Exhibitors Herald (Apr-Jun 1922)

vpril 29, 1922 EXHIBITORS HERALD 67 Fairbanks Will Portray Romance Of Twelfth Century In Next Film Actions of Richard the Lion Hearted, Robin Hood And Others Furnish Basis for Production; Realistic Atmosphere is Sought lunset Signs Hoxie For Western Series owboy Star Will Feature in Eight Specials — First Film Under WayAnthony J. Xydias, president and genal manager of Sunset Productions, has gned Jack Hoxie, cowboy star, to make series of eight western specials for the ate right market. Mr. Xydias believes oxie is one of .the most popular present ijr western stars. Will Get Big Stories "Since Mr. Hoxie's personal appearKe tour of last summer his popularity is increased by leaps and bounds," says !r. Xydias, "and it is my intention on lis new series to give Hoxie bigger and Hter stories than he has ever had be>re, and to afford him an opportunity to ,-rform more of his dare-devil stunts and srsemanship with each picture." Production has been started on "Barb"ire," the first of the series which is ;ing filmed in and around the Mojave ;sert. In the supporting cast are jean orter, Olah Norman, William Lester, m Welch and others. Frank Grandon directing the feature. Xydias Former Exhibitor A. J. Xydias, head of the new Sunset ganization will be remembered as a iccessful exhibitor in Texas, Louisiana id Mississippi, and was prominent in e fight against censorship in those ates. After selling his theatrical inrests he made a trip to Europe, and on s return entered the producing end of e state rights field. Because of his exlange and exhibitor experience, Mr. ydias has a wide knowledge of the film ;eds of exhibitors, and the new Hoxie •oductions will be made with this end in ew. Philip Space has been appointed to ie post of director of publicity and exoitation for the company. ducational Phases of Burton Travel Picture Win Support of Schools Much interest is being evidenced in ie ten-reel feature, "Around the World ith Burton Holmes," according to the inema Travel Association which is pre•nting the film under the direction of arry Levey. The educational phase of the picture said to be winning for it the support id praise of schools, women's clubs, jblic officials and educators. The film is now being shown in theaes in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Marynd, ^Virginia, West Virginia, Vermont id New York. Silent Call" Has Long Run at Miller's Theatre "The Silent Call," which features 5trongheart," canine star of the screen, ?gan its eighth week at the Miller teatre on April 3, according to an anauncement from First National, and it expected that the run will be extended ■ twelve weeks. Much of the interest in the film is atibuted to the performance of "Strong?art. The film was adapted from a iturday Evening Post story by Hal G. varts. From the romance of adventure as typified by Gascon D'Artagnan in "The Three Musketeers" to the romance of English chivalry in the twelfth century is the step being taken by Douglas Fairbanks in his new photoplay, work on which is under way at his new Hollywood studio. Seeks Height in Romance Fairbanks long has wanted to do early English romance, it is said. While "The Mark of Zorro" was full of villains and villainy, dash and spirit, and "The Three Musketeers" full of poetry, swash-buckling, and French intrigue, Mr. Fairbanks was not content to stop there. He wanted robust, full-blooded, healthy and rollicking romance. This led him to consider the period of the Crusades. There he saw possibilities in the adventures of Richard, the lion-hearted, of Robin Hood and his Sherwood Forest, of Nottingham. From this he declared his intention of making a romance. "So full of the spirit of the twelfth century that no one watching it can remember that he is prosy or dull, or that his life is a monotony of small events, or that he lives in the day of flivver and the vacuum cleaner." Find Much Material Experts, authors and scenario writers at once began work on detail. They dug up plenty of material, but in it all there was no unity; nothing but disconnected and unrelated flashes.. "The play is the thing," said Fairbanks, and Johnston McCulley was engaged to write the story. Then came rehearsals, and the story was reconstructed, rebuilt and rehandled by McCulley. Sets Are Realistic Designing the sets to be used as a background was the next step and the results are said to justify all expectations. Of these designs it is asserted that ETHEL GREY TERRY in the Vitagraph special production, "Too Much Business." they tell the story of romance — the romance of that period of the twelfth century without the aid of a single person, or a single artificial or dramatic agency. Doug Sees Big Field "So far we have had very few pictures that transported the spectator out of all consciousness of present-day reality and every-day life into realms, that, before this, existed only in books," said Mr. Fairbanks in a recent talk about his forthcoming new production, which is as yet without a title. "Motion pictures have always had their present possibilities. But now we are beginning to see them; to see, I mean, how big they are and how far-reaching, and how little we have developed them. "Motion pictures can be made beautiful, true and fine. We have had romances and realism and propaganda and sensationalism and fantasy — we've run the gamut. Motion pictures can be made so that they will take the spectator right into any atmosphere the author and producer may choose. That's the biggest new thing in the game." Realism Sought in New DeMille Film Grow Vegetables for Filming Scenes of Farm Under Cultivation Interest in William De Mille's Paramount production of Rachel Crothers' play "Nice People" is centered on a realistic and novel set being used in connection with the filming of various scenes. This set is a vegetable garden in which vegetation is pictured in all its stages, from the first blades shooting from the ground to the full grown plants. Shows Truck Growth The garden was started several weeks before the actual production of the film. Later, where the story calls for an abandoned farm that is revived and made productive once more another crop was planted. In this manner the natural growth of farm truck is being incorporated in the film. Cafe Scene in Contrast In contrast to the garden scene is that of a Japanese cafe which has been erected on what is claimed to be the most elaborate scale ever attempted in this direction. The set occupies nearly half of the new glass roof stage recently completed at the Lasky studio. Approximately 200 people take part in the scene. An all star cast headed by Wallace Reid, Bebe Daniels, Conrad Nagel and Julia Faye will play the various roles in the new production. Returns from Mexico City John L. Day, South American representative of Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, has returned from an extended business trip to Mexico City, where arrangements were made for increased distribution of Paramount Pictures.