Motion Picture News (May-Jun 1925)

2934 Motion Picture News I. M. P. P. D. A. Influence Grows Steadily John Lowell, who was pro-tem president of the I. M. P. P. D. A. during the convention at Milwaukee. THE impetus whicli the Independent Motion Picture Producers and jJistiibutors Association gained under the able direction of its leaders at the recent convention at Milwaukee, continues to caiTV this organization forward to a position of power and influence. The direct reflection of the tonic effect which the growing strength of the I. M. P. P. D. A. is having upon the men who have joined its ranks is a greater confidence concemitig file future, a sense of security that the way lias been opened for them to develop according to their individual abilities, and as parts of a well organized body their companies will be unhampered by restrictions which formerly they were unal)le to combat and which imjieded their natural growth as legitimate business enterprises. The membership of the I. M. P. P. D. A. has grown steatlily since the convention where the move to bring in state right exchanges was initiated and carried through. This move, perhaps, was the most important ]>liase in the development of the organization. It has established a spirit of cooperation on a wider and more imposing scale among the inde])en(lent factions of the industry. Perhaps the greatest single accomplishment of the I. M. P. P. D. A. since it came into being some time ago was the support it was able to give to the movement to create a Bureau of Trade and Comei'ce in accordance with the vjlan of Sydney S. Cohen. For it is this latter organization which will bring into being the Play Date Bureau, and ui)on that tiie independent producers, distributors and exchange men are banking to get them the representation they have so long needed and so long lacked. The membership of the I. M. P. P. D. A. up to the time of this week's meeting, at which the applications of many prospective members were to be acted upon includes the following : Producers and Distributors — Arrow Film Corp., Artclass Pictures Corp., Aywon Film Corp., C. B. C. Film Sales Cor})., Chadwick Pictures Corp., Gerson Pictures Corp., Independent Pictures Corp., Lee-Bradford Corp., Lowell Film Productions, Lumas Film Corp., Tri-Stonc Pictures, Inc., Rayart Pictures Corp., Wm. D. Russell Productions, Wm. Steiner Productions Tiffany Pictures, Inc., Producers Distributing Guild, Da^-is Distributing Division, B. P. Schulberg, Inc., Chesterfield Motion Picture Corp., Henry Ginsberg Pictures Corp., Ivan Players, Inc., all of New York ; Anchor Film Distributing Corp., Ben Wilson Pict. Corp., Sunset Productions, Hercules Productions, Inc., and Bischoff, Inc., all of Hollywood. Exchanges — Capitol Film Exchange, Inc., Renown Pictures, Merit Film Corp., Commonwea'th Film Exchange, Kerman Films, Inc., all of New York; Progress Pictures, Inc., Exclusive Film Service, Renown Pictures, Celebrated Players Film Corp., Security Pictures, Epic Film Attractions, Inc., all of Chicago; Masterpiece Film Attractions, 20th Century Film Co., Liberty Film Corp., American Feature Film Co., De Luxe Film Co., Inc., all of Philadelphia; Jack Weil Pictures, Progress Pictures Corp., United Film Service, all of St. Louis. Mo. ; Progress Pictures Corp., and SkirboU Gold Seal Prod. Inc., of Cleveland ; Supreme Film Corp., Indei)endent Films. Inc., Golden Distributing Corp., Grand-Arrow Film Exchange, a'l of Boston; Columbia Film Service, Inc., S. S. Film Exchange, Supreme Photoplay Co., of Pittsburgh; Celebrated Film Players Corp., Milwaukee; Midwest Film Exchange, Standard Film Exchange, Kansas City, Mo.; Independent Film Co., Liberty Filnas, Inc., Fontenelle Film Co., Omaha, Neb. ; Progress Pictui-es, Inc., Atlanta, Ga. ; Advance Film Exchange, Minneapolis, Minn. ; State Film Service, Indianapolis, Inc., Trio Productions, Washington, D. C; First Graohic Exchange, BufTa'o, N. Y. Gotkam^s New Sclieclule Nears T"T TITH the final camera work on "The Y/V Police Patrol" completed last Satur' ' day, Sam Sax announces that one third of his season's schedule of twelve productions is now i-eady and the lialance of the ])ictures well uiuler way with final delivery for the entire dozen set for early Summer. With the season's jiroduction schedule all cleaned up early before the Fall sea.son starts ample time will be had to give each picture aderpiate exploitation and all delays of every nature will be avoided. Already delivered and ready for release is the first of the list. This is a railroad thriller entitled "The Overland Limited" and has a climax depicting "The Overland Limited" running away with a maniac at the throttle. The cast of principals in this picture is headed bv Alice Lake, Malcolm McGregor, Ethel Wales, Chas. "Buddy" Post and many others of equal fame. The story being by James J. Tynan, noted scenarist and author of "The Great Divide." Second on the list and with the negative already cut and titled is the screen version of James Kvrle McCurdy's plav "A Little Girl in a Big City." Gladys Waltf)n. Ni'es Welch, Mary Thurman, Barney SheiTy, Helen Shipman, Sally Crute and Coit Albertson have the leading roles in this drama of what becomes of young girls who ar(^ drawn to New York by the lure of a career. Burton King directed this picture and has included some unusual shots on real New York locations. The second j)roduction delivered from the West Coast studios and scheduled as the third release is a drama featuring the famous canine star, "Thunder, The Marvel Dog" and entitled "His Master's Voice." In this production "Thunder" is said to achieve new honois and to display further proof of his remarkable intelligence. In the cast aro noted, Marjorie Daw, George Hackathorne, and Mary Carr. The story is l)y Frank I'oster Davis and the direction bv Henry McCarty. James Kirkwood is the star of the fourth Gotham Production and in "The Police Patrol" this popular stage and screen luminary is seen as a New York patrolman. The story is based on an actual incident in the life of a policeman and is from the play by A. Y. Pearson. Active cooperation of the New York Police Department was had for this picture and the result is absolute technical accuracy in every detail of jiolice methods and procedure. Edna IMurphy heads the supjjorting cast which includes, Edmund Breese, Bradley Barker, Monya Andree, Frankie Evans and Tammany Young. Burton King directed "The Police Patrol." Scheduled to follow and now in course of production are: "The Shadow on the Wall" a strong mystery play from the book by J. Breckenridge F^llis; Thunder, the Marvel Dog in "The Sign of the Claw" a distinct novelty in dog stories by L. A. Young, "The Part Time Wife," a story of behind the scenes ot a motion picture studio from the Completion magazine .story by Peggy Gaddis; "One of the Bravest," a fire department melodrama by Jas. J. Tynan; "Hearts and Spangles'' by Norman Houston, a circus story; "Racing Blood'' by Harry Chanlee and Wm. Laub and as the title indicates, a racing storA-; "The Forest of Destiny," a society drama by Edith Sessions Tupper and "The Speed Limit" a rip-roaring auto racing comedy drama by Henry McCarty. Mr. Sax is afso preparing for production a super screen version comedy of "McFadden's Row of Flats'' to be produced in seven reels with a cast composed entirely of well known screen comedy players. Sam Sax. general manager Gotham Productions.