Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1921)

September ^ , i p 2 i 1213 Warner to Give Trade Showing of Feature A SPECIAL trade showing of the screen version of the famous stage success, " Why Girls Leave Home," featuring Anna Q. Nillson, will be given by Warner Brothers at Keith's Palace theatre. New York, on August 30th, at 10:30 A. M. Invitations to the showing are being mailed to the trade from the Warner offices. The production was made imder the direct supervision of Harry Rapf, and directed by William Nigh. This trade showing is the forerunner of the opening engagement at B. S. Moss' Broadway theatre, New Yofk^ for an indefinite run beginning September 11th. Mr. Moss, of the United Booking Office, has booked the production for presentation throughout his entire chain of houses in Greater New York, and it will be shown for week runs at the Keith theatres in Albany, Schenectady, Utica, Troy and Amsterdam. Texas Guinan Series Is Sold to Merit Film The Texas Guinan Productions announces that a contract was closed with I. E. Chadwick, representing the Merit Film Company of New York and the Merit Film Company of Baltimore, whereby the first series of twelve Texas Guinan Two-reel Western and Xorthwestem productions were acquired for the territory of Greater New York and New York State, Northern New Jersej", Delaware, ^lars-land. District of Columbia and Virginia. Mr. Chadwick, for the District ot Columbia territorj-, acted on behalf of James Willis, the manager of the Baltimore office. Independent Special Announced " Heart of the North " for September, States Joe Brandt As a big special feature for Independence Month, "The Heart of the North," the super-special production of the Canadian Northwest produced b\George H. Davis and Joe Brandt, in conjunction with Harrj^ Revier, directed the production, is to be released in the State Right Market for Independence ]Month. The announcement of the decision to State Right this feature for September, comes from the New York offices of Joe Brandt at No. 1600 Brbadwajf, following numerous conference by telephone and wire between Mr. Brandt in New York and Dr. Davis in San Francisco. As a result, full speed has been put on the final editing of the feature, and it is announced as complete and ready for booking. The announcement is of special interest in that " Heart of the North " is the first big special feature production of Quality Film Productions, Inc., the new company formed with Joe Brandt as President and George H. Davis as Treasurer, for the making of a limited number of big productions, and is said to be a proof of big things to be expected from this company. It is the opinion of Mr. Brandt and Mr. Davis that " The Heart of the North " will prove an even greater box-office attraction than Advance Bookings for "Tarzan" Serial According to Louis Weiss, Secretary of Adventures of Tarzan Serial Sales Corporation, the various territorial distributors of "Adventures of Tarzan" are making rapid progress in the matter of advance bookings. Samuel Zierler, President of Commonwealth Film Corporation, controlling this serial for Greater New York and Northem New Jersey, reports the signing up of one hundred photoplav houses in New York and Brooklyn. Aywon Reports Sales of Two Series S. J. Hankin, general manager of the Fine Art Pictures Corporation of St. Louis, Mo., has signed contracts with A\-won Film Corporation for the Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois rights to the Snowy Baker and Big Boy Williams Series. Nathan Hirsh, president of Aywon also armounces the disposal of all foreign rights to Reginald Warde to the Big Boy Williams series. Roy Stewart and Louise Lovely appearing in " The Heart of the North," produced by Joe Brandt and George H. Davis for States Rights distribution " Isobel " which was released by Air. Davis and has been cleaning up for exhibitors in exclusive first-run houses throughout the country. Roy Stewart is the featured player, playing a dual role that of " Bad " Maupome, outlaw of the Canadian Northwest, and John Whitley of the Canadian Northwest Royal Mounted. The roles are said to require the finest shadings of differentiation, both parts being played by Mr. Stewart in many scenes in identical costumes, and each being made distinct by acting and power of expression alone. Louise Lovely is the girl. Harry Revier, who directed the production, is himself a French Canadian who has lived in the places where the locale of " The Heart of the North " is laid, and Mr. Brandt announces that he has, for that reason, been able to give the picture an especially fine picturization. This is Mr. Revier's first production since " The Son of Tarzan," which has been such a tremendous success everywhere. The story is by Edward V. Dowling, Iresponsible for the scenarios of many successful features. " While we intended to hold this picture for later release," says Joe Brandt, " we have decided to cancel our former plans and release it at once because we believe that now, with everyone giving of his best to make Independence Month a huge success, we could not, in all fairness, hold back this picture, and we believe that now is the right time for its release, while exhibitors everywhere can cash in on it." Proof of the wisdom of this decision comes by wire from San Francisco that without a single line of advertising or exploitation, purely on the merits of the picture itself, the feature was taken over for that territory by All Star Feature Distributors, Inc., of San Francisco. A telegram of congratulation has been received by Mr. Brandt from Louis Hyman, General Manager of All Star. Announce Equity Purchasers THRU error, it was announced in a recent issue of the film trade publications that "The Black Panther's Cub" would be handled in several far western states thru the Federated Film Exchanges. The facts in the case are these : The states of Washington, Oregon, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico have been purchased and will be released as follows : In the states of Washington, Oregon, Alontana and Idaho, exhibitors will be able to secure bookings on "The Black Panther's Cub" thru the Greater Features, Inc., of Seattle. In the state of L'tah, exhibitors will be able to book thru the Greater Features, Inc., of Salt Lake City. In Colorado, \\'yoming and New Mexico, "The Black Panther's Cub" will be handled by the Lannon-Sheffield E.xchanges of Denver. J. T. Sheffield, who negotiated the deal for "The Black Panther's Cub" for these various territories, is now convinced that exhibitors throughout the countr>^ read the film trade papers, for altho no announcement was made of the purchase and distribution arrangements other than thru the nationally circulating film trade papers, the replies and requests for bookings on "The Black Panther's Cub" proved tp him and to his associates beyond the shadow of a doubt that exhibitors leave no line unread in these publications. Reports from the various cities now booking "The Black Panther's Cub" prove that the worst part of Corrects Error in Regard to " Black Panther's Cub " the depression is over and that business is looking up again to the huge satisfaction of exchangemen and especially exhibitors, many of whom have learned the very valuable lesson of going after business that heretofore has just naturally come by itself. "This past hard spot," says Mr. Sheffield, " has proven a blessing in disguise to many theatre owners, for it has shown them that exploitation gets business irrespective of conditions and that with the prosperous era we are coming to more exhibitors will do better and bigger exploitation with splendid results to themselves and to the general improvement of the whole industry. "It has also taught producers that the public wants better pictures, bigger pictures, produced more economically so that all hands down the line can make their legitimate profits without cutting down their show or jeopardizing their regular patronage on which the majority of the houses throughout the country depend. "In my selection of Equity's ' Black Panther's Cub ' we are starting our exhibitors off with a bang for the Autumn season, for here is a picture that contains every element that an experienced showman recognizes as a sterling box office winner, carr>-ing a brilliant cast as it does headed by the ever popular Florence Reed and supported by such Broadway talent as Norman Trevor, Tyrone Power, Henry Stephenson, Earl Foxe, Philip Bartholomae, Mile Dazie, Paula Shay and many others." Bookings Piling Up for Reelcraft Product R. C. Cropper's declaration in the trade press that Reelcraft Pictures Corporation, of which he is president, would be well represented on the screens of the country during "Independence Month," is borne out this week in the record number of bookings which the company has obtained since the announcement of its intensive sales drive for bookings for the tenth calendar month was made public almost a fortnight ago. The company's thirty-two exchanges, scattered in almost every important exchange center in the country, have been exceedingly busy on the sales drive which was begun under Mr. Cropper's personal supervision three weeks ago. Bookings on the series of Mirth, Aladdin and Sun-Lite Comedies have been piling up so thick and fast that in many instances additional prints of the subjects in question have been forwarded to branch offices. Reelcraft's large sales force have for three solid weeks combed almost every exhibiting section of the country. Exhibitors who never before booked the Reelcraft product are now listed among the company's accounts.