Exhibitors Herald (Jul-Sep 1922)

46 EXHIBITORS HERALD July 22, 1922 Seeks Opinions on Polo Chapter-Play Star Serial Corporation Starts Follow-up System to Check on Results A "follow-up" system whereby Star Serial Corporation, producers and distributors of "Cap'n Kidd," the serial in which Eddie Polo is starring as his first independent chapter-play, will be in complete touch with territorial buyers and through them with exhibitors playing the serial, to the end of attaining the fullest co-operation and best results, has been inaugurated by the company. Check Up on Episodes The plan calls for a checking up on everyone of the fifteen episodes of "Cap'n Kidd" through every detail of their bookings the real work not being over, but just beginnig when the serial is sold for a given territory. As soon as a territory is sold a letter goes to the buyer asking that Star Serial be kept advised of every smallest detail of the handling of the serial — pre-view showings, special exploitation, and especially a list of all bookings secured. These bookings are then indexed under the name of the exchanges, according to date. A few days before each booking a letter goes to the exchange asking them to communicate with the exhibitor as to any special exploitation he is putting over on the serial, and to notify Star Serial how the showing goes. over, what the exhibitor thought of it, and how his patrons liked it. A similar letter goes to the exhibitor himself. Data of Future Value All details on how the picture went over are carefully assorted according to the number of the episode shown. In this way the production forces can check up exactly which episodes went over biggest, which failed to "register" big, and the information serve as a fairly accurate guide as to what the public wants in its serials and what it does not. Stars of Stage in New Fox Special Production Additional stage celebrities in the cast of "Kentucky Days," a special Jack Ford is directing on the west coast for Fox, include Lon Poff, Henri de la Garrique, Caroline Rankin, Cordelia Dallahan and Helen Field. There are fifteen leading characters in the production, which was written by Paul H. Sloane. Among them are Tom Santschi, Tully Marshall, Virginia Valli, Bessie Love, Pat Moore, and George Hackathorne. Saenger Theatre Circuit Books "Your Best Friend" Saenger Enterprises have booked Warner Brothers' attraction "Your Best Friend," starring Vera Gordon, throughout their entire circuit. This is said to be the biggest single booking thus far secured in the southern territory. Creole Enterprises, New Orleans, controls the rights for Mississippi and Louisiana. Pathe Gets New Series "The Range Rider Series," a succession of two-reel Western features starring Leo D. Maloney, will be distributed by Pathe. They are to be published one every two weeks beginning early in Fall. ALICE LAKE, J. Frank Glendon and Baby Josephine Adair in the C. B. C. feature "More to Be Pitied Than Scorned." C. B. C. Planning Big Newspaper Exploitation Tie-up on New Picture Extensive exploitation for "More to Be Pitied Than Scorned" in the form of tie-ups with various newspapers is promised for the feature by C. B. C. Film Sales Corporation. A campaign toward this end has been started by the company. Letters have been sent to editors oi newspapers to ascertain along what lines they are most interested in stories that tie-up with the title "More to Be Pitied Than Scorned." Special writers on the papers have also been queried as to their preference of material. According to C. B. C. the replies indicate an aggressive interest on the part of the newspapers along lines pointed out and the tie-up campaign is expected to be one of the biggest of its kind ever undertaken. Lloyd Ahead of Schedule; New Feature Ready Soon According to a report received by Pathe from the Hal Roach Studios, Harold Lloyd has nearly completed a new multiple-reel comedy which bears the working title of "Doctor's Orders." This, says Pathe, is the first of the series of six Lloyd features contracted for when the comedian visited New York. It shows Lfcyd to be well ahead of his production schedule, for its immediate predecessor, "Grandma's Boy," last of the Associated Exhibitors series, will not be published until September for general distribution. Goldwyn Adds Hughes to Cast of "The Christian" Gareth Hughes has been added to the cast of players in the production of "The Christian" by Goldwyn, from Sir Hall Cain's novel. Mr. Hughes will join Director Maurice Tourneur and company at Goldwyn's Culver City studios upon its return from England where scenes are now being made. First National Will Issue Holubar Film Schedule "Hurricane's Gal" for Publication Week of July 17 Dorothy Phillips in "Hurricane's Gal," a story of the high seas, adapted and directed by Allen Holubar, is the First National attraction scheduled for publication the week of July 17. This picture is said to show Miss Phillips at her best, supported by a cast composed of Robert Ellis, Wallace Beery, Gertrude Astor, James O. Barrows and Frances Raymond. "Hurricane's Gal" tells the story of Lola, daughter of a Pacific smuggler and sailing pirate who has inherited, along with the smugglers' schooner Tahiti Belle, her father's love of roaming and independence. During one of the cruises of the Tahibi Belle a stowaway is found on board. He is Steele O'Connor, a man of mystery. Lola falls in love with him and he declares his love to her. Her confidence in O'Connor gets a crushing blow, however, when, as the Tahiti Belle enters San Francisco harbor, it is boarded by revenue officers and O'Connor proves to be a secret service man. The culmination of the story is said to be replete with dramatic situations. Night Color Shots in New Madge Kennedy Photoplay The first experimental night color shots of the new Madge Kennedy production were screened early this week for Director Henry Kolker, Rufus Steele, who is supervising production, the star and several of her supporting phyers. Among those present were Vincent Coleman, Monte Blue, William H. Tooker, Pedro De Cordoba and Dore Davidson. Most of the officers of the new Kenma Corporation, which is starring Miss Kennedy, also were present. All were enthusiastic over the result and it is believed these special shots will cause much favorable comment when the picture is publicly screened. Torchy Comedies Booked At Big First Run Houses First run bookings at Broadway houses and in many other important theatres throughout the country have greeted the complete product turned out by Johnny Hines in the past three months, it is pointed out by C. C. Burr, president of Affiliated Distributors. Hines' Torchy comedies have been widely booked at the New York Strand, Criterion and Rialto theatres as well as at the Balaban and Katz houses in Chicago. Torchy's latest comedy "Torchy's Feud," is now under way. One Half of Fairbanks' New Picture Is Filmed Work on Douglas Fairbanks' new production, "Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood," the most ambitious of his efforts for United Artists publication this fall, is fifty per cent completed. Among the recent guests of Mr. Fairbanks at the Pickford-Fairbanks studios was Opie Read, the novelist, who spent the greater part of a day watching the star and his supporting company making scenes.