Exhibitor's Trade Review (Aug-Nov 1925)

September 19, 1925 Page 47 Innovations Mark New Century Output For Coming Year JULIUS and Abe Stern, president and vice-president, respectively, of the Century Film Corporation, announce the most ambitious release program of comedies yet put forth by that company, for the season of 1925-26. Several radical steps have been taken. In the first place, they have determined to make outstanding improvements in stories, in studio facilities, in production personnel and in the quality of the players and supporting casts. Another innovation was a distinct grouping of the season's output in star series, the pictures made by each star, such as Wanda Wiley, Edna Marian and the others to be considered as a separate brand of pictures. This was decided upon when returns early this year proved that Miss Wiley and Miss Marian had built up a strong clientele and that their comedies were in demand. A third innovation was the acquisition of the screen rights for a novelty series of two-reel comedies. This is the Buster Brown Comedy series from the celebrated newspaper cartoons by R. F. Outcault. The Century Company is making these pictures as straight comedies, not as animated cartoons. The result is a high class brand of two-reelers. Two of the series have been completed so far. The Century schedule for 1925-1926 shows a contemplated release of 52 comedies, one a week during the period from August 5, 1925, to July 28, 1926. The 52 Centuries consist of a series of twelve Buster Brown-Century Comedies, a series of twelve Wanda Wiley-Century Comedies, a series of twelve Edna MarianCentury Comedies, six comedies featuring Eddie Gordon, six featuring Al Alt and four featuring Charles King. Baby Peggy in Novelty In addition, there will be a Century special production, "Little Red Riding Hood." This is a novelty two-reeler made with Peter the Great and Baby Peggy. Baby Peggy plays the role of Little Red Riding Hood, of the fairy story, and Peter the Great the role of the wolf. This two reeler is partly in hand color film. It is scheduled for release November 21, and is hailed as an excellent holiday special. H. H. Herbel, Sales Manager of Century, says: "Our product has a variety and a quality that appeals to the exhibitor. That's why so many of them are signing up for our pictures. Centuries are being shown in such circuits as the Southern Enterprise houses, Loew, the West Coast, Ascher Brothers, Lubliner and Trintz, Finklestein & Rubin and similar important chains." "Our Gang" Baseball Comedy Exploited by Mass. Exhibitor Manager Kessler, of the Atlantic Theatre, Atlantic, Massachusetts, took advantage of the Greater Movie Season, and tied up his booking of an "Our Gang" subject, titled "Giants vs. Yanks," with baseball events. He conducted a special showing of the film and invited local baseball enthusiasts to attend. The Atlantic Athletic Club turned out strong for the picture and the stunt received considerable mention in the local paper. He then issued a special program folder announcing the comedy, in true baseball fashion, listing the various "Gang" members and the positions they play in the film. Pathe News was also played on the same bill. Museum Uses "Borneo" Film Interest in the new Educational Pictures' special, "Wild Beasts of Borneo," is growing. The most recent endorsement of this remarkable film is the selection of twenty 8 x 10 stills of the animals in the picture by the office of the Director of Visual Education of the American Museum of Natural History (Dr. Clyde Fisher) for use as a Borneo series of lantern slides, to be shown and used for class instruction purposes in the New York public schools. Recognition of the scientific value of this film also comes from Asia Magazine, which will use the scenes of jungle animal life as the basis of an illustrated special article by the editor of the magazine, Mr. L. D. Froelick. Ideal Product For Christmas Season Arranged By Pathe A SERIES of Holy Land films which will afford exhibitors ideal subjects for forthcoming Christmas season programs has been acquired by Pathe. The first six subjects depict scenes of Christ's activity upon earth from the time of His birth to the bresurrection. "A Pilgrimage to Palestine," a series of twenty subjects of one-reel each, were produced by the Holy Land Film Company of Cincinnati. The first six subjects treat the scenes of Christ's activity, and the other fourteen subjects present interesting and dramatic stories of both the Old and New Testaments. The first six subjects will be available for showings on October 4th, when all Pathe branches will have prints ready for screening. Exhibitors will be able to book the subjects separately or as a group, according to their requirements. The subjects will be released at the rate of one every two weeks beginning with October 4th.