Motion Picture News (Mar-Jun 1920)

3096 Motion Picture News Neilan Will Produce Abroad MARSHALL NEILAN yesterday made public his plans, on which he has been quietly working for the past few months, for the production of a number of foreign subjects in Europe. Mr. Neilan will take an entire producing unit with him including various famous players among which will be Marjorie Daw, who has achieved the success of her career in "The River's End."" Mr. Neilan will produce a number of stories in the different historic locales offered in England, France, Belgium and Spain and will be the first independent producer to take a company abroad since the war. In his absence from his Hollywood studios, various American productions on which he is now working will be completed there under his supervision, the details for this work to be arranged before he leaves. To attend to advance preparations for Mr. Neilan's activities abroad, Harry Ham, his personal foreign representative, sailed on the Adriatic Saturday, March 20th. Mr. Ham arrived in New York from the West Coast recently. In speaking of Mr. Neilan's foreign plans he said: "The American motion picture public will welcome foreign backgrounds in motion pictures. For years we have had practically nothing in the way of foreign-produced subjects. With pictures offering the totally different locations obtainable only abroad, we open a new class of film entertainment since the war started. "We intend to do foreign stories staged in the exact-locale of the plot. An entire producing unit will accompany Mr. Neilan, including a number of very prominent players. I am leaving on the Adriatic and among my duties abroad will be the preparation of advance details affecting Mr. Neilan's activities there. The present plan is to have the entire company make the trip with Historic Locales to Serve as Setting of Productions in a few months, or sooner if the many arrangements we have in mind, can be perfected before then." Mr. Ham stated that Mr. Neilan would in the near future announce further details concerning his foreign trip, including the names of the stories he is to produce, which he said will be of international prominence. "We feel that we will have some very interesting information for exhibitors shortly," said Mr. Ham, "and realize fully the great opportunity of the fertile territory offered us." Mr. Ham is American-born, but has been educated in England and on the Continent. He comes from a very influential family in European circles. His brother at present is American Consul General in Spain. As foreign representative to Mr. Neilan, Mr. Ham is particularly suited for his work abroad, having spent most of his life there. Mr. Ham has been connected with the motion picture industry for some eight years, and during his sojourn in. Europe as an officer in the R. F. A., he had many opportunities to study motion picture conditions abroad since the war. In the meantime, Marshall Neilan has just finished his second independent production for First National release, following "The River's End," which is said to be breaking records everywhere. Few details concerning this second picture are available at this time, although it is stated that Matt Moore and Marjorie Daw play the leading roles. A third film is now under way and advance preparations for "Penrod," in which Wesley Barry will be starred, has also been started. May 28th is the tentative sailing date of the Marshall Neilan troup for England, where the first film will be staged. Vitagraph Names Episodes of New Serial Vitagraph announces this ' week the complete list of episode : titles for its new William Duncan superserial, " The Silent Avenger." The titles are given as follows: "The Escape;" " Fighting Back;" " Within the Noose ;" " Tearing Through ;" "Blotted Out;" "The Hidden Blow;" "Dynamite Doom;" "The Crusher ;" " Into the Jaws ;" "Blades of Horror;" "Shot Into Space ;" " Facing Eternity ;" " A Human Pendulum;" "The Lake of Fire;" "The Final Trump." Comic Strip Boosts Monk Universal Issues Cartoons to Exploit Joe Martin, Monkey-Actor JOE MARTIN, Universal's almost human orang-outang and the central figure of many Universal comedies, is being exploited throughout the country by a novel method — the publication of a comic strip entitled " The Life, Loves and Adventures of Mr. Joe Martin." These strips are issued weekly and sent gratis in six-column mat form to those newspapers requesting them. Already many papers have asked for the service. The series has iust begun. There is no advertising or Uni.versal publicity connected with these " comics " except the name "Joe Martin" and caricatured representation of the famous monk. The subject matter of these cartoons is a varied assortment of humorous situations depicting Joe's adventures from the time he is lured from the jungle home with promises of stardom and high pay. The artist is Forest A. McGinn, a newspaper cartoonist, who worked on several middle west papers before the war. Universal is planning to have Joe make a personal appearance in those towns where the "Joe Martin comic" is published. Many exhibitors have seized the opportunity for this exploitation and have arranged with local papers for the publication of the series. Merit Film Acquires Pioneer Franchise The latest addition to the chain1 of exchanges handling Pioneer pictures is the Merit Film Company of Minneapolis, which will take over the Pioneer franchise for the states of Minnesota and North and South Dakota. The Merit Film Company is headed and managed by F. W. Thayer and is located in the heart of Minneapolis, its offices being situated at 206 Film Exchange Building. Norma Nichols Cast In Ruth Roland Serial Norma Nichols is a recent addition to the company supporting Ruth Roland in her next Pathe serial, " Broadway Bab,'' which is now in production at Los Angeles. Miss Nichols began her screen career in Sennet Comedies and has since appeared with Roscoe Arbuckle and Chester Conklin and many of the Kalem Ham and Bud Pictures in comedy roles. Pioneer Office Opened in Cincinnati Southern Ohio and Kentucky will in future be handled by the new office which Pioneer has just established in Cincinnati. R. E. Kerly, who for the past year has been second in command of the Cleveland office, has been placed in charge of the Cincinnati branch by General Manager M. H. Hoffman. ,iews of three Faramount-A rUrah releases. Left— Thomas H. Ince drama, Daneeroue Hours " Center— FthM CU Play, The Young Mr,. Wimhrop." Right-Mr. and Mrs. CarSe Hav^n" i„ theif t^«! com in the Bronson Howard