Exhibitors Herald (Oct-Dec 1920)

ktober 23, 1920 EXHIBITORS HERALD 81 ox Production Closes Its Run on Broadway With Attendance Records While New York Sleeps" Plays Ten Weeks at the Lyric and Astor Theatres in New York; Other Engagements Successful Attendance recorfls. declared by its oducers to be unprecedented in the inals of Broadway motion picture proiction, mark the closing of the teneek run of the William Fox special. Vhile New York Sleeps," at the Lyric id Astor theatres. New York. While running on a continuous perrmance plan at the Lyric, William ox, president of Fox Film corporation, included arrangements with the Shu?rts for presenting "While New York leeps" at the Astor theatre in Broa-day at 45th street. Here it also opened 1 a continuous performance plan, and >r two weeks drew capacity business ithout affecting the business done at it Lyric, just three blocks away. Opens in Boston For eight weeks "While New York leeps" ran day and night at the Lyric, id for two weeks at the Astor simtaneously with the sixth and seventh eeks at the Lyric. During this time lis production was introduced to Provence, R. I., and Boston audiences for ins respectively of one full week and >ur full weeks. ,In Providence the picture was shown : the opera house and repeated in a ay, it is said, its New York success, • tablishing an attendance record for lat house and that city. The Boston engagement, however, at ie Boston opera house, a theatre seatig over 3,000, offers a more striking Photoplay Magazine November, 1920 i ) TRUMPET ISLAND— Vitagraph TRUMPET ISLAND" will be one of the talked about pictures of the fall and winter. It is easy to believe that Tom Terriss and his cast spent months and endured all manner of hardships that this might be a super-feature in fact as well as in the advertising. The "air stuff," as the climax : of which an airplane is sent hurtling through an electric storm and ends with a crash in the trcetops of a lonely island, however it may have been obtained, is much the most realistic of any similar scenes to whkh wcy have been witness. The story is a Gouver' neur Morris romance, which is sufficient to stamp it with, a certain originality and, charm, and the scenario and titles are by Mr.C and Mrs. George Randolph Chester, which' is something of a guarantee of quality. A young girl, convent reared, falls in love with a soldier boy back from the wars. Her father decree^ however, that she shall marry one of those withered roues of the drama who can bring her wealth but no love. The soldier boy acquires sudden wealth and loses his head, and then seeks to recover his. equilibrium by going to live on that good o d abandoned island of the movie seas. The girl, dutifully agreeing to marry the roue on promise of being taken in an airplane on her wedding tour, from which she expects ts dash herself to death, is eventually dropped at the boy's feet on "Trumpet Island," her memory gone but her sweet self miraculously preserved. Together the youngsters live, through several happy weeks, and then they J are found and threatened with a separa/ tion that you very well know never tak/ place. A big picture in the true sense, and an interesting picture, rich in adventure, not^ too extravagantly illogical and pictorially arresting. Marguerite de la Mottc is an attractive heroine, Wallace MacDonald a plausable and likable hero. comparison, it is claimed, with the record established in New York. The picture, it is sard, drew crowded houses from the city and from the suburbs. Newspapers Praise It The newspapers in Boston and Providence echoed the metropolitan dailies in their verdict as to the merit of this film, it is declared, and praise was accorded the direction by Charles J. Brabin. "While New York Sleeps." on leaving the Lyric theatre, was placed on the program of the famous Academy of Music in New York. This house, under the management of William Fox, has since its use as a picture theatre been run on the split-week plan, or two feature films a week. For the run of "While New York Sleeps." however, the usual plan was changed, and for the first time since pictures had been shown at the Academv, one feature occupied the screen a full week. Prologue Is Given. At the Audubon theatre, in upper Manhattan, the production also was booked for a full week, for presentation with a special stage setting picturing the skyline of New York at dusk. Ben E. Jackson, manager of this house, arranged to stage a prologue in keeping with the atmosphere and theme of the play. For one week this picture also drew crowded houses at the Fox theatre in Springfield. Mass.. until with the final counting at the close of the engagement it was found that at no time, with any feature or special entertainment of any description, had this theatre done such a tremendous business. Added to these records is the three weeks in Los Angeles, and ten days in Detroit. Steinhauer Goes to Staff of Promoter (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, Oct. 12.— Jack Steinhauer has resigned from Exhibitors Trade Review and henceforth will make his headquarters in the publicity offices of "Tex" Rickard. the promoter, at Madison Square Garden. He will aid in the extensive publicity campaigns that will precede the boxing shows Rickard will stage there twice a month. Ike Dorgan is in charge of Rickard's publicity department. Mc Govern' s Sales (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK. October 11.— Elmer J. McGovern announces the sale of the rights to "The Woman L'ntamed." starring Doraldina, to the Specialty Film Company of Dallas, for Texas and Arkansas, and to H. C. Simeral of Pittsburgh for West Yirginia and Western Pennsvlvania. Build Casino, Sac City SAC CITY. IA.— \V. W. Watt and Jay Harter. proprietors of Sac City's new motion picture theatre, the Casino, have awarded contracts for its construction and work is progressing rapidly. Levy Wins the "Gar' Col. Fred 'Levy, .Associated First National Pictures franchise holder from Kentucky, wins Dorothy Phillips away from James Kirknood in an impromptu scene for ".Man, Woman and Marriage." Milwaukee Kay-Bee Co. Gets Rights to Issues Kay-Bee Distributing Corporation, Toy building. Milwaukee. Wis., successors to Walter A. Baier Film Company, announces the acquisition of the following features for distribution through their territory: "L'p in Mary's Attic" (Fine Arts Pictures. Inc.), "Silk Husbands and Calico Wives" (Equity Pictures Corp.), "The Golden Trail" and "A Woman's Man" (Arrow Film Co.) and "The Country God Forgot"; also a large assortment of short subjects, comedies, drrmas and Westerns. Walter A. Baier. general manager, announces that they are also negotiating for a large number of new publications for autumn and also for the spring season. Joe Roderick, long and favorably known in the Northwest territory, has associated himself with the Kav-Bee. To Film Feature of Life In Our National Capital David G. Fischer has begun work on the first of his series of photoplays to be made by Fox-Fischer Masterplays. Inc.. "In the Shadow of the Dome." ; It will deal with the dramatic aspects of life in the national capital, and Fischer is at present working on exteriors in Washington, D. C. where scenes will be taken in the Capitol itself, in the White House and in many other of the government buildings. Donald Hall will play the role of the congressman who dominates the picture. The leading feminine role will be in the hands of Dixie Lee. and William Parke. Jr., will play the juvenile lead. Dead Men Tell No Tales