Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1918)

2 MOTION PICTURE NEWS Vol 18. No. 12 f HI WEST COAST Thomas H. Ince Supervising the Filming of Dorothy Dalton's New Picture, "Vive La France! " "Yellow Dog" Proves Success on Coast THE pre-release showing of " The Yellow Dog," the heralded Universal subject, adopted from the Dodge story which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, at the Superba theatre, following a few days' publicity, is proving up to the expectations of the management, and this theatre, which is owned by the Univc sal Company, the local officers of the Universal Film Exchange and of the producing organization al Universal City. Five or six days before the opening of this film in Los Angeles, the publicity started in local papers, when an anti-yellow dog club was formed among the boys from ten to sixteen years of age, supervised by Spanish .and Civil War veterans. In four days the organization was increased to more than a thousand. It is anticipated the film will run several weeks to very excellent business, which it has had during the first week of the showing. Arthur Hoyt takes the leading role, that of the organizer of the boy detectives. Others in the big cast besides the boys are Clara Horton, W. A. Barrows and Fred Kelsey. The film has action from beginning to end, and a very remarkable scene secured by Director Colin Campbell is that showing the Majestic slides of four great transports at the shipyards at San Francisco. The Dodge story has been closely followed in the continuity, which was prepared by Lanier Bartlett. As a propaganda film, this can be placed in the " A " class,' and the publicity work carried on by the Universal in presenting this special production — that of organizing the boys, cannot help but be very beneficial to the government. Seattle Celebrates When Hurn Joins Army ONE MONDAY Harold H. Hurn, Northwest manager of the Triangle Film Company, received notice that Uncle Sam wished him to report over to Camp Lewis. Harold then began to say good by to all his friends on Film Row and began to get ready. Manager Weinstock, of the L. J. Schlaifer Attractions, then suggested that Hurn be given a mark of remembrance. The matter was taken up with President J. A. Koerpel, oi the Northwest Board of Trade, who immediately had all the boys notified, had a committee appointed to buy Hurn a token of remembrance, and had them all at the luncheon within twenty-four hours. That is a good ad for the Northwest Board of Trade. All the fellows are "Reel" movers; anyway, they know how to hustle when they are called. Among those present, besides all the regular members, were Major M. J. Cohen, Major of Marines; and naval scout boys and director of publicity and head of the United States Division of War Films for California; Mr. J. S. Woody, Western field manager for Select; P. N. Brinch, division manager W. W. Hodkinson Corporation; Joe Myrick, divisional manager Mutual Film Corporation; J. R. Lustig, special representative for. Fox; Harry Lustig, Western supervisor of the Western Metro Exchanges. President Koerpel then presented Harold H. Hurn with a beautiful radiolite wrist watch, to which was attached a compass. The watch was later engraved. In presenting the watch, Mr. Koerpel gave a nice little speech, in which he drew attention to the fact that as Hum was giving his SERVICE, on which the world stands, so the moving picture men must stand on SERVICE if they want their business to stand or live. Other pleasant addresses were given by those present, among them being J. S. Woody, who made one of the happiest of the occasion. Mr. Hum replied with a pleasant and " just-to-thepoint " speech, for while he was more than pleased with the v/atch and overcome wifh the action of all the members on Film Row, he was also anxious to finish as soon as possible for the Queen Bee of Film Row promised to kiss the hero who was going to the front. She kept her promise, after which all of the other (almost) district managers said they were going to France or Camp Lewis, too. This didn't work. The Queen Bee wanted to see the cards on the table. That was a good excuse for her, anyway, for, really, some of those managers look — oh, well! William S. Hart Begins New Subject WILLIAM S. HART has begun the filming of another picture which ultimately will require a change of atmosphere before it is completed. This subject has several distinct features! one of the most important being that William S. Hart, for the first time in his screen career, will step forth in what is termed by the cowboys as a " shroud." In other words, Mr. Hart will wear evening clothes. His present story begins in the West and ends in the East, and is spoken of as a comedy drama, but more drama than comedy. Seena Owen has been specially engaged to play the feminine lead opposite Mr. Hart, and Arthur Shirley is one of the important players in the cast. This will be Miss Owen's first appearance on the screen in two years. The Hart studio, at the corner of Bates and Effie Streets, Hollywood, according to Art Director Tom Riley, is far too small for the filming of this subject. The space has been completely filled with big sets and the scene plots specify more different interior and exterior scenes than were used in any previous Hart subject. Mary Pickford was Assisted by Marines in Producing a Liberty Loan Film, " 100 Per Cent American," Directed by Art Rosson, Artcraft Director