Exhibitors Herald (Jan-Mar 1920)

EXHIBITORS HERALD Mary PickforcTs First "Big Four" Production Published January 18 "Pollyanna" Given Long Runs in Principal Theatres Throughout the Country —Required Three Months in the Making David Butler Will Make Own Pictures LOS ANGELES, CALIF.— Fred J. Butler, stage director of the Morosco theatre, has purchased the release of his son, David Butler, widely known to screen and stage patrons, from Tarkington Baker, representing the Universal Film Company and made the interesting announcement that the younger Butler would commence to make his own pictures, with releasing affiliations with one of the big distributing organizations of New York. Fred Butler will be associated with the new company, which has been incorporated under the laws of New Jersey as the David Butler Films, Inc., in a business capacity, but will continue to direct the productions at the local Morosco playhouse. The new Butler company has leased a studio at Hollywood and as soon as the continuity of the first story to be filmed, "Broadway, or Bust," is read}-, a cast of well known players in the picture world will be assembled. David Butler entered the ranks of motion picture players with a stage record of a half dozen years in stock, chiefly with the Alcazar Company of San Francisco and the Morosco of Los Angeles. His initial effort before the camera was with D. W. Griffith as the French boy, Bebe, in "The Greatest Thing in Life." He has since appeared in a number of Griffith productions. Amusement Company Buys Second Theatre MT. VERNON, ILL. — The Plaza Amusement Company, which operates the new Plaza theatre, has purchased the Star theatre in this city and now controls Mt. Vernon's amusement, as the Majestic theatre is closed at the present time. Cash Sells Interest R. C. Cash, treasurer, secretary and manager of the Waterville Amusement Company, Waterville, N. Y., has sold the controlling interest in the company which operated the Lyceum theatre to Raymond O. Gillette of the Milfred theatre, Green, N. Y. The change will take place March 1. •Mary Pickford's first independently produced picture for United Artists' Corporation made its appearance January 18 in all the principal cities in the country. In all the larger cities the picture has been booked for much longer runs than have been customary in the past. Heavy Booking Announced The principal theatres in each of the different United Artists' exchange districts and the length of the run in each are as follows: Tremont theatre, Boston, a minimum of ten weeks; Trianon theatre, Birmingham, Ala., one week; Criterion theatre, Atlanta, Ga., two weeks; Poli theatre, Bridgeport, Conn., jne week; Palace theatre. New Haven, Conn., one week; Castle theatre, Chicago, 111., two weeks; Circle theatre. Indianapolis, Ind., one week; Orpheum theatre. Fort Wayne, Ind., one week; Walnut theatre, Cincinnati, Ohio, two weeks; Grand theatre, Columbus, Ohio, two weeks; Pantheon theatre, Toledo, Ohio, one week; Hippodrone theatre, Dallas, Texas, one week; Adams theatre. Detroit, Mich., two weeks; Newman theatre, Kansas City, Mo., two weeks; Rialto theatre, Des Moines, two weeks; Sun theatre, Omaha, Nebr., seven days; Clune's auditorium, Los Angeles, Cal., four weeks; Lyceum theatre, Duluth, Minn., seven days; Goodwin theatre. Newark, N. J., three weeks; Strand theatre, Buffalo, N. Y.. two weeks; Strand theatre, Brooklyn, two weeks; Rivoli and Rialto theatres, New York City, two weeks; Grand theatre, Pittsburgh, Pa., two weeks; Tivoli theatre San Francisco, two weeks; Ye Liberty theatre. Oakland. Cal., eighteen days: Majestic theatre, Portland, Ore., two weeks; Coliseum theatre, Seattle, Wash., three weeks; Wizard or Strand theatre, Baltimore. Md., four weeks; Bijou theatre, Richmond, Va„ two weeks; Granby theatre. Norfolk, Va., two weeks; Regent theatre, Toronto, Ont., Canada, two weeks; Imperial theatre, Montreal, Que., Canada, ten days; Lyceum theatre, Winnipeg, Man., Canada, twelve days. First Film for "Big Four" Because this is her first production under the new arrangement of individual release, every effort has been put forth by Miss Pickford to make "Pollyanna" a bigger and better picture than anything else she has ever done before. Work was begun by the little star September 15 and the production was not complete until the middle of December. Neither expense nor time was spared in the attempt to make "Pollyanna" one hundred per cent perfect. In order that a real New England village might be photographed. Director Powell took the entire company two hundred miles from Los Angeles to Independence, a town a mile high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the only typically New England hamlet in the West which had never before "posed" for a movie camera. Special House Is Built When it was found impossible to locate a house that would answer for the home of Aunt Polly, Miss Pickford ordered one built. The set was completed at a cost of $10,000 and consisted of a front, side and back, with half a roof. Two cameras were used during the filming of "Pollyanna." and a trifle more than 100.000 feet of film %vere shot, which were cut to six reels, or approximately 5,600 feet. East Joins Gale Henry Henry East, formerly connected with Fox, has been made casting director for the Gale Henry comedies and is at present busy casting people for the 25th in Miss Henry's series of 26 two-reelers. "STILLS" THAT SPEAK VOLUMES FOR "THE WOMAN GAME" The final scenes of this Selznick picture, starring Elaine Hammerstein, are now being made under the supervision of My ron Selznick. The story was written by Leighton Osmun and Frank Dazey. 51