Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1918)

1880 Motion Picture News Madelyn Clare Has the Leading Feminine Role in the George K. Spoor Feature, " Young America " Lila Lee's Film Shown at Rivoli When Lila Lee's initial film was shown last week at the Rivoli theatre in New York, the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was congratulated by S. L. Rothapfel in securing her. The Globe said that " She is of the stuff from which celluloid stars are made." The Morning World pronounced Lila Lee " a new and surprisingly talented motion picture star," and the New York Telegram said that " she promises to become a strong favorite." W. W. Whitman, proprietor of the Plaza theatre at San Diego, Cal., wrote : " I have seen Lila Lee in ' The Cruise of the MakeBelieve' and never have I received so great a surprise or a more pleasant one." Lila Lee's second Paramount picture will be " Such a Little Pirate." Many New Ebony Releases A budget of new Ebony comedies, the one-reel offerings with colored players featured, which are released semi-monthly through General Film Company, will be seen during this month and October. Among these are " Catastrophe Cassie," " Love and Bricks " and " Cool Heads and Hot Feet." A new standard in production is said to have been achieved in recent releases by the Ebony Company, with the fun element developed in a manner marked by finish and cleverness. General Film Company reports the popularity of these novel subjects not only holding but gaining. Universal Announces Title and Release Changes Universal announces it has changed the title of " The Borrowed Duchess," the Bluebird featuring Carmel Myers, to that of "A Society Sensation." It is scheduled for release September 23 in place of " The Velvet Hand," which will be put on for the week of September 30. cdProq,ram Glanced Charles Ray, in the role of a brave Frenchman of the North woods, will soon be starred in his next Paramount picture, " The Law of the North," released September 29 The story is dramatic shows the struggles of the hero, Alain de Montcalm to save the girl he loves and also avenge the death of his father. The dog comes into his own in motion pictures, in the Outing-Chester-Mutual release, " Finest on Four Feet," for September 8. Dogs of all nationalities, colors, kinds and breeds are seen — Pekingese Spaniels, Belgian War Dogs, Red Cross Dogs, Airedales, " Just Dogs " and others. " By the World Forgot," the Vitagraph Blue Ribbon Feature scheduled for release the week of September 10, is a picture of beautiful photography and stirring action, presenting Hedda Nova and J. Frank Glendon in roles ideally suited. The feature is from an original scenario written specially for the stars by Cyrus Townsend Brady. In the current Wolfville Tale by Alfred Henry Lewis, two new characters are added to the highly interesting population of the famous border town of fiction. " The Deacon," considered the most harmless of the inhabitants, disposes of a double-dyed bad man, and the fact that he has no reputation as a shooter makes it appear outrageous to the citizens. , A race between a street car and an automobile, during which the chief characters of the story leap from one to the other, forms one of the exciting incidents in " The Room of Flame," which is the ninth episode of Universal's serial, " The Brass Bullet." Fritzi Brunette will be supported in her next Bluebird photoplay, " Vendetta's Daughter," by Fred Turner, Eugene Corey, William Conklin, Wedgwood Nowell, Carmen Phillips and Nicholas Dunaew. Douglas Gerrard is handling the megaphone on this production. The settings for " The Woman Who Gave " are said to be notable for their lavishness and the outlay of money involved. Workmen have been laboring feverishly for the last two weeks making several huge sets. This is a Fox-Evelyn Nesbit picture. The title of " Vendetta's Daughter," the Bluebird scheduled for release September 23, has been changed to "The Velvet Hand." Fritzi Brunette is the star of the film. The picture is based on a story by Edith Barnard Delano. F. McGrew Willis wrote the scenario, and Douglas Gerrard was the director The scenes are laid in Italy. " Pals First," which Metro will offer under the banner of Screen Classics, Inc., will be released as a six-reel production. The picture is a screen version of the stage success of the same name adapted by Lee Wilson Dodd from Francis Perry Elliott's novel. Having completed three big Western pictures in succession, William Farnum, the Fox star, is now working on a production which is considerably different from any he has ever done. The picture is named " The Man of Power," and some of the scenes are laid on board ship and on a desert island. The effectiveness with which the secret service operates whenever the government is concerned is evidenced in Edna Goodrich's latest special production, '" Treason," released .by Mutual on September 29. " His first appearance on any screen " might be the announcement regarding Fred Niblo, Broadway actor who recently married Enid Bennett, Ince star in Paramount pictures, and who supports her in the leading male role of " Coals of Fire," her latest Paramount offering, which will be released September 29. Dell Henderson, directing Carlyle Blackwell and Evelyn Greeley in " Allies," a new World picture to be released early next spring, has just completed a three-act comedy intended for Broadway consumption. The one interesting feature of this play, from the manager's point of view, is that it requires the services of only six people and it is absolutely essential that no scenery or properties be used in its presentation. In his first Artcraft picture, " The Goat," released September 22, Fred Stone has to put over an unusual and rapid-fire stunt when he plays a young ironworker, Chuck McCarthy, who literally breaks into the movies. The " break " occurs when he is ordered to do some construction work at a studio and is attracted by a boxed set " The Goat " Is the Name of Fred Stone's New Picture for Artcraft Hayakawa Pictures Play Many Big Houses A. S. Kirkpatrick, assistant general manager of Mutual, announces that the prerelease bookings of the Hayakawa Special Productions, produced by the Haworth Pictures Corporation and released through Mutual exchanges, now include practically every representative house throughout the country. The Ziegfeld theatre, Chicago, ran " His Birthright," the first Hayakawa picture, for an entire week. The B. S. Moss Circuit has contracted for the entire series for New York City and Brooklyn, and will run each picture three days in each house. Sam E. Rork, general representative and manager of distribution for the Haworth Pictures Corporation, who has been in Chicago for the past week conferring with Mr. Kirkpatrick, reports unusual interest is shown by the trade. " After pre-viewing ' His Birthright ' and ' The Temple of Dusk,' exhibitors are convinced that these productions will set a new standard for photo-dramas of absorbing interest," said Mr. Rork. Universal Current Events Universal's latest Current Events release presents some scenes of the latest Allied drive in France. The onrushing operations of first the British, then the French and Americans at the points of the bitterest lighting are shown, and glimpses are given of the Huns in retreat. In additions to the battle scenes there are shown the latest films of General Haig, General Pershing and other military leaders at the front, and of President Poincare and other big international figures. Bailey Joins Hodkinson Frank J. Bailey, of the American theatre, Butte, Montana, has signified his belief in Mr. W. W. Hodkinson's ideals for the motion picture industry by joining the Hodkinson Co-Partnership Plan. The American is one of the representative theatres of the Northwest.