Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1918)

1888 Anna Case Sings at Studio and All Stop Work In the neighborhood of East Fortyeighth street, New York City, where the Norma Talmadge studio is situated, Anna Case, the American soprano, is engaged in making her first picture for the International Film Service Co., Inc., under the title of " The Golden Chance," and one of the scenes represents a drawing room wherein she is entertaining some friends at a musicale. Of course the hostess is called upon to sing, and as realism is the keynote of the production according to Julius Steger, the supervising director, Anna Case put her whole heart into the song. Inside the studio, it is declared that every sound ceased, stage carpenters stood with their hammers suspended, electricians and property man tiptoed to a better vantage point and gazed upon the singer, transfixed by the quality of her voice, while outside, everywhere within hearing distance, women and children hung, breathlessly, out of windows, automobiles and wagons stopped, and even the voice of an old clothes man, busily calling his trade, was hushed. Charles Richman, Broadway star of stage and pictures in his own right, is Miss Case's leading man, and among other favorites the cast includes Forrest Robinson, Grace Neals and John J. Charles. " Romance of Coal " Reports Progress The Educational Films Corporation's project of a big spectacle dealing with " The Romance of Coal " and the recent coal crisis is making satisfactory progress under the direction of William Parke. The release of the picture may be expected with the advent of really cold weather when the interest in this subject will be more than academic. While the patriotic purpose of maximum fuel production and conservation is being kept prominently to the fore, the chief end of the fiction story will be to entertain. As the project has grown in the minds of its creators, the story has been strengthened and amplified, and several notable additions have been made to the cast. Among the players now working in it are J. H. Gilmour, the noted legitimate actor who has also been seen in several screen productions ; Hugh Thompson, Peggy Adams, Stephen Grattan, L. F. Kennedy, J. J. Dunn, Tom Burrough, Fred Radcliffe, Henri Rolf Otte and others. " Carmen of Klondike " Gets Bookings " Carmen of the Klondike," that is being handled throughout the Eastern territory by W. J. Pratt for the S. A. Lynch Enterprises, after a run at Gordon's Scollay Square theatre, has been booked solid over the entire Gordon and Poli circuits, and is also booked for a first-run showing in every large city in the New England States. This picture is meeting with success wherever shown, it is said. Florence Reed, in " Wives of Men," Pioneer Picture Gaumont Cameraman Tells of Dangers Gaumont, in an announcement this week, declares that standing behind the crank of a motion picture camera is as hazardous as standing in a front line trench behind a gun. The announcement said : " Making motion pictures is not only an essential, but hazardous occupation. War cinematographers say their work is more dangerous than soldiering; they can't fight back. " Now comes Walter Pritchard, star photographer for the Gaumont News and Graphic, who avows that not all of the dangers incident to crank turning are attendant upon climbing steep mountain cliffs, hanging on to cloud-piercing airplanes, or dodging bullets on the battle fields. " With all the necessary paraphernalia Walter sallied forth to make some great historical pictures of the thousands of draft-evaders recently rounded up in New York City. He got along all right for a while, until a solicitous official demanded his registration card, when it developed that the draft board had presented Walter with a deuce, or the wrong color, or a something which did not please the inspecting officer. After spending many hours in the " bull-pen " the mistake was rectified but not before Walter had visions of being shot at sunrise or forced to associate with interned Germans in some federal calaboose. Pell Mitchell, editor of the News and Graphic was on hand, and personally photographed the roundup. (P. S. — Pell escaped when the officials inspected the top of his head.)" Success Productions Makes Progress Charles F. Schwerin, of the Success Film Productions, Cleveland, Ohio, has reported considerable progress within his organization since it was formed. The company is buying state right features, one of the most recent being a deal to handle the Frank Hall pictures for the territory of Ohio, Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Motion Picture N e w s\ Frank Hall Plan Shows Quick Results The announced rapidity with which the I Producers' Distributing Corporation hasl followed the announcement of the Loew I Circuit bookings for its twelve special pic I tures with news of the signing up of other I large circuits seems to promise well for the | popularity of the plan which resulted from > Frank Hall's decision to set fixed prices for I his pictures and announce them broadcast to the trade. Mr. Hall's move took him into paths hitherto carefully avoided by his fellow motion picture magnates although long and successfully trod by men in purely commercial lines. Evelyn Nesbit in " Her Mistake " was se J lected as his first offering and the full meaning of the ten, twenty and thirty policy seems to have been recognized immediately. The Marcus Loew bookings for all of his pictures were secured at once and he now announces the signing of similar contracts by Moss, Keith, Mastbaum and Ascher Brothers which show a keen interest on the part of prominent exhibitors in New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Illinois. W. H. Announces Four More Releases W. H. Productions Company announces the release this week of four productions. The two-reel Mack Sennett Keystone comedy, being the last of the series of twenty-eight, which is entitled " The Doughnut Designer," former title being " Dough and Dynamite," featuring Charlie Chaplin. With the exception of only one territory the entire country has been so'd on this series, and they are proving an exceptional box-office success. The second release is " Shorty in the Jungle," former title " Shorty Among Cannibals," one of the series of two-reel Shorty Hamilton Western comedy dramas. The third release this week is entitled " Fatty the Fourflusher," former title, " Fatty Again." There are open several territories on this series of twenty-four single-reel Fatty Arbuckle comedies. " The Ham Artist," former title " The Face on the Barroom Floor," is another one of the series of one and two-reel Charlie Chaplin comedies. Practically the entire country has been disposed of, with the exception of a single territory. "Wives of Men" Offered for State Rights Florence Reed in " Wives of Men " closed its New York engagement at the Casino theatre last week and Nathan Hirsh, president of the Pioneer Film Corporation, announces that the production will be sold to state rights exchanges evenwhere except the states of New York and New Jersey which the Pioneer will retain. " The exploitation given this production and its box-office and artistic success, augmented by an excellent complete line of advertising, makes it an extremely valuable production," said Mr. Hirsh.