The Film Renter and Moving Picture News (Apr-Jun 1922)

May 20, 1922. THE FILM RENTER & MOVING PICTURE NEWS. 13 STOLL’S FOURTH ANNIVERSARY. A Record of Rapid Growth and Amazing Development. NLY four years! It seems almost incredible that the — Stoll Film Company, Ltd., can be so young an organisa tion as to be celebrating the fourth anniversary of its formation on the 3rd of this month. To-day the name of the company is as familiar in the mouths of picture-goers as that of any company in the wide world. Small Beginnings. Four years ago it) began its career in one modest room at Coliseum Buildings; to-day it has a head office in’ Oxford Strect, a publicity department: in Greek Street, and branch offices all over the kingdom, and the company, in conjunction with Stoll Picture Prcductions, Ltd.—has turned out a number of striking film plays. From that modest room in St. Martin's Lane it has blossomed one out into a gigantic concern with one of the biggest renting businesesses in the United Kingdom, and the biggest film producing studio in Murope. And yet four years there no Stoll Filin Company and there were no Stoll films! ago was A Dynamic Personality. Progress such as this reflects the .greatest credit upon all concerned, and is a clear indication of very keen brains behind the scenes.. The name of ** Stoll” has, of course, been a power in the entertainment werld for many years past, so that with Sir Oswald Stoll for its chairman the company started under the happiest possible auspices. But the rapid rise and wide development ef the company is in no small meastre due to the dynamic personality, acumen, and driving feree of its managing director, Jeffrey Bernerd.... Mr. Bernerd is the youngest managing director in the industry to-day—ho four years younger when Sir Oswald Stoll entrusted him with the fortunes of the newly-formed company. Jeffrey Bernerd has an energy which communicates itself to those who work with him, and the executive members of his staff have something more than mere esteem for him—he inspires in them a real affection. was Encouraging the British Author. In the first instance, as already recorded, the Stoll Film Company. Ltd., handled only American pictures, but Jeffrey Bernerd has always had the interest of British kinematography at heart, and even in the early davs he acquired several pictures produced in the country by the British Actors’ Film Company, Ltd. Then came the acquisition of a small and none too ‘convenient studio at Kew, the engagement of Maurice Elvey as the firm's first preducer, and the, making, of the first Stoll Digitized by Goc gle JEFFREY BERNERD, film, ‘* Comradeship.”’ Soon afterwards a = more ambitious scheme was formulated and embarked upon, namely, the production of Stoll film plays from the works of famous British authors. ‘' The Keeper cf the Door,” from Ethel M. Dell's extremely popular novel, was followed by ‘* Rocks of Valpre,”’ from the sume authoress’s equally popular story. Then came ‘* God’s Good Man,”’ from Marie Corelli’s much-discussed work of fiction. And round about this time the old Windsor studio at Surbiton first hired and then purchased by the firm. was Big Developments. The work of film) production developed side by side with the development of the — renting affairs of the company, till the time came to launch out on an A sister compans, Stoll Picture Productions, Ltd., was formed, with Jeffrey Bernerd and W. Gordon Michie even b'geer seale. as its co-manaving directors; additional producers were en gaged, and after the ban which then existed on so-called ‘luxury building *? had negatived a fine scheme for the building of an extensive studio in the grounds of the old one, building in Temple Road, Cricklewood (which had been an factory during the war), Was acquired and transequipped studio. of | immense the enormous aeroplane formed into a provortions. perfectly 93 Pictures Made. In this building (and out of it) the making of Stoll pictures had proceeded apace ever since, and in considerably less than the four years of the parent. company’s existence no fewer than 98 pictures have been made. These include such productions as “Mn Wu,” At the Villa Rose,” ‘* The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,’’ ** The Yetlow Claw,’ ‘t The Fruitful Vine,” ete. Standing to-day on the threshold of its fifth year, the Stoll Film Company, Ltd., in spite of trade depression and industrial distress, and the bad effect on the entertainment world these twin evils must necessarily exert, is in a sound financial position, and is generally acknowledged to be one of the big forces which count in the advancement of the British film industry. Mr. J. Van Gelder informs us that he is severing his connection with the Victoria Pieture Theatre, Hoe Street, Walthamstow, and has taken up a position as South Coast répresentative for Associated First National Pictures, Ltd. He starts with his new firm on May 15, Original from NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY