Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

24 EXHIBITORS HERALD January 3, 1925 Service Is Vitagraph’s Pledge for Nineteen Twenty-Five Past Year Has Been the Best Company Has Known in Twenty-seven Years of Production Activities By ALBERT E. SMITH President uf Vitagraph ^'P'HE year just passing has been the best Vitagraph has known in its I twenty-seven years of service. In the beginning we pledged ourselves to produce only clean pictures, which should offer entertainment without the slightest hint of anything suggestive or morally offensive. IT has been a tenet of our long-established policy, too, to present stars of the first magnitude, whose very names carried a public appeal — hence bore also an assurance of success to exhibitors. Again, we were early to recognize the value of successful works by established authors — works which already had "sold” themselves. In picturizing such books and stories, the film not only plays a commendable part in further popularizing the best in literature, but gives exhibitors the advantage of titles that are known and approved. Happily, there has been no need for Vitagraph to repeat its pledge, to reiterate its platform. By adhering closely to the course it had set out for itself, and in following which it has had, throughout, the loyal support of the public, it has been happy to see results that spoke for themselves. ♦ * ♦ It is an encouraging fact that Vitagraph’s most successful offerings of the year have received the unanimous approval of the reviewers, not only because they provided entertainment of the first order, with superior casts, and were models of direction, but because they satisfied the most exacting demands for clean productions and were faithful picturizations of popular novels. “Captain Blood,” the David Smith production of Rafael Sabatini’s classic, with J. Warren Kerrigan and Jean Paige in the leading roles, was universally acclaimed one of the outstanding attractions of recent years. The J. Stuart Blackton production, “The Clean Heart” or “The Cruelties of Life,” from A. S. M. Hutchinson’s great novel, with Percy Marmont, Marguerite de la Motte and Otis Harlan, is of the same high class. These two pictures from the 1924-25 schedule would be, in themselves, sufficient evidence that Vitagraph has kept the faith — and with results that vindicated its stand, but they are only two of the many specials which contributed to this happy result. Released yet more recently have been Victor Hugo Halperin’s “Greater Than Marriage,” an adaptation of Louis Joseph Vance’s novel, “Joan Thursday,” with Marjorie Daw, Lou Tellegen and Dagmar Godowsky; J. Stuart Blackton’s “The Beloved Brute,” from Kenneth Perkin’s story, with Marguerite de la Mott heading a special cast, and the Whitman Bennett production, “Two Shall Be Born,” with Kenneth Harlan, Jane Novak, Sigrid Holmquist and Frank Sheridan. * * ♦ Now finished or about to be produced are the Nigh-Smith production. “FearBound,” with Will Nigh and Marjorie Daw; the Blackton production, “The Redeeming Sin,” from L. V. Jefferson’s “The Pearls of the Madonna,” in which Mme. Alla Nazimova makes her debut under the Vitagraph banner, and the David Smith productions, “Pampered Youth,” from Booth Tarkington’s best-seller, “The Magnificent Ambersons,” and “Baree, Son of Kazan,” by James Oliver Curwood. Future offerings on Vitagraph’s current schedule include also “School for Wives,” to be produced by Victor Hugo Halperin ; “Wildfire,” a Distinctive production; “Steele of the Royal Mounted” (David Smith), from the Curwood novel ; “In the Garden of Charity” (Blackton), by Basil King; “The Happy Warrior” (David Smith), another A. S. M. Hutchinsno success ; “The Alibi” (Blackton), by George Allan England; “The Road That Led Home,” by Will G. Ingersoll, and an unnamed prize-winner yet to be announced. To mention some of the early releases on the 1924-25 schedule. “Behold This Woman,” “The Code of the Wilderness,” “One Law for the Woman,” “Virtuous Liars,” “Between Friends,” “Borrowed Help Us Find . This Girl {Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK. Dec. 23. — A financial institution in New York is endeavoring to locate a Miss Helen Sinnett, a middle west girl who has recently appeared as an extra in small parts in motion pictures and whose parent died recently. The institution has information regarding an in heritance for the young lady. If any casting director, player, executive or other person in the industry has knowledge of Miss Sinnett’s whereabouts such information may be forwarded to the HERALD, which will relay it to the parties who are interested in locating the girl. Husbands,” “My Man” and “Let Not Man Put Asunder,” each one was more than generously received on its premiere and continues in heavy demand. After all, the secret of the success of a producer-distributor lies in giving the public what it wants. The gratifying fact is that, measured by Vitagraph’s triumphs in 1924, the public is satisfied only with the best. These Showmen Gave Basis for Selection of Sabatini’s Story {Continued from page 27) FRANK L. BROWNE, Liberty, Long Beach, CM. JOE CLARK, Newberry, Chicago, 111. RAYMOND PFEIFFER, Princess, Chilton, Wis. W. J. POWELL, Lonet, Wellington, O. GIACOMA BROS., Crystal, Tombstone A.riz GEORGE STARKEY, Opera House, Montour Falls, N. Y. CLYDE ALLEN, Casino, Antwerp, N. Y. A. L. HEPP, Idylhour, Greeley, Neb. JOHN ESTERL, Rex, Park Falls, Wis. H. J. EAGAN, American, Wautoma, Wis. M. W. MATTICHECK, Liberty, Kennewick, Wash. BERT SILVER, Family, Greenville, Mich. ROY W. ADAMS, Pastime, Mason, Mich. F. C. ROGERS, Grand, Creston, B. C., Can. D. E. KNORR, Pergola, Allentown, Pa. MATTE MICHELIS, Bucknell, la. E. D. MUCHOW, Hub, Gaylord, Minn. P. MOORE, Strand, McKenzie, Tenn. ROY WILKINS, New Victory, Oxnard, Cal. MRS. D. A. STEWART, Star, Ft. Lupton, Colo. B. P. McCORMICK, Liberty, Florence, Colo. EDWARD LACZYNSKI, Park, Buffalo, N. Y. ALBERT STALDER, Spicer, Akron, O. IVA SHIELDES, Queen, Tyler, Tex. S. G. HARSH. Princess, Mapleton, la. ADOLPH KOHN, Pastime, Granville, N. Y. BACK FROM EUROPE! Left to right: Richard A. Rowland, general manager of First National; Sidney R. Kent, general manager of Paramount, and Samuel Katz of Balaban & Katz, Chicago.