Motion Picture News (Jul-Oct 1915)

42 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 12. No. 11. Week of 13th Set for Release of 28 Mutual Reels End of the Month Will Usher in the Operation of Entire New Schedule for the Company's $8,000,000 Program, Showing Stars at No Increased Price TWENTY-EIGHT reels of all-star, all feature quality will be released on the Mutual's new $8,000,000 program in the week beginning September 13. These releases find the Mutual Film Corporation's new schedule now shaping into fully rounded form. By the end of September the entire new schedule will be in full swing. The last ten days have brought a most significant series of announcements from the office of John R. Freuler, the Mutual's president. A whole flock of new stars have been announced for the regular program — making good on the promise of the Mutual's administration to give the exhibitor a program of all star quality, filled with Broadway star casts and featuring famous screen stars — a departure giving the exhibitor the highest feature quality on his regular program at no increase in the rental charges. Big new names appear now in coming releases on the program : Crane Wilbur, of the Horsley company, famous star of the speaking stage and the screen ; W. C. Fields, of the 1915 Ziegfeld Follies, appearing in Gaumont comedy Films through the courtesy of Florenz Ziegfeld; Anna Little and Arthur Acord, stars for the "Buck Parvin in the Movies," the first of the Mustang Film Company's productions, a three-reeler. And there is an array of new companies to augment the production of regular program releases under brand names already familiar to Mutual patrons, as for instance "Beauty" and Falstaff. With the release on September 8, of "The Unsuspected Isles," first of the threereel Rialto Star Features produced by the Gaumont company, it can be said that the Mutual's new program really begins its new career. Fania Marinoff, celebrated for her many successful portrayals in notable Broadway productions, is the featured player, supported by a company of exceptionally talented screen players. The next three-reel feature is included in the regular program of the week of the 13th, entitled "Shorty's Ranch," in which "Shorty" Hamilton, who has been starred in numerous "Shorty" productions filmed at the Broncho studios, has the title role. This is released Wednesday, September 15. It is an unusually interesting Western comedy-drama, and marks the appearance of the first Broncho three-reeler ever screened for release in a regular program. For September 16, two of the new releases which are to play such an important cog in the Mutual's new program make their initial appearance. First comes the initial Centaur release, "The Rajah's Sacrifice," a two-part drama of the Orient, featuring the world-famous collection of Bostock jungle animal performers and presenting Captain Jack Bonavita, whose reputation as a trainer of beasts of the African wilds is international. On the same day, the first of the comedies produced by the second Falstaff company, organized by Edwin Thanhouser, of the Thanhouser studios, in New Rochelle, will be released on the regular program. Arthur Cunningham and Claude Cooper, two of the cleverest and most original comedians in motion picture work, direct from Broadway — are the featured players in the first of the releases of the second Falstaff company, entitled "Bessie's Bachelor Boobs." The regular program of the 17th marks the first appearance of the two-reel subjects produced at the Gaumont studios, which are to be a feature of the regular Mutual program. For the introductory release of these two-reelers, which are to be listed under the brand name of Gaumont, the producers chose "The Vivisectionist," a vitally interesting story, in which Marion Swayne and Joseph Levering, appear as co-stars. The same day's program contains two one-reel subjects, a stirring heart drama in one reel, produced by the American studios and featuring Vivian Rich, entitled "The Little Lady Next Door," and is rounded out by a slide-splitting Cub Comedy, featuring George Ovey, entitled "The Knockout." Saturday, September 18, presents Harold Lockwood as the star of "The Great Question," a three-reel drama produced at the American studios. Lockwood is beyond doubt one of the most famous screen stars now before the public, and in subsequent productions his work has been confined entirely to feature productions. The program of September 18, inaugurates the second of the comedy-dramas screened by the second "Beauty" company, organized by S. S. Hutchinson, president of the American Film Company. "A Friend in Need" is the title and it presents the popular Beatrice Van. First of the Gaumont all star releases, a one-reel comedy, heads the Mutual's regular program of September 19, in which W. C. Fields, star of the Ziegfeld 1915 "Follies" is presented as the featured player. The Fairbanks Twins, Marion and Madeline, whose work in Thanhouser releases has won them international fame, are the stars of "The Twins of the G. L. Ranch," a Western drama in one reel, which, in addition to a two-reel Reliance drama, completes the program for that day. Twenty-eight reels in all comprise the program of the new Mutual program for this week. Expert Knowledge for Essanay's Crawford Play Old Dr. Perfection, Learned in History of Anachronism and Make It Impossible NO pains are being spared by Essanay to make "In the Palace of the King," the six-act feature photoplay from the famous novel by F. Marion Crawford, perfect in every respect. Experts in costuming effects and in the styles and manners of the time of the action of the play have been engaged to drill the thousands of "extra" players who have been employed for the picturization of the novel. The film will be Essanay's October release on the V-L-S-E program. Among the experts who have been engaged by Essanay to bring "In the Palace of the King" to the highest degree of perfection, is Mrs. Arend Van Vlissingen, who "discovered" and brought out Isidora Duncan, the world-famous classic danseuse. Mrs. Van Vlissingen is past master in the terpsichorean art, and was obtained especially to train the several hundred professional dancers who appear in the beautiful court dance of "In the Palace of the King." Mrs. Van Vlissingen has had a wide experience in her line and is known from coast to coast for her success with classic dances. Another important factor was taken into consideration in the engagement of Mrs. Van Vlissingen, besides her recognized ability as an instructor. This was the fact that she was a close personal friend of F. Marion Crawford, who wrote "In the Palace of the King," and that all of his works are therefore thoroughly familiar to her. With "In the Palace of the King" she is particularly familiar, having read and reread it many times because of the description of the court dances of the time of King Phillip II of Spain, which the novel contains. Manners and Costumes, Will Operate on Mr. for Him to Harm "Palace of the King" "In the Palace of the King" features Richard C. Travers, Essanay's leading player, who takes the role of Don Juan, of Austria, half-brother of King Phillip II. Arline Hackett, of the legitimate stage, was engaged especially for the part of Dolores de Mendoza, leading feminine character, and E. J. Radcliffe, as King Phillip, and Lewis Edgar, as the court jester, also were employed. CLEO MADISON, NOW A DIRECTOR, HEADS HER OWN COMPANV Special to Motion Picture News Los Angeles, Sept. 6. Cleo Madison, for more than two years leading woman for the Universal, has been made director and given her own company. She is now engaged in producing her first subject which is of a Wetsern character and entitled "The Cowboy Girl." In this, as with future productions, Miss Madison will also appear as leading woman, as well as directing the subject. Since this change in the producing companies at Universal, Marcia Moore, late with the Joker company, has been placed under the direction of Joseph de Grasse, Rex producer. BILLIE BURKE AT INCEVILLE Billie Burke arrived at Santa Monica, Cal., from New York, September 5, and was personally received by Thomas H. Ince, under whose direction the former Frohman star will act before the camera in Triangle plays, and later boarded the private yacht which has been engaged for her and sailed to Catalina Island. Here she will live during her stay on the coast, traveling back and forth, to Inceville every day on the yacht. She made her first trip September 6.