Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

September 30, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 2049 NINE MEN WILL HAVE HAND IN " THE WITCHING HOUR" Nine men will have a hand in the Frohman Amusement Corporation's production of " The Witching Hour." Augustus Thomas wrote it, Anthony Kelh' scenarioized it, George Irving will direct it, C. Aubrey Smith and Jack Sherrill will play in it, while Professors Munsterberg and Hyslop, two noted psychologists will suggest treatments for the hypnotic elements in it, and " Pauline," the noted hypnotist, will teach Irving, Smith and Sherrill the mysteries of hypnotism. Ralph Dean, the ninth, will build the production. The play will require three months to produce. Bluebird Is Going to Prove That Shakespeare Was Right " The Play Is the Thing," and Not Names, Contends General Manager Hoffman, Who Lays Stress on the Company's Plan to Put Gripping Story in Each Picture FITZMAURICE WILL DIRECT "HUNTING OF THE HAWK" "The Hunting of the Hawk" is the name of the photoplay on which George B. Seitz of the Astera Film Corporation is working at the present time. The picture will be directed by George Fitzmaurice, and William Courtenay and Lillian Greuze will be starred in it. BEFORE departing for Chicago last week, where he will attend a meeting of Bluebird exchange managers, M. H. Hoffman, general manager of Bluebird Photoplays, Inc., gave out a statement concerning the recent determination of Bluebird to make " the play the thing." For several months, during the warmest weeks of the year, Bluebird has put its policy to the test, under the most exacting conditions, and has proven to the satisfaction of the management that stars are not essential to program success. This conclusion is drawn from Mr. Hoffman's statement, which follows : " During the first six months of Bluebird we tried the ancient plan of advertising start and names, and, having given the scheme a thorough test we decided to abruptly depart from the beaten path and, accordingly, began forthwith to advertise our plays as the basis of Bluebird's claim " Dulcie's Adventure," with Miss Minter, Ready October 2 Subject Is First Picture Directed by Kirkwood for American Film Company and Will Be Released on the Mutual Program <<pvULCIE'S ADVENTURE," the sec' ond of the Mary Miles Minter features produced by the American Film Company, Inc., for release through the Mutual, has been completed, and will go out to the public on October 2. James Kirkwood, the director, may be depended upon, of course, to get the most that can be gotten out of a picture. " Dulcie's Adventure," his first Mutual offering, is no exception. The most painstaking care has been given to the costuming and the setting of the picture. Whether in the garments of a poor lonesome little white girl, not allowed to play with the neighboring pickaninnies or the " poor white trash," in the antiquated hoop skirts deemed fashionable by her Aunt Netta, or in her gorgeous imported white satin wedding gown which crowns the picture, Mary Miles Minter is perfectly gowned. There are many touching scenes, including both the little Dulcie at home in her sunny southland, and the sad little Dulcie away on her enforced adventure in search of a millionaire. There are the stolen games with the white children of the neighborhood, only to be discovered and reprimanded by the two aunts ; there is the scene where Dulcie must return the pet squirrel given her by the grocer's boy and her only companion ; there are the plans for her enforced marriage to a man much older than herself. TRADE SHOWING FOR COMEDIES ABOUT OCTOBER 1 IS KEEN PLAN The Keen Cartoon Corporation, 729 Seventh Avenue, New York, is releasing about Nov. 1, a five hundred foot comedy per week. The first four releases are about completed and a trade paper showing will be given about Oct. 1. The organization has in its employ some of the best cartoonists obtainable, who are preparing each story. to public patronage. Summer was not a time most manufacturers would have selected to try out a radical policy — but we had faith in our conviction and wanted to have one policy undergo the severest possible test, right at the outset. " Using only one newspaper of national circulation, centering our efforts upon making the best pictures it was humanly possible to turn out, and casting the parts to the best possible advantage, regardless of whether or not the player was a star or even a well-advertised name, we have proven that Shakespeare was right. With Bluebird the play will always be ' the thing.' " We employ artists who have been with us under the old system and cast them to the best advantage ; but when there is a role to be played requiring somebody outside of the Bluebird stock forces to play it. we hire the player to fit the play. " Our release for October 16 is an instance of playing artists who have names. J. Warren Kerrigan and Louise Lovely have each been lone-stars in earlier Bluebirds— they play opposite in ' The Social Buccaneer.' The release for October 9 is ■ The Chalice of Sorrow,' the leading lady being Cleo Madison, who has never appeared in a Bluebird before. On October 2 ' Wanted — A Home ' will have Mary Mac Laren as its leading lady. This girl was created as a star by Bluebird, when Lois Weber discovered her as the ideal type to play the lead in ' Shoes.' October 23 will have ' The Heritage of Hate ' as the release, William Quinn having been selected as leading man because we thought he could best play the role, giving no thought to whether he had made a name for himself upon the screen or elsewhere. " The foregoing instances are cited as covering our ideas of casting a play — after the play has been decided upon for a Bluebird release. The public, by the letters they write, agree with our purpose and the exhibitor of Bluebird's is reaping an advantage that our publicity campaign gives to the theatres where Bluebirds are shown. We are going right ahead, with ample proof in hand that our policy is the correct one for us to pursue."