Canadian Moving Picture Digest (May 1924-Apr 1925)

Page Right aa m r ree Se ¥ * CANADIAN MOVING-PICTURE DIGEST F.B.0. Schedule for 1925 Keeps Eight Units Busy Surprises Galore in New Programme, Titles, Authors, Players, Directors Internationally Known. LL, units at the F. B. O. studios in Hollywood have buckled down to the grind of production, maintaining a swifter pace than at any time in the history of the organization. That 1925 will carry the motion picture industry into an era of unexampled prosperity that will benefit not only the big first line producers but the more showmanly independents as well, is the unalterable conviction of every producer allied with Film Booking Offices. Without exception they have dedicated themselves to a policy of sound, aggressive showmanship ; ‘for, they believe, only showmanship of the most practical character will succeed in these days of intense competition. F. B. O.’s own units are arranging plans of an ambitious nature. Gothic Productions, organized by Lou Baum to produce two series of attractions for F. B. O., has just completed its second feature, “Parisian Nights,” an Al. Santell production starring Elaine Hammerstein and Lou Tellegen. Gothic’s second unit, the Evelyn Brent series, is at work on its fourth -production, “Lawless Blood,” based on an original by Fred Myton and which is being directed by Tom Buckingham. It ‘is a sea story about a bootleging ring. One of the most important of F. B. O.’s new year undertakings is a two-reel series tentatively titled, “The Pace Makers” in which the entire cast of “The Go-Getters,” headed ‘by George O’Hara and Alberta Vaughn will appear. Wesley Ruggles has been engaged. to direct the series, which is based on the H. C. Witwer “Alex the Great” stories and adapted to the screen by Beatrice Van. College life, sport and young romance are the chief ingredients of the new series, in which there will be twelve episodes. Fred Thompson, the F. B. O. Western star and champion athlete, has recovered from his fractured thigh and will shortly begin work on his second production, ‘The Arizona Bearcat.” The director has not yet been chosen. Lefty Flynn is busy on his third production “Breed of the Border,” an original by William Hoffman, magazine writer and will shortly launch his fourth production “Speed Wild” by H. H. Van Loan and under the direction of Harry Garson. The final scenes of the Elizabeth Cooper novel, “Drusilla with a Mil lion” are being shot by Harmon Weight for Associated Arts Corporation. In the cast are Mary Carr, Kenneth Harlan, Priscilla Bonner, Claire Du Bray and others. Among the F. B. O. productions just completed is “Parisian Nights,” a melodrama directed by Al Santell and starring Elaine Hammerstein and Lou Tellegen. The final scenes were filmed recently at the Presidio in San Francisco. Another unit now established at the F. B. O. studios is the C. Gardner Sullivan company, filming Mr. Sullivan’s own story, “Mock Marriages.” The cast includes such favorites as Jacqueline Logan, Clive Brook, Belle Bennett, Jean Hersholt, Cissy Fitzgerald and others. John Ince is directing. Other units at work-elsewhere on productions for F. B. O.. are: VanPelt Wilson, filming a new Al Wilson air melodrama, directed by Bruce Mitchell, and the Independent* Pictures Corporation making another feature with Bob Custer, a new and promising arrival in the field of Western pictures. Earle Reynolds Seriously Injured Railroad Train Earle Reynolds, traveller for Vitagraph and recently for Fox, was seriously injured, February 20 being thrown against the side of the car while passing between coaches on a railway train running into Foam Lake Sask. He is in a Winnipeg hospital suffering from concussion of the brain. Manitoba Picture Interests Ask For Repeal Of Amusement Tax The week of March 9 the Manitoba amusement theatre interests will make an onslaught on. the Manitoba Amusement Tax in the Legislature of Manitoba, now in session. The support given to the contention that there should be no taxon tickets 50 cents and under has been given warm support but the government is not showing any inclination this session to decrease taxation, but to increase it, notably in the advance in the gasoline tax from one cent to three cents a gallon. However, the theatre men will make a strong stand and have good hopes of securing something. William B. Naylor Attacked in Ottawa By Public Speaker presentation of the British travel picture, ‘ The Lost Tribe,” based on the book, ‘Pearls and Savages,” by Captain Frank Hurley, at the Franklin Theatre, Ottawa, Ontario, recently C. Campbell, secretary cf the Ottawa Retail Merchants’ Association, made an unusual and unsuccessful attack upon the man who made the arrangements for the engagement, namely William B. Naylor of Toronto. The proposition included the showing of the feature under the auspices of the Victorian Order of Nurses on a percentage basis after the theatre rental had been paid. Secretary Campbell wrote letters which appeared in the Ottawa Citizen condemning the arrangements and Mr. Naylor forthwith replied, the result being that various details were explained and the picture secured con-. siderable publicity. Their Excellencies, Baron Byng of Vimy, Governor-General of Canada, and Lady. Byng, extended their personal patronage to the feature and, incidentally, after witnessing a_presentation, Lady Byng purchased $32. worth of tickets for a party from Rideau Hall, the official residence, for: a subsequent performance. The Nurses also sold a considerable quantity of tickets, and the organization secured very fair returns. During the Leonard Bishop, Regent Captures Managers’ Prize Manager Leonard Bishop of the Regent Theatre, Ottawa, Ontario, worked a hidden phonograph with a splendid record of “I Pagliacci,” as sung by Enrico Caruso, in conjunction with the presentation at the Regent during the week of February 7 of the production “He Who Gets . Slapped.” This musical stunt was highly appropriate for the theme of the picture and, moreover, the effect was heightened by the tuning in of the phonograph with the pipe organ so that accompaniment to the phonograph selection was played on the organ at the performances. This stunt was simple and inexpensive. The Columbia ‘Theatre, Wellington Street, Ottawa, has been placed on the market to lease. The Columbia, which has been under the management of William H. Maynard, is a district moving picture house that enjoys regular neighborhood patronage. 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