Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

2672 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol. 14. No. 17 A TRUE reproduction of a resort of the Parisian Apaches will be seen in Mme. Petrova's new feature production, " The Black Butterfly," a forthcoming Metro picture. Mine. Petrova herself, with the aid of her cameraman, Andre Barlitier, staged and directed the scene at the Popular Plays and Players studio. The scene represented is the Caveau, where Apaches and their companions drink, dine and dance. Real Apache dancing is given hy artists of the first rank. Emile Agoust and his wife, Simone de Beryl, were engaged to do the feature dancing, and they contribute a sensational dancing duet. Mile, de Beryl's make-up as a gigolette is a triumph. She realizes Paris for the spectator. Another gamin dance is done by Lula Paleaologus and Fred von Stange, in which a carefully staged fall brings Allle. Paleaologus' hair down about her ears in a picturesque manner. The costuming of the scene is colorful and realistic, and faithful in its absolute accuracy. This feature of the production was handled by Henriette Bizeul, who was for seven years at the Metropolitan Opera House and formerly with the Eclair Film Company of Paris. In the Rolfe studio Julius Steger has begun the production of a new Metro play. Mr. Steger, in the star role, is seen as a poor and struggling young playwright, and the part is admirably adapted to his rare talents. No name has yet been selected for the production. Stark Resigns from Metro George D. Baker, one of the MetroRolfe directors, has returned to the Rolfe studio from a vacation spent in Havana. Mr. Baker at once began making arrangements for a screen production of Holman F. Day's story, " Squire Flynn," with Lionel Barrymore as the star of the picture. Lowell Stark has resigned from the scenario department of Metro Pictures Corporation to accept a position as traveling director for the People's Motion Picture Company. Mr. Stark will superintend the conducting of popularity contests at theatres throughout several states, and will be the final judge as to successful candidates. Mr. Stark will be accompanied by an assistant, a camerman, and an assistant cameraman. In order to make the scenes in " The Breaker " as realistic as possible, President George K. Spoor of Essanay engaged the services of Captain Michael P. Evans, chief of the Chicago bureau of identification and well known all over the United States as an expert in the Bertillon system, together with his son, assistant identification inspector, and several headquarters detectives to take part in the play. " The Breaker " is a five-act feature, written by Arthur Stringer and featuring Bryant Washburn and Nell Craig. It deals with a counterfeiter band and the capture of the members by the police. Captain Evans works through several scenes, reproducing the exact methods of the police in taking records of criminals by the Bertillon system. He also follows out his clews thus received in capturing members of the band. The well known novelist and newspaper writer, Anna Steese Richardson, has sold a scenario to the Popular Plays and Players studio for the use of Mme. Petrova. Mme. Petrova describes the story as one of the most powerful which has ever been submitted to her. It will be put in production at an early date. When Tweedledum was in New York recently with Billy Dunn, his director, he was much attracted by the sight of the new autopede machines, which he saw being exhibited on Broadway, and he promptly persuaded Dunn to purchase a couple of machines and have them shipped to Jacksonville for use in a new comedy. Tweedledum made his greatest reputation in the old Eclipse comedy, called " The Near-Sighted Cyclist," so that by using an autopede he simply brings himself up to the minute in appliances and a screaming comedy is expected. Two Directors Kept Bu.sy by Mme. Petrova With her passion for efficiency and system Alme. Petrova has evolved a working schedule at the Popular Plays and Players studio by which she will keep two directors busy all the time on the Petrova productions. At the same time she herself will not waste precious days in idleness between any two pictures. Burton L. King and Edmund Lawrence are the directors now working on her new tandem system. The plan works in this way. On Saturday Mme. Petrova, with Mr. King directing, finished the important scenes in which she herself appears in " The Black Butterfly." Mr. King then proceeded to take the less important scenes, in which she does not appear, and began the work of assembling and cutting the film. On Monday, with Mr. Lawrence as director, the star began work on her next production, a feminist play as yet unnamed, from the pen of the well know-n writer, Anna Steese Richardson. Associated with Mme. Petrova in the strongest scenes in the new photodrama will be Mahlon Hamilton and \^'illiam Davidson, both of whom have appeared in a great many Metro pictures. When the star and the leading members of her support have completed their work in the Richardson picture, they will go on without loss of time to the next, which Mr. King, having completed work on " The Black Butterfly," will by then be in a position to handle, Mr. Lawrence finishing work on the Richardson story.