The Film Daily (1918)

14 afcHM DAILY Sunday, August 25; 1918 Screen Version of Great Stage Meller Should Pull Business The Box Office Analysis for the Exhibitor Tom Santschi in "THE STILL ALARM" Selig=Pioneer F. F. Corp'n — State Rights Being :i film version <>f one of our most famous stage mellers. this will undoubtedly pull considerable business, especially in the smaller towns. The names of Tom Santschi and Bessie Eyton should mean something at the box office, especially that of Santschi. who has appeared in many Seli^ productions, notably, "The Spoilers." and "The Garden af Allah." He gives a very convincing and likable performance in this and we also have him in a fight, although it is not sufficiently thrilling to warrant mentioning in your ads. We hare several well-handled incidents in this which make ir apparent that a real director was on the job. but the slip-shod manner in which the print I saw had been assembled, made it very apparent that someone had been tampering with it after it left the studio. I wouldn't accuse Selig of knowingly letting it go out in this condition. In advertising this I would concentrate on the fa:ct that this is a film version of one of our greatest stage melodramas. In the smaller towns especially, where a fire run is an event rather than a common occurrence, there is a certain fascination in fires and fire department runs as well as the daily life -of a fireman that is intensely interesting to most folks. As this production is centered about the exploits of a New York fireman and shows several thrilling fire runs, it should have quite an appeal in certain communities. You might steal the idea that S. Barrett McCormick used on "Blue Jeans" by using catchlines like this: "Who played the role of the fireman hero when "The Still Alarm' was a great stage success? Ask Dad — He Knows." Georc^ Loane Tucke / director cjr ^feManx Man" l^d<$< a Million" ^Cinderella Man' !foan of Plattstur^f I Li 1,1.; Ii:, I ' ' ir-"" DXO mm?