Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

March 24, 1923 1469 Shipman Releases via Hodkinson Features Made in Canadian Locales Expected to Set Up New Standards Gladys Walton in "Gossip," a Universal picture. Nell Shipman to Locate in Northern Idaho Nell Shipman, author, star and producer of American Releasing's "The Grub-Stake," made at Priest Lake, Idaho, will produce all future pictures there. Bert Van Tuyle, her manager and director, is making arrangements to obtain several hundred acres on the Lake, where a permanent motion picture village will be built. Miss Shipman's wild animal zoo, consisting of nearly 200 animals, and her kennels of forty dogs, have been quartered at the Lake since completion of "The Grub-Stake" and a permanent home is planned for them there. "We have made outdoor pictures in all parts of the country where we could find beautiful scenery," says Miss Shipman, "but Northern Idaho, especially Priest Lake, has the most wonderful and inspiring scenery for our purposes to be found anywhere. We can work there for the next ten years without using the same location twice." The Nell Shipman Company have started on a series of twelve short wild animal pictures, to be followed in the Spring by their next feature, "Over the Lasi Ridge." "Greatest Menace" Due via State Rights Mayer & Quinn has for release a new production, entitled " The Greatest Menace," which is said to deal with the drug horror in a most dramatic and realistic manner. From start to finish it is melodramatically and graphically told, the film being taken from an original story by Angela C. Kaufman. The production is the work of J. G. Mayer. The adaptation and directing are the work of Alfred Rogell. The picture will be released via state rights market. The all star cast includes such American favorites as Ann Little, Wilfred Lucas, Robert Gordon, Harry Northrup, Rhea Mitchell, Andrew MacClennan, Mildred June, " Red " Kirby, Gordon Mullen and Lew Meehan. The Resolute Film Sales, Inc., will act as personal representatives for Mayer & Quinn with Lester Blankfield as special representative in New York. ANEW storehouse has been tapped in the production of worthwhile pictures, which bids to set a new mark in this important industry. Up to date there have been few pictures that have had as their locale the Canadian wilds. Pictures have been produced using the theme of the Northwest mounted police, and stories laid in Alaska and the Yukon, but according to Mr. Shipman, Canada offers a veritable bonanza for the production of pictures, the surface of which has as yet been barely scratched. It has remained for Ernest Shipman, a Canadian by birth, to produce the first all-Canadian pictures. "The Man from Glengarry" which is being distributed by the W. W. Hodkinson Corporation can be called the first absolutely all-Canadian photoplay. The author, Ralph Connor, is a Canadian, the producer, Ernest Shipman was born in Ottawa; Henry MacRae was born in Glengarry County; the Ottawa Film Productions, Limited, financed the production, and every scene was made in Ottawa and vi cinity; not only that, but the picture was cut, printed, developed and finished in Canada, so that from the beginning to the end it is wholly a Canadian product. Among other productions from the pen of the Canadian author Ralph Connor, (The Rev. Sir Chas. W. Gordon, D.D.) which Mr. Shipman has produced and which are now playing with tremendous success are "The Sky Pilot," "God's Crucible," "Cameron of the Royal Mounted." Other pictures which will soon be released are "Glengarry Schooldays" from the pen of Ralph Connor, and "The Rapids" by Alan Sullivan, both entirely Canadian products. It is understood that Mr. Shipman is now working on several other pictures of like character. The W. W. Hodkinson Corporation have arranged with Mr. Shipman to distribute these productions, the first of which "The Man from Glengarry" will be released March 25th. Big Plans for 4 'Wonders of Sea" Extensive Preparations for Showing of Film in First-Run Theatres PLANS are fast being consummated for the release of J. Ernest Williamson's latest undersea picture, " Wonders of the Sea," now being shown on the screen of all Loew theatres, opening Monday, March 12, at Loew's State, for first run theatre. This is the picture which made its metropolitan debut of three consecutive weeks at the Rialto, Rivoli and Rialto theatres, and at the close of which engagement, it was rumored that " Wonders of the Sea " would be treated as a " special " and released on the open market at advanced prices. Just what was to be done with the Williamson " feature " remained in doubt until ten days ago, when Mr. Williamson decided that his best interests would be served by arranging for percentage exchange distribution, and accordingly, announcement was made that " Wonders of the Sea " would be distributed by the Film Booking Offices of America. This latest of J. Ernest William son's pictures was produced at an increased cost — almost double the cost of any of this producer's expensive productions, it is stated. Mr. Williamson worked almost double the period usually required for cutting and titling— new " octopus " have been added — with the result that the picture now stands a full 5,500 feet. Plans for a huge national campaign are well under way, it is announced. All of the advertising accessories commonly considered essential to the proper exploitation of a photo play feature of this caliber — and then some — will be ready within the next fifteen days. The posters, some of which are already finished, from drawings from the ablest artists in the country, are said to be particularly striking. Vera Aha, featured in " Darkness and Daylight," Albert W. Plummer's initial production for Bancroft Pictures, Inc. Clarence Burton Completes Big Roles Clarence Burton, who for three years has been playing heavies in Paramount productions at the Hollywood studio of Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, has just completed two important roles in which he appeared as heavy in " Mr. Billings Spends His Dime " and " Sixty Cents an Hour." Mr. Burton has specialized in heavies for the greater portion of his long screen career and his exceptional ability in this line has resulted in the renewal of his contract year after year by the executives of Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. Mr. Producer: There is sufficient talk of " new blood " in the industry to support a belief that this will be seen by those with whom I can do business. Briefly, I WANT TO DO YOUR NEXT CONTINUITY. I'm not an " old stager " at the game, nor yet a green hand." I'm a fiction writer with about a year's intensive studio training in the preparation of shooting scripts for my own stuff. I'd like to hear from independent producers who want thoughtful, intelligent continuity or screen originals, based upon THE FULL DEVELOPMENT OF STORY VALUES. You're not asked to buy a pig in a poke. 1 have just finished the shooting script of a picture that is shortly to go into production. To any producer who needs COMPETENT CONTINUITY, I will send, on request, and WITHOUT OBLIGATION, a copy of that script as a sample of what I am doing. You can go over it, and then, if you're convinced that I CAN DO WORK FOR YOU, let me write your next continuity on a flat-rate basis. I'm fairly familiar with picture costs and the small independent who wants economy of sets without having his picture look " skimpy " can get that kind of continuity from me WITHOUT A SACRIFICE OF STORY VALUES. Will you let me hear from you? Treve Collins, Jr. Fiction and Competent Continuity 264 Linden Avenue, Apt. 3C Brooklyn, N. Y.