Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

1518 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 14. No. 10 BENDELL SEES BIG BUSINESS AHEAD R. S. Bendell, manager of the Bluebird productions for Michigan, reports business unprecedented and far beyond anything anticipated. Michigan Bluebird headquartesr are in the Universal Exchange Building at Fort and Cass avenues. Irving Nearly Completes " Conquest of Canaan " for Frohman Sherill Is Considering Five Big Plays from One of the Foremost Theatrical Concerns — These Productions Are to Be Filmed by Irving weeks of perfect weather conditions, ideal UNDER the direction of George Irving, the next Frohman Amusement Company's production, " The Conquest of Canaan," is nearing completion after seven Burton Holmes Comes Back With New Material for Films Beginning with September, Paramount Will Release Four Travel Pictures Devoted to Scotland and Ireland — Traveloguer Brings Striking Canadian Scenes BURTON HOLMES, traveler and lecturer whose motion pictures have been released exclusively through the Paramount Pictures Corporation, has returned from his summer journeyings, during which he was in search of new material. He is now deep in the preparation of five new travelogues to be delivered by him personally in the principal cities throughout the country during the coming season, and the preparation of making new weekly travel pictures for Paramount. This summer Mr. Holmes spent in Canada, taking pictures of the principal points of interest from Nova Scotia, " The Land of Evangeline," to Victoria and Vancouver. His lists of new subjects will comprise " Canada, Coast to Coast," " The Canadian Rockies," " La Belle France," " The Fatherland, the Germany of the Germans," and " Imperial Britain." Mr. Holmes has taken thousands of feet of film to be released by Paramount and all of his Canadian subjects are absolutely new in every detail, while his European subjects abound in new and interesting travel points. Beginning with September, Mr. Holmes' first four Paramount-Burton Holmes Travel Picture releases will be devoted to Scotland and Ireland. Two releases on Scotland, one release on Ireland and another divided between the two countries. On these personally conducted " easy chair journeys" Mr. Holmes proves that all of Great Britain that is beautiful is not exclusively within the boundaries of Eng land alone, nor does England fail to share with her neighbors the quaint and the picturesque, as well as the lovely and manly, in her sons and daughters and their habitations. This little series of travels will take Mr. Holmes' fellow-travelers to the principal cities as well as through the lovely lake districts, to the Highlands, to the ship-building yards on the Qyde, to Edinboro Castle, to the Ballibunion Mono-railway, to Achill Island and to Fingal's Cave. Selig Checks Rumors of " Amalgamation " for His Company " I Am Considering, However, Plans Beneficial to the Organization and to the Picture Play Public " He Says, " and These Will Be Announced in Detail in Due Time " Special to Motion Picture News. Chicago, 111., Aug. 26. " When there is any news interesting to the pictureplay public or to the trade the same will be authoritatively announced," states William N. Selig, president of the Selig Polyscope Company, " I would say that the many rumors that seem to emanate from New York concerning the plans of the Selig Company are for the most part unfounded," continued Mr. Selig. " Speaking for the Selig Company I would state that we have completed no ' organization ' and entered no ' amalgamation ' despite the many and varied rumors to the contrary. It is true that I am con HE LIKES ALL PARTS OF THE " NEWS " Motion Pictures News, New York City. Gentlemen. — There is no special part of the magazine that I can praise more than another. To put it in as few words as possible and to cover everything, one can truly say Motion Picture News is all to the good, the most instructive magazine in the trade published. Yours very truly, Edgar W. RufT. West Palm Beach, Fla. sidering plans beneficial to the Selig Company and to the pictureplay public. These will be announced correctly and in detail in due time. " It is true that ' The Country That God Forgot,' the five-reel western drama, will not be released through V-L-S-E, nor will the original date, August 21, be observed. In many respects it is a worthy successor to ' The Spoilers,' although a picture of entirely different atmosphere. The correct date and the method of releasing this picture will be announced at the proper time. ' The Country That God Forgot ' gives Tom Santschi many opportunities for clever character delineation and he is ably supported by Mary Charleson and George Fawcett. I hope to have some definite announcements to make concerning release plans for ' The Crisis ' soon." UNGER BOOKS METROS IN OAKLAND THEATRE The Reliance theatre on San Pablo avenue, Oakland, Cal., has succeeded in getting first-run Metro pictures in that city, and will show these four days a week. J. J. Unger, district manager for the Metro Pictures Service, is as delighted to have the pictures placed in this fine new house as the management of the latter is to secure this service. work on the part of the cast and more than satisfactory studio arrangements. Having created " JafTrey," William J. Locke's delightful story, for William R. Hearst's International Service, and having seen this production granted the honor of initiating that company's feature releasing, Mr. Sherrill, head of the Frohman concern, again sought the market of popular novels for a following feature, and Booth Tarkington's story was secured. " The Conquest of Canaan," in its celluloid form, will have a cast of players, almost of the all-star variety. Edith Taliaferro and Jack Sherrill, who was in " Just Out of College " and Then ril Come Back to You," are handling the two principal roles, with Ralph Delmore playing Judge Pike. These three characters were the great outstanding incidents in the Tarkineton novel, while the roles of Mamie Pike, played by Marie Edith Wells, Claudine portrayed by Gene La Motte. The Squire played by. David Davies, and Peter, as played by Martin Mann, have been enlarged in scope, so that the tale has an added interest and added features which Mr. Tarkington himself indorsed after reading the scenario. Just what form of releasing the Frohman Amusement Corporation will assume is not definitely known as yet. Mr. Sherrill and Harry Reichenbach , are holding daily conferences with several of the program heads. Since " JafTrey," " What Happened at 22," " Then I'll Come Back to You," and " Body and Soul " created so favorable an impression all over the country, various concerns have endeavored to secure options on Frohman material, but the concern's policy will not be shaped until further activities in the industry show whether open market or programs are to dominate. The Frohman Company has under option now five big plays which were secured last week from one of the foremost theatrical producing concerns. These plays will be given the same thorough production as have these made under Mr. Irving in the past. An announcement of more than ordinary import to the trade in general, will be made shortly by the Frohman Company. It will concern, it is said, one of the most successful plays ever produced, in which one of the screen's most popular personalities will play the lead. For " The Conquest of Canaan," the fourteen principals and camera crews have traveled no less than twenty-four hundred miles in order to procure the proper locations and gain the local color and atmosphere called for by the author's suggestions. In addition to those mentioned above, the cast of " The Conquest of Canaan " will contain John Sutherland. May Price, Madeline Cadeiux, Ralph Dean, Howard Messimir, George Melville. Frances Lincoln, Walter Heirs, and Jack Hopkins. The storj' contains three hundred and fifty-one scenes, and will, in all probability, be in six reels.