Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

2010 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 14. No. 13 IF "THE VAMPIRES," GAUMONT, IS A PICTURE GOOD ENOUGH FOR KING ALFONSO. YOU SHOULD WORRY The interest created by the first episodes of " The Vampires, or, the Arch Criminals of Paris," which the Gaumont Company will release this autumn as a Mutual series, may be well understood, by the royal command of the King of Spain, to have the remaining episodes shown ahead of their release dates. King Alfonso, who is noted for democratic traits, witnessed the first three episodes as they were projected at regular intervals at the leading motion picture house of Madrid. By this time His Majesty and the Queen were following the story with such keen interest that the royal pair decided to exercise the royal prerogative and order a command showing. Instead of waiting as his subjects had to do, Alfonso devoted two entire evenings to the remaining episodes. A room in the palace was used for the showing and a number of guests were invited informally to be present. KEEN CARTOON CORPORATION IS PREPARING TO RELEASE 500 FOOT "PEN COMEDY" WEEKLY The Keen Cartoon Corporation is preparing to release a five hundred foot " pen comedy" weekly. Animated cartoons, as they are generally known, are not new, but the idea of producing a complete story consistently and humorously illustrated is probably unique in animated cartoon work. The Keen Company's first picture will be released in the latter part of October. The exact date will be announced later. The early releases will deal with the affairs of one, Henry W. Zippy, although the Keen Corporation does not intend to adopt any one series, but has originated a variety of comic characters with the idea of providing something new with each weekly release. The Keen Corporation has taken sp.^cious quarters on the eleventh floor of the Godfrey Building 729 Seventh avenue. New York, and installed complete and up-todate equipment. NIGH'S MAKE-UP FOOLS INSURANCE AGENT William Nigh, the director who shares stellar honors with Irene Howley in" Life's Shadows," a coming Metro production, plays the role of a small town lawyer who is about fifty-five years old. Mr. Nigh spends three hours coloring his own hair and working it into the crepe hair and a wig he wears. Even in the close-ups the gray hair looks natural, and it was difficult for any one ten feet away from Mr. Nigh to discover that it was not his own hair. An insurance agent, who called to get a check for the second payment on a twenty-year policy, was dumfoundcd when he met Mr. Nigh in his dressing room. On the insurance papers, Mr. Nigh had taken out the policy a year before, his age was given as thirty-seven years. Mr. Nigh felt so complimented by the agent's remarks that he took out an additional policy of $5,000 more. " The Light That Failed " from Pathe on October 15 First Picture Founded on a Story by Rudyard Kipling Is a Gold Royoster, Produced by Edward Jose, and Follows Closely the Details of the Book TO Pathe goes the honor of being the first to release a picture adapted from a book by Rudyard Kipling. On October 15, " The Light That Failed," a five-reel Gold Rooster Play produced by Edward Jose, will be for the first time shown. Edward Jose to whom was entrusted the exacting task of giving the book a proper Robert Edeson and Jose Collins (Pathe) interpretation, selected for his picture a noteworthy cast consisting of Robert Edeson, Jose Collins, Lillian Tucker and Claude Fleming. Mr. Edeson plays Dick Heldar, the hero; Miss Collins is Bes.sie, the fiery untamed and conscienceless girl of the streets; Miss Tucker is Mazie, thoughts of whom filled Dick's whole life and Claude Fleming is Torpenhow. Some picturesque effects were secure<l by Mr. Jose in this picture, among them several scenes showing a long line of camels outlined against the sky. Hundreds of extras — British soldiers and tribesmen, were used and the picture has real atmosphere. The story of the book is followed closely. Dick Heldar, an artist, at an exhibition of his war paintings meets his childhood sweetheart, Mazie. His hope of winning her love is frustrated by his model Bessie, whom he has found weak and starving on his doorstep, and who shows her lack of gratitude by trying to stab him. Mazie, seeing the model in Dick's arms and not knowing that the man is trying to take the girl's knife from her, breaks with hiiu. Dick finds that he is going blind and rushes work on his masterpiece in order to finish it before the darkness closes in on him forever. The work is finished and the artist goes blind. Before others can see the picture Bessie destroys it in a spirit of vengeance. Dick, learning that his friend Torpenhow plans not to return to his army life in Eg>-pt in order to look after the blind man, leaves for Egj'pt himself, first writing Torpenhow and Mazie. They follow him and find him, perched on a camel, under fire from the tribesmen's bullets. Mazie rushes to him and later thev are found dead in one another's arms. .Accordingly, the film was prepared and is now being shipped to the various exchanges. "The Quest of Life." as has Advance Film of the Waltons Is Famous Players Plan All Paramount Exchanges Will Receive Strips of "The Quest of Life" for Showing Before the Regular Release Date, September 25 IN THE belief that the screen itself is the best way to advertise motion pictures, the Famous Players Film Company intend to issue an advance strip of film of Maurice and Florence Walton, the internationally celebrated dancers, who will make their photoplay debut in " The Quest of Life," released on the Paramount Program September 25, for all Paramount exchanges, to be exhibited in advance of the presentation of this subject. The film will contain one of the famous dances of these terpsichorean stars. The Paramount Pictures Corporation recently reported to Adolph Zukor, President of the Famous Players Film Company, that after the announcement that Alaurice and Florence \\'alton were to make their initial appearance on the screen, the variou'= branch officese of that organization received insistent demands from Paramount exhibitors regarding the release date of their introductory film vehicle. These exhibitors stated that their patrons had read the announcement and desired to know exactly when they could see the pictures. Mr. Zukor is then reported to have said. " Since they are so interested in the presentation of these dancers on the screen, I will give them a little surprise — a sample of what they are going to get. AA'e will therefore send out a strip of film showing one of the dances which these stars have made famous in the United States and Europe that will yet be diflferent from the dances which they enact on the screen in the course of " The Quest of Life." Maurice and Florence Walton in The Quest of Life " (Famous Players) already been announced, is not merely a dancing picture, as it contains a strong dramatic story, with the presentation of the Apache and society dances. Another odd feature connected with the presentation of this subject is the fact that Maurice and Florence Walton are as anxious to see the picture as appear to be the Paramount exhibitors and their audiences.