Motion Picture News (Mar-Apr 1923)

1964 Motion Picture News Comedies, Short Subjects & Serials Educational Subjects on Selected List FIFTY-FOUR Short Subjects released by Educational Films Exchanges, Inc.. are listed in the catalog of Selected Pictures just issued by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. Seven of these Short Subjects are classified as "especially well done." Every Educational Pictures Special released during the the period covered by this catalog of subjects recommended for " The Family Program, Young People and Special Entertainments," is given this formal approval by the National Board. These include "The Battle of Jutland," " The Enchanted City," by Warren A. Newcombe, "How to Grow Thin," " Man vs. Beast," the thrilling African hunt picture, and " Via Radio," produced under the supervision of Scientifit: American. Seven Wilderness Tales by Robert C. Bruce are listed, as are eight of the two-reel "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" from the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, five Tony Sarg's Almanac, eleven Christie Comedies, three Torchy Comedies, three Campbell Comedies, three Mermaid Comedies, two Hamilton Comedies, three Earl Hurd Comedies, two Toonerville Comedies by Fontaine Fox, one Lyman H. Howe's Hodge-Podge, and one Selig-Rork Photonlay. Christie Completes Snow Scenes at Truckee Al Christie has returned to Los Angeles after his trip to Truckee where he took Dorothy Devore and a company to film the snow scenes for the Educational-Christie Comedy. " Winter Has Came." He is shooting the interiors for the picture. Supporting Miss Devore are Babe London, Earl Rodney, Lydia Yeamans Titus, William Chapman, and Victor Rodman. "Winter Has Come" is announced as a May release. Chaplin, Baby Peggy Divide Honors The Kinema Theatre of Los Angeles is running " Peg o' the Movies" in conjunction with Chaplin's "The Pilgrim." The picture was highly praised by the critics and the theatre gave it special advertising. Electrical signs divided prominence between the two stars; the electrical signs on the canopy were divided, the right side to Baby Peggy and the left side to Chaplin. Kinograms Claims News Scoop Educational Contends Western Edition Big Events Items >corec on Th ree KINOGRAMS, Educational's news reel, scored a 48-hour beat over all other news reels with the three biggest news items of the day in the western edition of the reel for the week ending April 7th, according to Educational. The Olympic landed at New York late Wednesday afternoon with the biggest and finest shipment of pictures from Europe received in many months. A few hours later Kinograms had shipped to the west a most interesting news reel. Thrilling scenes opened the reel of the classic Oxford-Cambridge race on the Thames, in which two Americans, Mellen ot New York, the stroke, and R. K. Kane, formerly of Harvard, as No. 4, helped to row Oxford to a glorious victory. From Goldsborough, England, came a subject that will be of keen interest — views of the christening of Princess Mary's son. The rites took place in Yorkshire village, the ancestral home of the baby's father. Lord Lascelles. The King is shown at the ceremony that made the first grandchild of the English royal house, George Henry Hubert Lascelles. To the people of England, however, the youngster is still " Harry." America won honors in another great sporting event, the Grand National, the greatest of steeplechases, at Aintree, England. Sergt. Murphy, owned by " Sonny " Sanford, won by three lengths this four-and-a-half-mile race over the most difficult course in the world. He is the first American-owned horse to win the Grand National in eighty-three years of its running. Twenty-eight horses started the race, which was witnessed by a throng of 100,000, but only seven finished the course over the difficult jumps. The shots of this thrilling race in Kinograms made one of the finest race subjects ever shown in a news reel. Varied Program in Pathe Release Kiser Artfilm, "Weeping Waters," Shares Honors with "Plunder" Episode OF the nine releases making up Pathe's program for April 22, the chief attraction of novelty lies in the one-reel Kiser Artfilm, " Weeping Waters," in the Oregon Trail Series. The story of this scenic is based on an Indian legend of the Oregon country in which the sorcery of a witch woman dooms the Indian lover and perpetuates the soul of the maiden as the guardian of Weeping Waters when they have closed over the lover's head. In " Plunder's " thirteenth episode the heroine and her lover apparently are doomed to a most horrifying fate among crazed natives of a South American jungle where they are overcome by the poisonous fumes of the " Swamp of Lost Souls." This is the penalty they pay in their final effort to secure control of the New York business block beneath which has lain for three hundred years a treasure of enormous value and mystery. " Speed the Swede," the one-reel Hal Roach comedy release starring Paul Parrott, places the hero, of New York, in Stockholm, where nobody has more English than he has Swedish. When a pretty flapper, to get rid of him, gives him a paper oh which she has written in Swedish : " Keep away from me. I just escaped from the Pest House," he becomes the center of a panic which finally reduces him to starting back home in a rowboat. With Henry Cat and Farmer Al Falfa throwing dice while the whole universe seems to tumble about their ears, the Aesop's Film Fable of " The Gamblers " elucidates the moral : " Never Gamble in a Hen House." Pathe News Nos. 34 and 35 screen highlights of current world events, and " Topics of the Day " scintillate with witty new angles. In Pathe Review No. 16 the new Pathecolor series deals with "The First Americans " in New Mexico. Laurel' s"NoonWhistle" Is Due Soon Pathe predicts instant exhibitor and patron approval of the firs/ three films thus far received starring Stan Laurel in Hal Roa/Ji one-reel comedies, in alternation with Paul Parrott. These prints are said to reveal popular laughter elements in which Laurel's uniquely comic personality shines beyond ex> pectations, while the productions as a whole are fully up to anything of the kind the Hal Roach studios have turned out. The first Stan Laurel release on the Pathe schedule, shortly forthcoming, is "The Noon Whistle," which is said to present a familiar subject with new and exceedingly comic trimmings. "The Noon Whistle" will be followed either two or four weeks later with the star exhibiting his burlesque talents in a travesty called "Under Two Jags." Tom McNamara Back with "Our Gang" PROMISE of indefinite continuation of the tremendous vogue of " Our Gang " Comedies is contained in Pathe's announcement that Hal Roach has re-engaged Tom McNamara to alternate with Bob McGowan in directing the unterrified youngsters who appear in these tworeelers. The celebrated cartoonist of " Us Boys " directed " The Cobbler" and "Boys to Board " while going on with his newspaper comic "strips." But it was exacting work, and the pressure of his newspaper engagements made it necessary for him to quit the picture field temporarily. McNamara is now back on the Hal Roach lot giving Our Gang and its " Zoo " accessory his undivided attention. Baby Peggy Completes Last Two-Reelers What will be Baby Peggy's last two-reel Century Comedy has just been completed under the tentative title of " The Orphan." Alf Goulding, the director of the most of her pictures, returned to the Century lot from his sick bed to take over the direction of the final scenes. The next picture will be a fivereel made at Universal City and directed by Elsie Jane Wilson. " The Orphan " will make the fortieth two-reel Century Comedy in which Baby Peggy appeared since she began her screen career when she was not quite two years old. Beside Baby Peggy others in the cast are Lillian Worth, Charlotte Rich and John Ralesco. Fred Spencer Comedy Title Changed Fred Spencer's first Century released as " Gasoline Love," will have its title changed to " Speed Bugs." In recognition of his excellent work in this, his first featured Century ^Comedy, Spencer signed a long contract with the Stern Brothers. It is understood that Spencer is to have some leading "heavy" roles which will agree with his 325 pounds, and that two stories have already been purchased for his use. Jimmy Aubrey's Latest Is "The Detective'' The newest Jimmy Aubrey comedy is "he Detective" in which Aubrey does some thrilling stunts which end in laughs. Hellen Kesler plays opposite Jimmy in this comedy.