Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

36 EXHIBITORS HERALD January 3, 1925 Pretty Carmen De Rue^ once a favorite kiddie star and noxc a budding ingenue of 27 plans to spend her Christmas on the sands of the Pacific. Her father is Eugene De Rue^ comedy director. On January 18 "The Hunted Woman,” from James Oliver Curwood’s story will be released. Seena Owen and Earl Schenk are in the leading roles. “Hunting Wild Animals in Hollywood,” the last giant special, will be ^ Fox Anniversary Week special release. By J. S, WOODY General Manager of Associated Exhibitors Associated Exhibitors will start the year with a second group of five pictures of the season’s program of thirty-two. There is every assurance that the year will be a banner one in the history of this organization. The second group will be of the big feature variety. Leading the list is Wesley Barry’s first production for Associated Exhibitors, an adaptation of the Saturday Evening Post story, “Battling Bunyan,’’ by Raymond Leslie Goldman. The production was made by the Crown Productions, of which W. D. Russell is active head. Paul Hurst directed while the supporting players are Landers Stevens, Pat Kemp, Molly Malone, Johnny Ralasco, Harry Mann, Frank Campeau and Frankie Fields. The great Chicago Fire of 1871 is the dramatic basis on which “Barriers Burned Away” is laid. It is an adaptation of the novel by the same title written by E. P. Roe. The story and scenario were written by Leah Baird and made under the direction of W. ? Van Dyke, Frank Mayo, Mabel Ballin, Harry T. Morey, Wanda Hawley, Thoma; Santschi, Arline Pretty, Lawson Butt and William V. Mong head an excellent cast A Hal Roach feature-length comedy drama, featuring Glenn Tryon under the title of “The White Sheep,” is the third of the group. This production was personally written and directed by Hal Roach. It covers one of the most laughable situations ever put on the screen. Blanche Alehaffey supports Tryon. The fourth picture is “The Greatest Love of All,” starring George Beban. Mr. Beban declares that this is the greatest picture of his screen career. Alma Rubens, Frank Mayo and H. B. Warner are the featured players in “Is Love Everything?” the fifth release. This is a Murray W. Garsson production and deals with a question that is uppermost in the minds of the public today. MARCUS LOEW Looks for Biggest Year Marcus Loew, president of Metro-Goldwyn Distributing Corporation, looks for the biggest year, from the standpoint of box office prosperity, in the annals of motion pictures and the theatre, zvhen igas shortly rolls around. As a result of his analysis of the situation during his recent trip West, he is confident of a big year of prosperity ahead. "There will be no slump,” he stated to interviewers this week, "for the reason that caution, necessary to the adjustment of business since the war, has been excercised. Conservatism has been applied where it was needed, and the period of stress has been weathered by fractional production in mills, factories, the film business, in all branches of amusement, in fact. "Especially has this been true in the motion picture field. Conditions have been (Continued on page 38J Do You Remember? (.Continued from page 34) live July 2, and seat tax. Theatres respond by preparing to reduce prices to public or increase quality of entertainment. « Production of “Ben Hur” in Italy is halted and Fred Niblo sent to succeed Charles Brabin as director, and Ramon Novarro to succeed George Walsh as star. « Western Missouri and Kansas City, Mo., exhibitors lose long court fight to defeat the “music tax.” Announce determination to carry case to the supreme court. • William Brandt, retiring as president of New York M. P. T. O., makes unsuccessful effort to hold national “harmony” exhibitor meeting at Buffalo. July Producers Distributing Corporation is chosen as the new name of the reorganized W. W. Hodkinson Corporation. « State theatre at Lorain, O., is demolished by tornado with severe loss of life to patrons. • First National announces it will deliver “The Sea Hawk” to exhibitors who contracted for “a Frank Lloyd special,” ending threatened dispute. • D. W. Griffith reported to have signed a contract to produce three pictures for Famous Players-Lasky. Motion picture industry is among the first to take advantage of new air mail. First film package sent by air mail from Coast to Coast is from John B. Rock in New York to Albert E. Smith in Los Angeles. Agitation to move all production East brings score of statements from West Coast producers that Los Angeles will always be the “film capital.” August Northwest exhibitors open fight on free exhibitions under auspices of merchants’ associations. * De Forest announces successful completion of his long experiment in “talking movies.” Issue of Herald containing Fox (Continued on page 38)