Motion Picture News (Dec 1920-Feb 1921)

536 Motion Picture News Two scenes from Antonio Moreno's forthcoming Vitagraph production, " Three Sevens " PATHE inaugurates the new year with the release of the Jesse D. Hampton production, "That Girl Montana," which stars Blanche Sweet. The picture has been set for release on January 2nd. The picture, adapted from the novel by Marah Ellis Ryan, was staged in the beautiful section of California, near Truckee, under the direction of Robert E. Thornby. The supporting cast is headed by Mahlon Hamilton and includes Frank Lanning, Edward Piel, Charles Edler, Claire DeBrey, Kate Price and Jack Roseleigh. New Officers for Art ' Directors' Ass'n At the semi-annual election of officers of the Art Directors' Association, Charles H. Kyson (Ince) was chosen president; Edward M. Langley (Fairbanks), vice-president; Frank S. Brown (Vitagraph), secretary; David B. Edwards (Fox), treasurer; Thomas F. Warrillow (Fox), sergeant-at-arms. Robert J. Ellis, of the Hayakawa Company, was elected a trustee for a term of two years. Leslie M. Gordon continues as corresponding secretary and head of the research department To Screen "Black Beauty'' Vitagraph to Show Feature to Trade at Astor on January 5 TOURING a period of months, '-^ word has filtered from the West Coast that " Black Beauty," the Vitagraph special production, based on Anna Sewell's historic novel, was gradually being rounded into form. The actual film of this special production reached Vitagraph Brooklj'n studios the week before last, and Lillian and George Randolph Chester have finally completed its editing and now comes the announcement that the first public showing of this film, which features Jean Paige, and an allstar cast, will be at the Hotel Astor ballroom on Wednesday afternoon, January 5. A special orchestra has been secured and the big film will be presented under exactly the same auspices and with exactly the same effects as in the big theatres in which it will be shown within the next few weeks. Albert E. Smith, president of the company will be present, as well as Jean Paige, the star of the production, and Lillian and George Randolph Chester, who have been in charge of its editing. " Black Beauty," in its picture form, was made at Vitagraph's West Coast studio under the direction of David Smith, several months having been spent on the production. Essentially, as written by Anna Sewell, the story was the autobiography of a horse — the dramatic incidents were present, but the human element was slight. Black Beaut}', in his story, told only what he saw and knew. Mr. and Mrs. George Randolph Chester have supplied the human storj— what the human characters described in the book thought, said and did. Together, the story of the horse by Anna Sewell and the story of the human characters by Mr. and Mrs. Chester, blend into Levey Announces Plans Educationals Containing Advertising to Be Labeled on Screen Leonce Perret, from whom a number of big features are expected during the coming year THE HARRY LEVEY SERVICE CORPORATION announces today that the New Year will see the realization of several of their plans. Mr. Levey states that from the inception of advertising films, he has felt that the theatre-going public did not want to be fed sugarcoated pictures. In other words, they did not want to pay admission to a theatre expecting to see a good comedy or dramatic offering, only to find that a certain amount of advertising had been sandwiched into it. Therefore, beginning with the first release of 1921, all pictures containing advertising produced by the Harry Levey Service Corporation, will have incorporated in their first title the plain, unvarnished fact that the following film, although made with prominent and experienced players, and the same sort of settings and care in production that is given to all Truth pro ductions, contains a certain amount of advertising appeal incorporated in such a manner that it does not detract in any way from the high entertainment value of the picture. An appeal will also be made to the audience for suggestions and comment on the production. Mr. Levey says further, that the exhibitor should be paid for his screen; that it is the only fair method of doing this sort of business. Further, he states, the theatregoing public likes to be informed as to the various ways that things thev use in everv dav life are made. Fred Quimby Goes to the West Coast Mr. Fred C. Quimby leaves on Sunday for Los Angeles, to be gone for about a month, and during his stay at the Coast he will complete arrangements for the next Jack Dempsey serial. Many Hits Credited to Thomas Fallon Thomas F. Fallon, author of the last three George Walsh hits, coauthor _ of " While New York Sleeps," and co-author with Max Marcin and J. Searle Dawley of Pearl White's latest feature, soon to be released, has found time amid the whirl of writing screen originals and adaptations to write a one act playlet for Amelia Bingham, entitled, " The Mysterious Miss Grayson." Miss Bingham will appear in this Fallon plavlet as a headiincr at the Palace theatre. New York, early in January. Mr. Fallon was at one time in charge of the manuscript section of the Fox scenario department. Because of his experience as a playwright, he was deemed admirably suited to judge play technic. But his creative mind was not one to remain at rest by merely reading the efforts of others. So in a short time, Mr. Fallon was writing originals for Fox. From the beginning his stories went big — both as entertainment and box office attractions. Now there is hardly a writer who can claim the number of big hits on the market at the same time. Chief among Fallon's present hits are: "The Shark," "The Plunger," "While New Y'ork Sleeps" and "Bride 13," of which he wrote the adaptations. " Dynamite Allen " and the new Pearl White feature are other Fallon stories scheduled for January release. MADGE KENNEDY is appearing in four roles on Broadway this week. Two of them are in " Cornered," the play at the Astor, and the other two are in Jhe Goldwyn picture, " The Girl with the Jazz Heart," which is the feature at the Capitol. In the stage play Miss Kennedy is a thief and also a socief girl, but the parts are not further apart than those in the picture, where she is a demure Mennonite maid and a slangy telephone operator in a big New York hotel. Unlike the stage play, it is not necessary to have the two girls look alike, and in fact they are said to be quite different— the one with her hair smooth and her gown the quaint garb of her religion, and the other with elaborate coiffure and dressed in the height of fashion.