Exhibitors Herald (Oct-Dec 1920)

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December 25, 1920 EXHIBITORS HERALD 211 |iiiiiii!iiiiiiiinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiii[iiiiiiin:iii!ii moiunnuuiiimimiBHa luiiniiituiuuiraiiiimiajim iiiiiimiuuiiaimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii niitiiiiiiiniiiiii unwilling J "Fathoms Deep," New Undersea Film W illiamson Novelty, Because of Its Big Dramatic | Situations, Will Take Its Place as One oj the Great Sensational Screen Creations, It Is Said annum niiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiM By HARRY POPPE '"FHE film market is again agog over a A special feature production. The provocation for the current agitation is the new J. E. Williamson undersea novelty, "Fathoms Deep," which because of its accredited new and big dramatic situations under the sea, promises to take its place as one of the great sensational screen creations of the decade. It is drama of the most gripping kind, according to advance report. The characters of the play are all shown at sonip stage of the vivid drama involving them in close grips under the water, in situations that experts aver would make the fortune of any big play if offered on the regular stage. Hitherto, the undersea screen attrac tion has been largely a matter of ex hibits rather than human tensity, ani mated photographs of sharks and other deep sea monsters. In "Fathoms Deep" a play of human impulse and complication, with love its leading rider, is staged instead, and this literally along the ocean's floor, with the dramatis personae shown in scenes of adventure and conflict, with excitement as to which faction shall conquer running as high as the great seas that rush amuck and awash overhead. * * * With every foot . that could possibly be dispensed with discarded, the interest and action of the play proved so allcompelling in its final cutting that no amount of cunning could keep it out of the big special feature length, in which it has finally been cut. A new "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea," the "miracle picture." are some of the comments the new production elicited at an informal projec umniiiimmiiiiiii^^ tion given the picture last week to prominent men and women in filmdom. The production takes added grip on the imagination, especially upon that of exhibitors to whom screen values are familiar, in the fact that the production was' staged by Ralph Ince, popularly conceded to be among the very few directors whose every frame of screen drama usually spells thrills. * * * It is Ince, also, who plays the principal part, that of a reckless wander-luster, who becomes embroiled with a strange group of sea rovers. These latter have stolen an undersea craft and are privateering and pirating the high and low seas as they will. Every passing craft within their moving zones is prey. Their law is greed, their procedure ruthless rapine to all who oppose them. The story has been pronounced a Jack London or Joseph Conrad concept in the crude strength of its atmosphere, as well as in the impelling virility of its principals. But "Fathoms Deep" is not all undersea footage. A great measure of the play passes either on land or on the surface of the ocean, with its plot so entwined that it merges into its submarine incidents liquidly and powerfully, according to observers of the advance showing. The story was written by J. E. Williamson, who supervised the production in its entirety. Louise Fazenda Will Make Nationwide Tour (Special to Exhibitors Herald) LOS ANGELES, Dec. 14.— Louise Fazenda, well-known comedienne, having terminated her contract with Mack Sennett and enrolled along with Ford Sterling. Chester Conklin. Charlotte Merriam, Neely Edwards and other funmakers under the banner of Special Pictures Corporation is now making a na .J. ERNEST WILLIAMSON tion-wide tour of the principal cities of America. She is not booked to appear in theatres, but will be the guest of honor at various luncheons, banquets, receptions and dances given by Chambers of Commerce, exhibitors' associations, press clubs, advertising clubs and other civic bodies. The comedy star will be six weeks on tour, returning early in January to start on her first independentlv produced comedy for A. L. Hart Productions. She will visit San Francisco. Denver, Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago. Minneapolis, Detroit. Cleveland. Pittsburgh. Buffalo, New York, Baltimore. Boston. Philadelphia, Cincinnati. Atlanta. New Orleans, Dallas, Butte and Salt Lake City. Open Strand in Waco WACO. TEX.— The Strand. Waco's new independent theatre, was formally opened on December 18. TWO SCENES FROM A FORTHCOMING FIRST NATIONAL ATTRACTION Not Guilty," is the title of this Sidney Franklin production presented by Albert A. Kaufman with a special cast of players. i