Motion Picture News (Sep-Oct 1925)

September 19 , 1925 1395 First "Buster Brown' ' Released First of Series Offered This Month; Four Other Century Comedies in Sept. UNIVERSAL has announced that "Educating Buster," first of the series of "Buster Brown" comedies produced by Century, will be released in September. The picture will initiate a group of 12 two-reelers based on the famous newspaper comics of R. F. Outcault. "Educating Buster" has had pre-release showings in many important first-run theatres throughout the country and has received praise from reviewers of the trade press and daily papers. Arthur Trimble is starred in the name role, and "Tige," the faithful dog is played by Pete the Dog. Mary Jane is played by Doreen Turner, and others in principal roles are Charles King. Emily Gerdes, Hilliard Karr and several clever young screen players. It will be released on September 23. "Stranded" is a two-reeler directed by William Watson, with Miss Marian supported by Hilliard Karr and the Century Follies Girls. In it she portrays the role of a country girl who is bus driver, baggage tosser, cook and waitress and general utility girl for a country hotel. "Officer 13," Eddie Gordon's latest comedy, was directed by Edward I. Luddy and has a strong supporting cast including Frank Whitson and Betty Browne. This picture has been played in many houses and is hailed as Gordon's best film work to date. "Too Much Mother-in-law" brings a new Century star to the screen in the person of Constance Darling. This pictui'e was directed by Noel Smith. The cast includes Blanche Payson, as the mother-in-law, and Charles Kins', as the bride-groom. "Cupid's Victory," the Wanda Wiley comedy for September release is a two-reeler directed by Charles Lamont, with Earl McCarthy and Tony Hayes as the chief supporting players. It shows Miss Wiley in the role of a dignified bespectacled clerk in a law office. Pathe Contests Aid Business Storey and Comedy Competitions Develop Keen Rivalry in Many of the Exchanges BOSTON, New York, Detroit, Dallas, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New Orleans. Salt Lake and Memphis proved the winners of the Storey Victory Campaign and the Special Two-reel Comedy contest conducted by Pathe Exchange, Inc. The contests have just been concluded and according to the Pathe office resulted in the greatest Summer business for a given period in the history of the organization. As an incentive to better business, Pathe instituted a billings campaign, named in honor of Assistant General Manager, J. E. Storey, then General Sales Manager. This campaign started on April 19th and was continued for sixteen weeks. At the same time a special Two-Reel Comedy Contest was started and run coincidentally with the Victory Campaign. Every employee entered actively into the spirit of the drives and results have been better than were ever anticipated. To add zest to the campaigns the various branch offices were arranged in groups and given the names of military divisions. The Boston Branch under the management of Ross G. Cropper, won the Storey Victory Campaign, while in the same division New York, under the management of William T. Raynor, won the comedy contest. In the artillery division the Storey Victor}campaign was won by Detroit under the management of Oscar Hanson. The . comedy contest was won in the same division by Dallas. Los Angeles, under the managership of William Jenner, won the Cavalry division in the Storey campaign and in the same division Milwaukee won the comedy contest. New Orleans took both ends of the contest in the Engineer Division. Manager W. G. Seib and his crew of Salt Lake took the Storey competition in the Aviation Division, while Memphis took the other angle of the contest. Give Shorts Bigger Ad Space Educational Says Northwest Leads in Comedy Exploitation; Ad Material in Demand EDUCATIONAL reports that information received at the home offices from branches throughout the country show that exhibitors are increasing their ad space on short subjects and that the briefer comedies are exploited more extensively in the Northwest than in other sections of the country at present. An increased demand for theatre aid material issued by Educational in connection with its comedy and novelty reels is reported from all branch offices. One of the theatres cited as notable among the houses which give short subjects adequate advertising support is the Fuller at Kalamazoo, Mich. This theatre, managed by Roy Tillson, has long made a practice of 100 per cent advertising for every item on the program. For, as Mr. Fuller explains, "there are a whole lot of my patrons come to see the comedy as much as they do the feature and the vaudeville." "I devote a good conspicuous box in my newspaper ad layout to my comedy, and make it especially forceful when I have stars like Lloyd Hamilton. Comedy stars such as Hamilton get 50 per cent of the electric sign display and I consider that any comedy that is worth showing in the theatre is worth giving a good display in front of the theatre. This display generally A trio of scenes from "The Fighting Cub," a Truart Production co-featuring Mary Carr and Wesley Barry. amounts to half of the entire lobby display. "This is by no means an experiment with me, for I have proved the value of exploiting the short subject through a long period of such exploitation, and have shown conclusively that good short subjects will attract people to the box-office when properly advertised." In Milwaukee there has been a very noticeable increase in newspaper space devoted to comedy subjects. "As a matter of fact," writes Max Stahl, manager of the Educational exchange in that city, "every two reel comedy which is used at our first run theatres in Milwaukee is advertised in the newspapers with the one or two column ads illustrated in our press sheets, for which we furnish exhibitors with free mats." Perez Will Direct Blue Ribbon Comedy , Marcel Perez, known to film fans as "Tweedy" has been signed by Joe Rock to direct the third of the Blue Ribbon Comedies in which Alice Ardell and a well known comedian will be starred. The subject will be released by F. B. 0. in November. Franey Joins Joe Rock Comedy Cast Billy Franey has been added to the cast of Joe Rock's second Blue Ribbon Comedy in which Alice Ardell and Lee Moran are starred. The series is to be released through Film Booking Offices.