The Moving picture world (January 1920-February 1920)

February 7, 1920 THE MOVING PICTURE WORLD Griffith Pays Brady $175,000 for Picture Rights to "Way Down East 935 Pathe serial "The Mad Talon," which is being produced under the supervision of Mr. Seitz at the studio of George B. Seitz, Inc., 134th street and Park avenue, New York. ALBERT L. GREY, general manager for D. W. Griffith, announces the purchase by Mr. Griffith from William A Brady of the motion picture rights to "Way Down East" for the sum of $175,000. This world-famous pastoral play has been for the past twenty-two years one of the classics of the American stage. Originally produced in 1896 under the title of "Annie Laurie," it was a dismal failure and lost an average of $1,000 a week for seven weeks in the very territory (New England) whose life it sought to interpret. Both William A. Brady and Joseph R. Grismer had supreme faith in it, however, and it was revised and elaborated by Mr. Grisrner and again presented under the new title of "Way Down East" at the Schiller Theatre, Chicago (now the Garrick) and became the reigning success of the season there, playing to capacity audiences for months. Has Original Prompt Book. "Way Down East" was first presented in New York at the old Manhattan Theatre, Sixth avenue and Thirty-third street, in February, 1898, with a cast that included Burr Mcintosh, John Bunny, Phoebe Davies, Howard Kyle, Louise Galloway, George Backus, Felix Haney, Frank Lander, Ella Hugh Wood and others whose names became associated with its success for a period of fifteen years. It remained at the Manhattan Theatre for seven months, a run then considered phenomenal. In its career, "Way Down East" has made more than $1,000,000 net profit and has been shown in nearly every village and hamlet in the United States. In bringing this bucolic classic to the screen, D. W. Griffith will follow closely the original story by Lottie Bair Parker and will use the original prompt book owned by Joseph R. Grismer. Work on the production will be started immediately at the new Griffith studios at Mamaroneck, N. Y. "Child for Sale" Has Strong Cast. Headed by Gladys Leslie and Creighton Hale, and with a supporting cast including Julia Swayne Gordon, Bobby Connelly, Anna Lehr, William Davidson, William Tooker and William Bechtel, the new Abramson-Graphic photodrama, "A Child for Sale," is making headway under the guiding hand of Director Ivan Abramson. Work commenced January IS, and according to Mr. Abramson the picture will be ready for the state righters between February IS and March 1. tion of the American play, "Shore Acres," by James A. Herne. Elevation of Miss Lake to equal rank with the other stars appearing in Screen Classics, Inc., productions was brought about because of this young actress' merit. It follows within a few weeks the closing of a five years' contract between Miss Lake and Metro. Although Alice Lake has been advancing steadily in the finish of her art and in her popularity, it was not until "Lombard!, Ltd.," in which she played the part of Norah, the assistant to Tito Lombardi, the stellar role enacted by Bert Lytell, in the Hattons' comedy that she commanded recognition. Editing Leroy Scott's "Partners of the Night" FOR the last ten days Eugene Mullin, of the Goldwyn scenario staff, and Leroy Scott, the author of "Partners of the Night," have been at work editing the first eastern production for Eminent Authors. Rex Beach, as well as Mr. Scardon and Mr. Mullin, have helped on the subtitles. "Partners of the Night" is the unusual detective story of New York life for which Charles D. Whittaker prepared the continuity. Leroy Scott is now working on his second picture for Eminent Authors. He has just finished a play, which has been accepted for production this spring on the speaking stage. His contract for Cosmopolitan Magazine calls for one short story each month, and he is writing a serial novel for Hearst's Magazine, which will be available on publication for another screen success to follow "Partners of the Night." Select Next Alice Joyce Picture. "Dollars and the Woman" has been selected by Albert E. Smith, president of Vitagraph, as Alice Joyce's next Vitagraph special production following "The Sporting Duchess," recently completed and now awaiting release. It ii an adaptation from the original story by Albert Payson Terhune, vfith scenario by Lucien Hubbard. George Terwilliger, who directed Miss Joyce in "Slaves of Pride" and "The Sporting Duchess," will also direct her new feature. Metro Makes Alice Lake Star in Her Own Right ALICE LAKE is now a Metro star in her own right. The New York offices of Metro issued an announcement to that effect immediately after the receipt of a telegram from the studios in Hollywood, where Richard A. Rowland, president of Metro, arrived recently in company with Marcus Loew. This young screen celebrity will have .as her first starring vehicle a picturiza Paul Brunei Honored. Paul Brunet, vice president and general manager of Pathe Exchange, Inc., has just received another honor in being elected for a two year term as a member of the Directorate of the Franco-American Board of Commerce and Industry. This organization is comprised of the most prominent men of the United States engaged in promoting the best business relations between this country and the sister republic. "Getting His Goat" New Rolin Comedy. "Getting His Goat" was selected as an appropriate title for the new Rolin Comedy, which Pathe will release February 8, inasmuch as the "pint sized" comedian "Snub" Pollard, who is starred, is the possessor of the goat which someone "gets." Mildred Davis, Eddie Boland and "Sunshine Sammy," the diminutive Nubian, are also featured in the large cast. Dunham on Incc Press Staff. John S. Dunham, well known publicist and feature writer, is the latest addition to the publicity force of the Thomas H. Ince Studios in Culver City, Cal. Formerly in charge of publicity for one of the leading producing organizations, and a special writer of wide acquaintance, Mr. Dunham is well equipped to assist in the broad co-operative service now being rendered the newspapers and magazines of the country. Dorothy Davenport Returns to Screen. After some three years or more absence from the screen, Dorothy Davenport returns via Paramount Artcraft, as Leila Mortimer in "The Fighting Chance," directed by Charles Maigne and scenarized from Robert W. Chambers notable novel by Will M. Ritchey. Conrad Nagle plays the leading role and Anna Q. Nilsson is the heroine. Steinberg with Selznick in Chicago. The Chicago branch office of Selznick Enterprises announces the acquisition of H. Steinberg, former advertising manager of the National Poster and Printing Company, as the new Selznick publicity and exploitation man in that territory. He succeeds Paul Smith who left recently to establish his own publicity bureau. Millhauser Directing Juanita Hansen. Bertram Millhauser, for several years scenario writer for Astra and George B. Seitz, during which time he collaborated on all of Pearl White's Pathe serials, has abandoned the typewriter in favor of the directorial megaphone. His first venture along this line is the direction of Juanita Hansen's first "The Hawgs Is In the Cucumbers!" Sings Loui.se Fazenda in her newest Paramount-Sennett, "Down on the Farm."