Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1919)

July 12, I 9 I 9 569 THE concluding chapters of " The Perils of Thunder Mountain," the Vitagraph serial starring Antonio Moreno and Carol Holloway, are being filmed. Mr. Moreno and Miss Holloway, with their company and director, have returned to Truckee, Cal., where the last scenes in the serial are to be made. As soon as the picture is completed Mr. Moreno will go east for a two weeks' vacation. Miss Holloway plans to remain in the mountains with her mother until the Vitagraph calls her for another chapter production. William Duncan, Vitagraph star, stopped production this week long enough to go to San Francisco to put on a vaudeville show for the entertainment of the Ad Men's Club of that city. His company is working at Lake Huntington. Larry Semon has finished his picturized burlesque of itinerant stage life. The comedy is the most ambitious effort thus far attempted by Mr. Semon, it is said. It will introduce 250 players on the screen. The subject will be titled immediately. Earle Williams has returned from location at Lake Tahoe, where he completed his newest screen vehicle, " The Wolf." The production to follow "The Wolf" has not as yet been decided upon. Several stage plays and original stories are ready for Mr. Williams' use, it is said, but a decision has not been reached as to what shall constitute his next vehicle. T HOMAS H. INCE is developing a distinctive school in screen writ ing, and to this end has perfected one of the largest scenario departments in the motion picture industry. C. Gardner Sullivan is at the head of the department, and on the staff with him are John Lynch, R. Cecil Smith, Julien Josephson, Agnes Johnston, Eugene B. Lewis, Ethel Gillette Thorpe,^ Adele Bufifington and Luther A. Reed. In his quest for the best stories Mr. Ince reads the synopses of many of the stories submitted by outside writers, and if there is an indication of a good story he then reads the scenario. Once a story is placed in form for the director it goes to Clark W. Thomas, manager of productions, who begins the work of materializing the fiction into screen shape. The cast for Charles Ray's next photoplay now being made at the Ince studios consists of Mr. Ray, Margerie Wilson, Wade Botiler, Gordon Mullen and Otto Hoffman. Several spectacular scenes 'Call for hundreds of extra actors. Luther A. Reed, Ince scenario writer, is now engaged in writing the continuity for Gouvernor Morris' well known story, " Behind the Door," which is to be given production at the Ince studios. Henry King, formerly a director with the American Film company, and under whose supervision many of the Mary Miles Minter subjects were made, has begun work as director for Thomas H. Ince on a picture in which Douglas MacLean and Doris Day are to be featured. His first production will be the screen version of Mary Robert Rhinehart's story, " TwentyThree and Half Hours' Leave." Among members of the supporting cast will be Tom Guise, Maxfield Stanley, Wade Botiler and Jack Nelson. Much of the locale of the story is in the United States and in army barracks. — horseback from Missoula, Mont., to T^tt^Gtlf'sI ^/fctUS^Ct^S^ Perrfn, is ' now producing "Fighting THE Universal serial, "The Midnight Man," in which James J. Corbett is the star, has been completed at Universal City. It was produced by James W. Horne from the story upon which he collaborated with Frank Howard Clark. The serial was given a de luxe staging throughout the entire eighteen reels, and it was made under the personal supervision of Joe Brandt, general manager of serial production. Kathleen O'Connor played opposite Mr. Corbett. Monroe Salisbury and his company have returned from Tobin, Cal., where outdoor scenes were taken for " Sundown Trail," a romance of the mining camps. The picture is being filmed under the direction of Rollin Sturgeon, and was written by J. G. Hawks. Mary MacLaren's next picture will be from the novelette, " Auld Jeremiah," by Henry C. Rowland, in which she will play the role of a little Scotch maid. Waldemar Young is writing the story, and Dave Butler will be Miss MacLaren's leading man. . The photoplay will be produced under the direction of Ted Browning. Visiting journalists to Universal City recently have remarked favorably on the accuracy with which the editorial rooms of a metropolitan daily newspaper are being reproduced in " Playing the Game," a drama of newspaper life now being filmed by Universal. George Siegman is the director and Fritzi Brunette is the star, with George McDaniels as her leading man. Marie Walcamp, having completed the first four of the " Tempest Cody " series for Universal, is taking a vacation. A new two-reel western company, with Laura Trainor, the girl who rode Blood,' under Reeves Eason's direction, " Desert Trails" is the title of a new two-reeler of outdoor type in which Pete Morrison and Magda Lane will star under George Holt's direction at Universal. JACK CONWAY has signed a contract with Metro Pictures corporation to direct Bert Lytell in " Lomhardi Ltd," according to announcement by Director General Maxwell Karger. The play was written by Frederic and Fanny Hatton, and the scenario was provided by June Mathis. Conway was at one time in stock at San Francisco, and later be played heavies with Lewis Stone at the old Belasco theatre in Los Angeles. He entered pictures with the 101 Bison company playing cowboy leaders. At Triangle he starred in " Captain Macklin " and then he became a director contemporary with D. W. Griffith. He produced the Universal picture, " Come Through," in which Herbert Rawlinson was starred. Later he returned to the Triangle, and about one year ago he retired from pictures temporarily because of ill health. Announcement is made that Metro has acquired the screen rights of " Please Get Married," the Oliver ^lorosco farce that made a big hit in New York. The story was secured through negotiations conducted by Maxwell Karger. Viola Dana will star in this production, and John Ince will be the director. Mr. Karger recently saw the play at the Little the f if iii i f II it 9 i ;i S '•*''■■'•«»•» '11 Scene in front of Loew's New York Theatre during the showing of "The Woman Thou Gavest Me." a Famous Players-Lasky Special featuring Katharine MacDonald, whose future product is to be distributed by Bernie Fineman