Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

2552 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 14. No. 16 World Pictures Ready Seven Months in Advance All Releases Up to May 29 Completed and Waiting on the Shelves— Stabilizing Effect of Policy on World Product FRANK LOSEE RENEWS CONTRACT WITH FAMOUS PLAYERS COMPANY This is the open season for renewal of contracts with the Famous Players Film Company. With Pauline Frederick and Marguerite Clark successively placing their signatures on the dotted lines set apart for that purpose, there is now a third line bearing the well known signature of Frank Losee. Mr. Losee who is one of the best known character actors on the motion picture screen and has an enviable stage record as a basis of his celluloid achievement, will continue on the Paramount Program in Famous Players productions. During the long period that he has been associated with that company he has appeared in support of nearly all its well known stars and has himself been featured in two photoplays, the adaptation of Denman Thompson's " Old Homestead " and " The Evil Thereof," an original story. In support of Mary Pickford, Mr. Losee played the wealthy banker in " Hulda from Holland." He was an important figure in " Diplomacy," in which Marie Doro starred and was the profligate husband in " The Masqueraders," starring Hazel Dawn. He will also be remembered for his clever work as Taylor, the Customs Inspector in the Famous Players adaptation of " Under Cover," in which Miss Dawn co-starred with Owen Moore. Mr. Losee is now at work in " Miss George Washington," the first production in which Marguerite Clark will star under her new contract. HONEYMOONERS HAVE PARTS IN SAME PICTURE Nance O'Neil and her husband, Alfred Hickman, have started work in " Greed," the third play of the forthcoming McClure series of the seven deadly sins. This distinguished actress's marriage to Mr. Hickman is of very recent date, and the engagement of both husband and wife in the same picture affords them an opportunity to extend their romance into their working hours. To be in the supporting cast of the girl of his choice is not a new experience for Mr. Hickman. New York theatregoers will remember that when Miss O'Neill appeared in Belasco's "The Lily" Mr. Hickman was in her company. Nance O'Neil's part in " Greed " is that of a young woman innocently involved in the operations of a speculator, whose passion for money and power leads him into the shadiest recesses of high finance. The girl's endeavors to free herself from this stock operator's machinations, and to save others from being ruined by him, form the basis for an absorbing play. "THE SHINE GIRL" IS TAKEN UP BY WOMEN'S CLUBS " The Shine Girl," the Pathe Gold Rooster play, produced by Thanhouser, has been taken up by the Women's clubs everywhere. In San Antonio, Texas, according to The Light, of that city, the Women's Club there arranged for a private showing of the picture, and after seeing it the members told the reporter that "The Shine Girl" was " the cleanest, sweetest picture " they had ever seen, and declared that there should be more pictures of the sort to " bring sunshine into people's lives." UNDER the direction of William A. Brady the World Film Corporation continues the policy of completing its output far in advance, and now finds itself in a position to announce all of its releases up to and including May 29, more than seven months ahead. There are several points of unusual interest and significance about this situation in addition to the main feature, which is that no other such feat has ever been accomplished in the motion picture business, so that the present performance sets a record which seems quite likely to stand for some time to come. The completion of a large number of photoplays in this manner will naturally have the effect of stabilizing the \V'orld product, acting as an assurance to exhibitors and the public that the pictures are not hurriedly made in order to connect with an imminent release date, and that by the time they arc due for delivery there will have been ample opportunity for the polishin? orocess wherever needed. Another and still more potential angle of this accumulation of picture plays, which seems to have escaped general attention, is that the World Film Corporation is increasing its actual, substantial assets at a rapid and important rate. The mere possession of so many completed and paid for plays, for which there is a large and increasing market demand, is a matter of very considerable commercial interest pointing to singularly far-sighted sagacity of management. The list of World-Brady pictures now complete and awaiting release is as follows : October 16, Ethel Clayton and Holbrook Blinn in " The Hidden Scar ;" October 23, Gail Kane in " The Scarlet Oath ;" October 30, Lew Fields in " The Man Who Stood DISCUSSING Kalem's plans for the coming Winter season with a Motiox Picture News representative last week, William Wright, of that organization, placed particular emphasis on the fact that all the Kalem productions would continue to be of the series type. " We use the word 'series' " declaredlAIr. Wright, in explaining the Kalem policy. " But what we really mean is the production that enables the exhibitor to benefit by ' cumulative advertising.' The ' Ham Comedies ' explain this point. While each one-reel release is entirely distinct and separate, they form a ' series ' in the sense that an exhibitor may advertise them and gain the benefits week after week by the cumulative effect. " Our other productions announced for the Winter are also of the series type. ' The Girl from 'Frisco,' will continue well into mid-Winter because of our recent decision to extend it to twenty-five episodes in response to many requests from exhibitors. ' The Hazards of Helen,' the longest running series on the market, will continue at its speedy pace. Still ;" November 6, Robert Warwick and Gail Kane in "The Heart of a Hero;" November 13, Ethel Clayton and Carlyle Blackwel! in " The New South ;" November 20, Alice Brady in " Bought and Paid For;" November 27, Gail Kane in " The Men She Married ;" December 4, Robert Warwick, supported by June Elvidge and Mollie King in "All Man;" December 11, Clara Kimball Young in "The Rise of Susan;" December 18, Marie Dressier in " Tillie's Day Off ;" December 25, E. K. Lincoln and June Elvidge in " The World Against Him ;" January 2, Alice Brady in " A Woman Alone ;" January 9, Gail Kane and Carlyle Blackwell in " On Secret Service ;" January 16, Robert Warwick, supported by Doris Kenyon in "A Movie Romance;" January 23, Gail Kane in " Her God ;" January 30, Ethel Clayton and Carlyle Blackwell, in " The Wall Beyond ;" February 6, Robert Warwick in " The Man Who Forgot;" February 13, Alice Brady in " The Girl and the Wager;" February 20, \Iarie Dressier, in " Tillie's Divorce Case ;" February 27, Alice Brady in "Darkest Russia;" March 6, Ethel Clayton and Carlyle Blackwell in " Infatuation ;" March 13, all star cast in " The Honor of the Waynes ;" March 20, Robert Warwick, in " Lafitte, Pirate ;" March 27, Marie Dressier in " Tillie's Love Affair;" April 3, Alice Brady in "The Madness of Helen;" April 10, Lew Fields in "The Castaway;" April 17, Ethel Clayton and Carlyle Blackwell in " The Evil Way ;" April 24, all star cast in " Shall We Forgive Her?;" May 1, Alice Brady in " Sinners ;" May 8, Marie Dressier in " Tillie's Elopement ;" May 15, Robert Warwick, in " The Page Case ;" May 22, Ethel Clajlon and Carlyle Blackwell, in " Girls Astray," and on May 29 Alice Brady in •' Fifi." " Kalem is not given greatly to the blaring of trumpets but I think we could do considerable bragging about a series that is now almost two years old. Not only is it the oldest series, but I don't know of any series that can even boast of running half as long. And what is even more important, its present popularity would indicate that the railroad series will run on for two years more with the end still far in the distance, more with the end still very far in the distance. " Then, of course, there is our latest ' short length feature,' the ' Grant, Police Reporter,' series. This will be one of the most important releases on our Winter schedule. It took considerable courage to carr\ out in a one-reel series the elaborate plans we have made for ' Grant, Police Reporter,' but the advance bookings have fully justified our step. Exhibitors know the class of stories Robert Welles Ritchie writes through his ' Girl from 'Frisco;' they realize what it means to get two stars, George Larkin and Ollie Kirkby. in one-reel productions. The combination cannot be beaten." " Series Idea Means Cumulative Advertising " "Which Is the Sort of Advertising that Spells Success," Says William Wright, of Kalem, in Outlining that Company's Plans for Winter Months