Motion Picture News (Sep-Oct 1923)

1230 Motion Picture News C. B. C. Purchases New Magazine Stories MOTION PICTURE RIGHTS to two more well-known and widely discussed magazine stories have been purchased by the C. B. C. Film Sales Corporation, and will be picturized by them, it is announced this week. The first of these is " Circumstances Alter Divorce Cases," by Lewis Allen Brown, which appeared in the Theatre Magazine recently. The other story is Evelyn Campbell's " Prejudice," which appeared in the True Story Magazine. She has to her credit many screen successes picturized from her published stories, most recent among them " Yesterday's Wife," which C. B. C. also produced. Hoffman Sees Big Independent Year Truart General Manager Says Production Will Make Greatest Strides Hotel Guests See "Thief of Bagdad " in Making Through a special arrangement put into effect to exploit his forthcoming film masterpiece, "The Thief of Bagdad," the managers of the leading hotels of Los Angeles and Hollywood are provided by Douglas Fairbanks with a limited number of passes to the Fairbanks studio which they supply to out-of-town guests wishing to visit a representative motion picture plant. These passes admit the visitors in small groups under the special conduct of guides who show how the machinery works. They have brought innumerable letters of appreciation. Baltimore Exchange Buys Lee-Bradford Product A. J. McAllister, special representative of Lee-Bradford Corporation, is now in Baltimore, where he has closed with the Art Film Exchange for "Paying the Price" and "The Call of the Hills." After leaving Baltimore, Mr. McAllister will continue his trip by way of Washington and the southern territories. The Cadillac Film Corporation, of Boston, has been successful in selling to the entire Gordon Circuit, Lee-Bradford's feature entitled "Captain Kleinschmidt's Adventure in the Far North." 220 WEST 42 STREET " During the 1923-24 season independent production will make greater strides toward coming to its rightful position in motion pictures than during any previous period in the history the industry," is the statement of M. H. Hoffman, vice president and general manager of Truart Film Corporation. " The reason for this is as simple as the result is inevitable," continues Mr. Hoffman. " It is that independent producers have at last come to the realization that they must offer a product in all respects as good, and if possible better, than that which is being presented by the old-line national distributors. And, having come to that realization the independents are going ahead and making the finest quality of product on the market. " The one outstanding, proven fact in this more or less unsettled industry is that a good production, no matter whom it is produced by, be it an independent unit, an oldline producer or an individual, will meet with a great portion, even if not all, of the success it deserves. " Forecasting the independent field for the forthcoming season, therefore, becomes a simple matter. That field will realize a greater measure of success than has ever attended it before, because it is making the calibre of productions that qualify it for such success. " It is our firm conviction that independent productions will be found in just percentage in the firs> run theatres of the country, that they will in their proportion be a measure of the success of the entire industry, that they will take their place along with all other productions as outstanding in the public's knowledge of the biggest attractions of the year. " And because the industry must have independent effort to stimulate what might otherwise become a lethargy in production, because independent product fosters the competition which is a saving factor in the exhibitors' channel of the business, and because the independents are producing good pictures, 1923-24 will not only be a big independent year, but it will be one of the biggest the industry as a whole has ever known." " Richard, Lion Hearted " Due Soon Associated Authors Provide Lavish Settings for Celebrated Story NEW YORK PHONE CHICKERING 2 937 ALLAN A. LOWNES PRES. FROM a story familiar to millions of book lovers the world over, " Richard, the Lion-Hearted," a stupendous pictorial romance based on Sir Walter Scott's celebrated novel, " The Talisman," has been filmed by Associated Authors with a wealth of lavish settings and historical interest, and is now announced for immediate release by Allied Producers and Distributors Corporation. " Richard, the Lion-Hearted " inaugurates something new in the motion picture industry. While it forms in itself a complete and finished narrative, at the same time this big feature supplies a gap in the story of " Robin Hood " as produced by Douglas Fairbanks and which proved such a film sensation and has shattered attendance records in every section of the country. Combined with the Douglas Fairbanks' feature this picture presents a pictorially comprehensive record of that historical period between the time King Richard left England on the Third Crusade until his return, and the story of the " lion-hearted " monarch's adventures in Palestine has been pictured with the fine sweep of an epic and the warm appeal of romance and exceptionally strong heart interest. As the initial offering of Associated Authors, " Richard, the LionHearted " represents the best efforts of three nationally known photoplay authors and directors — Frank Woods, Thompson Buchanan and Elmer Harris. It was produced under the personal supervision of Frank Woods, with the other two experienced motion picture men in close advisory co-operation. " Richard, the Lion-Hearted " is said to have been produced on a scale that makes it truly a " spectacle." Massive sets were constructed as the background for the stirring tale that has been a world favorite for many decades. Gorgeous costumes, weapons, and scores of properties typical of the period of the Third Crusade were obtained with great effort and after weeks of painstaking research. Kathleen Clifford was cast for the role of Queen Berengaria, and Marguerite de la Motte, who has won an enviable niche for herself in costume parts, was engaged to play Lady Edith Plantagenet. John Bowers is seen as Sir Kenneth, Knight of the Leopard. Charles Gerrard, as the Sultan Saladin, ruler of the Saracens, Tully Marshal, Clarence Geldert, George Seigman and Wilbur Higby complete the remarkable cast. Reconstruct County for Pickford Feature Wolfe county, Kentucky, about the year 1870 has been reconstructed for Jack Pickford's forthcoming photoplay "Valley of the Wolf," being produced for fall release through Allied Producers and Distributors Corporation. This rural domain with its crude characteristics has been brought into actualitv in Feather River Canyon. Calif., where Jack and his company now are filming the exteriors for the new picture. The Wolfe county court-house, which, when not being used for feud-killing trials, serves as a school house, looms in the setting. The McCoy cabin is there, and "Ground-hog" Spence's shack is "just around the mountain and two giilleys, down." Fox Announces Releases for September A SPECIAL production, a William Farnum star series feature, an Imperial comedy and an Educational entertainment conclude the list of releases by the Fox Film Corporation for the first seven days of September, according to a statement this week. The special is "The Eleventh Hour," prints of which have been in the exchanges for several days, where exhibitors have been viewing it prior to bookings. The production features the two popular Fox stars, Charles Jones and Shirley Mason, and it is a film version of Lincoln J. Carter's New York stage melodrama. " The Gun Fighter " is the title of the William Farnum vehicle. Lynn Reynolds directed the photoplay. The Imperial comedy, "Why Pay Rent," is the second of this new brand to be released. It will be ready for distribution September 2. " The Mysteries of Yucatan," the Fox Educational subject, is one reel and is an exposition of the old ruins in Central America. Famous Houses Book Two Selznick Pictures David R. Blyth, director of sales and distribution for the Selznick Distributing Corporation, announces that negotiations have been completed with Harold Franklin, managing director of theatres for Famous Players-Lasky Corporation, to exhibit " Rupert of Hentzau " and " The Common Law " in their chain of theatres included in the Southern Enterprises. " This contract," continues Mr. Blyth, " takes these two pictures into the best and biggest theatres in the South, and with one or two exceptions into every city included in the circuit." This makes the second big circuit that has booked the two Myron Selznick Master Pictures to date, the West Coast Theatres, Inc., having closed for them early in the season. Set Record with " Port of Golden Opportunity " A record of 46 scenes in one day was established recently by Wedgwood Nowell in directing " The Port of Golden Opportunity," a story of the amazing development of Los Angeles Harbor produced by Standard Film Laboratories of Hollywood for World Traders of Los Angeles. All of the scenes were taken along the local water-front. A screen story with unusual entertainment values has been interwoven with facts about the industrial growth of Southern California. World-wide distribution of the film is being planned for disseminating knowledge of the trade possibilities through Los Angeles harbor.