toledo, Columbus, Omaha and all the other large communities in that section, the critics, exhibitors and fans have been one hundred per cent, for the picture. The Toledo Blade said of the picture that "Schools should be dismissed afternoons this week to permit youngsters to see this play. It'll do them more good than three hours of the three dry R's. 'Pollyanna' is the best 'kid' show yet produced," while the Toledo Times said, "Unquestionably Mary Pickford's best picture. 'Pollyanna' is one of the most delightful pictures we have seen in a long time"; while the Toledo News-Bee said, "Mary Pickford is thoroughly enjoyable in her role of 'Pollyanna.' We know of no one who could portray the part of 'Pollyanna' quite as well as Mary — she is admirably adequate to the part." Rochester Showman Boosts Only Best of First-Runs As a means of raising the general standard of the productions to be included on the program of the Gordon Theatre at Rochester, N. Y., Manager William Shannon has announced that he will no longer be governed absolutely by the "first run" policy which heretofore has been rigidly adhered to at the Gordon. "If the best productions came along regularly, one produced each week and one released each week," says Mr. Shannon in discussing the change in policy, "the best standard could be attained by only using first runs. The truth of the matter is, however, that a bunch of releases, every one of them top-notch, come at the same time, and unless a manager is able to book two or three of them for the same time they are no longer first run when he can arrange to have them on his program. Again a manager is not infallible. He may pass up a first class production, and then when he realizes his error in judgment the first run fetish prevents him from remedying his mistake. "I have been one of the guilty ones," continued Mr. Shannon. "I have put on pictures which I have known to be inferior to others I could have booked merely because the inferior one was a first run. But no more. I am going to run first runs as fast as I can squeeze them in, if they are first class, and I intend to run every first class picture produced, whether it is first, second, third, fourth or sixth run, when I can make room on the program for it." The premiere Constance Talmadge production for the First National Exhibitors Circuit, which has been booked for early in February, will inaugurate the new policy at the Gordon. Lewis Stone Returns to Screen. Lewis Stone, well-known stage and screen star, returns to the silent drama in Marshall Neilan's first independent release, "The River's End," by James Oliver Curwood. Mr. Stone has been appearing on the stage with considerable success and this will mark his first appearance on the screen in many months. In this production, Stone plays a dual role and some big double exposure photography is employed in order to get the correct interpretation.