Exhibitors Herald (Sep-Dec 1924)

78 EXHIBITORS HERALD October 4, 1924 THE FILM MART Vitagraph V I T A R A P H ’ S “Captain Blood,” opened its Chicago run last week at Jones, Linick & Schaefer’s Orphenm. It is said to have broke the attendance record for that State street house. The same conditions are said to have obtained on Sunday. The first performance each day is at 8:45 o’clock, with another show starting every two hours thereafter until after midnight. An extraordinary amount of interest had been aroused over the coming of this production, partly because of the cooperation given by the Chicago Daily News. For several weeks that newspaper had been publishing Rafael Sabatini’s “Captain Blood” in serial form, and in exploiting it displayed throughout the city 000 24-sheets, besides distributing 500,000 16-page rotogravure sections. These were in addition to the pictorial posters put up by Vitagraph. + + + .\NOTHER of Booth Tarkington’s prizewinning novels will find its way to the screen this winter, when Vitagraph issues “The Magnificent .\mberson’s.” Jay Pilcher is now at work on the continuity for this production, and David Smith, who will direct, is considering possible selections for the various roles. Like most of Mr. Tarkington's stories, “The Magnificent Ambersons” has to do with an interior American town, whose residents are very human persons, and deals with experiences that bring readers close to the grass-roots. Besides winning one of the annual Pulitzer prize awards, it has been one of the heaviest sellers of this novelist’s many successes. + + + WITH notable cast, and a story that makes a deep popular appeal, the David Smith production, “The Code of the Wilderness,” issued by Vitagraph, is proving a winner, according to reports from the offices of the distributing organizations. It is an adaptation of the thrilling drama of the burnt grass land by Charles Alden Seltzer, whose tales of the old West have won for him a host of readers. The leading roles in the picturization are taken by John Bowers, Alice Calhoun, Alan Hale and Otis Harlan. C. C. Burr SIGRID HOLMQUIST has been engaged by C. C. Burr as the feminine lead to Johnny Hines in “The Early Bird” which has gone into production at the Jackson studio. Miss Holmquist recently appeared in C. C. Burr’s “Youth For Sale.” . . . Territorial sales on Johnny Hines’ latest “The Speed Spook” continue to be rapidly disposed of, the past week witnessing the closing of contracts with two additional exchanges. The most important of these perhaps is the sale of “The Speed Spook” and the two other Johnny Hines features to come, to Edwin Silverman of Film Classics Exchange of Illinois. The other purchase of the Johnny Hines series was to R. D. Lewis, 1114 West Markham street. Little Rock, (Continued from Page 55) Arkansas. These two sales close the entire middle west territory. C. B. C. PRODUCTION at C. B. C. West Coast studio is well advanced according to the schedule laid out. In the Perfection series “The Beautiful Sinner” is in the cutting rooms, “Women First” has already been shipped and “The Fatal Kiss” is practically completed. It is believed the entire series will be finished three months in advance of schedule. . . . Elaine Hammerstein will have the leading role in “One Glorious Night,” for which Scott Dunlap is now casting and which is a story by Charles MacArthur. .\nother Elaine Hammerstein featuring production, “The Midnight Express,” is well near end of production. Christie .\FTER selecting Duane Thompson to play the leading feminine role in his second independent production, Walter Hiers has started filming a travesty on reducing, under the direction of Scott Sidney. The entire series of Walter Spec ify^= lOEIB for QUALITY NEGATIVE MOTION PICTURE FEATURE RAW STOCK made by the makers of OOEIB lenses, is more orthochromatic and therefore gives better detail under poor lighting conditions. Same speed, same treatment. Geerz Positive — Perforated Goerz Negative — Perforated Sole Distributors for U. S., Olid Canada Fish-Schurman Corp. 45 West 45th Street Phone: Bryant 7243 New York City Hiers comedies will be made at the Christie studios and will be issued through Educational. . . . Neal Burns, featured comedian in Christie comedies, managed to rush through the final scenes of his latest comedy just in time to enter competition in the Del Monte golf tournament. Burns is recognized as one of the most capable golf players in the “movie” colony. + + + TWO Christie units, headed by Neal Burns and Jimmie Adams respectively, Irave started production on adjoining sets. The Walter Hiers unit, engaged in filming a comedy with fat men, is threatening to crowd the Bobby Vernon company out into the street. Scott Sidney, Harold Beaudine, Gil Pratt and Archie Mayo are engaged in directing the four companies. Century WITH product for the next four months completed and already in Universal exchanges, Century Film Corporation plans the greatest year in its history for 1925. Productions scheduled for publication up to the first of January, 1925, were completed almost a month ago and prints delivered to the exchanges, leaving the studio officials free to make plans for next year. The studios have been thoroughly repaired and enlarged sufficiently to provide for the heavy production schedule for next year. Julius and Abe Stern, president and vice-president of the organization, have been abroad digging up novel material and taking a vacation at the same time. They are expected back at the end of this month at which time they will jiroceed directly to Hollywood to personally supervise the productions for next year. Just what material the Messrs. Sterns procured while abroad, is not known at this time, but it is understood that they are negotiating for the services of one of the members of the famous Follies Bergere company to star in Centuy Comedies. It is also understood that Julius Stern has purchased several French comedies which he will have translated into English and used for his new star, Wanda Wiley. Thomas H. Ince “THE BOOKMAN,” a leading literary magazine, in a recent issue published a delightful revelation by Grant Overton, on the life and novels of Courtney Ryley Cooper, author of “The Last Frontier,” of which the screen version is now being filmed by Thomas H. Ince. Overton’s story, published under the title of “Coming! Courtney Ryley Cooper — Coming!” is, as the title suggests, a showman’s story. It tells not only about a great showman and pre-eminent author, but also answers many questions about the men who write the original stories for pictures that are to draw crowds to the box offices. Overton’s article tells what prompted Cooper to write stories especially adapted for filming, what obstacles he had to overcome in learning the showman’s viewpoint, and how he goes about writing a book that will also make a great motion picture.