Exhibitors Herald (Jun-Dec 1917)

26 EXHIBITORS HERALD. W. NOBLE'S NEW "SHAME" FILM LAUDED BY BURNSTEIN FOR STATE RIGHTS QUALITY Finishes Cutting and Titling of First Big Feature Made by Noted Director for Distribution on the Open Market; Gives Reason Why Production Will Succeed With no market assured by contracts or advance deposits, the special state rights picture depends for success strictly upon its merits, according to the view of Jules Burnstein, general representative for John W. Noble, who has just finished cutting and titling his first big feature, "Shame," produced under his own management for distribution on the open market. "A director knows that his productions, staged for a large distributing company, are assured a certain amount of booking so long as they do not fall below the average of high-class program pictures," said Mr. Burnstein. "But producing for the so-called open market is "an entirely different proposition. If your picture is only average, there is very little hope for it, because its chances of success are good in proportion to its merit above the merit of the usual run of features. First of all, the story must contain a big idea. It must be a story the mere announcement of which will attract more than ordinary attention. Then cast, staging, acting and mounting must be as much above the orlinary as brains, time and money can make them. "Mr. Noble, according to my ideas, is one of the few high-class directors measuring up to the "special-production" standard. He showed his grasp of the situation by the selection of his story — a stirring, heart-interest story, intensely interesting, highly dramatic and built upon a big idea which promises to cause wide discussion in the homes of the masses, as well as in the halls of learning. Then he handled his subject in a manner worthy of its importance and gave his production that atmosphere of stupendousness so necessary to make it stand out as extraordinary and worthy of unusual exploitation." "MOTHER" G. L. TUCKER'S SIX REAL FEATURE PUT ON STATE RIGHTS MART BY McCLURE Film Produced in England, Stars Elizabeth Risdon, of Stage Note Who Now Is Playing with Wm. Faversham What is regarded by some critics of the motion picture drama as the most artistic picture George Loane Tucker has ever directed has been secured by McClure Pictures and will be offered by this company on a state rights basis. The film of "Mother" was produced in England, amidst the beautiful scenery of the Dartmoor section — the country of "Lorna Doone" and "Westward Ho." Elizabeth Risdon, who makes her appearance this week on the American stage as leading lady in William Faversham's production of Shaw's play, "Mesalliance," and who starred in Mr. Tucker's production of "The Manx-Man," plays the title part in "Mother." The film is a rendering of Eben Philpott's novel, "A Mother of Dartmoor," and the story deals with the influence a mother's love has over her wild, headstrong son. Ives, in a wonderful series of scenes in moonlit forest, is discovered poaching. He flies to his home and succeeds in hiding his stolen game, but his mother, for her boy's salvation, makes a supreme sacrifice of her pride and feelings, and reveals him as the culprit. Ives goes off to prison with curses on his lips and leaves the mother brooding over the words he hurls back at her — "You are not fit to bear the name of 'mother.' " Ives swears he will not return home after he is free and the scene in which his mother waits for his footsteps on the night he leaves the prison is one of the most touching that has even been screened. The mother's love triumphs at last and the hard spirit of the son bends to the gentle influence of the heart that never lost faith. TRADE PRINTS OF TUCKER'S "MANX-MAN" FILM NOW IN ALL GOLDWYN BRANCHES Trade prints of Hall Caine's greatest story, "The Manx-Man," are being placed in all Goldwyn offices throughout North America this week and early next week exhibitors in the various territories will be invited to see George Loane Tucker's production, which now is available to all exhibitors under the open booking policy. Brand new prints have been shipped to all the western and coast points and there will be no delay hi tne trade presentations in which, judging by inquiries received, exhibitors everywhere are much interested. The successful run of this production for a month at The Criterion Theatre, New York, and Marcus Loew's booking of "The Manx-Man" for sixty-two days in his various theatres. Every Goldwyn office in the United States and Canada will now be able to answer the many inquiries they have received by showings of the production itself. JAXON CORP. TO MOVE The Jaxon Film Corporation, now located in the Candler building, New York, will move on October 1, it is announced, to Room 608 Commercial Trust Co.. building, 1451 Broadway, New York. MRS. E. R. DESSEZ TOURS FOR KLEII CONQUEST FILMS To Call on Educators Promoting Better Picture Movement and the Edison Features Mrs. Elizabeth Richey Dessez, head of the Community Service Department of the George Kleine System, whose function it is to promote the interest of both exhibitors and theatre patrons in the Conquest Programs produced by Thomas A. Edison, Inc., and issued by the Geo. Kleine System, left Chicago, Friday, September 21, for an extended tour of the country on behalf of Conquest Programs. MRS. ELIZABETH RICHEY DESSEZ. (Geo. Kleine System) Mrs. Dessez will visit, among other points, Cleveland, Buffalo, Detroit, Albany, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D. C, Roanoke and Norfolk. She is calling upon the leading educators, journalists and social workers in each city visited and seeking their co-operation in supporting the Better Him Movement throughout America. Everybody in the film industry recalls that Mrs. Dessez became nationally known a few months ago when, with Mrs. Philip Speed of New York City she successfully established the first series of children's matinees in New York City and surprised exhibitors by making their children matinee performances the most profitable of their entir week. Toronto, Ont. — "Come Through," the great crook melodrama starring Herber Rawlinson, played at Shea's Hippodrome Theater, the entire week of Sept. 24 This film was one of the best drawing cards that this theater has played ir many a day, and the S. R. O. sign hac to be displayed. An added feature that made the filrr a success was the fact that Herbert Raw linson was a former Ontario boy, having lived in St. Mary's, Ont. This fact wai, widely advertised.