The Moving picture world (November 1925-December 1925)

November 7, 1925 MOVING PICTURE WORLD 47 New Directors Pushed Harrir Cohn Gives New Megaphonists Opportunities Much has been written and said about new faces on the screen, but it is the firm belief of Harry Cohn, president of the Waldorf Studios, that the screen needs new directors and he backs up his belief with action, having signed a former cameraman and an assistant director and given them opportunities to become directors. Tony Gaudio, for the past four years chief cameraman for Norma Talmadgc has just completed his first directorial effort "The Price of Success" and Mr. Cohn was so pleased with his work that he immediately signed him to direct his next Waldorf Production "Sealed Lips" which is now being "shot" with an all-star cast including Dorothy Revier and Cullen Landis. The other director "find" of Mr. Cohn's is Frank Strayer, who for the past five years has been assistant to Harry Beaumont. Mr. Strayer's first picture was "Enemy of Men," This picture proved such a success that Mr. Cohn immediately re-engaged him to direct "The Penalty of Jazz" which at a pre-view the other evening at the DeLuxe Theatre, Los Angeles, was voted one of the best of the new seasons pictures to be previewed this year. As a reward for his good work Mr. Cohn has placed him under a five-year contract. For his next picture Mr. Strayer has been assigned to direct "The Lure of the North," a dog story for which an all-star cast is now being engaged. Press Books Ready Columbia Has Fine Exploitation in Helpful Form for Exhibitors ■ Columbia's press books on this season's releases are a splendid example of what an honest complete production sheet should be. There is nothing lacking in a Columbia book to give the exhibitor information on every conceivable method of putting his Columbia release across. Besides a varied collection of newspaper material from advertising cuts to news reviews, there is a complete exploitation section of novel and original exploitation possibilities, not only what to do but how to do it and exactly what steps should be followed to gain the best results. The books on "Steppin' Out," and "S-O-S Perils of the Sea," on "The New Champion" and "The Great Sensation" in the Perfection series, and "Sealed Lips," and "When Husbands Flirt" in the Waldorf series are recent results of a policy that aims to present a press sheet of maximum service to exhibitors. 'Fifty-Fifty" Completes First 8 of Associated's "Triumphant 30" ASSOCIATED Exhibitors, Inc., makes known this week that it will release "Fifty-Fifty" on November 15th. "Fifty-Fifty" features Hope Hampton, Lionel Barrymore and Louise Glaum. It is a Henry Diamant Berger production. Tliis release completes Associated's first group which includes eight feature productions. Based upon a novel marital angle from the story by Alan Dwan, "Fifty-Fifty" ranks high as a box office attraction in Associated's 1925 Autumnal releases. The preceding seven features, all possessing star casts of note, are : "Headlines," starring Alice Joyce and Malcolm MacGregor; "Never Weaken" with Harold Lloyd and Mildred Harris; "Keep Smiling," Monty Banks and Ann Cornwall ; "Manhattan Madness," Jack Dempsey and Estelle Taylor; "His Buddy's Wife," Glenn Hunter and Edna Murphy; "Under the Rouge," Tom Moore and Eileen Percy; "Camille of the Barbary Coast," Mae Busch and Owen Moore. On top of these box office winners announcement of the release date of Associated Exhibitors' big super-special, "The Sky Rocket," starring Peggy Hopkins Joyce, will shortly be made. It is for the purpose of getting these early releases oflf to a flying start that General Manager John S. Woody is now visiting principal exchanges tliroughout the country. That not a single movement to insure the success of these big productions may l)e New Canadian Theatre Honors "Charley's Aunt" A unusual distinction was conferred on the Al. Christie feature, "Charley's Aunt," last week, when Toronto. Canada's new theatre, the Oxford, selected "Charley's Aunt" as the opening attraction in spite of the fact that it had previously been shown at both the Palace and the Dan forth Theatres. That the new Oxford, opening in competition with the Palace and the Danforth, selected the third run of the Christie farce as its initial offering, is an unprecedented honor and a distinction that is heightened by the fact that, at the present time, the Canadian market has many unplayed pictures. overlooked, Mr. Woody is grooming exchanges on the merits of each picture and is at the same time practically doubling the big staff of Associated salesmen. Oscar Price, president of .Associated Exhibitors, Inc., is confident that the first eight features of Associated's program of thirty for the year, entitled "The Triumphant Thirty" will put the Associated trade mark in the first rank of tlie film industry's best productions. Directs "Dancing Days" William Wellman Starts Work On a B. P. Schulberg Production "Dancing Days" is William Wellman's first directorial assignment for Preferred Pictures, B. P. Schulberg has announced. It was previously planned to give Wellman "Lew Tyler's Wives," by Wallace Irwin, as his initial production under his new contract, but difficulties in securing a proper mascuhne lead for the title role at the present time have necessitated a temporary postponement in filming this famous novel of marriage. Meanwhile, he has already begun the direction of "Dancing Days," from the story by Dorothy Cams. Dorothy Arzner has just completed the adaptation and the cast is now being chosen. 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