Universal Weekly (1923-1925)

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Vol. 19, No. 23 Universal Weekly 31 Blache Empl Technique for USING straight stage technique for a screen offering (as adapted from a stage play) is the interesting experiment Herbert Blache is conducting at Universal City, where he is filming Max Marcin's stage play, "The Nightcap." Blache began his career as an actor and later a producer of stage plays in London, and he is reverting to all the old methods of stage production. Instead of the formula of "long shots," "medium shots," and "closeups" by which the points of a narrative are progressively brought out, Blache will use long shots, giving much the view of action upon a stage, and "closeups" will be used only sparingly to illustrate certain definite points. By this method it has been made possible to adhere very closely to the actual stage production; in fact, Blache hopes when his picture is finished to present what is in effect an animation of the stage play as seen on Broadway, only, of course, augmented by much more elaborate scenic presentation. The story itself is a tense mystery story, fully as intriguing as "The Bat," and took Broadway by storm as one of the outstanding stage mystery stories of the decade. Blache is producing it at Universal City with an exceptionally notable cast. James Kirkwood and Madge Bellamy play the featured roles, with a company that in TULLY MARSHALL SUPPORTS GIBSON IN "RIDIN' KID" TULLY MARSHALL, whose characterization of Jim Bridger, the famous old frontiersman, in "The Covered Wagon," stands as one of the distinct pieces of screen acting of the last year, has a similar role in "The Ridin' Kid from Powder River," now being produced at Universal. Hoot Gibson is starring in the title role of the H. H. Knibbs novel of the western cattle country. Edward Sedgwick is directing it. Marshall's role is that of an old plainsman, a cattleman of the Powder River country. The story is said to be one of the truest picturizations of the western range country written in many years. The cast includes Gladys Hulette, Walter Long, Frank Rice, Howard Truesdell, William A. Steele, Gertrude Astor, Sid Jordan and Newton House. oOo EDITING TWO HOXIE PICTURES AT ONCE; "BEYOND LAW" NOW EDITING is proceeding at once on two Jack Hoxie special western vehicles at Universal City, "Daring Chances" in the final stages and "On Parole" in first rough assemblage of the recently completed film. Clifford Smith, director of both of these productions, rushed from the first one to the second with only two days between, owing to the necessity of getting into the San Jacinto mountain country near Tauquitz Park before the summer rush of tourists and vacationists. In the meantirtie Isadore Bernstein, supei-visor of western story units at Universal City, has another story all ready for the Hoxie company — "Beyond the Law." Con tying Stagers ''The Nightcap^^ eludes Tom Ricketts, Tom S. Guise, Rosemary Theby, Zasu Pitts, Arthur Stuart Hull, Edward Cecil, Frederick Cole and other well known players. The story deals with the mysterious events of a single night, and with a strange cross-current of evidence that makes every character for a time a suspect in an astounding plot. Elaborate sets were built at Universal City for the picture, including a huge ballroom and tropical garden for the early scenes of the picture. Blache, the director, has directed a number of former Universal successes, including many of the Gladys Walton pictures and a recent Herbert Rawlinson feature. Although French by descent, he was born and educated in London, and started his career there as an actor, appearing at Drury Lane and other well known theatres before becoming a producer of stage plays. He came to America as a stage producer, and thence entered the film field. This is the first time he has prevailed on studio authorities to give him full reign in his idea for adapting stage methods in their entirety to the screen. Perley Poore Sheehan, the novelist, tried the idea in a certain measure when he made "The Night Message," which has since proved one of the outstanding Universal successes of the year. sequently, neither star nor director will have more than a ten days' lay-off between pictures. "Beyond the Law," which will shortly enter production, is a story of a bandit and a sheriff who can't seem to get together. Clee Woods wrote it, Bernstein adapted it, Charles A. Logue wrote the continuity and Harry Neumann will photograph. Elmer Sheeley is supervising construction of interior sets now and Thomas Malloy will be assigned to the editing. Remember that big two-reel box-office sensation ''A Society Sensation" starring RUDOLPH VALENTINO and CARMEL MYERS A de luxe re-issue of the former great feature success. A sure-fire bet for any Summer program. UNIVERSAL JEWEL RE-ISSUE