Exhibitor's Trade Review (Aug-Nov 1925)

September 19,1925 Page 9 FOUR COMPLETED BY FIRST NATIONAL Five New Productions Get Under Way Also Last week saw the finish of photography, with the exception of some clean up shots, on four flew First National releases. Colleen Moore's new Starring vehicles, directed on the West Coast by John Francis Dillon, under the supervision of John E. McCormick, "We Moderns," from Israel Zangwill's play, is one of them. In the supporting cast are Jack Mulhall, Claude Gillingwater, Dorothy Seastrom, Louis Payne, Cleve Morison and other well known film players. John M. Stahl has finished photography on his own original story, "Memory Lane," for First National. Benjamin Glazer prepared the continuity. Among the roster of players are El eanor Boardman, Conrad Nagel, William Haines, Dot Farley, John Standing, Kate Price and Earl Metcalf. Inspiration Pictures has also finished photography on its new Richard Barthelmess picture for First National, "The Beautiful City," in which Dorothy Gish plays opposite the star. The final shots on Robert T. Kane's initial production for First National, "The New Commandment," from Frederick Palmer's novel, "Invisible Wounds," were made. Howard Higgin directed. In the cast are Blanche Sweet, Ben Lyon, Claire Eames, Holbrook Blinn, Dorothy Cumrnings, Effie Shannon, Pedro de Cordoba, George Cooper, Diana Kane and Lucius Henderson. The first two weeks in September saw photography begin on five new productions for First National. The first is already in production, shooting having started on September 3rd. This is the new Corinne Griffith picture being made by E. M. Asher, "Caesar's Wife," from the story by W. Somerset Maugham. A new title will probably be selected for it. Irving Cumrnings is directing. In the cast supporting Miss Griffith are Malcolm McGregor, Percy Marmont and Warner Oland. Next to go into production will be Edwin Carewe's production of "Joanna With a Million," from H. L. Gates' widely published newspaper serial, "Joanna," which ge:s unaei way this week. Dorothy Mackaill has the lead. Others in the cast are George Fawcett, Paul Nicholson, John T. Murray and Yvonne Carewe. C. C. Burr will get under way with his Johnny Hines picture for First National, "Rainbow Riley," from Thompson Buchanan's play, "The Cub," this week. Charles Hines will direct. Two pictures are scheduled to begin shooting next week. One is Inspiration Pictures' new Richard Barthelmess production, "Just Suppose," from A. E. Thomas's play, the other the second of Robert T. Kane's pictures for First National, "Bluebeard's Seven Wives." * ,i * ; * , . KELLY ON HINES STORY Following close on the completion of "The Live Wire," Johnny Hines' initial starring production for First National, C. C. Burr has engaged Anthony Paul Kelly to write the scenario of Hines' First National vehicle, "Rainbow Riley," adapted from Thompson Buchanan's original stage play, "The Cub," in which Douglas Fairbanks appeared on the legitimate stage. * * * WELLMAN SIGNED BY COLUMBIA William Wellman, one of the best known of the younger directors, has been signed by Columbia and will start on a feature starring Dorothy Revier. fcagnty I'eatures Have Been Made in the rour Walls o Monster Eastern Plant. t famous rlayers-Lasky s i Paramount L. I. Studio Celebrates Fifth Year ON September 11 the Paramount Long Island Studio celebrated the fifth anniversary of its founding with the busiest whirl of production it has ever had. For that reason there was no gala birthday party or anything of the sort. The schedule showed six companies hard at work. During the past five years eighty feature length photoplays have been turned out of the Astoria studio. The huge, armory-like structure across the East River has more than justified the laitn of its founders. Considered in the nature of a costly experiment five years ago, tne Long Island studio has demonstrated that pictures can be made just as successfully in New York as in California. A generous share of the credit for the sue cessful operation of the Long Island studio is awarded by those intimate with film production to Edwin C. King, its general man ager. Mr. King has achieved the difficult task of combining the artistic faculties of the film producer with the economical efficiency of the head of a vast business enterprise. He makes the wheels of production grind smoothly with never a delay in schedule. The studio has been busy continuously with the exception of one span of ten months two years ago when a surplus of Paramount product caused a cessation of activity. Although actual sets were constructed in the studio during August of 1920, it was not until September that John Robertson, then directing "Sentimental Tommy," moved his cameras in and began photography. "Money Mad," a George Fitzmaurice production, commenced at about the same time. Followed almost immediately Billie Burke's "The Education of Elizabeth," and Thomas Meighan's "The Quarry," part of which was filmed on the West Coast later. The Long Island studio is complete in itself as a production center. It has its own scenario and editorial staffs under the supervision of William Le Baron and E. Lloyd Sheldon. It maintains its own art, carpentry machine, wardrobe, dressmaking and casting departments ; several warehouses in which set furnishings are stored, a laboratory and a film storage depot. This laboratory is one of the marvels of the studio. It employs 160 persons and turns out an average of 1,300,000 feet of film every week. The film storage depot has millions of feet of film in reserve subject to call from the exchanges. Besides all these activities, the studio is now engaged in an undertaking which gives promise of being one of the most significant in film history. That is the Paramount Pictures School where sixteen especially chosen talented young men and women are receiving a most comprehensive course in every phase of screen acting. It is confidently expected that at the end of their six months course some of these students will be worthy of playing important roles. Along his line, studio officials, including Mr. Le Baron, Mr. Sheldon and William Cohill, casting director, are constantly search ing among New York stage people tor the suitable movie talent. They find that their nroblem is considerably different than that of the West Coast in this respect. The Hollywood studios can always call upon a big sup ply of trained movie talent. The Long Island studio is obliged to obtain actors from the legitimate stage for important parts. $695,724.61 PROFIT The Famous Players-Lasky Corporation in its consolidated statement, which includes the earnings of subsidiary companies, reports net profits of $695,724.61 for the three months and $2,051,532.71 for the six months to June 27, 1925, after deducing all charges and reserves for Federal income and other taxes. After allowing for payment of dividends on the preferred stock, the above earnings amount to $2.16l/2 per share for the three months and $7.04 per share for the sixmonths, on the 243,431 shares of common stock outstanding on June 27, 1925.