Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1918)

1890 Motion Picture News " The Hushed Hour," Which Stars Blanche Sweet Under Harry Garson's Management, Also Claims Other Players of Recognized Merit. Are Milton Sills, Wilfred Lucas, Rosemary Theby, Mary Anderson, Gloria Hope and Wyndham Standing Among Them Fox Books Educationals Into His Theatres FOR what is said to be the first time in the history of the William Fox enterprises, a group of the Fox motion picture and vaudeville theatres have booked the Educational Films Corporation scenics on a regular monthly schedule. The houses referred to are the Academy of Music, Audubon, Crotona and Star in Manhattan and the Fox Liberty Theatre at Elizabeth, N. J. At the Academy throughout Labor Day week Bruce's " Following the Trail of the Cayuse " held the place Immediately preceding the Annette Kellermann spectacle. " Queen of the Sea." Forests, mountain peaks, and glaciers of the " Cayuse " adventure, with the rugged campers, ponies and Great Dane of the Bruce outfit, were in decided contrast with the marine effects and mythic characters of the Kellermann feature. William Fox's Audubon ran " The Gla cier National Park " the last four days of Labor Day week, and on the same dates his Crotona offered the Bruce split-reeler, " Fishing for Fish " and " The Bull Thrower." " A Trip Through the Hawaiian Islands " and " Yosemite Valley " divided the week at the Star Theatre, Lexington avenue and 109th street. On Sept. 2 the new Liberty Theatre, Elizabeth, N. J., was added to the ever-increasing Fox chain, and the management signalized the event (as did Rothapfel at' the Rivoli opening last winter) by giving patrons the celebrated Bruce-Educational scenic, " The World o' Dreams." The above houses will henceforth book clever scenics regularly, and it is the expectation that other members of the Fox group will shortly come in, according to E. W. Hammons, vice-president and general manager of the Educational. Schomer Prepares to Release " Ruling Passions " The Schomer Photo-Play Producing Co., Inc., of 1440 Broadway, is soon to release " Ruling Passions," the new six-act photodrama written and directed by Abraham S. Schomer, author of " To-day," " The Yellow Passport," and " The Inner Man," with Julia Dean in the part of Eveline Roland, one of the star roles of the production. Miss Dean is another one of the numerous young women of the West who by their innate talent, ability and perseverance have won a permanent place in the foremost ranks of stage and photoplay artists. It was after consultations with many artists that Mr. Schomer finally determined upon asking Miss Dean to play the part for he felt that she possessed to the full the talent, the power and the ability to properly portray the character of Eveline Roland. That he was not disappointed in his selection is evidenced by his statement that Miss Dean is a young woman of rare talent and ability whose powers are under such control that she can respond instantly and perfectly to every demand of the director in any part that she may play. Mr. Schomer will announce the release date in the near future. for Open Market Plan Houdini Film Announcement has been made by B. A. Rolfe, Inc., producers of the Houdini serial, that the picture featuring Houdini will be released on the open market. In a statement Harry Grossman, general manager of the concern, stated: "I have carefully considered all distribution plans, and I believe that the open market form of distribution will prove more advantageous to exhibitors than any other means which I can employ to accomplish this end. The Houdini serial has created a furore in the industry and not only have we given great thought to the method of distribution, but we have formulated a new plan whereby exhibitors will secure better service than is the custom on a picture of this kind. In the point of the last analysis each episode of the Houdini serial is similar to a five-reel super-feature." United Adds Three Arthur E. Silverman, Jack Underfeld, Harry Thomas and William L. Merrill have been added to the field force of United Picture Theatres of America during the iveek. W. H. Announces Several New Sales W. H. Productions Company announce the following sales for the past week : Australasian Films, Ltd. — " Mickey," for Australia and New Zealand. Masterpiece Film Attractions, Philadelphia, Pa. — Series of 24 single reel Fatty Arbuckle comedies, for Southern New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. W. H. Film Company, Baltimore, Md. — Series of 24 single reel Fatty Arbuckle comedies, for Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia and Virginia. Eltabran Film Co.. Charlotte, N. C— Series of 16 two-reel Shortv Hamilton Western comedy dramas, for Virginia and North Carolina. Bee Hive Film Distributing Co.. Chicaeo. 111. — Series of 16 tworeel Shorty Hamilton Western Comedy Dramas, for Illinois, Indiana and Southern Wisconsin. Boston Photoplay Company. Boston. Mass. — Bessie Barriscale in " The Straight Road," for the New England States. F. M. Sanford. Dallas, Texas — Series of 16 two-reel Shorty Hamilton Western Comedv Dramas, for Texas and Arkansas. R. D. Lewis Film Co., Oklahoma City, Okla. — Series of 24 single-reel Fattv Arbuckle comedies for Oklahoma. J. Pearce & Sons. New Orleans, La. — Six two-reel Wm. S. Hart productions for Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana. J. Pearce & Sons, New Orleans, La. — Three Wm. S. Hart super-features, viz.: "The Two-Gun Man " in " The Bargain," for Louisiana : " The Bandit and the Preacher." for Louisiana and Mississippi : " The Hell Hound of Alaska," for Louisiana and Mississippi. Dustin Farnum Film Reports Progress Rapid progress in the making: of Jackson Gregory's "The Wolf Breed." the second of its series of super-features with Dustin Farnum as the star, is reported from United Picture Theatres of America. A private showing of the Harry A. Sherman lavish production of Zane Grey's " The Light of Western Stars," which forms United's inaugural release of the Dus^n Farnum super-series, was given at the Sherman House during Convention, and is reported to have excited praise.