The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

42 MOVING PICTURE WORLD November 7, 1925 M:<iiiiiii!;iiii iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiK lillilliillliiiliiiiilliliiliillllililllllliiliiiliiiiiilliiiliilliiiiilllllilliiiilililiiiliiililillllliw Big Circuits Booking "The Man on the Box" FOLLOWING the extraordinary success of "The Man on the Box," a Warner | Bros, production starring Syd Chaplin, at several first run theatres, Sam E. s g Harris, general manager of distribution for Warner Bros., announces big 1 i bookings all over the country for the Chaplin comedy which recently had a two j I weeks* run at the Warner Theatre in New York to packed houses. I Reports from the Forum Theatre, Los Angeles, show that it broke all records s I since that theatre opened and the management was compelled to change its policy i I and hold it over a second week. g I It is now playing at the California in San Francisco, the Blue Mouse in Seattle, 1 I and has been booked over the Crandall circuit. Mr. Crandall booked the picture 1 1 for his Metropolitan in Washington without even seeing it, being satisfied with f I ' the box office reports from other cities. 1 I The Stanley Circuit has also bokoed "The Man on the Box" for its circuit and 1 I some hundred or more big houses in other territories will play it during the next I I few weeks. Every indication points to the Chaplin comedy being one of the big 1 I gest box office successes of the year. % F'UIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM Frank Borzage Starts Filming First Year," His Third for Fox WITH his two completed productions for Fox Films, "Lazybones" and "Wages For Wives" worth sitting up nights to talk about in the opinion of all who have viewed them, Frank Borzage, the Millarde of West Coast directors, has started filming Frank Craven's greatest comedy triumph "The First Year." Frances Marion made the adaptation of this comic tragedy of married life which is the sixth of the John Golden Unit of Clean American Productions which Fox is bringing to the screen during the current season. A genuine all-star cast of real box office power has been secured for the leading roles in the picturization. Heading it are Matt Moore, secured from Warner Bros, because of his peculiar fitness for the hole of Tom Tucker, and Kathryn Perry, who because of her delightful interpretation of the young wife in the Fox "Married Life of Helen and Warren," two-reelers, has made casting directors come to regard her as the typical young American wife. Kathryn is the apple of Tom's eye as the dear Grace Livingston. Next comes J. Farrell MacDonald, or "Cosey" as he is now known as the result of his celebrated interpretation of the Irish foreman in "The Iron Horse." J. Farrell is the high-sounding Dr. Myron Anderson, Grace's bachelor uncle, who is the guide, philosopher and friend of the young couple. J. Farrell, under Bo'rzage's direction, is sonie Rolland Flander Signed Rolland Flander has been signed for an important role in the serial, "Enemies of Uncle Sam," now being produced by Schuyler Grey for release through Pathc. This tenepisode serial is being directed by William Nigh, assisted by William Presley Burke. Featured in the serial are Helen Ferguson and George O'Hara. Mr. Flander has the role of "Jack Denton," a "buddy" of Lieut. Stratford (Mr. O'Hara). The company has returned from New London, Conn., where exteriors were "shot," and the unit is now working on the picture at O. O. Lee Studios, No. 91 Mill Street, Astoria, Long Island. thing for the most hardboiled movie fan to look forward to. For the role of the flippant, cocksure Dick Loring, Fox has secured John Patrick, Hollywood's leading young character actor. "Pa" and "Ma" Livingston will be enacted by Frank Cooky and Emily Fitzroy. For the part of that disturber of male hearts and domestic transquillity, Mrs. Barstow, the Fox casting director selected Margaret Livingston, Fox stock company featured player, who as a screen "vamp" is trailer to n6ne. Carolynne Snowden is cast as the faithful but dumb Hattie, whose boners cause the young couple no end of embarrassment. The remainder of the cast will be announced later. "Brown of Harvard" Irving G. Thalberg, associate executive for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, announces that Jack Conway is to direct "Brown of Harvard," by Rida Johnson Yonng, for the Culver City studios. The film will be made at Harvard University. Conway recently completed Elinor Glyn's "The Only Thing," for M-G-M. Rogers Closes Contract Gotham Pictures to Be Distributed in the South by Eltabran Film Co. As a result of the recent trip South of Budd Rogers, vice-president of Lumas Film Corp., announcement is made from the New York home office of Lumas Film Corp., that the current program of twelve Gotham productions will be distributed in North and South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida by the Eltrabran Film Co., of Atlanta, Ga. The contract was closed between Rogers for the Lumas Film Corporation and Thomas H. Branon of the Eltabran Film Company, and covers the following productions : "The Overland Limited," "The Police Patrol," ".\ Little Girl in the Big City," "His Master's Voice," "Tjie Part Time Wife," "One of the Bravest," "The Shadow on the Wall," "The Phantom of the Forest," "Hearts and Spangles," "Racing Blood." "The Speed Limit" and "The Sign of the Claw." Out of the series of twelve productions eight are already completed and will be available for exhibitors in the Southern States except in the States of Louisiana and Mississippi which were not included in the deal. Columbia Press Books Carry Complete Drive The exploitation department of Columbia Pictures Corporation has received many complimentary letters from exhibitors handling the Columbia features complimenting it upon the splendid press books it has consistently turned out. "For originality and novelty in exploitation ideas, the Columbia press books are the best I receive," said one exhibitor in Colorado. A complete line of lobby displays and accessories to fill every need of the exhibitor are illustrated in these books and no effort or expense is spared in making it the most complete campaign book sent out from a motion picture organization. Pro-Dis-Co Releases Closed for West Indies Frederick H. Knocks, president of the Medal Film Company, has closed an extensive deal for the 1924-1925-1926 Producers Distributing Corporation productions for the West Indies territory and Venezuela. The Medal Film Company has long operated its own exchanges in Cuba, Porto Rico and San Domingo and now intends to expand this exchange system still further. iiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii>iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiiiiim^^^^ I Mary and Doug May | I Co-star Soon in Film | I TV /I ARY PICKFORD and Doucrlas Fairbanks soon may co-star in a series of ^ i pictures to follow their 1926 'eature releases. 1 1 This statement was made recently by Miss Pickford in discussing her plans for J s the future. She expects to follow her "Scraps," now in course of production, with a g 1 third, the first of the year having been "Little Annie Rooney," now having sue S 1 cessful runs in many of the larger cities. | 1 So the oft-repeated rumor that the two stars will combine their efforts may come 1 g true at last. g g Miss Pickford, it is said, has not as yet decided on a story for her third produc M 1 tion of this year, but is said to be considering several. In the meantime she is M m' working in mud and ooze on the swamp at her Hollywood studio completing the g S "chase" scenes in "Scraps," in which she pilots a band of youngsters to safety 1 1 through the bogs. 1 iiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiuiiiiiiiiuiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniii