Moving Picture World (May - Jun 1918)

Mav 11. 1918 THE Mi »\ [NG PICTURE \\ ( >kl.I> 871 What Famous Players-Lasky Directors Arc Creating MARSHALL NKii.AN has completed ■Hit the Trail Holllday," the Artcraft picture starring George M. Cohan, which Anita Loos and John EmerBon adapted from the play written by Cohan. The finishing scenes were taken on Long island, among them being Incidents on a railroad train, which was chartered for the occasion, and the big strike Bcene. At the Fifty-Sixth Street studio, Emile Chautard is working on interiors of "Prince Zilah," the sensational play by Jules Claretle, starring Pauline Frederick Last week exteriors were filmed of the home of Marsa, the role played by Miss Frederick, who was a woman of Russian anil gypsy parentage residing In France, and possessed of considerable wealth. At the Fort Lee studios, Edward Jose is making rapid progress with Lina Cavalierl In "GIsmonda," notwithstanding the recent inelement weather which limited his activities to Indoor work. The last scenes of "The Danger Mark." Elsie Ferguson's picture for Artcraft, were taken by Hugh Ford, which included the beautiful Louis XVI fete, which was staged at Fort Lee. It is a costume affair resulting: in a sensational elopement at which the dramatic threads of the story are brought together for the finale, and was staged by Mr. Ford on an elaborate scale. Three new Paramount pictures were finished at the Western studios last week. Donald Crisp has completed "The Firefly of France" on good' time, and believes it to be one of the most effective pictures he has made for Paramount release. Wallace Reid is star, with Ann Little as his leading woman. George Melford has also shot the last scenes of Sessue Hayakawa's last Paramount picture, "The City of Dim Faces." This picture by Francis Marion is probably among the first genuinely realistic and accurate stories of life in San Francisco's Chinatown that has been presented. Vivian Martin has finished "Viviette" at Morosco studio. A remarkable replica of a small canal, one of those branching off the Grand Canal in Venice, with palazzos lining the banks and a flower-decked gondola floating on the placid surface of the water, is one of the excellent scenes that is being utilized at the Hollywod studio to add beauty and realism to "Old Wives for New." Cecil B. DeMille's new Artcraft special. Charles Ray and company under the supervision of Thomas H. Ince and the direction of Irvin Willat obtained fine snow scenes for "A Son of the Snows." After Dorothy Dalton is seen in "The Mating of Marcella" she will appear in "The Triple Cross," a mystery play of the present war, and then will be released a real Southern story. Enid Bennett is completing "The Desert Hating." Bill Parsons Strong for Settings. A well-appointed clubhouse is one of the many fine settings in "Bill's Baby," the first of the "Smiling Bill" Parsons Capitol Comedies, distributed by Goldwyn. The scene shows the headquarters of a Press Club, some of the members of which are newspaper men, as the sub-title facetiously states. An exterior view of the clubhouse reveals a fashionable three-story structure draped in the country's colors. Adjoining is a large garage containing four automobiles, the property of Mr. Parsons. "I have gone to great expense to make the setting of my two-reelers as elaborate as any of the big features," said "Smiling Bill." "I see no reason why short comedies should be presented with slipshod mountings, especially vehicles without slapstick." Scene from "Social Briars" (Mutual). Mary Miles Minter in "Social Briars" Leads Mutual THF. forthcoming release from the studios of the American Film Company, Inc., starring Mary Miles Minter, is "Social Briars," scheduled for release at exchanges of the Mutual Film Corporation May 6. The picture casts the golden-haired Miss Minter in a more dramatic role than she has played before and gives her opportunity to combine a more serious part with her comedy artistry and her contagious smile. The story is by Jeanne Judson, scenarioized by Edward S. Sloman, a member of the directorial staff at the American studios, and was produced under the direc "The Caillaux Case" Is Made True to Life AS A proof of the absolute timeliness of "The Caillaux Case," which William Fox has just completed for the screen, the Fox forces have announced that on the very day when dispatches from France reported the execution of Bolo Pasha, the traiter, by a firing squad at Vincennes, the Bolo Pasha of this film drama was executed at the Fox studio at Fort Lee. Every scene of the picture had been completed but the execution of Bolo. The history of the case had been followed to the minutest detail, and the senational episodes in the careers of Joseph Caillaux, "evil genius of France"; Mme. Caillaux, his wife, and Bolo Pasha, the Kaiser's agent in France and America, had been recorded up to the minute. Nothing was lacking but the definite announcement of the aroh-traitor's end. Even the set of the prison yard at Vincennes had been made, and the actors in the scene had been notified to be ready at any moment. Director Richard Stanton, anticipating the execution, awaited only the flash from the wire to go ahead with the shooting of the final act in the big world intrigue. Speaking of the filming of this great scene in "The Caillaux Case." "William Fox said the next day, "I doubt if there has ever been anything quite like it. Although this picture is a film drama which covers years of time and required many weeks to portray on the screen, its final scenes are alive with current interest. It is history and it is news." tion of Henry King. The cast contains such names as Alan Forrest, George Periolat, Ann Schaefer, Edmund Cobb, Claire Du Brey, Milla Davenport, Jacob Abrams and Frank Whitson. The Strand comedy, released May 7, starring Billie Rhodes, is titled "Over the Garden Wall." Screen Telegram Nos. 20 and 21 are released May 8 and 12. Production at U City Is' Rapidly Increasing PRODUCTION at Universal City is beins; pushed to the utmost. The big lot appears to be busier at present than at any time for several months. Not only are there several Universal special productions, comedy and serial companies working, but Bluebird and Jewel each have twro complete outfits on the big lot, and four other producing companies are taking advantage of President Laemmle's offer of several months ago to turn a portion of the big production plant over to companies with which he has no affiliation. Mae Murray is next to be starred in a photodramatization of "The Big Little Person," the well known novel by Rebecca Hooper Eastman. Robert Leonard is directing the production, and had the company in San Francisco for the past week staging metropolitan scenes from the popular romance. Bess Meredyth wrote the working scenario for the photoplay. Carmel Myers has started work under the direction of Elsie Jane Wilson in "A Penny's Worth of Love," a light comedy romance by Olga Printzlau. This picture will follow "The Marriage Lie" and "My Parisian Sweetheart," which promise to be two of Miss Myers' greatest screen successes. Nobody's Bride" is the title under which Ella Hall's latest .Universal picture is being made. Harry Pollard, who directed many of Marguerita Fisher's productions, will handle the megaphone for the petite Universal star, and Eddie Ring Sutherland, a nephew of Blanche Ring, the popular comedienne, will have the leading masculine role. Ruth Clifford and Kenneth Harlan will be the featured players in Rupert Julian's next production. "The Shadowed Man" is its working title, and, as the name sug s. it is a detective story.