Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

September 9, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 1533 VNICORN PLANS COMEDIES, JOCKEY BRAND The Unicorn Film Service Corporation is now making releases of its new brands of film, and General Manager Schlank states that a large part of the program will be devoted to comedies. The first of the new comedies is released on August 30, entitled " A Foolish Romance," the principal parts being played hy Tapple Berg, Billie Leslie, Harry Fischer and Jane Keckley, and directed by James Schneider, for a long time a Keystone producer. Scene from " A Foolish Romance," to Be Released by Unicorn These comedies are made by the Metropolitan Film Company of Los Angeles, and are being put out under the Jockey brand in two reels. They are a mixture of comedy-drama, comedy, slap-stick and sensation. They follow a clearly defined story. In " A Foolish Romance " Miss Billie Leslie, a dainty pretty girl, does straight work. Harry Fischer, a hotel clerk, and Tapple Berg, a bogus count, are in love I with the girl, and amusing complications , result. An automobile crashes through the raili ing of a high bridge and falls in the river below and a street car picks up the elopers on the fender. "THE BUTTERFLIES" IS SEVENTH "GRIP OF EVIL" The seventh episode of Pathe's " The Grip of Evil," " The Butterflies," shows Jackie Saunders as Beatrice Tourneur and Gordon Sackville as Arthur Hardwicke at sea in an open boat, and their landing upon a barren island in a driving storm. They are forced to spend a night in a deserted cabin and Dr. Merriam (Edward J. Brady), an unscrupulous physician, discovers them in what he terms " a compromising position." Later he attempts to force his attentions upon Beatrice, who repulses him and in a terrific hand-to-hand encounter, Hardwicke thrashes the doctor. Beatrice and John Burton become engaged and Merriam, seeing an opportunity for blackmail, presses his demands for money. He says that he has arranged his affairs so that if anything happens to him, the newspapers will be given his version of how Arthur and Beatrice spent the night on the island. Merriam is killed by Burton's automobile, while Beatrice and John are in the car. Hardwicke tells Burton the true story and the two arrange to suppress that given to the newspapers at Merriam's instructions. The editors agree not to use it, but through error one paper prints it. The result is the suicide of the young girl and the man with whose name hers is coupled in the sensational story. " HER SURRENDER " IS IVAN RELEASE FOR SEPTEMBER " Her Surrender," the newest all-star cast Ivan production, from the pen of Ivan Abramson, has been completed as a fivereel feature for September release under the Ivan banner. The all-star cast who were brought together to enact the various roles required by the story are Anna Nilsson, featured in the sensational serial success " Who's Guilty?" by Pathe; Rose Coghlan, the distinguished artist of the legitimate stage; Harry Spingler, starred for a year with William Farnum ; Wilmuth Markj-1, star of " The Blindness of Virtue " and co-star with Virginia Pearson ; William H. Tooker, starred by William Fox in " A Fool's Revenge " and other plays ; and Frankie Mann. The new Ivan play treats of a novel theme. Can love be transfused? is the question which will be asked by the audiences who see " Her Surrender," for a transfusion of blood between two people causes one to fall in love with the other. The production was made by Ivan Abramson in the Ivan studios, and at Bradley Beach, the Duveen Estate being employed to make some exterior views required by the story. Several novel lighting eflfects have been introduced by M. le Picard, chief of the Ivan camera forces. The Ivan exchanges throughout the country will release this feature as the regular Ivan production for September. THREE FOX PLAYS STARRING VALESKA SURATT, THEDA BARA AND LAW READY FIRST THREE WEEKS OF SEPTEMBER Three photoplays starring Valeska Suratt, Theda Bara, and Walter Law, are announced for the first three weeks in September by William Fox. The first picture in which Miss Suratt does the principal work, tells of a woman's revenge plot which nearly brings disaster upon herself and her own daughter through an unforeseen contingency. By permission of Warden Osborne, several hundred feet of film were made at Sing Sing for some of the scenes, and the big gray walls register faithfully. Another of the interesting scenic parts is the thoroughly realistic effect of lightning striking a house. There is a flash during a hard thunderstorm and the entire wall of a house crumbles beneath the stroke. Two and a half weeks were spent building the set just to destroy it. Miss Bara's picture shows her in the last of her sympathetic roles before she be gins ■' vampiring " again. War forms the background for a large part of this photodrama, and Theda Bara plays the role of a Red Cross nurse with remarkable eflfect. The story, and the question which ]Miss Bara, as Alary Doone, the nurse, must face will appeal to every motion picture audience. Walter Law, the new William Fox star, whose whiskers are already the eighth wonder of the movie world, makes his secind appearance on the screen in the third week in September, as a man risen from the sea. The scenes of the ocean, the sunrise and sunset, were taken on the Maine Coast. "SALESLADY'S DREAM," NOVEL MODISTE PLAYLET, IS AN INTERNATIONAL OFFERING " The Saleslady's Dream," the latest fashion playlet of the International Film Service, Inc., is now being staged and will be shown for the first time on September 4. " The Saleslady's Dream " is considered by the International by far the most pretentious fashion playlet they have yet produced and introduces a number of illusions. The saleslady is seen in the show-rooms of a fashionable modiste. It is closing time. Tired by her work, she sits down, with a book, " A Princess for a Day." She reads a few lines and falls asleep. Instantly she is transformed into a gorgously gowned princess seated on a throne. The " dummies " upon which other wonderful gowns are draped, suddenly become beautiful women of the court who parade before the throne and pay homage to the princess. The store watchman, who has changed into a court attendant, hands the princess a glass of rare old wine. She drinks it and— awakes to find herself again a tired saleslady, the women of her court dummies Mineta Timayo in " The Saleslady's Dream " and the court attendant again only a shabby watchman, who is shaking her and telling her it is time to go home. The part of the saleslady is played by Mineta Timayo. H. E. Hancock is directing the playlet.