Motion Picture News (Jan-Feb 1916)

510 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 13. No. 4. EDITH STERLING AND MAC QUARRIE SIGN WITH SIGNAL Edith Sterling, who has been playing stellar roles in 101 Bison and Big "U" pictures, has been signed by Signal Film Corporation for its dramatic company. An exceptionally strong company will "be gathered to Miss Sterling's support under the direction of Murdock Mac Quarrie, who has been prominently identified with the film industry almost since its inception. In addition to winning fame as a director Mr. Mac Quarrie has scored many character hits both in pictures and on the speaking stage. One of his biggest successes -was playing the dual role of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde at the New York theatre for a run of twenty-two weeks. He goes to Signal from Universal, where in the last eighteen months he has produced ■eighty-eight thousand feet of dramatic features. In the supporting company will be Millward Wilson, Norbert Myles and Francis J. MacDonald. The first picture, which will be a multiple reel feature will have in it the throb of a big city, dealing as it will with problems created by congested and struggling humanity, graft, reform and "men higher up." One Adapted, 2 Originals from Famous for February "Diplomacy," Featuring Marie Doro, and "Out of the Drifts" and "Nearly a King," Starring Marguerite Clark and John Barrymore, Respectively, Plays Scheduled by Company in love with her without discovering her identity. From that point on the story develops a whirlwind series of complications that vary from the comic to the tragic with startling rapidity. "Nearly a King'' will be released February 10. THERE will be two original scripts and one adapted play released by the Famous Players Film Company on the Paramount Program during the month of February. They are "Out of the Drifts" and "Nearly a King," starring Marguerite Clark and John Barrymore respectively, and "Diplomacy," starring Marie Doro. "Nearly a King," which is being produced under the direction of Frederick Thompson, was originally intended for release in January, but was postponed in order to give the director ample time in which to obtain the best possible results. "Nearly a King" is the story of an American who is summoned to the Balkans by a mysterious message. Though he knows nothing of it, he is the image of a young prince whose father has insisted upon marrying him to a princess whom the prince has never seen. The American is to serve as general scapegoat and be married to the princess instead of the prince. But the American meets the princess on the ship and falls Margaret Gibson a Horsley Star in "Soul's Cycle" Five Reeler, Released February 12 as a Mutual Masterpicture, de Luxe Edition, and Receiving Finishing Touches at Los Angeles Studio, Is by Theodosia Harris MARGARET GIBSON, recently elevated to stardom by David Horsley, will make her debut as a featured player in a five-reel production, "The Soul's Cycle," which is to be released February 12, as a Mutual Masterpicture De Luxe Edition. The finishing touches are now being put on the production at Mr. Horsley's studio in Los Angeles. In theme it is unique. It treats with the ancient philosophy that in the immortality of the soul many cycles must be re-lived to round out its perfection, and when one defines the divine law he must go back to the first principles, and even into the animal form, to work up again to his former estate. In the treatment of this theme Theodosia Harris, who is the author of the story, has evolved a spectacular photoplay. The first half of it is laid in ancient Greece where events so transpire in following the theme that a new sphere of action is created. The scene then switches to the present time. A special cast was engaged by Mr. Horsley for the production, which is being made under the direction of Ulysses Davis. The action throughout the story takes place in scenes of magnificance, and those of the first period are particularly elaborate. "The Soul's Cycle" is the third of Mr. Horsley's features offered as Mutual Masterpicture De Luxe Edition. "Out of the Drifts," scheduled for February 24, is a tale of the Swiss Alps in which Miss Clark plays a shepherdess, whose lack of sophistication, though it brings her to the brink of disaster, ultimately proves her salvation. It is the story of a London rake who goes to the St. Bernard monastery to recuperate, and finding there a delightful little girl, persuades her to accompany him to London "to see the world." But her lover saves the girl from the fate into which she is innocently plunging and the terrible realization of his own bestiality awakens in the roue the dormant good qualities of his character. It is a story of the great out-of-doors with the thrill of the avalanche and perils of the dizzy Alpine heights. J. Searle Dawley is the director. The third production, "Diplomacy," is an adaptation of the famous Sardou play in which Marie Doro has already scored a great personal success on the stage. As its name suggests, it is a story of international scope involving the stealing of the war plans of one of the great nations by the spies of another. "Diplomacy," which was said by newspaper critics to be one of the best plots presented on the stage in recent years, is to be released February 28. CLARA WHIPPLE SUPPORTS MISS LESLIE IN "PAIN FLOWER" Clara Whipple, leading woman of the Equitable Motion Picture Corporation's stock organization, is playing the ingenue lead in support of Marguerite Leslie in "The Pain Flower." "The Man Higher Up," in which Miss Whipple was cast to play opposite Frank Sheridan, has been postponed until later.