Exhibitor's Trade Review (Jun-Aug 1923)

426 EXHIBITORS TRADE REVIEW Volume 14. Number "Keep Dates Open For Big Ones" H. M. Warner Advises Exhibitors Stars who will shine under the Warner Brothers' hanner: Lenore Ulric, Hope Hampton, John Barrymore, Harry Meyers, Marie Prevost, Johnny Hines, Wesley Barry, Bahy Bruce Guerin, Monte Blue, "Spec" O'Donnell and Irene Rich. FOREIGN DEPARTMENT CLOSES MANY DEALS While only a few of the Warner Brothers forthcoming series of eighteen have been completed to date, Gus S. Schlesinger, General Manager of the Warners Foreign Department, successfully consummated recently a number of big foreign deals for the entire group. The deals were completed without the viewing by the foreign buyers of any of the completed films. This unusual procedure, according to Mr. Schlesinger, was due to the big results now being obtained by the foreign distributors with the current series of Warner productions. Mr. Schlesinger plans to leave for Europe in the interests of the new series the latter part of August. He will visit London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Barcelona, Eome and The Hague, Holland. The deals thus far completed by Mr. Schlesinger for the new pictures were made with the Aktiebolaget Svensk Filmindustrij Sweden for Scandanavia; Australasian Films Ltd., New York, for Australia, New Zealand, Dutch East Indies and Straits Settlements; Sociedad General Cinematografiea, New York, for Argentine, Uraguay, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador; Taisho Film Company, New York, for Japan; and the German Camus Y Cia., New York, for Mexico. KEEP open play dates for the big ones that are coming, and don't clutter up your schedule with a lot of junk pictures. That is the advice of Harry M. Warner, of Warner Brothers, to exhibitors. It is Mr. Warner's contention that the production schedule of the independent market is the biggest in its history. "Many pictures have been announced for release next season," said Mr. Warner. "Scores of others are on the way. Some of the biggest are coming from the independent producers. We are making eighteen pictures that are without question attractions of the highest order ever produced by a single organization. "Exhibitors want to be in a position to cash in on the big productions. Now is the time to be careful of false moves. Book wisely. There are plenty of good pictures in the independent field, and the Warner Brothers are helping to fill the demand for big pictures by bringing forth eighteen great plays and novels." Over five and a half million dollars will be spent by the Warner Brothers in the production, exploitation and publicizing of the forthcoming series of eighteen classics of the screen being made from famous plays and popular novels. Among the Belasco plays secured by the Warners is "Tiger Eose," the play in which Belasco presented Miss Ulric on the legitimate stage and in which she will be starred under the direction of Sidney Franklin. A distinct unit in the production plans is Harry Rapf, the producer of such current Warner films as "School Days," "Rags to Riches," "Heroes of the Street," and "Brass." Mr. Rapf plans to bring forth "Broadway After Dark," from the play by Owen David, with picturization by Edmund Goulding, and "Lucretia Lombard," the Kathleen Norris novel. Among the list of directors thus far engaged for the new series are Sidney Franklin, Ernst Lubitseh, Harry Beaumont, William Beaudine, Arthur Rosson and William A. Seiter. The Warner group of screen stars include Monte Blue, Marie Prevost, Hope Hampton, Irene Rich, Wesley Barry, John Barrymore, Johnny Hines, Harry Myers, Mae Marsh, "Spec" O'Donnell and Baby Bruce Guerin. In the adaptation of the works the Warners have engaged Julien Josephson, Grant Carpenter, Edmund Goulding, Sada Cowan, Frances Marion, Dorothy Farnum and Paul Bern, all of whom are specialists in writing directly for the screen. Announcement of the eighteen Warner features is as follows: "The Gold Diggers," a David Belasco production, directed by Harry Beaumont, with an all star cast including Hope Hampton, Wyndham Standing and Louise Fazenda. "Little Johnny Jones," featuring Johnny Hines in the play by George M. Cohan, directed by Arthur Rosson. "The Printer's Devil," starring Wesley Barry, in the story written by Julien Josephson, directed by William Beaudine, Harry Myers also plays a prominent role in the production. "Broadway After Dark," a Harry Rapf production made from the play by Owen Davis, with adaptation by Edmund Goulding, starring Marie Prevost, Monte Blue and Irene Rich. "How to Educate a Wife," an Elinor Glyn story, adapted by Grant Carpenter. "Cornered" the famous Broadway stage success written by Zelda Sears and Dodson Mitchell. "Tiger Rose," a Sidney Franklin production starring Lenore Ulric in the popular Belasco play; direction by Mr. Franklin. "The Country Kid," the second Wesley Barry picture, by Julien Josephson and directed by William Beaudine, Harry Myers will also be in the cast. "Lucretia Lombard," a Harry Rapf production, which will be an adaptation of Kathleen Norris ' popular novel by Sada Cowan. "Being Respectable," from the novel by Grace Flandru, adapted by William Black. "The Tenth Woman," from the novel by Harriet Comstock. "Daddies," a David Belasco production, adapted from the play by John L. Hobble; scenario by Julien Josephson, direction of Harry Beaumont and starring Mae Marsh. "Beau Brummel," by special arrangement with Mrs. Richard Mansfield, starring John BaTrymore in the Clyde Fitch play of the same name. "Babbitt," from the novel by Sinclair Lewis. "The Age of Innocence," from the novel by Edith Wharton, voted one of America's ten greatest women. "Lover's Lane," from the play by Clyde Fitch. "An Unloved Wife," from the story by Pearl Keating. Wesley Barry will appear in another production, the third of which will be written by Julien Josephson with direction by William Beaudine. TOM MOORE SIGNS NEW WARNER SERIES The Warner Brothers series of eighteen, a number of which have already been completed, are being booked in bulk by scores of first run theatres throughout the country. Announcement of this fact was made last week by Harry M. Warner, following the closing of a deal for the eighteen pictures with Tom Moore, President of Moore's Theatres Corporation, Washington. Mr. Moore 's transaction was consummated with Lou Berman, of the Independent Film Corp., Philadelphia, who controls the Warner rights for Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and District of Columbia. The Warner product will be shown first at Moore's Rialto Theatre, Washington, D. C, and later at the many other theatres controlled by the Moore 's Corporation. Seiter to Direct Three More William A. Seiter, who directed the current Warner classic, "Little Church Around the Corner, ' ' has been signed by the Warner Brothers to direct three of the new group of eighteen features. "George Washington, Jr.," "Cornered," and "How to Educate a Wife."