Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1916)

November 11, 1916 MOTION PICTURE NEWS 2999 Some Interesting Situations Culled from Episodes 5, 7 and 9 of Consolidated's Serial, the " Crimson Stain Mystery " At the Omnia this week ^ve have the great film from the United States : " La Bella Dona," a superb drama, interpreted by the illustrious American actress, Pauline Frederick. This is again a very notable success. The program also includes magnificient views of the front: " Devant Peronne," " Sur la Somme " and the Review of the Russian Troops at Salonica; besides " La Servante de Rigadin," in which Prince shows himself as amusing as ever. The supplementary numbers are : A fine drama by M. Abel Gance, Les Gaz Mortels," admirably played by the charming Maud Richard, the Youthful Fleury, M. Mathot and Maillard and Mme. Pelisse. We learn at the last moment that the .well-known Italian Film Producing Company " Cines of Rome " has become a French company. Everything remains as usual for the present, big changes are contemplated by the new management. J. Kaen'ka. FEATURE SHOWN AT TWO FIRST-RUN HOUSES IN CLEVELAND FOR A WEEK AT SAME TIME For the first time in the history of Cleveland motion picture theatres, a big feature film was shown at two first-run theatres, for a week at the same time. " War's Women " the Ince production, was booked for the Alhambra theatre, and as previous contracts had been made with the Orpheum theatre, this production started on its Cleveland career at both houses last Sunday. The only previous instances where the same production w-as shown simultaneously in more than one theatre in Cleveland was when the new Chaplin two-reel comedies were released and in the case of short onereel news pictures. DAMAGED NEGATIVE CAUSES PARAMOUNT RELEASE DATE TO BE CHANGED Because the negative had been damaged. Paramount was compelled to change the release dates of two of its Paramount-Bray Cartoons, and " Bobby Bumps Helps a Book Agent" will be released at a later date, while " Bobby Bumps Queers the Choir " will take its place and can be released on October 26 instead of November 23. Professor Shattiick of Vassar Joins Paramount Forces Authority on Geology Will Release Through Its Magazine-on-the-Screen, the Pictographs, a Subject Entitled " In the Heart of the Alaskan Wilderness " MR. GEORGE BURBANK SHATTUCK, professor of Geology in \'assar College, and authority on this subject, has joined the Paramount forces, and will release through Paramount's " magazine-on-the-screen," the Paramount Pictographs, " In the Heart of the Alaskan Wilderness." On July 4 of this year, Dr. Shattuck started for Alaska with a company of j-oung people to see that region. They went up the inside passage from Vancouver to Skagway by steamer, then over the White Pass Railroad, and from White Horse where the railroad ends they sailed down the Yukon River to Tanana, then up the Tanana River to Fairbanks, then back to Tanana and on down the Yukon River and out of St. Michael. There they took the Pacific liner to Nome and Cordova, and so on back to Seattle, arriving at the end of their trip, August 20. The party traveled through the very heart of Alaska and covered much of the outside coast as well, taking some exceptionally remarkable pictures whenever conditions and circumstances permitted. Beginning with a forthcoming release in the near future, the best of these pictures will be released in the Paramount Pictographs. The first section of this series of pictures will be called " People of the Alaskan Wilderness," and will show the conditions which exist among the native Indians and Esquimaux inhabitants living in a semibarbarous state on the outskirts of civilization. Among the interesting features pictured, are the primitive methods of capturing salmon from the Yukon River, which supplies food when dried for both man and sledge dogs through the long Arctic winter. Pictures are shown of Ruby, a typical mining camp which sprang up over night when gold was discovered in the hills. In the heart of Alaska there is pictured the trading post of Tolovana, where provisions are supplied to the natives and Esquimaux in exchange for valuable furs which are secured by them during the winter. There are striking pictures of the work being done on the Government railroad. Intimate views of Esquimaux family life and their extraordinary mode of living, were secured after many hardships and with great difficulty. This subject will be followed by others showing the gold fields, and other interesting features. Sam Spedon Reaches Cleveland with Forum, Inc., Films Former Vitagraph Publicity Man, Known to Everybody in the Business, Takes with Him First Picture of Company, Entitled " U. S. Government in Action " Cleveland, Oct. 28. SM. SPEDON, best known motion pic• ture publicity man in the business and for eight years in charge of Vitagraph's publicity department, came to Cleveland last week as representative of the Motion Picture Forum, Inc., a producing concern which aims to present only pictures of national, historic and educational interest. Mr. Spedon brought with him the first picture of the company, entitled " The United States Government in Action," showing President Wilson and his cabinet officers at work at their desks. The picture contains a number of intimate views of the national figures, each of whom is shown close-up and in characteristic attitudes. The subtitles are the expressions of the work accomplished during their term of office in each department. Of particular interest to Cleveland is the part devoted to Secretary of War Newton D. Baker. The picture is offered free of charge to exhibitors of Cleveland who care to include it in their programs. " Looking over the entire film industry as my present connections enable me to do," said Mr. Spedon, " I can see that moving pictures will touch fields unthought of before. For instance, they will become a factor in school and college life, in the church, in politics. SERVIAN-BULGARIAN WAR PICTURES SHOWN BY COSMOFOTOFILM The Count de Villafranca has brought some pictures into this country including one showing some life scenes of the Servian-Bulgarian war. This interesting film can be seen at any time at the offices of the Cosmofotofilm Company, Inc., 110 West 40th street, New York City.