Exhibitors Herald (Dec 1924-Mar 1925)

March 7, 1925 EXHIBITORS HERALD 49 Universal Leads the Coast Schedule With Twelve Units at Work {Continued from page 39) “Heart of a Temptress,” in which Barbara La Marr and Conway Tearle are featured. Announcement of its release date will be made soon. This organization has formulated an ambitious schedule of production and recently announced the acquirement of screen rights to “The White Monkey,” the novel by John Galsworthy that is one of the best sellers of the year. Miss La Marr’s appearance in “Sappho” has been shelved for the present. Work on “The White Monkey” will commence immediately upon the return of Miss La Marr from a vacation in Europe. Universal studios at Fort Lee, N. J., have been obtained for the making of future Sawyer-Lubin productions and their executive offices are located at 383 Madison Avenue, New York, with Herbert Lubin in charge. From the names in the cast of “The Little French Girl,” which went into production at the Paramount Long Island studio last week, it appears that Famous Players-Lasky Corporation intends to keep its lead in the development of new screen material. Both Mary Brian and Esther Ralston, following their excellent work in “Peter Pan” in support of Betty Bronson, were brought to New York, and in this production Mary Brian plays the title role, coming to the fore from a second lead in “Peter Pan.” Esther Ralston has a part that will give her even more opportunity than she enjoyed in the former Brenon production. Two New Players Tried Out Anthony Jowitt, a young English polo player, a personal discovery of Jesse L. Lasky’s, was given a try-out in a small part in “The Crowded Hour,” with Bebe Daniels, and his work was very encouraging. He will have a more important part in this picture and is expected to register big. Maurice Connon, one of the best known comedians on the French musical comedy stage, is another young player whose career is being carefully built up by giving him bigger parts as quickly as he can graduate into them with the acceptance of exhibitors and the public. Neil Hamilton, leading man in the last two productions from D. W. Griffith, is another important young player in “The Little French Girl” whose career goes back only a short distance to obscurity. The most famous actress in the cast is Alice Joyce. Bebe Daniels’ latest Paramount picture, “The Crowded Hour,” has been completed at the Long Island studio. The picture was directed by E. Mason Hopper from an adaptation by John Russell of Jane Cowl’s stage hit of the same name, written by Edgar Selwyn and Channing Pollock. In the role of “Peggy Laurence,” Miss Daniels has one of the best dramatic roles of her screen career. A cast of stellar proportions was engaged to support Miss Daniels, featuring Kenneth Harlan in the leading male role, T. Roy Barnes, Frank Morgan of “The Firebrand,” Helen Lee Worthing of the Follies and the film version of “The Swan,” Armand Cortez, Alice Chapin and Warner Richmond. “The Crowded Hour” was photographed by J. Roy Hunt. George Cline was assistant to Mr. Hopper. Edward Burns has been signed to play the leading male role opposite Bebe Daniels in her next picture, ‘The Manicure Girl.” Filming will be started the end of this month at the Long Island studio, under the direction of Frank Tuttle. Burns will be remembered for his work opposite Gloria Swanson in “Humming Bird.” Making Picture in Color In line with Eastern production, WilsonWetherald, Inc., is making its first full length production at the Paragon Studios at Fort Lee, N. J., the exteriors being shot in Havana, Cuba. “The White Mice” is the screen production of Richard Harding Davis’ popular story of the same name and is being directed by Edward H. Griffith, former Cosmopolitan director. Jacqueline Logan is playing the leading feminine role, while William H. Powell has the leading male role. This is Powell’s first leading role, a role he has earned through splendid work in “Under the Red Robe,” “Dangerous Money,” “Too Many Kisses” and many other pictures, where he has shown himself to be one of the screen’s most popular actors. Others in the cast include Reginald Sheffield. Ernest Hilliard, nephew of the great Robert Hilliard, Bigelow Cooper, Harland Knight, Marie Burke, Dick Lee, Lucius Henderson, F. Vaux Wilson and William Wadsworth. “The White Mice” is being shot in color. Marcel Le Picard, former D. W. Griffith cameraman, is shooting this production. Assisting him are Jack Van der Broek and Lester Lang. Will Produce “Headlines” Eastern production for Associated Exhibitors continues to boom. St. Regis Pictures Corporation, which recently completed “Bad Company,” which will have its premiere next month on Broadway at the Piccadilly theatre, has started to work on a new picture at the Tec-Art Studios. The new production will be based on the story, “Headlines.” Tom Terriss will begin work next month on the first of a series of productions for Associated Exhibitors. The first will be an adaptation of “My Buddy’s Wife,” by T. Howard Kelly. J. W. Schleiff, formerly with Selznick, is in charge as production manager. Whitman Bennett has started work on his second production for Associated Exhibitors. This picture will be made at the Whitman Bennett studios at Yonkers. The three leading roles are being played by Lionel Barrymore, Johnnie Walker and Marguerite de la Motte. The story is Dana Rush’s adaptation of LeRoy Scott’s novel, “Children of the Whirlwind.” Smith Heads “U” Unit Universal has signed E. L. Smith as production manager of its new Eastern unit. The first picture to be made will be an adaptation of the Saturday Evening Post story, “Once a Peddler,” by Hugh MacNair Kahler. Smith was one of the organizers of Inspiration Pictures. During the past year he has been producing independently with Will Nigh, who will direct “Once a Peddler.” This picture is being made at the Fox studio. Whitman Bennett has completed the cast for his next production, to be made at the studio in Yonkers. The three leading roles will be played by Lionel Barrymore, Johnnie Walker and Marguerite de la Motte. The story is to be Dana Rush’s adaptation of LeRoy Scott’s novel, “Children of the Whirlwind,” which had an enormous success when first issued and which is now being republished in a cheaper edition. The story may be described as a “regeneration crook play,” and shows both extremes of New York life . . . the poor and the very rich ; the honest and the dishonest. Preparing for Eighth Picture Plans are under way for the production of the eighth and last picture on Banner Productions annual schedule. This picture will be made in the Whitman Bennett studios in Yonkers. Messrs. Briskin and Davis are planning on making at least four other productions in the East, and they will come under the schedule of at least eight for the coming year. Sam J. Briskin said : “We are planning some innovations the coming season, and within a short time we will have some unusual announcements to make of our plans for the coming year. They will pertain both to production and to sales.” Clara Kimball Young returns to the screen, after an absence of almost a year, in Ivan Abramson’s new production, “Lying Wives.” Splendid supporting screen and stage favorites have been cast around her, under Abramson’s personal direction. The story, too, is the product of Ivan Abramson. Among a cast of film players such well known people as Madge Kennedy, Edna Murphy, Richard Bennett, Niles Welch and Buddy Harris will be seen in important roles. Interiors are being made at Tec-Art studio in New York. Max Abramson came East to supervise continuity work and write the titles. Ben Blake is assisting Ivan Abramson with the directing. Frank Zuker is doing the cinematography work. Herman F. Jans, president of Jans Productions, will begin the filming of the third of his series of six independent pictures immediately after he returns from his present tour of the key cities. For the third of his productions Mr. Jans has selected “Married ?” the novel by Marjorie Benton Cooke, the screen rights to which he recently acquired. The story offers two leading roles, a young New York society girl and the athletic manager of a California ranch, with several other parts of importance. “Married?” follows “Playthings of Desire” and “The Mad Dancer” on the Jans schedule will be made in the East. The Jackson studio in the Bronx is humming with activity on “The Cracker Jack,” Johnny Hines’ latest feature for East Coast Films, Inc. Production at the New York studio has been in full swing since last Wednesday when Johnny Hines, Sigrid Holmquist, J. Barney Sherry, Bradley Barker and Horace Haines returned after five weeks of consistent exterior filming at Miami, Fla. It is expected by C. C. Burr that the next three weeks will witness completion of the interiors, with release of “The Cracker Jack” slated for March 15. At Miami, Fla., Patheserial company is working under the direction of George B. Seitz on a ten-chapter serial, “Sunken Silver.” This is an adaption from the Albert Payson Terhune novel which enjoyed a big sale under the title of “Black Csesar’s Clan.” Allene Ray is the featured player. Director John S. Robertson has started shooting the third sequence of “Soul-Fire,” the screen adaptation of Martin Brown’s, study of a young musical genius, starring Richard Barthelmess. Bessie Love plays Teita, the heroine of this episode in the life of the young composer, Eric Fane, the action taking place in the Marquesas Islands of the South Seas. The portion of the story unfolding within the native hut of Teita is being filmed at the Tec-Art studios in East Forty-eighth Street, New York, and on March 1 Mr. Barthelmess and his company will go to Florida for the South Sea exteriors. Warners to Stay Alone (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, Feb. 24. — Warner Brothers declared emphatically that the company will not affiliate with any distributing company, according to a statement by H. M. Warner, president, last week. All rumors to the contrary were denied.