Motion Picture News (Mar-Jun 1920)

June 19, 1920 4945 Big Results Expected from "Passers By" Based on the reports of Pathe reviewers and branch managers, Pathe Exchange, Inc., expects the latest J. Stuart Blackton picture, " Passers By " to surpass in distribution and in popularity anything ever produced by Commodore Blackton. This • statement is made after a careful analysis of the advance situation and with full knowledge of the strength of the prediction. A notable cast has been assembled. Herbert Rawlinson is claimed to be one of the best drawing cards on the screen. William J. Ferguson is one of the best known actors on the American stage and has been identified with the best productions of the last forty yean. Tom Lewis and Dick Lee are two other really famous men of the stage who are in the cast Ellen Cassidy and Leila Valentine complete the leading characters of what may be termed an " all star cast." Exchangemen Combine Baseball and Track West was best when Metro exchange men f rom the East and West fought it out in a ballgame recently in connection with the annual convention of Metro district and branch managers in New York. For three innings it resembled a ballgame, but finally degenerated into a track meet, the final score being 20 to 6, with the Westerners on the top. Blackwell Appears in "The Restless Sex" Carlyle Blackwell, who has placed his name to a Cosmopolitan contract, will make his first appearance with Marion Davies in her latest starring vehicle, " The Restless Sex," from the Robert W. Chambers' novel of the same name. Metro Improves West Coast Plant Studio construction operations started several months ago by Metro on the West Coast, are to be rushed to completion. Work has also begun on a three-story receiving, shipping and property building at the Metro plant. Live News From The Producers To Screen Modes of Travel Universal Educational Dept. Preparing " Evolution of Travel " Film Tower Sells Rights on ktA Trip to Mars" 'lower Film Corporation reports the sale of " A Trip to Mars " to Sam Grand 01 Boston, Mass., for the New England States, and the Magnet Film Exchange, of New York, for New York City. Mr. Grand, who is treasurer of the newly funned Federated Film Exchanges, in commenting on "A Trip to Mars" said: "This production is one of the most novel I have seen in a long time, and I was so impressed with the box-office possibilities thai I immediately purchased same for my territory. I believe that "A Trip to Mars" will become an excellent box-oflice attraction, and any slate-right buyer who is in the market for a feature that is different and that offers exceptional exploitation possibilities should secure this production for his territory." TT has been proved by actual sta■l tistics that about 80 per cent of the people are "eye-minded" rather than "ear-minded." As a result of this, motion pictures are in some instances taking the place of oral dictation as a means of educating children in the schools. Based upon this theory, a motion picture depicting the entire "Evolution of Travel" is now being filmed by the Educational Department of the Universal Film Company, under the direction of Harry Levey, general manager, in conjunction with the Cole Motor Car Company, and will be preserved and used for school-work together with other educational pictures. Permission was secured to film the carts and vehicles on exhibition in Smithsonian Institute, and which were used as the mode of travel up to the advent of the automobile. Directors, camera-men, and a company of players left recently for Washington to film these. In addition to this, camera-men, it is stated, are being dispatched all over the world to film the modes of travel in vogue — to Japan where scenes will be made of travel in the Jinriksha; to the frozen North, where the dog-sleds furnish means of transportation ; lo Venice, to "shoot" the gondolas — to all countries of the world where interesting means of travel prevail. "The De Witt Clinton," now on exhibition at the Grand • Central Terminal, New York, the first train that was ever run in the state of New York, has already been filmed for this picture. Governor Smith made a special trip to New York at the invitation of Mr. Levey, and was "movied" as he sat in this locomotive. The bicycle, the motor-cycle, and "the horseless carriage" arc shown ; the newest model aeroplane, ihc automobile, the Cole Aero-Eight and last, the aeroplane. — completing the evolution of travel to the present dav. Bertram Grassy, who has a prominent part in " The Week End." a Flying A " picture THE WEEK END," a play from the pen of Cosmo Hamilton, will be the next " Flying A Special, to be released by the American, following " Peggy Rebels." It is a story of Margarita Fishers own selection, and in it she appears in the stellar role at her best under the direction of George L. An unconventional comedydrama, scintlating with the Cosmo Hamilton touch, with most of the action crowded into a few days during an unchapcroned week end at Hideaway Cottage, with Margarita Fisher delectable in some bathing scenes— this is one of the American Specials offered for summer business. , , Milton Sills, the handsome leading man, does some earnest love making in an exceedingly satisfactory manner, thereby winning the ill Northern Story Good for Summer Days That exhibitors with an eye to pleasing iheir patrons during the summer months arc booking "The River's End," Marshall Neilan's production, is the claim of an official of that company. '* 'The River's End,' " he said, "offers an ideal hot-weather subect in view of the fact that the story is laid amidst the frozen Northwest of Canada. Exhibitors have already expressed their intention of playing this and another similar picture on the hottest days of their respective territories. Anita Stewart Picture of Bohemian Quarter Greenwich Village in all of its interesting and eccentric phases will be seen as the residence place of Anita Stewart in her new Louis B. Mayer-First National attraction, "Harriet and the Piper." a Kathleen Noris story which originally appeared as a serial in the Pictorial Review. Bertram Bracken is directing the picture from the screen version by Monte M. Katterjohn. Another "Flying A" Soon American Film Makes " The Week End," Cosmo Hamilton's Story earts of all the women fans, for through his successful career lere has been a tacit agreement that he is the sort of a man they would not mind serving coffee to 365 mornings out of the year. In the role o£ his rival for the hand of the whimsical Vera, Bertram Grasshy is very much at home in a blase society role for which he is celebrated. The remainder of the supporting cast is said to be unusually well chosen. Second of New Rolin Series Out in June " Start the Show " is the title selected for the second of the new series of Rolin comedies. Starring Beatrice La Plante. This picture will be released bv Pathe June 13th. A shot " from " Rebels oi Sunnybrook Farm." starring W»rr (V-kKv>i and now being reissued by Fi»o«* Ptsrers L»s*»