Motion Picture News (Sep-Oct 1923)

September 8 , 1923 1233 Santschi Has Two Big Roles in Jewels TOM SANTSCHI is completing the second of two important characterizations for Universal, both of which promise unusual interest for fans who watch for his work. The first one was the polished heavy of " Thundering Dawn," a Universal-Jewel all star production directed by Harry Garson, in which Santschi appears with Anna Q. Nilsson, J. Warren Kerrigan, Winifred Bryson and others. The second is one of the leading roles with Priscilla Dean in " The Storm Daughter," which George Archainbaud is directing. N. Y. Praise for " Daytime Wives " Newspaper Reviewers Commend Picture and Declare It Is True to Life "jQAYTIMEWIVES," starring Viola Dana Is Popular In Germany In a recent popularity contest conducted in Germany by Germany's leading film magazine, The Illustrated Film World, Viola Dana, Metro star, was adjudged the most .popular American screen star appearing on the German screen. She received more votes than any other American competitor. Although the contest was won by the German cinema stars, the American players, immediately following Miss Dana were, in this order of popularity, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Priscilla Dean and Douglas Fairbanks. Miss Dana, who has just completed " The Social Code " for Metro, under the direction of Oscar Apfel, has gone on to the filming of her newest Metro picture, Kate Jordan's story, " In Search of a Thrill," known to magazine readers as "The Spirit of the Road." It is being directed by Oscar Apfel and photographed by John Arnold. Weber, North Will Rush " It's A Boy " L. Lawrence Weber and Bobby North are hard at work on production plans of " It's a Boy," the next on the program to follow Will Nigh's "Marriage Morals" and B. P. Fineman's " Don't Marry for Money." The success of the last two pictures has been such that it has prompted the producers to speed the preliminary work on the new comedy. " It's a Boy " is by William Anthony McGuire, author of " Six Cylinder Love" and other Broadway successes, and enjoyed a prosperous run at the Sam Harris theatre, New York. Dillon Will Make Elaine Hammerstein Series Edward Dillon, who produced "Women Men Marry" for Truart Film Corporation, will be in directorial charge of the present series of Elaine Hammerstein productions being made by Truart. Dillon directed " Broadway Gold," which is already meeting with success throughout the country. He is at present assembling the cast to support the star in the picturizatton of Harold MacGrath's "Drums of Jeopardy." mond and Wyndham Standing, which opened last week for a prerelease at the Central theatre, New York, received unusual daily newspaper reports on the quality of the picture. Robert Welch, photoplay editor of the Evening Telegram, allowed his enthusiasm to run amuck, while the other dailies were almost as much in favor of the picture. Welch said : " There is a good picture at the Central theatre this week. It is entitled ' Daytime Wives,' and so true to life is it that almost every one, no matter what his station or position in life, sees himself or herself not what they are, but what they ought to be. There is a moral to it, and a study of this latest cinema will repay any one. " The theme of the story has to do with two women, one the wife of a building contractor and the other his secretary. " Throughout the story the wife indulges in everything that a dutiful wife should scorn, while the secretary is ever on the job saving money in suggestions and carrying out the hundred and one details that go to make or build a skyscraper. " A male flapper, whose expenses are paid by the wife, persuades her to believe her husband does not love her, and following a little visit to the steel skeleton building, which has been constructed to the twentieth floor, results in its complete collapse, when, during a fight with the building foreman, the husband knocks him down and a donkey engine runs wild. The collapse of trie building is a real thriller, and it also comes close to bringing ruin to the young husband. In a fit of pique the wife leaves home, only to find that the male flapper does not love her, and the curtain falls showing her repentant and in the arms of her husband, while the secretary marries a banker who has promised the husband all the money he needs with which to again start building." Smith Takes Universal Sales Reins New Department General Manager Predicts Great Prosperity for Organization EDWIN J. SMITH, Universalis new General Manager of Sales, has arrived in New York from London and has assumed the managerial mantle extended to him by Carl Laemmle, president of Universal, following the resignation of Art Schmidt, former sales chief. Smith resigned his post as general manager of the European Motion Picture Company, Ltd., of London, a big British distributing organization, to take the Universal executive position. Fired with enthusiasm for his new work and taking the sales reins at a time when Universal has a fall line-up of big pictures which is winning exhibitor approval in all parts of the country, Smith, upon arriving in New York, voiced his optimists of the future. Smith bases his prediction not only upon the big pictures Universal now has ready for release or in the making, but also on the long list of super-productions that company has projected for the coming year or year and a half. It is asserted that Universal has almost two years' supply of "bigger" pictures definitely selected and being carefully adapted for the screen by the scenario staff at Universal City. " You can't beat the combination of high class pictures and first class service and relationships," explains Smith. "Mr. Laemmle has built up the Universal Pictures Corporation on the high quality of its pictures and the constant good-will of exhibitors. " As exchange manager of Universal^ Cleveland exchange several years ago, and later as District Manager of this company's Atlantic seaboard division, I learned the value of Mr. Laemmle's 'live-and-let-live' policy and to what a great extent many exhibitors depend for their very exist ence upon his fair play methods. Add box office success to this reputation for reliability and square dealing and you have an invincible line-up. " My principal endeavor, in developing my position as general manager of sales, will be to build on this exhibitor relationship and seek new means of cementing Universal friendship." De Mille Company Back from San Francisco Cecil B. DeMille and a number of the featured players in "The Ten Commandments," the story of which was written by Jeanie Macpherson, have returned from San Francisco where an important sequence of scenes in the modern story of this Paramount Picture was filmed on and about the structural work of a new church now under construction there. In addition to Leatrice Joy, Richard Dix, Nita Naldi, Rod LaRocque, Edythe Chapman and Robert Edeson of the cast of featured players. Mr. DeMille was accompanied by his production staff including Jeanie Macpherson, author and scenarist ; Paul Iribe, art director ; Bert Glennon, chief of the camera staff and Cullen Tate, assistant director. Many Franchises Closed on Truart Product The Edward Dillon production, " Women Men Marry," featuring E. K. Lincoln and Florence Dixon, and " The Empty Cradle," Burton King's epic of womankind, featuring Mary Alden and Harry T. Morey, have been franchised to independent exchanges covering almost the entire country, it is reported by Truart. Production on "Maytime" Under Way WORK on " Maytime " has been started at B. P. Schulberg's studio. Mr. Schulberg has just announced the completed cast which will enact the Preferred version of Rida Johnson Young's famous stage play, which has been running on the stage for six years. Ethel Shannon and Clara Bow will be the leading women players, and Harrison Ford will be the hero. William Norris, who played in the stage version, will have the comedy part of Matthew. Other prominent players will be Wallace MacDonald, Netta Westcott, Josef Swickard, Martha Mattox, Robert McKim, Betty Francisco, Edna Tichenor and Mertha Truart Series Is Almost All Franchised With the consummation of two deals which had been entered into by Truart sales officials the franchising of the first series of Elaine Hammerstein productions, starting with " Broadway Gold," has almost blanketed the entire country, it is claimed. M. H. Hoffman, vice president and general manager, closed a deal with Bob Lynch ot Metro Film Exchange, Philadelphia, on this series for Southern New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. Alexander S. Aronson, general manager of sales, on a tour of the country, closed with Finkelstein and Rubin of Minneapolis, Minn., for the territory comprising Minnesota, North and South Dakota and the northern peninsula of Wisconsin, on the Hammerstein series. PAULINE GARON Featured in 'Ada Rib' "Children of the Dust" 'You Can't Fool Your Wife" "Sonny" You'll Love Her in FORGIVE AND FORGET ANOTHER C.B.C. BOX-OFFICE WINNER,